Nebraska, one of the central states of the American Union, and the eleventh in area, lies between 40° and 43° N. lat., and between 95° 23'—104° W. long., and is bounded by South Dakota, Iowa (separated by the Missouri River), Kansas, Colorado, and Wyoming. Area, 76,855 sq. m., of which one-fifth is in improved farms. The surface is chiefly an elevated, undulating prairie; it is very level in the eastern and southern portions, but in the north and west the 'Bad Lands' extend into the state, while to the north of the Niobrara River there are great sandhills, composed of pebbles, gravel, and sand, covered for the most part with a sparse vegetation. The average elevation of the state rises from about 1200 feet in the east to 6000 feet towards the western border. The principal rivers are the Platte, Niobrara, and Republican, all flowing east. The atmosphere is dry and invigorating, and, though great extremes of heat and cold are sometimes experienced, they are not usual. There are few swamps and marshes. The total rainfall in 1889 was 21.83 inches, the mean temperature 51.25° (range, from 94° above to 17° below zero). Buffalo and antelope are still, though seldom, seen; but the coyote, large timber wolf, fox, skunk, rabbits, &c. abound.
The soil of Nebraska, except in the Bad Lands and sandhills, is mostly a rich black mould, 2 to 8 feet in depth. The staple crop is maize, of which enormous quantities are grown. Tobacco and the sugar-beet also are cultivated successfully; of the latter the first very large crop was raised in 1890, but now there are a number of factories established for the manufacture of beet-sugar; other important crops are oats, wheat, rye, barley, flax, potatoes, and buckwheat. In the western part of the state the droughts are hurtful; there flowing wells are rare, and irrigation is needed. Forests are nowhere found, and tree-planting has been extensively practised of late. The uncultivated lands yield great quantities of hay, and Nebraska holds a good place among the stock-raising states; sheep, horses, and mules are raised, cattle in the western uplands, and hogs in the east. The live-stock trade has its headquarters in Omaha, which in this respect ranks after Chicago and Kansas city.
While there are numerous factories in the eastern and southern parts of the state (there are nearly 200 in Omaha, and 120 in Lincoln), the manufacturing industry is of much less importance than agriculture. The articles produced include agricultural implements, vitrified brick for paving, woollen clothing, soap, and the beet-sugar already referred to; while in a dozen towns canning factories are in operation. The ever-changing current and dangerous sand-bars of the Missouri do not encourage commercial intercourse by river; but the trade by rail (5000 miles open in 1890) is very heavy. Omaha and Lincoln are ports of entry.
Nebraska has forty universities, colleges, and academies; and the public schools (6020 in 1890, with 240,300 pupils in attendance, and 9029 teachers) are liberally provided for. The state and private charitable institutions also are numerous. The state receipts for 1888 were 4,236,525, the expenditure 4,244,583. The assessed valuation of real property in 1890 was 115,360,973 in lands and 31,553,144 in railroads. Pop. (1860) 28,841; (1880) 452,402; (1890) 1,058,793. The principal cities are Omaha (139,526 in 1890), Lincoln, the capital (55,491), Beatrice, Hastings, and Nebraska City.
History.—Nebraska was included in the Louisiana Purchase, and was for many years a part of the North-west Territory. The way was prepared for settlers by the overland emigration to California in 1849. Nebraska territory was organised in 1854, with an area of 351,558 sq. m.; it extended north to British America, and west to the Rocky Mountains. But of this vast area great portions were afterwards carved out for Colorado, Dakota, and Idaho. Nebraska became a state in 1867.