Nebraska lies in both the Great Plains and the Midwestern United States. It borders Iowa, Missouri and the Missouri River to the east, South Dakota to the north, Wyoming to the west, Colorado to the southwest, and Kansas to the south. The state's name comes from an Otoe Native American word meaning "flat water," after the Platte River, which flows through the state. Nebraska is known as "The Cornhusker State," derived from the nickname of the University of Nebraska's athletic teams, and recognizing the state's agricultural heritage. Omaha is the largest city and the state capital is Lincoln. Other larger cities include Bellevue, Grand Island, Kearney, Fremont, and Hastings. There are two major land regions, the Great Plains, which occupy most of western Nebraska and the Dissected Till Plains, a region of rolling hills and the largest cities. The Great Plains are characterized by treeless prairie, excellent for cattle grazing.

Nebraska has a large agricultural sector and is a major producer of beef, pork, corn (maize), soybeans, and sorghum. Other important sectors include freight transport, manufacturing, telecommunications, information technology and insurance. Kool-Aid is the official drink of Nebraska, since it was created by Edwin Perkins in the city of Hastings and manufactured there. The city holds Kool-Aid Days each year, an annual festival celebrating the drink. Omaha is home to headquarters of a variety of large companies, and is an economic and cultural hub of the state. The world's largest train yard is located in North Platte. There are more than 20 public and private colleges and universities, and around eight community colleges in Nebraska. University of Nebraska is the largest state system, with five campuses, and there are three state colleges, Chadron, Peru and Wayne. College sports are very popular in the state, with the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Big Ten Conference.

There are a large number of protected areas in Nebraska, including four national wildlife areas, six national wildlife refuges, two national forests, one national historic site, one national recreation area, 12 state parks, one state wildlife area, 68 state wildlife management areas, and four state fish hatcheries, so nearly 100 areas in total. Most notable are Nebraska National Forest, Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest, Chimney Rock National Historic Site, a unique rock formation on the Oregon Trail, Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, along the Niobrara river, Fort Robinson State Park, along with more than 22,000 acres of Pine Ridge scenery, Arbor Lodge State Park, the estate of J. Sterling Morton, founder of Arbor Day, and Homestead National Monument of America are in the region, which chronicles the immigration, migration and American Indian cultures altered by the Homestead Act, and Scotts Bluff National Monument, another landmark on the Oregon Trail. There are a large number of wildlife management areas, primarily in Central Nebraska, with beautiful scenery, excellent hunting, and lakes and rivers for great fishing. Viewing the sandhill crane migration is also a popular activity, with nearly 500,000 of the birds migrating through different areas of the state in February and March each year. Some other attractions include Carhenge, which replicates Stonehenge but with cars, Henry Doorly Zoo, nationally-renowned for its leadership in animal conservation and research, Joslyn Art Museum, with an emphasis on 19th and 20th century European and American art, and the Strategic Air and Space Museum.