<P> Oklahoma ( / ˌoʊkləˈhoʊmə / ( listen ) ; Pawnee : Uukuhuúwa , Cayuga : Gahnawiyoˀgeh ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States . It is the 20th-most extensive and the 28th-most populous of the 50 United States . The state 's name is derived from the Choctaw words okla and humma , meaning `` red people . '' It is also known informally by its nickname , `` The Sooner State , '' in reference to the non-Native settlers who staked their claims on land before the official opening date and the Indian Appropriations Act of 1889 , which dramatically increased European - American settlement in the Indian Territory . Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory were merged and Indian was dropped from the name . On November 16 , 1907 , Oklahoma became the 46th state to enter the union . Its residents are known as Oklahomans , or informally as Okies , and its capital and largest city is Oklahoma City . </P>
<P> Oklahoma ( / ˌoʊkləˈhoʊmə / ( listen ) ; Pawnee : Uukuhuúwa , Cayuga : Gahnawiyoˀgeh ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States . It is the 20th-most extensive and the 28th-most populous of the 50 United States . The state 's name is derived from the Choctaw words okla and humma , meaning `` red people . '' It is also known informally by its nickname , `` The Sooner State , '' in reference to the non-Native settlers who staked their claims on land before the official opening date and the Indian Appropriations Act of 1889 , which dramatically increased European - American settlement in the Indian Territory . Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory were merged and Indian was dropped from the name . On November 16 , 1907 , Oklahoma became the 46th state to enter the union . Its residents are known as Oklahomans , or informally as Okies , and its capital and largest city is Oklahoma City . </P>
what part of the country is oklahoma considered
what part of the country is oklahoma considered
a state in the South
a state in the South