Situated in the Pacific Northwest region of the U.S., Oregon is a state of diverse landscapes. The eastern half of the state is covered in desert and scrub, while the western half boasts thick forests and rugged coastline. Two mountain ranges, the Oregon Coast Range and the Cascade Mountain Range, run roughly parallel from north to south, flanking the Willamette Valley. This broad, fertile plain was the destination of pioneers traveling the Oregon Trail during the 1840s, and has since become home to 70% of Oregon's population. The cities of Eugene, Corvallis/Albany, and state capital Salem lie within the valley, while the metropolitan area of Portland lies just to the north, at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers.