History of Salem, Oregon
Salem (International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA: {{IPA|[ˈseɪ ləm̩]}}) is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County, Oregon|Marion County. The district of West Salem, Salem, Oregon|West Salem lies in Polk County, Oregon|Polk County. It is located in the mid-Willamette Valley, between Portland, Oregon|Portland and Eugene, Oregon|Eugene. As of July 1 2006 it had a population of 149,305,[http://www.pdx.edu/media/p/r/PRC_Certified_Cities_2006.pdf PSU:Population Research Center] with a metro area population of nearly 400,000, making it the second largest city, and second largest metropolitan area in Oregon (after Portland, Oregon|Portland).
"Salem" is derived from the Hebrew language|Hebrew word "Shalom", and the Arabic language|Arabic word "Salam" both meaning "peace". Historically, Salem has been nicknamed the "Cherry City", because of the importance of the local cherry growing industry.[http://www.salemhistory.net/commerce/cherries.htm]
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