978-1-4222-3326-9

57

Lower Plains: Kansas, Nebraska

every three Nebraskans lives in Omaha and Lincoln, the state’s two biggest cities. Omaha is Nebraska’s most diverse city. African Americans make up 13.7 percent of the city’s population. That’s slightly higher than the national aver- age and almost three times greater than Nebraska’s overall percentage. The city also has a sizable Mexican presence, and it is home to the nation’s largest population of Sudanese refugees. The rest of the state is significantly less diverse than both Omaha and the nation as a whole. According to the

Ameritrade. The Union Pacific Corporation, operator of the largest rail network in the United States, is also headquartered here. The People Nebraska is even less densely populat- ed than Kansas. On average, there are fewer than 24 people per square mile in the state. The U.S. Census counted 1,826,341 Cornhuskers in 2010, put- ting the state in 38th place for popula- tion. Over 50 percent of this popula- tion is clustered in just three eastern counties: Douglas, Lancaster, and Sarpy counties. Roughly one out of

Reconnaissance aircraft are parked on the flightline at Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, Nebraska. The base, named for a World War I-era pilot from Nebraska, is home to the U.S. Strategic Command, which is responsible for using nuclear weapons in war when ordered by the president.