Ohio

Capital: Columbus State abbreviation/Postal code: Ohio/OH Governor: Ted Strickland, D (to Jan. 2011) Lieut. Governor: Lee Fisher, D (to Jan. 2011) Senators: Sherrod Brown, D (to Jan. 2013); George V. Voinovich, R (to Jan. 2011) U.S. Representatives: 18 Historical biographies of Congressional members Secy. of State: Jennifer J. Brunner, D (to Jan. 2011) Treasurer: Richard Cordray, D (to Jan. 2011) Atty. General: Marc Dann, D (to Jan. 2011) Entered Union (rank): March 1, 1803 (17) Present constitution adopted: 1851 Motto: With God all things are possible State symbols: flower scarlet carnation (1904) tree buckeye (1953) bird cardinal (1933) insect ladybug (1975) gemstone flint (1965) song “Beautiful Ohio” (1969) beverage tomato juice (1965) fossil trilobite (1985) animal white-tailed deer (1988) wildflower large white trillium (1987) Nickname: Buckeye State Origin of name: From an Iroquoian word meaning “great river” 10 largest cities (2005 est.): Columbus, 730,657; Cleveland, 452,208; Cincinnati, 308,728; Toledo, 301,285; Akron, 210,795; Dayton, 158,873; Parma, 82,837; Youngstown, 81,469; Canton, 79,478; Lorain, 67,820 Land area: 40,948 sq mi. (106,055 sq km) Geographic center: In Delaware Co., 25 mi. NNE of Columbus Number of counties: 88 Largest county by population and area: Cuyahoga, 1,335,317 (2005); Ashtabula, 703 sq mi. State forests: 20 (more than 183,000 ac.) State parks: 74 (more than 204,000 ac.) Residents: Ohioan 2005 resident population est.: 11,464,042 2000 resident census population (rank): 11,353,140 (7). Male: 5,512,262 (48.6%); Female: 5,840,878 (51.4%). White: 9,645,453 (85.0%); Black: 1,301,307 (11.5%); American Indian: 24,486 (0.2%); Asian: 132,633 (1.2%); Other race: 88,627 (0.8%); Two or more races: 157,885 (1.4%); Hispanic/Latino: 217,123 (1.9%). 2000 percent population 18 and over: 74.6; 65 and over: 13.3; median age: 36.2. See additional census data Area codes Tourism office

Map of Ohio

First explored for France by Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle, in 1669, the Ohio region became British property after the French and Indian Wars. Ohio was acquired by the U.S. after the Revolutionary War in 1783. In 1788, the first permanent settlement was established at Marietta, capital of the Northwest Territory.

The 1790s saw severe fighting with the Indians in Ohio; a major battle was won by Maj. Gen. Anthony Wayne at Fallen Timbers in 1794. In the War of 1812, Commodore Oliver H. Perry defeated the British in the Battle of Lake Erie on Sept. 10, 1813.

Ohio is one of the nation's industrial leaders, ranking third in manufacturing employment nationwide. Important manufacturing centers are located in or near Ohio's major cities. Akron is known for rubber; Canton for roller bearings; Cincinnati for jet engines and machine tools; Cleveland for auto assembly, auto parts, and steel; Dayton for office machines, refrigeration, and heating and auto equipment; Youngstown and Steubenville for steel; and Toledo for glass and auto parts.

The state's fertile soil produces soybeans, corn, oats, greenhouse and nursery products, wheat, hay, and fruit, including apples, peaches, strawberries, and grapes. More than half of Ohio's farm receipts come from dairy farming and sheep and hog raising. Ohio ranks fourth among the states in lime production and also ranks high in sand and gravel and crushed stone production.

Tourism is a valuable revenue producer, bringing in $30.7 billion in 2004. Attractions include the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Indian burial grounds at Mound City Group National Monument, Perry's Victory International Peace Memorial, the Pro Football Hall of Fame at Canton, and the homes of presidents Grant, Taft, Hayes, Harding, and Garfield.

See more on Ohio:
Encyclopedia: Ohio
Encyclopedia: Geography
Encyclopedia: Economy
Encyclopedia: Government
Encyclopedia: History
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Selected famous natives and residents:

• Neil Armstrong astronaut;

• Kathleen Battle soprano;

• George Bellows painter and lithographer;

• Ambrose Bierce journalist;

• Erma Bombeck columnist;

• Bill Boyd (Hopalong Cassidy) actor;

• Milton Caniff cartoonist;

• Hart Crane poet;

• George Armstrong Custer army officer;

• Dorothy Dandridge actress;

• Doris Day singer and actress;

• Clarence Darrow lawyer;

• Ruby Dee actress;

• Rita Dove poet;

• Hugh Downs TV broadcaster;

• Thomas A. Edison inventor;

• Clark Gable actor;

• James A. Garfield president;

• Lillian Gish actress;

• John Glenn astronaut and senator;

• Ulysses S. Grant president;

• Warren G. Harding president;

• Rutherford Hayes president;

• Benjamin Harrison president;

• William Dean Howells novelist and critic;

• Zane Grey author;

• Robert Henri painter;

• Kenisaw Mountain Landis first baseball commissioner;

• Dean Martin singer and actor;

• William McKinley president;

• Paul Newman actor;

• Jack Nicklaus golfer;

• Annie Oakley markswoman;

• Norman Vincent Peale clergyman;

• Tyrone Power actor;

• Judith Resnik astronaut;

• Eddie Rickenbacker aviator;

• Roy Rogers actor and singer;

• Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. historian;

• William Tecumseh Sherman army general;

• Gloria Steinem feminist;

• William H. Taft president;

• Tecumseh Shawnee Indian chief;

• Lowell Thomas explorer and commentator;

• James Thurber author and cartoonist;

• Orville Wright inventor;

• Cy Young baseball player.

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