Ohio

State of Ohio

Flag of Ohio Seal of Ohio
State nickname: The Buckeye State
Official languages	None
Capital	Columbus
Largest city	Columbus (largest metropolitan area is Cleveland)
Governor	Bob Taft (R)
Senators	Mike DeWine (R) George V. Voinovich (R)
Area  - Total  - % water	Ranked 34th 116,096 km² 8.7
Population  - Total (2000)  - Density	Ranked 7th 11,353,140 107.05/km² (9th)
Admission into Union	March 1, 1803, declared retroactively on August 7, 1953 (17th)
Time Zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Coordinates  - Latitude  - Longitude  - Width  - Length	38°27'N to 41°58'N 80°32'W to 84°49'W 355 km 355 km
Elevation  - Highest point  - Mean  - Lowest point	472 m 260 m 139 m
Abbreviations  - USPS  - ISO 3166-2	OH US-OH
Web site	www.ohio.gov

Ohio is a state in the United States. Historically (but not universally) considered a part of the Midwest, Ohio is a multi-regional cultural and geographical crossroads, with elements of the Midwest, Northeast, Appalachia and Southern United States. "This slice of the mid-west contains a bit of everything American—part north-eastern and part southern, part urban and part rural, part hardscrabble poverty and part booming suburb" notes The Economist. ^[1]Prior to 1984, the US Census Bureau considered Ohio part of the North Central Region.^[2] That region concept was renamed "Midwest" and split into two divisions. Ohio is in the East North Central States division. ^[3]

Ohio was the first and eastern-most state admitted to the Union under the Northwest Ordinance. Its U.S. postal abbreviation is OH; its old-style abbreviation is O. Ohio is an Iroquois word meaning "great water." The name refers to the Ohio River that forms its southern border.

The U.S. Navy has named several ships USS Ohio in honor of this state.

History

Plaque commemorating the Northwest Ordinance outside Federal Hall in lower Manhattan

Main article: History of Ohio

Ohio, the region north of the Ohio River and south of the Great Lakes, was originally controlled by various native tribes. At the time of European colonization, the Iroquois federation of the New York area claimed the region including the modern territory of Ohio as a hunting ground. However, locally, the region was populated by several other peoples, principally the Miamis, Wyandots, Delawares, Shawnees, Ottawas, and Eries. During the 18th century, the French set up a system of trading posts to control the fur trade in the region.

In 1754, France and Great Britain fought a war known in the United States as the French and Indian War. As a result of the Treaty of Paris, the French ceded control of Ohio and the old Northwest to Great Britain.

Britain soon passed the Proclamation of 1763, which prohibited the American colonists from settling in Ohio Country. British control of the region ended with the American victory in the American Revolution, after which the British ceded claims to Ohio and the territory in the West to the Mississippi River to the United States.

The United States created the Northwest Territory in 1787 under the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, also known as the Freedom Ordinance because for the first time slavery would be prohibited from an entire American region. The states of the Midwest would be known as free states, in contradistinction to those states south of the Ohio River known as slave states, and later, as Northeastern states abolished slavery in the coming two generations, the free states would be known as Northern States. The Northwest Territory originally included areas that had previously been known as Ohio Country and Illinois Country. As Ohio prepared for statehood, Indiana Territory was created, reducing the Northwest Territory to approximately the size of present-day Ohio plus the eastern half of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan and the eastern tip of the Upper Peninsula.

Under the Northwest Ordinance, any of the states to be formed out of the Northwest Territory would be admitted as a state once the population exceeded 60,000. Although Ohio's population numbered only 45,000 in December 1801, Congress determined that the population was growing rapidly and Ohio could begin the path to statehood with the assumption that it would exceed 60,000 residents by the time it would become a state. On February 19, 1803, President Jefferson signed an act of U.S. Congress that recognized Ohio as the 17th state. The current custom of Congress declaring an official date of statehood did not begin until 1812, with Louisiana's admission. So, on August 7, 1953 (the year of Ohio's 150th anniversary), President Eisenhower signed an act that officially declared March 1, 1803 the date of Ohio's admittance into the Union.

In 1835, Ohio fought a mostly bloodless boundary war with Michigan over the Toledo Strip known as the Toledo War. Congress intervened and, as a condition for admittance as a state of the Union, Michigan was forced to accept the western two-thirds of the Upper Peninsula in exchange for giving up its claim to the Toledo Strip.

See also: Articles on Ohio history

Law and Government

Ohio's capital is Columbus, located close to the center of the state.

See: Government of Ohio

Geography

Map of Ohio

See: List of Ohio counties, List of cities in Ohio, List of villages in Ohio, List of Ohio townships, Ohio public lands

The Ohio coast of Lake Erie has played an important part in the history and economy of the U.S. as a whole

Ohio's geographic location has proved to be an asset for economic growth and expansion. Because Ohio straddles the Northeast to the east, and the Midwest to the west, much cargo and business traffic passes through its borders on its well-developed highways. Ohio has the nation's 10th largest highway network, and is within a one-day drive of 50% of North America's population and 70% of North America's manufacturing capacity.^[4] To the North, Lake Erie gives Ohio 312 miles of coastline,^[5] which allows for numerous seaports. Ohio's southern border is defined by the Ohio River (with the border being at the 1793 low-water mark on the north side of the river), and much of the northern border is defined by Lake Erie. It borders Pennsylvania on the east, Michigan in the northwest near Toledo, Ontario, Canada across Lake Erie to the north, Indiana to the west, Kentucky on the south, and West Virginia on the southeast.

Much of Ohio features glaciated plains, with an exceptionally flat area in the northwest being known as the Great Black Swamp. This glaciated region in the northwest and central state is bordered to the east and southeast first by a belt known as the glaciated Allegheny Plateau, and then by another belt known as the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau. Most of Ohio is of low relief, but the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau features rugged hills and forests.

The rugged southeastern quadrant of Ohio, stretching in an outward bow-like arc along the Ohio River from the West Virginia Panhandle to the outskirts of Cincinnati, forms a distinct socio-economic unit. Known somewhat erroneously as Ohio's "Appalachian Counties" (they are actually in the Allegheny Plateau), this area's coal mining legacy, dependence on small pockets of old manufacturing establishments, and even distinctive regional dialect set this section off from the rest of the state and, unfortunately, create a limited opportunity to participate in the generally high economic standards of Ohio.

Significant rivers within the state include the Cuyahoga River, Great Miami River, Maumee River, Muskingum River, and Scioto River. The rivers in the northern part of the state drain into the northern Atlantic Ocean via Lake Erie and the St. Lawrence River, and the rivers in the southern part of the state drain into the Gulf of Mexico via the Ohio and then the Mississippi.

Grand Lake St. Mary's in the west central part of the state was constructed as a supply of water for canals in the canal-building era of 1820–1850. For many years this body of water, over 20 square miles, was the largest artificial lake in the world. It should be noted that Ohio's canal-building projects were not the economic fiasco that similar efforts were in other states. Some cities, such as Dayton, owe their industrial emergence to location on canals, and as late as 1910 interior canals carried much of the bulk freight of the state.

Economy

Ohio is a major producer of machines, tires and rubber products, steel, processed foods, tools, and other manufactured goods. This is not immediately obvious because Ohio specializes in producers goods (goods used to make other goods, such as machine tools, industrial chemicals, and plastic moldings). Nevertheless, there are well known Ohio consumer items including some Procter & Gamble products, Smuckers jams and jellies, and DayGlo.

Ohio is the site of the invention of the airplane, resulting from the experiments of the Wright brothers in Dayton. Production of aircraft in the USA is now centered elsewhere, but a large experimental and design facility, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base has been located near Dayton and serves in the co-ordination of production of US military aircraft. On the base are located Wright Hill and Huffman Prairie, where many of the earliest aerodynamic experiments of the Wright brothers were performed. Ohio today also has many aerospace, defense, and NASA parts and systems suppliers scattered throughout the state.

As part of the Corn Belt, agriculture also plays an important role in the state's economy. There is also a small commercial fishing sector on Lake Erie, and the principal catch is yellow perch. In addition, Ohio's historical attractions, varying landscapes, and recreational opportunities are the basis for a thriving tourist industry. Over 2,500 lakes and 70,000 kilometers of river landscapes are a paradise for boaters, fishermen, and swimmers. Of special historical interest are the Native American archaeological sites—including grave mounds and other sites.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that Ohio's total state product in 2003 was $403 billion. Per capital personal income in 2003 was $30,129, 25th in the nation. Ohio's agricultural outputs are soybeans, dairy products, corn, tomatoes, hogs, cattle, poultry and eggs. Its industrial outputs are transportation equipment, fabricated metal products, machinery, food processing, and electric equipment.

Demographics

As of 2004, Ohio's population was estimated to be 11,459,011 people. This includes about 390,000 foreign-born (3.4%).

The racial makeup of the state is:

• 85.0% White
• 11.5% Black
• 1.9% Hispanic
• 1.2% Asian
• 0.2% Native American
• 1.4% Mixed race

The 5 largest ancestry groups in Ohio are German (25.2%), Irish (12.7%), African (11.5%), English (9.2%), American (8.5%).

German is the largest reported ancestry in most of the counties in Ohio, especially in the northwest. Ohioans of American and British ancestry are present throughout the state as well, particularly in the south-central part of the state. The cities of Cleveland and Cincinnati are heavily black. The cities of Cleveland and Toledo have large hispanic populations.

6.6% of Ohio's population were reported as under 5, 25.4% under 18, and 13.3% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 51.4% of the population.

Religion

Ohio is mostly Protestant. There are large numbers of Baptists, Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, and Pentecostals. Other notable Protestant groups include the nation's largest Amish population, and the headquarters of the United Church of Christ, which is in Cleveland. There are sizeable Jewish communities in the Cleveland and Cincinnati areas.

The religious affiliations of the people of Ohio are:

• Christianity – 82%
  • Protestant – 62%
    • Baptist – 15%
    • Methodist – 11%
    • Lutheran – 5%
    • Presbyterian – 4%
    • Pentecostal – 4%
    • United Church of Christ – 2%
    • Amish/Pietist – 1%
    • Other Protestant – 20%
  • Roman Catholic – 19%
  • Other Christian – 1%
• Judaism – 1.3%
• Other Religions – less than 1%
• Non-Religious – 16%

Political demographics and history

Politically, Ohio is considered a swing state, although state politics are dominated by Republicans. The mixture of urban and rural areas, and the presence of both large blue-collar industries and significant white-collar commercial districts leads to a balance of conservative and liberal population that (together with the state's 20 electoral votes, more than most swing states) makes the state very important to the outcome of national elections. Ohio was the deciding state in the 2004 presidential election between George W. Bush and John Kerry. Bush narrowly won the state's 20 electoral votes by a margin of 2 percentage points and 50.8% of the vote. The state supported Democrat Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996, but supported Republican George Bush in 2000 and 2004. Ohio was also a deciding factor in the 1948 presidential election when Democrat Harry S. Truman defeated Republican Thomas Dewey (who had won the state four years earlier) and in the 1976 presidential election when Democrat Jimmy Carter defeated Republican Gerald Ford by a slim margin in Ohio and took the election.

Ohio's demographics cause many to consider the state as a microcosm of the nation as a whole. Interestingly, a Republican presidential candidate has never won the White House without winning Ohio, and Ohio has gone to the winner of the election in all but two contests since 1892, backing only losers Thomas E. Dewey in 1944 (Ohio's John Bricker was his running mate) and Richard M. Nixon in 1960. Consequently, the state is very important to the campaigns of both major parties. Ohio had 20 electoral votes in the Electoral College in 2004. (See also U.S. Electoral College.) The most solidly Democratic areas of the state are in the northeast, including Cleveland, Youngstown, and other industrial areas. Specifically, the core of this region includes eight counties stretching east along Lake Erie from Erie County to the Pennsylvania border and south to Mahoning County. Southwestern Ohio, especially the suburbs of Cincinnati, Warren County, Butler County, and Clermont County is particularly Republican.

Ohio is known as the "Modern Mother of Presidents," having sent eight of its native sons to the White House. Seven of them were Republicans, and the other was a member of the Whig Party.

See also:

• Ohio Democratic Party
• Ohio Republican Party

Important cities and towns

See: List of cities in Ohio

Education

Colleges and universities

• 13 state universities
  • Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio
  • Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio
  • Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio
  • Kent State University, Kent, Ohio
  • Miami University, Oxford, Ohio
  • Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
  • Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
  • Shawnee State University, Portsmouth, Ohio
  • University of Akron, Akron, Ohio
  • University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio
  • Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio (Fairborn, Ohio)
  • Youngstown State University, Youngstown, Ohio

(note: the University of Dayton is not one of Ohio's state universities; it is a private, Roman Catholic university run by the Society of Mary)

• 24 state university branch and regional campuses
• 46 liberal arts colleges and universities
• 6 free-standing state-assisted medical schools
  • Medical University of Ohio (formerly Medical College of Ohio)
  • Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine
  • Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health
  • Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
  • Wright State University School of Medicine
• 1 private medical school
  • Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
• 15 community colleges
• 8 technical colleges
• over 24 independent non-profit colleges

See List of Ohio colleges

Professional sports teams

Ohio is home to many professional sports teams, including six major professional sports league franchises. Ohio is currently the only state to have teams in each of the major leagues where no one city or metro area could lay claim to the "Grand Slam."

Transportation

Many major east-west transportation corridors go through Ohio. One of those pioneer routes, known in the early 1900's as "Ohio Market Route 3", was chosen in 1913 to become part of the historical Lincoln Highway which was America's first transcontinental road, connecting New York City to San Francisco. In Ohio, the Lincoln Highway linked many towns and cities together, including Canton, Mansfield, Lima, and Van Wert. The arrival of the Lincoln Highway to Ohio was a major influence on the development of the state. Upon the advent of the federal numbered highway system in 1928, the Lincoln Highway through Ohio became U.S. Highway 30.

Ohio has a highly developed network of roads and interstate highways. Major east-west through routes include the Ohio Turnpike (I-80/I-90) in the north, I-76 through Akron to Pennsylvania, U.S. 30 (the Lincoln Highway) a bit further south through Canton, Mansfield, Lima, and Van Wert, I-70 through Columbus and Dayton, and the Appalachian Highway (Ohio 32) running from West Virginia to Cincinnati. Major north-south routes include I-75 in the west through Toledo, Dayton, and Cincinnati, I-71 through the middle of the state from Cleveland through Columbus and Cincinnati into Kentucky, and I-77 in the eastern part of the state from Cleveland down into West Virginia. The north-south routes except for I-75 are less important to non-local traffic than the east-west routes because, due to the presence of Lake Erie, they do not go through.

State symbols

• State animal: White-tailed Deer
• State bird: Cardinal
• State capital: Columbus
• State flower: Scarlet Carnation
• State wildflower: Large white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)
• State insect: Ladybird Beetle
• State song: "Beautiful Ohio"
• State rock song: "Hang On Sloopy"
• State tree: Ohio Buckeye
• State fossil: Trilobite genus Isotelus
• State drink: Tomato juice
• State reptile: Black racer snake
• State gemstone: Ohio Flint
• State motto: "With God all things are possible"
• Unofficial Motto: "So much to discover" adopted as part of state bicentennial campaign

See also

• List of people from Ohio