Oklahoma (Cherokee: (oɡalahoma), Pawnee: Uukuhuúwa, Cayuga: Gahnawiyoˀgeh) is a state located in the South Central United States. Oklahoma 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 the choicest pieces of land prior to the official opening date, and the Indian Appropriations Act of 1889, which opened the door for white settlement in America's Indian Territory. The name was settled upon statehood, 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 "Okies", and its capital and largest city is Oklahoma City.

A major producer of natural gas, oil, and agricultural products, Oklahoma relies on an economic base of aviation, energy, telecommunications, and biotechnology. In 2007, it had one of the fastest growing economies in the nation, ranking among the top states in per capita income growth and gross domestic product growth. Oklahoma City and Tulsa serve as Oklahoma's primary economic anchors, with nearly two-thirds of Oklahomans living within their metropolitan statistical areas.

With small mountain ranges, prairie, mesas, and eastern forests, most of Oklahoma lies in the Great Plains and the U.S. Interior Highlands—a region especially prone to severe weather. In addition to having a prevalence of English, German, Scottish, Scotch-Irish, and Native American ancestry, more than 25 Native American languages are spoken in Oklahoma, second only to California.

Oklahoma is located on a confluence of three major American cultural regions and historically served as a route for cattle drives, a destination for southern settlers, and a government-sanctioned territory for Native Americans.

Etymology
The name Oklahoma comes from the Choctaw phrase okla humma, literally meaning red people. Choctaw Chief Allen Wright suggested the name in 1866 during treaty negotiations with the federal government regarding the use of Indian Territory, in which he envisioned an all-Indian state controlled by the United States Superintendent of Indian Affairs. Equivalent to the English word Indian, okla humma was a phrase in the Choctaw language used to describe the Native American race as a whole. Oklahoma later became the de facto name for Oklahoma Territory, and it was officially approved in 1890, two years after the area was opened to white settlers.

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The Oklahoma Municipal League (OML) is an association of the incorporated cities and towns of Oklahoma, organized for mutual assistance and improvement.

OML's functions include:
Working during legislative sessions to explain the municipal viewpoint, support bills useful to cities and towns, and oppose legislation detrimental to municipal government operations.
Meeting with federal and state agency personnel to ensure that their policies and programs are compatible with and meet the needs of city and town officials.
Bringing to public attention the issues confronting city and town officials and their impact on Oklahomans who live in municipalities.
Appearing in appellate court, with the OML Board of Directors's approval, on cases that can have a statewide effect on municipal government.

OML
Organizations and Governmental Entities Partnering with the League to Build Better Communities

The Oklahoma Municipal League, Inc., is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association of Oklahoma cities and towns. Organized in 1913, its purpose is to promote the general welfare of cities and towns and their citizens and to foster or conduct, alone or in cooperation with others, assistance that will provide for the improvement and increased efficiency of city and town government.

The League provides a variety of services to its member municipalities and their officials. These services include:
◦maintaining a reference library;
◦sponsoring conferences, meetings and training programs;
◦offering a variety of personnel and labor relations services;
◦promoting state and federal legislation helpful to local governments;
◦answering inquiries and producing numerous publications.

The Oklahoma Municipal League, Inc., with a membership of over 400 cities and towns, represents more than 97 percent of Oklahoma’s urban population. The League’s offices are located at 201 N.E. 23rd Street in Oklahoma City, one block west of the State Capitol.