Portland (Oregon)
Portland (Portland) – Located in the North-West USA, the largest city in Oregon (Oregon). As of 2013, Portland’s population was 609 thousand people, which allowed him to enter the 30 largest cities of the United States. In total, over 2.2 million people live with suburbs (urban agglomeration of Portland).
For centuries before the arrival of white people in the territories of modern Portland, the Tribes of Indians lived. They caught fish, engaged in collecting, hunted. Already since the 1830s, white merchants and hunters used a small area along the Willamette River (Willamette River) as a place for trade and parking. The founders of Portland are considered a pioneer from Tennessee William Overton (William Overton) and a lawyer from Massachusetts Asa Lavjoy (Asa Lovejoy), which in 1843 acquired and began to master a piece of land. Tired of endless laying of roads and cutting down trees, William Overton in 1845 sold for $ 50 his half of Francis Pettygrove (Francis Pettygrove). When it was time to choose the name for the new city, Pettigroów and Lavzhoy could not agree. The fate of the name was solved by the luck of Pettigrowa, who won when taking a coin. Being born in Maine, Pettigroow chose a name «Portland» In honor of the largest city of this state. Today, a historic coin called «Portland Penny» (Portland Penny), exhibited for review at the Museum of the Historical Society of State Oregon.
Portland is the largest city between San Francisco and Seattle. It is located in the northern part of Oregon not far from the confluence of the River Vilamett and Colombia. Vilamett River flows to North and divides Portland into two parts. The western part of older, more tightly built up and partially lies on the hills. The eastern part of the city canopy, mostly low-rise, stretches far east. Approximately 80 km east of the city lies Volcano Mount-Hood (Mount Hood), which largely creates a spectacular background in portland images.
Being 100 km from the Pacific Ocean, Portland is available for marine freight and is a truly port city . Port terminals located along both rivers are connected by rail, road and river transport. In total, about a thousand companies are directly or indirectly connected with shipping shipping. Main product exported through port – Wheat, imported – Cars and Steel. Cumulative export / import volume is estimated at $ 14 billion.
Portland International Airport (Portland International Airport) is a 20-minute drive from the North-Eastern Downtown Portland near the Columbia River. Portland Airport is the largest to the state of Oregon and serves over 13 million passengers annually.
Important areas of the regional economy: woodworking, industry (including heavy), transportation. In the city agglomeration of Portland, approximately 1,200 highly technological spheres are operating. Intel is the largest private employer in the region.
Public transport: High-speed trams (Light Rail), trams (StreetCar), buses. For tourists can be of interest to the cable car (Portland Aerial Tram) length of 1000 meters and a drop of 150 meters heights.
Statistical data for 2013
- White – 71.4%
- Latin Americans (any race) – 10.0%
- Asians – 7.5%
- African Americans – 5.8%
- Indians – 0.5%
- Pacific origin – 0.4%
- Mixed races – 4.2%
Socio-economic indicators in Portland:
- Middle income per person – $ 32915
- Population living below the poverty line – 18.2%
- Unemployment (June 2014) – 5.9%
- Index of life cost – 103.3 (100 – average United States)
It is worth noting a relatively high cost of life compared to the average values of the United States. On the other hand, Oregon is one of five states in which there is no sales tax (Sales Taxes).
The most common nickname of Portland – «City rose» (The City of Roses), which is recognized as official since 2003. Portland Climate is ideal for growing roses.
8.8% of the city in the city belong to sex minorities. This is the 7th country.
In Portland, there are more than 40 brewers.
In 2008, BusinessWeek put Portland for first place in the list of the most «Unfortunate cities of the USA». The study was based on such factors as the level of depression, the number of suicides and divorces, the crime and unemployment rate, weather and green spaces, as well as others.
In Portland, there are excellent combinations of historical and modern architecture, however, the main pride of the city are parks and gardens. Portland is really very green city, large areas of the territory are well maintained, retain the natural natural beauty and protected from urbanization.
Forest Park Massifer, stretching on the slopes along the Vilamett River in close proximity to residential areas, is considered one of the largest such parks in the country. The total length of pedestrian and cycling tracks inside the park exceeds 100 km, the longest of them – Wildwood Trail – more than 40 km in length. Another important green area – Washington Park. Located near the city center, this park is a house for the Oregon Zoo (Oregon Zoo), Portland Japanese Garden and the oldest in the United States of Garden International Rose Test Garden, where more than 550 varieties of these colors are grown. Another popular Tom McCall Waterfront Park park is located in Downtown on the Vilamett River Naberezhnye. Certificate the classic Chinese garden LAN SU CHINEES GARDEN, located in the Chinese quarter of Portland, as well as Mount Tabor Park, located on this volcano.
Other Attractions and Interesting Places
Portland Art Museum – City Art Museum, has several outstanding collections and regularly updates temporary exhibitions;
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) – Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, which includes a Diesel-electric submarine USS Blueback, which participated not only in hostilities, but also when shooting the famous film «Red October Hunt»;
Powell&# 39; S City of Books – one of the largest bookstores in the world, which occupies the whole quarter. Contains more than 1.5 million. books in 3,500 different sections;
Oregon History Museum – Oregon History Museum;
Portlandia – Stattail «Portland», personification of the origins, spirit and culture of the city;
Popular annual events
Portland Rose Festival is the largest event in Portland, passing annually in early June and the last 2 weeks. The culmination of the festival is the large floral parade of Grand Floral Parade. Other events include exhibitions of flowers, parades, fireworks, boating races.
Every year in the western suburb of Portland, who is called Hillsboro (Hillsboro), is held in the West USA’s largest air show .
PDX SOAPBOX DERBY – Very popular racing on the slopes of the Volcano Mount Tabor (Mount Tabor). Incredible vehicles, brave riders and sea emotions.
In professional sports, Portland is represented by 2 teams. Basketball Portland Trail Blazers (Portland Trail Blazers), speaking in NBA, conducts its home matches on the Multifunctional Rose Garden Arena (Rose Garden). Portland Timber (Portland Timbers, European Football), speaking in MLS, Homemade matches playing Jeld-Wen Field stadium.
Climate in Portland moderate with great ocean influence. Summer warm, sunny and relative dry. The warmer month is August with an average temperature of 20.3 C. In July-August, periods of severe heat are possible when the temperature may rise to 38 C, however, it happens to be infrequent. Rock and cloudy for 9 months from late September to June.
Winter in Portland Soft and Wet. During the coldest months (December, January), the average daily temperatures vary about 4.5 C. Despite the fact that usually at night the temperatures are not lowered to 0, sometimes severe frosts occur when the temperature can reach -10 s -15 C. However, such cooling occurs rarely. Snow in Portland falls only a few times a year, mostly winter go rains, the truth can sometimes happen and severe snowfalls may happen. Spring can bring fairly unpredictable weather to the city.
