Oklahoma Panhandle
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The Oklahoma Panhandle is the panhandle region of the state of Oklahoma, comprising its three westernmost counties; Cimarron County, Texas County, and Beaver County. It is bordered by Kansas and Colorado at 37°N on the north, New Mexico at 103°W on the west, Texas at 36.5°N on the south, and the remainder of Oklahoma at 100°W on the east. The largest town in the region is Guymon, which is the county seat of Texas County. The region's higher educational needs are served by Oklahoma Panhandle State University, which is located in Goodwell, Oklahoma, 10 miles from Guymon.
Black Mesa, the highest point in Oklahoma, is located in Cimarron County. The Panhandle lies in the High Plains portion of the Great Plains. The North Canadian River is named Beaver River or Beaver Creek on its course through the Panhandle. Farming and ranching operations occupy most of the region with ranching dominating the drier western end.
The Panhandle was unclaimed by any state or territory from 1850, when ceded from Texas, until 1890, when assigned to Oklahoma Territory (see Neutral Strip). The Panhandle was Seventh County, with a county seat at Beaver City, from 1890 until statehood in 1907, when it was divided into the present three counties. Prior to then, the Panhandle was also commonly referred to as "No Man's Land".
The three counties of the panhandle are a part of Oklahoma Congressional District 3, which, geographically speaking, is Oklahoma's largest Congressional District.
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