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Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Oregon borders the Pacific Ocean on the west, Washington on the north, Idaho on the east, and California, and Nevada on the south. Much of its northern border lies along the Columbia River and much of the eastern border lies along the Snake River. Two north-south mountain ranges—the Pacific Coast Range and the Cascade Mountain Range—form the two boundaries of the Willamette Valley, one of the most fertile and agriculturally productive regions in the world.
Oregon has one of the most diverse landscapes of any state in the US. It is well known for its tall, dense forests and its accessible, scenic Pacific coastline. Other areas include the semiarid scrublands, prairies, and deserts that cover approximately half the state in eastern and north-central Oregon. The state varies from rainforest in the Coast Range to barren desert in the southeast, which still meets the technical definition of a frontier. Its highest point is the summit of Mount Hood, at 11,239 feet (3,428 m). As a West Coast state, its lowest point is sea level. Crater Lake National Park is the state's only national park, and the site of Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the U.S. at 1,943 feet.
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