Nebraska – Corn State

By | July 5, 2022

Farming in the American Wheat Belt

The US state of Nebraska is located quite centrally, a little to the north, in the middle of the USA. Nebraska is very much dominated by agriculture. Nebraska is not called the ” Cornhusker State ” for nothing. Nebraska was once known as a “desert-like,” non-agricultural state with vast prairies.

  • Medicinelearners: Offers a full list of top medical schools and their profiles in Nebraska.

Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln

 

Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln

Intelligent irrigation systems and better farming methods have allowed Nebraska’s agriculture to become the main industry over time. About 1.8 million people live in Nebraska. The capital of Nebraska is Lincoln. The city of Omaha, located on the Missouri River, is the largest city in the country. Very high mountains worth mentioning are not found in Nebraska. Nebraska is located in the Great Plains area, on the edge of the American wheat belt.

Nebraska – Diversity of natural landscapes

Nebraska isn’t nearly as desolate and desert-like as one might think. There are beautiful natural landscapes along the major rivers and lakes in Nebraska. Fishing, boating and canoeing are popular pastimes there. The numerous lakes allow activities such as motor boating and swimming. Horseback riding, hunting and fishing, along with golf, are popular recreational activities in Nebraska.

Longhorn cattle grazing near Fort Robinson, Nebraska

Scott’s bluff

Scotts Bluff is a huge sandstone bluff on the northern Platte River. At the time of the “white” settlement of North America, “Scotts Bluff” was a very important landmark on the way west, before crossing the Rocky Mountains. Other important sites and areas include the Fort McPherson National Cemetery and the Oglala National Grasslands. Numerous campgrounds and RV parks can be found in Nebraska. The agricultural prairie state of Nebraska boasts particularly striking natural monuments.

Modern Art – Carhenge near the town of Alliance, Nebraska

Fossil finds

Nebraska has many valuable archaeological sites. The Agate Fossil Beds National Monument is the most famous of the dig sites. Museums display the finds, small dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals and fossilized plants from the soil of the state of Nebraska.

Nebraska attractions

  • Badlands
  • Dom Rock
  • Eagle Rock
  • Beaver Wall
  • Chimney skirt
  • Court House and Jail Rocks
  • Crow Butte
  • Dancing Leaf Cultural Earth Center
  • Fossil Freeway
  • Hudson-Meng Bison Kill Site
  • Lake McConaughy Water Center
  • Lincoln County Museum
  • Ogallala Petrified Wood Gallery
  • Prehistoric Prairie Discovery Center
  • Red Cloud Butter
  • Sheridan Gates
  • Sioux Lookout
  • Sowbelly Canyon
  • Toadstool Geologic Park
  • Trailside Museum
  • Lincoln Cathedral
  • South Platte River
  • Nebraska State Capitol

Big Cities in Nebraska

  • Omaha
  • Lincoln
  • Bellevue
  • Grand Island
  • Kearney
  • Fremont

See Countryaah for more cities in the state of Nebraska.

National Monuments in Nebraska

  • Agate Fossil Beds National Monument

Nebraska map

Nebraska USA map. The US state, the Cornhusker State Nebraska, is located in the United States’ wheat belt in the Midwest. The map shows the neighboring countries, the country’s largest cities, rivers, lakes, highways and the course of the most important roads and transport links. The area of ​​agricultural Nebraska is 200,520 km². Lincoln is the capital of the US state of Nebraska. Approximately 1.93 million people live in Nebraska as of 2019.

Omaha in Nebraska – United States

City on the Missouri River – Gateway to the Midwest

The city of Omaha is on the eastern border of Nebraska on the Missouri River. The legendary Buffalo Bill once performed on Wild West shows in Omaha. Omaha is the most economically powerful city in all of Nebraska. White settlers came to Omaha around 1840.

Omaha Nebraska skyline

At that time, Indian peoples were at home in the region. The city was founded in the modern sense in 1854, and Omaha was the capital of Nebraska until 1867. Many of the settlers passed through the Missouri region on their way west in the 19th century. Even today, the region west of Omaha is heavily agricultural.

Fountain in downtown Omaha

Strong financial sector of Omaha

The Nebraska city experienced an economic boom with population growth. In 1908 the University of Omaha was founded.

In the early 20th century, Nebraska was known for its beer breweries. The economy flourished, prosperity grew. The industry created a lot of jobs and the population numbers went up. At the end of the 20th century, a completely different picture of the city emerged. Industrial production had become unprofitable. The machine shops closed and many of the jobs were lost. The former prosperity was gone. Today Omaha is very strong and successful in the financial sector. About 430,000 people live in the city of Omaha on the Missouri River.

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in Nebraska

Nature of the Great Plains

The Agate Fossil National Monument is located in the valley of the Niobrara River in northwestern Nebraska, United States. One area of ​​the National Monument is the Great Plains, a seemingly endless grassy prairie.

Daemonelix Trial – Agate Fossil Beds Monument – Nebraska

Due to the altitude of the Great Plains (up to 1,400 meters), this area of ​​the continent was not buried under the ice sheet during the last ice age. As a result, some of the original vegetation has been preserved.

Once a natural oasis

Gradually, a lush savannah with lakes and rivers developed in the area, which provided a habitat for many mammal species that are now extinct, but also for other animal groups. There were rhinos the size of pigs, dwarf camels and gophers. The high savannah in North America will have looked similar to the Serengeti savannah in Africa, which is also endangered today.

Again habitat for animals and people

The area is once again a habitat for many mammals, amphibians and reptiles, fish and birds. The extensive grassy landscape characterizes the image of the National Monument. Before the arrival of white settlers, the Agate Fossil Beds area was home to various Native American peoples. In the park area you can discover historical testimonies of past human cultures.

Access to the Conservation Area – Agate Fossil Beds Monument

Preserved in lava fields

Various layers of rock have been deposited in the Agate Fossil Beds area over millions of years. The uplift of the Rocky Mountains scattered debris from former rivers in the area. In addition, volcanoes were still active on the North American continent many millions of years ago.

Volcanic ash and cooled lava were also deposited in the area of ​​today’s Agate Fossil Beds. This formation of rock layers alternated until volcanic activity subsided and the uplift of the Rocky Mountains slowed.

Animal carcasses sealed airtight

The researchers suspect that a long period of drought in the savannah killed a large percentage of the wildlife living there very quickly. The frequent finding of fossils in one place suggests that the last waterholes must have been there.

Covered by the drying mud, the carcasses were preserved and protected from weathering. Fossil footprints of extinct mammals can still be found in the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument area. It was important to protect this geological history book for posterity.