Ohio is located in the Midwest of the United States. The state
has natural borders with Lake Erie to the north and the Ohio
River to the south. Bordering states are Indiana,
Kentucky,
Michigan, Pennsylvania and
West Virginia. The landscape is flat
in the northwest due to the Ice Age and only becomes hilly at
the transitions to the Appalachian Mountains and the Allegheny
Mountains in the southwest and southeast. It is located in the
Midwest region of the country, Central Northeast division,
bordering to the northwest with Michigan, to the north with Lake
Erie, to the east with Pennsylvania, to the south with the Ohio
River that separates it from West Virginia (to the southeast)
and Kentucky. (southwest), and to the west with Indiana. With
11,689,100 inhabitants in 2019, it is the seventh most populated
state - behind California, Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois
and Pennsylvania - and with 99.37 inhabitants/km², the tenth
most densely populated, behind Pennsylvania, Florida, New York,
Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and
New Jersey. It was admitted to the Union on March 1, 1803, as
the 17th state.
Ohio is one of the country's major
industrial centers. In addition to industry, its other major
sources of income are finance, coal mining (which helped make
Ohio one of the country's major industrial powers), agriculture
and tourism.
The rapid industrialization of the state
made various native people stand out for their inventions and
pioneering. Thomas Edison was born in Ohio and the Wright
brothers (known worldwide for having been the first to fly in an
airplane, although there are controversies about this) They also
grew up here. Another world-famous Ohio native is Neil
Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon.
There is no generally binding division of the state into
regions. Here in the German-language Wikivoyage we use the
following structure, which is mainly based on the different
landscape forms:
Northwest
Flat, agricultural area
bordering Indiana to the west and Michigan to the north.
Toledo Sandusky
West
The now agricultural area of the
Central Till Plain Prairie and the Southern Till Plain Prairie.
Springfield
Southwest
The rolling landscapes of the
Southwest Ohio Prairie and the Lexington Plain Prairie; they
surround the city of Cincinnati and pass into Kentucky.
Cincinnati · Dayton
Center
Flat, agricultural area
surrounding the capital and largest metropolis of Columbus.
Columbus · Newark
Northeast
In the coastal area of
Greater Cleveland and then the Allegheny Plateau formed by
glaciers.
Cleveland Akron
Southeast
The very hilly
area of the non-glaciated Allegheny Plateau. There is a lot of
coal mining here. The region also includes the Wayne National
Forest.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park lies in Summit County and Cuyahoga County. This picturesque nature reserve covers an area of 32,947 acres.
Hocking Hills State Park is a small nature reserve located in Hocking County in Ohio, USA. It covers an area of 2,356 acres.
Mudhouse Mansion is an abandoned residence situated outside a town of Lancaster, Fairfield County in a state of Ohio. It was constructed in 1870's.
Abandoned Ohio State Reformatory that is known for its paranormal activity is also known as a filming site of The Shawshank Redemption.
Prospect Place Mansion or Trinway Mansion is a historic abandoned building in Trinway, Ohio that is claimed to be haunted. It was constructed in 1856.
The Buxton Inn situated in Granville, Ohio is famous as a paranormal hot spot with many witnesses claiming supernatural encounters.
Akron-Canton Regional Airport, 5400 Lauby Road Northwest (Exit 113
from I-77), ☏ +1 330 499-4221. Akron-Canton Regional Airport (CAK IATA)
is a cozy, easy to navigate, quick in and out It is a small, easy to
navigate, quick in and out airport. The airport is home to low-cost
carriers such as Southwest.
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky
International Airport (I-275 to Exit 4 (State Route 212), follow signs
to airport terminal and parking lot), ☏ +1 859 767-3151,
info@cvgairport.com. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
(CVG IATA) is located on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River, so you
need to cross a bridge to get to Cincinnati. There is a small hub
airport for Delta Airlines.
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport,
☏ +1 216 265-6030. Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE IATA) is
the main airport in Cleveland and the largest airport in Ohio. The
airport is served by major domestic and international airlines and is a
hub for United Airlines; RTA's Red Line High Speed Rail provides
frequent high-speed rail service from the airport to the downtown core
in approximately 22 minutes for $1.75.
John Glenn Columbus
International Airport, 4600 International Gateway, ☏ +1 614 239-4083.
John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH IATA) is served by most
major airlines and has direct flights from major U.S. cities. The
airport can be reached by rental car, the 92 bus, or cab. Cab fare to
downtown is approximately $25.
James M. Cox Dayton International
Airport, 3600 Terminal Drive (in the town of Vandalia), ☏ +1 937
454-8200. James M. Cox Dayton International Airport (DAY IATA) is in the
northern part of the metropolitan area. It is located in the northern
part of the metropolitan area. Direct flights are available to Atlanta,
Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas/Fort Worth,
Denver, Detroit, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Newark, New York,
Orlando, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Washington D.C. The company
operates flights to It is worth comparing fares, as it is often cheaper
to use the smaller Dayton airport, even if the destination is in another
part of the state.
Ohio's liquor laws fall somewhere in the middle in terms of
regulation. Beer, wine, and liquor can be found in many stores. You can
find stores and products on the Ohio Liquor Authority's website,
OHLQ.com. Sales are available until 1 a.m. (Some stores do not have
permits to sell some or all types of alcohol on Sundays.) Hard liquor is
available at state liquor agencies (some stores are located in grocery
stores). These stores also sell wine, beer, soda, and mixers and close
early.
Two provisions may affect the purchase of liquor for
personal out-of-store consumption: first, it must be sold by an employee
21 years of age or older. Second, even singles must be carried out of
the store in a bag that conceals them.
As in other states, drunk
driving is strictly enforced in Ohio. It is also illegal to carry an
open container of alcoholic beverage into the passenger seat of a motor
vehicle, regardless of who is drinking. In addition, anyone who carries
a firearm, even legally, while under the influence of alcohol may be
charged with use of a weapon while under the influence of alcohol, which
is a felony.
Smoking
Smoking is prohibited in public places with very few
exceptions. Hotels, motels, and other accommodations may allow smoking
in designated rooms. Restaurants and bars are prohibited from smoking or
using ashtrays on their premises unless they have outdoor patios.
If you are in a location where the law is being violated, you may
report the violation to the Ohio Department of Health at the toll-free
number☏ +1-866-559-6446. Alternatively, you can send your complaint by
email to NoSmoke@odh.ohio.gov. To process a complaint, you must include
the following information: the name of the business, the nature of the
complaint, and the complete address (including street number, street
name, city, and zip code).
Winter Weather
Even if you are
driving through Ohio, it is recommended that you have adequate winter
clothing in case of difficult conditions during the winter months.
Temperatures often drop below 0 °F (-18 °C). Drivers traveling from the
South to Ohio want to make sure their vehicles are prepared for freezing
weather. Check radiator antifreeze and replace window washer solvent
with a non-freezing product. Be prepared with warm clothing, shoes, head
coverings, and gloves.
In general, Ohio is a fairly safe state. Most places are perfectly
safe during the day, but take the usual precautions against crime. The
biggest threats to visitors are winter weather and the possibility of
traffic accidents. If traveling by motor vehicle, be very careful when
driving in inclement weather and always be alert for traffic warnings
around major cities.
Ohio Department of Transportation Safety
Patrol. M-F 6 a.m.-9 p.m. Cell #677 If your vehicle breaks down on a
major city highway, the Safety Patrol can provide minor mechanical
repairs and flat tire repairs; available in Akron, Cincinnati,
Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, and Toledo as of 2019.
Ohio's geographic location has proven to be an advantage for its
economic and demographic growth. Because Ohio connects the Northeast
with the Midwest, a large amount of freight and business traffic passes
through its borders through its developed highway network. Ohio has the
10th largest highway network in the nation, and is less than a day's
drive from 50% of North America's population and 70% of its industrial
capacity. To the north, Lake Erie provides 502 km of coastline to Ohio,
which allows for the existence of numerous seaports. The state's
southern border is delimited by the Ohio River, while much of the
northern border is defined by Lake Erie. It is bordered to the north by
Michigan and Lake Erie, to the east by Pennsylvania, to the south by
West Virginia and Kentucky, and to the west by Indiana. On the other
side of Lake Erie is the Canadian province of Ontario.
Ohio's
shoreline with Lake Erie is about 502 kilometers long, including 85
kilometers of the inlet formed by Sandusky Bay and 106 kilometers of
coastline formed by the numerous islands of Lake Erie. The state has
more than 2,500 lakes and lagoons, as well as another 180 artificial
reserves. The largest lake in the state is Grand Lake, with 5,140
hectares in area. Ohio has nearly 70,800 kilometers of rivers and
streams. The state's main river is the Ohio—which acts as the border
between Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Other important rivers are
the Cuyahoga, Maumee, Miami, Muskingum and Scioto rivers. About 25% of
the state is covered by forests.
Most of Ohio's land, except for
a small region in the south-central part of the state and an
exceptionally flat area in the northwest known as the "Great Black
Swamp," is made up of glacial plains. These glacial regions in ancient
times were covered by a thick layer of ice, in relatively recent ice
ages (the last of which occurred about 10,000 years ago BC). Most of the
state is at a low altitude.
We can divide Ohio into four geographic regions:
The Great Lakes
Plains are located along the state's shoreline with Lake Erie, and cover
all of northern Ohio. It is a relatively narrow region, about 8
kilometers wide at its eastern end, increasing to more than 80 at the
western end. It is characterized by its slightly rugged, relatively flat
soil, and low altitudes, the lowest in the state—139 meters above sea
level at its northeastern end. It is also characterized by its
relatively fertile soil.
The Till Plains occupy all of western Ohio.
The altitudes of these plains gradually increase as one travels
southward. These plains have few geographical features, and are
characterized by their low, wide mountains. The highest point in Ohio,
Campbell Hill (472 m high)2 is located in the south of this region, in
the extreme southwest of the state.
The Appalachian Plateau occupies
the entire eastern region of Ohio. It is characterized by its rocky and
rugged terrain. This region is home to most of the state's major mineral
deposits, including coal, natural gas, and granite.
The Bluegrass
Region occupies a narrow south-central region of the state. This region
is characterized by its slightly rugged terrain, its pastures and its
fertile soil.
Ohio's climate is temperate, with four distinct seasons, with warm
summers and cold winters. However, the weather varies greatly from
season to season. The weather in Ohio is relatively unstable, and can
change suddenly, especially in winter. The main reason for this
instability is the absence of geographical obstacles in the state and in
its vicinity, which allow the rapid movement of air currents coming from
any direction.
Temperatures in Ohio drop as latitude increases.
The average temperature of the state in winter is -5 °C in the north of
the state, -2 °C in the central region and 2 °C in the south. The
average minimum is -6 °C in the north, -4 °C in the central region and
-2 °C in the south, while the average maximum is 2 °C in the north, 5 °C
in the central region and 8 °C in the south. The minimum temperatures
vary between -40 °C and 5 °C, and the maximum temperatures vary between
-30 °C and 15 °C. The lowest temperature recorded in Ohio, -38°C, was
measured at Milligan on February 10, 1899.
The average summer
temperature in the north is 21 °C (20 °C in the extreme northeast), and
24 °C in the south. The average minimum is 15 °C in the north, 16 °C in
the central region and 18 °C in the south. The average maximum
temperature is 28 °C in the north and central region and 30 °C in the
south. The minimum temperatures vary between 8 °C and 26 °C, while the
maximum temperatures vary between 16 °C and 38 °C. The highest
temperature recorded in Ohio is 45°C, measured on July 21, 1934 in
Gallipolis.
Ohio's average annual precipitation rate is 97
centimeters annually. These rates are highest in the southern and
northeastern mountain regions of the state — which can receive more than
120 centimeters annually — and lower along Lake Erie and in the
northwest of the state — which receive less than 85 centimeters
annually. Toledo receives about 80 centimeters of precipitation
annually. The average annual snowfall rate in Ohio is 74 centimeters.
These rates increase as you travel east and north. The mountainous
northeastern region of Ohio receives an average of about 254 centimeters
of snow annually, and because of this, it has several ski resorts.
The word "Ohio" means "Great River", "Long River" or "Beautiful River" in the Iroquois language, used by this group of Native Americans to describe the Ohio River. Ohio's nickname is the Buckeye State (the Buckeye is a chestnut tree of the genus Aesculus). Forests composed of trees of the genus Aesculus previously covered all of Ohio, although many of these forests have been cleared to provide raw materials for various industries, as well as to make room for agriculture. Ohio also claims the nickname Mother of Modern Presidents ( Mother of Modern Presidents), due to the fact that seven of the presidents of the United States were born and raised in Ohio, although this title belongs, in fact, to Virginia, with a total of eight presidents. American presidents born in Ohio are Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, William Howard Taft and Warren G. Harding. An eighth President, William Henry Harrison, lived in Ohio when he he was appointed president.
As you may have heard, Ohio has a great variety of dialects from
region to region. In the central part of the state, especially in Dayton
and Columbus, many people speak what is known as the General American
Dialect or the Midwest Standard Dialect. Around Cleveland and Toledo,
people speak what is known as the Northern Cities Vowel shift of the
same dialect and sound like Chicagoans (for an exaggerated example,
think of Da Bears from Saturday Night Live).
In Amish Country
between Cleveland and Columbus, English is the second language for Amish
people, while Pennsylvania Dutch is their first language. Pennsylvania
Dutch is close to Germany. Most Amish speak English outside the home,
but with a distinctive accent.
In the urban centers of
Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus, hundreds of thousands of African
Americans speak English, the standard language of African Americans
(ebonics). Moving to the South or Southeast, you may encounter people
speaking Southern American English, especially in the Greater Cincinnati
Metropolitan Area. Non-Appalachian whites in the Greater Cincinnati
metropolitan area, many of whom are of German descent, speak a slightly
different dialect, saying "Pony Keg" for convenience store or using
"Please?" instead of "What?" when asking someone to say it again.
The first European explorers to explore the region were the French. Until 1763, the Ohio region was part of the French colony of New France, which then came under British control. With the independence of the United States and the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, the United States came to control the region. Ohio became the first territory in the Northwest Territory to be elevated to statehood, and the 17th to enter the Union, on March 1, 1803. Westward expansion and the construction of numerous railroads In the state, the discovery of numerous coal deposits and a solid agricultural industry made Ohio become a great industrial power in the mid-19th century. Ulysses S. Grant, born in Ohio, was one of the Union's leading leaders during the American Civil War.
Native Americans lived in the region where the state of Ohio is now
located nearly two millennia before the arrival of the first European
explorers. The first inhabitants of the region were a prehistoric tribe,
called Mound Builders—"mound builders"—because they built small mounds
of earth for their cultural ceremonies. The mound builders would have
settled in the region around 600 BC. C., and they would have migrated,
around 900, to the south of the current United States. There are
currently nearly six thousand archaeological remains, including tombs,
cemeteries and ritual houses, of the mound builders, in Ohio. The region
was later occupied by other Native American peoples and tribes, such as
the Huron, the Delaware, the Ottawa, the Shawnee, and especially the
Iroquois. The Iroquois dominated most of present-day Ohio during the
years preceding the arrival of the first Europeans to the region.
The first European explorer to reach the region that currently
constitutes the state of Ohio was the Frenchman René Robert Cavelier de
La Salle, in 1669. Cavelier annexed the entire region to the French
crown, and the Ohio region became part of the colony of New France. The
French, however, took little interest in colonizing the region, and
there were only a few trading establishments by various French merchants
to trade with the indigenous people.
During the first decades of
the 18th century, the United Kingdom began to claim the region, as well
as all those located south of the Great Lakes. In 1747, a group of
British merchants and Virginia settlers created a company, the Ohio
Company of Virginia, with the goal of colonizing the Ohio River Valley
region and the areas located southwest of Lake Erie—regions that
currently constitute the Ohio State. This company sent a group of
settlers led by Christopher Gist to explore the Ohio River Valley
region, who set out from Virginia and explored Ohio for almost two
months.
The French began to build forts in the Ohio region from
the beginning of the 1750s. Gist himself, in 1753, following the orders
of the governor of Virginia, returned to Ohio, accompanied by George
Washington, to send a message to the French, to leave the region. The
French ignored Gist and Washington's message. Disputes between the
French and the British over not only the Ohio region, but also the
entire region around the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River, led to
the start of the French and Indian War in 1754. The war had beginning in
Ohio, when a militia commanded by Gist and Washington attempted to
forcibly expel the French from the region, having been defeated by
French forces. The French and Indian War would last until 1763, ending
with British victory. By the terms of the Treaty of Paris, the French
ceded all regions east of the Mississippi River to the British, and all
regions west of the river to the Spanish. The Ohio region came under
British control. After the end of the war, an Ottawa Indian chief,
Pontiac, who had good relations with the French, rebelled against the
British. Pontiac would lead numerous attacks on British forts in 1763
and 1764, and an attack on Detroit, Michigan, in 1764. The attack had
little success, and Chief Pontiac fled into the Illinois region.
During the American Revolutionary War, the different Native American
groups in Ohio were divided over the question of which side to be on:
the American rebels or the British. For example, Shawnee leader Blue
Jacket and Delaware leader Buckongahelas allied themselves with the
British, while Cornstalk, a Shawnee, and White Eyes, a Delaware, agreed
to establish friendly relations with the Americans. The latter, however,
often did not differentiate between friendly and hostile Native
Americans. What's more, Cornstalk was killed by an American militia, the
same thing that probably would have happened to White Eyes.
In
1780, American George Rogers Clark defeated the Shawnee forces, allied
with the British. One of the most tragic incidents of the Revolutionary
War, the Gnadenhütten Massacre of 1782, occurred in Ohio. After the end
of the war, under the terms of the Treaty of Paris, the United States
assumed control of all British colonies east of the Mississippi River,
south of the Great Lakes. The United States government created the
Northwest Territory in 1787, of which Ohio was a part. That same year, a
mercantile company purchased several lands located in present-day Ohio
from the government, having founded Ohio's first permanent settlement,
Marietta, on April 7, 1788. This immediately became the capital of the
Northwest Territory, in July of the same year. Quickly, other
settlements would be founded in the region.
Native Americans who
had allied with the British during the Revolutionary War continued to
attack American communities after the war ended in 1783. In 1794,
General Anthony Wayne defeated a Native American force in a nearby
region. to the present-day city of Toledo. In 1795, the Native Americans
accepted and ratified the Treaty of Greenville, where they agreed to
cede about 70% of all of present-day Ohio to the United States
government. The Native Americans did so thanks to under pressure from
Chief Tarhe, a Wyandot chief. Thanks to the treaty, peace was restored
in the region, and more Americans began to settle in the region.
In 1800, the government created the Indiana Territory, from the western
portion of the Northwest Territory. Ohio continued to form part of the
Northwest Territory, changing the Territory's capital to Chillicothe,
located in present-day Ohio. According to the Northwest Ordinance, any
particular territory formed from breakaway areas of the Northwest
Territory would automatically be admitted as a state when its population
exceeded 60,000. Although Ohio's population was only 45,000 in December
In 1801, Congress determined that the region's population was rapidly
growing, and that Ohio could begin the process of elevation to
statehood, assuming that its population would exceed 60,000 when it was
officially elevated to statehood.
In November, preparations began
for the secession of the Ohio region from the rest of the Northwest
Territory, and for the creation of the state of Ohio. That same month, a
constitutional convention created Ohio's first Constitution. On February
19, 1803, President Thomas Jefferson signed an act in Congress that
recognized Ohio as the 17th of the United States. At that time, the
official declaration of statehood was not yet a custom of Congress, a
custom that would become common with the elevation of Louisiana to
statehood. On August 7, 1953, the year of Ohio's 150th anniversary as a
state, then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed an act officially
declaring March 1 as the date on which Ohio was officially elevated to
statehood. , becoming part of the Union.
The Louisiana Purchase, carried out in 1803, caused the state's
economy to grow rapidly, since products produced in the state could be
easily transported across the Mississippi River and its tributaries to
the port of New Orleans. Annually, large numbers of ships sailed between
New Orleans and the small port centers in Ohio, transporting
agricultural products produced in that state to New Orleans, from where
they were taken to other regions.
In 1812, the War of 1812 began
between the United States and the United Kingdom. Ohio was the scene of
one of the most important and famous battles of the war, the Battle of
Lake Erie, held on September 10, 1813. In this battle, nine American
ships, commanded by Commander Oliver H. Perry, faced each other. to six
British ships, in Lake Erie, a battle that resulted in victory for the
United States. The results of this victory were American dominance of
the waters of Lake Erie, as well as American control of the Northwest
Territory, and increased drastically the morale of the population and
American soldiers, after a series of defeats in the development of the
war.
After the end of the war, the continued development of
Ohio's economy caused Ohio's population to skyrocket. Thousands of
people began to settle annually in the state, in addition to many other
people from other states, and immigrants from European countries,
especially Germans and British.
In 1835, a war almost broke out
between Michigan and Ohio over a narrow strip of land in the northwest
corner of Ohio. This war, which was called the Toledo War, did not occur
due to the intervention of the federal government. In 1836, the
government ceded this piece of land to Ohio. This sector of land is home
to the city of Toledo, which gave its name to the "war." It was then
that Ohio's borders acquired their current boundaries.
River
trade between Ohio and New Orleans continued, and the need for more
economical and efficient ships led to steamboats replacing the older
sailing ships. The first steamboat to navigate the Mississippi was the
New Orleans, in 1811, and the first to sail on Lake Erie was the
Walk-in-the-Water, in 1818. In 1825, the Canal Canal opened. Erie and in
1832, an extension of this, the Ohio Canal, was completed, connecting
Cleveland and Portsmouth. In 1845, another extension of the Erie Canal,
the Miami Canal, was inaugurated, connecting Toledo and Cincinnati.
Ohio's numerous river canals served as trade routes for more than 25
years. Beginning in the 1830s, railroads began to be built in large
numbers. The extensive and modern railroad and river transportation
system caused the state's agricultural industry to develop dramatically
during the 1840s, making Ohio a leader in the agricultural industry of
the United States. The state's economy would diversify, with the growing
expansion of the state's transportation system, and manufacturing would
quickly become a major source of income as well. In 1841, William Henry
Harrison became the first Ohioan to assume the presidency of the United
States.
Ohio played an essential role in the American Civil War.
Most of the state's population was abolitionist, that is, they were
against slavery. Many abolitionists helped thousands of slaves flee,
both before and during the Civil War, being transported from the
abolitionist states to Ohio or Canada via the Mississippi River and the
Ohio River, or via railroads. Several key people in the Union forces
were native Ohioans, including Generals Ulysses S. Grant and William T.
Sherman. In addition, Ohio supplied nearly 320,000 soldiers, more than
the quota requested by President Abraham Lincoln for that state. The
only armed conflict in Ohio occurred in 1863, when Confederate troops,
led by General John Hunt Morgan, raided north, destroying any American
infrastructure they found on the front. Morgan would be captured in
Ohio, but managed to escape and return safely to the Confederacy.
After the end of the American Civil War, Ohio's economic growth
increased again. Tens of thousands of people from other states in the
United States and other countries came to settle in the state. The
manufacturing industry developed rapidly, and in the 1870s it surpassed
agriculture as the state's main source of income. In 1869, the
Cincinnati Red Stockings—now the Cincinnati Reds—became the first
professional baseball team in the country. The great industrial growth
of Ohio would also promote a technological revolution in the state, not
in vain numerous world-renowned inventors are from Ohio, and would have
made their inventions in the state. Among them, Thomas Edison stands
out. The presence of natural resources such as coal also helped Ohio
become a major industrial power.
During the late 19th century,
four people from Ohio became president of the United States. These
people were Ulysses S. Grant—the Union Lieutenant General during the
Civil War—Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, and Benjamin Harrison.
William McKinley, although not a native Ohioan (he was born in Virginia,
although he spent most of his childhood in Ohio), became president of
the country in 1897. Another Ohio native, William Howard Taft, became
the seventh person that state to assume the American presidency, in
1909.
During the late 1890s, Ohio's government was severely marred by a
political corruption scandal involving various government officials in
Ohio and the state's largest cities. Because of this political scandal,
major government reforms were carried out during the 1900s. In this
decade, the Wright Brothers—one of them, Orville, a native of Ohio—would
make numerous pioneering flights in their airplanes in the state. .
In 1913, major floods—the worst in the state's history—hit Ohio.
They caused nearly 350 deaths, and damage estimated at 100 million
dollars. Because of this, the state Legislature instituted a
conservation program in 1914 to prevent future floods from causing so
much damage. Numerous levees and dams were built throughout the state
during the 1910s and 1920s. The federal government also built another 20
levees and dams. Warren G. Harding became the seventh and last Ohio
native to assume the presidency of the United States in 1921.
The
First World War accelerated the growth of the state's economy, thanks to
the large production of war material. Growth continued through the
1920s, although unevenly—manufacturing prospered, while farms faced
increasing difficulties due to deflation and increasing competition from
other countries in the international market. This caused an increase in
emigration from rural areas towards cities, and by the end of the
decade, more people lived in cities than in rural areas.
The
economy based on agriculture and manufacturing made Ohio one of the
states most affected by the effects of the Great Depression.
Unemployment rates rose dramatically, to over 35% among urban workers,
while the drastic decline in overall produce caused numerous farms to
fall into serious debt, causing many to lose theirs. The federal
government and the state government soon instituted numerous social and
economic assistance programs. In 1934, for example, construction began
on a flood control project in the Muskingum River Valley, having been
inaugurated in 1938—but not before being inadvertently tested in a
"trial by fire" (in 1937, this system , not yet completed, prevented
large and sudden floods in the Ohio River from causing great destruction
in nearby cities).
The effects of the Great Depression ended with
the entry of the United States into World War II, when the state began
to produce a large amount of war material. After the end of the war,
various government agencies set up research and testing centers in the
state, especially in the fields of nuclear energy and the aerospace
industry. The opening of the St. Lawrence Canal provided an efficient
expressway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes, and the port
cities of Ohio benefited greatly from the opening of this canal. Various
provincial programs encouraged industrial growth, such as tax cuts,
financing the construction of industrial centers, and the provision of
low-cost electricity. By the late 1960s, Ohio was the nation's
fourth-largest exporter of industrial products.
The state's
industrial growth continued until the early 1970s. Ohio went through a
severe economic recession during the 1970s and 1980s, due to
skyrocketing fuel prices, increasing competition from foreign
industrialized products both in the international market and in the
domestic market, and due to the relocation of Ohio factories to southern
states of the nation, where costs are lower, or even to other countries.
This recession caused population growth to stagnate, and it only ended
in the late 1980s, when lower fuel prices, as well as greater abundance,
stimulated the industrialization of the state. The relocation of
factories to other regions where costs are lower, however, continues.
In 1971, the Ohio government implemented an income tax, earning the
state $373 million the following year through its collection. Due to the
financial crisis suffered from the 1970s, the government gradually
increased this tax. In 1995, the state's income tax generated more than
$4.5 billion, representing more than twelve-fold growth over a period of
two decades, a period in which the state's population growth stagnated
and population remained stable. In 1990, George V. Voinovich was
elected, promising in his program to reduce taxes and public spending.
He managed to reduce public spending, mainly through cuts in
socioeconomic aid services to those in need. In his place, Voinovich
increased spending on education. With the state's economy improving in
the early 1990s, Voinovich was re-elected in 1994.
Because of the
strength of industry in the region, Ohio, since the end of the 19th
century, suffered from serious pollution, both atmospheric and river,
caused by the numerous factories owned by the state and the dependence
on coal plants for the generation of electricity. In 1985, Ohioans voted
in a referendum to invest $100 million in a research program aimed at
creating a "clean" coal plant. In 1993 the first of these plants was
inaugurated. That same year, the population of the state approved in a
referendum the investment of 200 million dollars for the improvement and
expansion of the state system of parks and nature reserves. The state
has also joined forces to clean its rivers and lakes.
The capital of Ohio is Columbus, located near the center of the
state. As of 2019, the governor is Mike DeWine. Ohio has 16 seats in the
United States House of Representatives.
The chief executive
officer of Ohio is the governor. This is elected by the voters of the
state for a term of up to four years. A given person can serve as
governor as many times as he wants, but not twice consecutively. It is
the responsibility of the governor to indicate to the officials of the
Executive and the Judiciary. However, all of his instructions need to be
approved first by the state Senate. All Executive officers chosen by the
governor cannot serve two consecutive terms.
The Legislative
Branch of Ohio is made up of the Senate and the House of
Representatives. The Senate has a total of 33 members, and the House of
Representatives, 99. Ohio is divided into 33 legislative districts. The
voters of each district elect a senator and three representative
members, who will represent said district in the Senate and the House of
Representatives. The term of office of senators is four years, and that
of members of the House of Representatives is two years. A given person
cannot serve as senator twice in a row, nor can he serve more than two
consecutive terms as a member of the House of Representatives.
The highest court in the Ohio Judiciary is the Ohio Supreme Court,
composed of seven justices. These judges are elected by the population
of the state for a term of up to six years. Ohio also has twelve Courts
of Appeals, and each county administers a regional Judicial Court. Ohio
is divided into twelve judicial districts, where each of the Court of
Appeals courts operate. Each of the courts of the Court of Appeals has
eight judges, elected by the population of the state for a term of up to
six years. All judges of the regional courts – composed of three to
twelve judges – are elected by the population of the respective counties
for a term of up to six years.
About 55% of Ohio's government
budgets are generated by state taxes, while the remainder comes from
federally provided budgets and borrowing. In 2002, the state government
spent 52,594 million dollars, having generated another 45,439 million.
Ohio's public debt is $20,009 billion. The debt per capita is $1,754,
the value of state taxes per capita is $1,764, and the value of
government expenditures per capita is $4,610.
The current Ohio Constitution was adopted in 1864. Amendments to the Constitution are proposed by the Ohio Legislature, and to be approved, they first need to be ratified by at least 51% of the state Senate and House of Representatives, in two successive votes, and then by 51% or more of Ohio's voting population, in a referendum. The population of the state can also propose amendments to the Constitution through petitions, which require the signature of at least 10% of the people who voted in the last referendum or in the last state elections for governor held in the state. If this petition has a minimum of 10% signatures, the amendment is then reviewed by the Legislature, and put to a vote in a referendum, where it must obtain the vote in favor of at least 51% of voters in two consecutive referendums. If this amendment is ratified by 51% or more of the voters in both ballots, the amendment is automatically approved. Amendments can also be proposed and introduced by constitutional conventions, which need to receive the approval of at least 67% of the votes of both houses of the Legislature and 51% of the state's electors in a general election, or 51% of the state's electors in an election held periodically every 20 years.
Ohio is divided into 88 counties. These counties are governed by Boards of Commissioners, which are composed of three members—with the exception of Summit County, which is governed by a chief administrator and a seven-member Board. Any urban area with more than five thousand inhabitants is considered a main city. The state does not have secondary cities (towns); Any urban area with less than five thousand inhabitants is considered a town. Most cities and towns in Ohio are governed by a mayor and a municipal council, while the remainder are governed by either an administrator and a Council or a Board of Commissioners.
Politically, Ohio is considered what in English is called a "swing
state", although state politics is dominated by Republicans. The mix of
urban and rural areas, and the significant presence of large blue-collar
industries and major white-collar business districts, leads to a balance
between conservative and liberal populations that, along with the
state's 20 electoral votes—more than those with many of the "swing
states"—makes the state decisive for the outcome of national elections.
Not in vain, Ohio was the state in which the 2004 Presidential Elections
were decided, between George W. Bush and John Kerry. Bush narrowly won
the state's 20 electoral votes (a 2 percentage point margin and 50.8% of
the vote). The state backed Democrat Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996,
although in 2000 and 2004 it supported Republican George W. Bush. Ohio
was also a decisive factor in the 1948 Presidential Election, when
Democrat Harry S. Truman defeated Republican Thomas E. Dewey (who had
won the state four years earlier), and also in the 1976 Election, when
Democrat Jimmy Carter narrowly defeated Republican Gerald Ford.
Ohio's demographics cause many to view the state as a microcosm within
the nation. Curiously, no Republican presidential candidate has entered
the White House without winning Ohio. For this reason, this state
occupies a very important place in the electoral campaigns of both
parties.
According to the 2000 national census from the United States Census
Bureau, Ohio's population was 11,353,140, a growth of 4.2% over the 1990
data of 10,887,325. An estimate made in 2005 estimates the state's
population at 11,464,042 inhabitants, which represents a growth of 5.2%
in relation to 1990 data, 1% in relation to 2000 data, and 0.1 %
relative to 2004 estimate.
Ohio's natural growth between 2000 and
2005 was 217,877 people—789,312 births minus 571,435 deaths—population
growth caused by immigration was 75,142 people, while interstate
migration resulted in the loss of 177,150 people. Between 2000 and 2005,
Ohio's population grew by 110,897 inhabitants, and between 2004 and
2005, by 13,899. About 3.4% of the state's population (340,000
inhabitants) was not born in the United States.
Ohio's gross domestic product was $419 billion in 2003. The state's
per capita income, meanwhile, was $30,129, the 25th highest in the
country. The unemployment rate in Ohio stands at 6.1%.
The
primary sector corresponds to 1% of Ohio's GDP. The state has about
80,000 farms, occupying about half of its area. Agriculture comprises
0.95% of GDP, and employs approximately 160,000 people. Central Corn
Belt, Ohio is one of the nation's largest producers of corn. The state
is also one of the national leaders in the production of soybeans, wheat
and straw. Other important agricultural products are milk and beef,
chicken eggs, tomatoes and onions. Fishing and forestry are responsible
for about 0.95% of GDP, employing about 2,000 people.
The
secondary sector accounts for 29% of Ohio's GDP. The manufacturing
industry—the state's largest source of revenue—accounts for 25% of the
state's GDP and employs approximately 1,130,000 people. The total value
of products manufactured in the state is $120 billion—behind only
California and Texas. The main industrialized products manufactured in
Ohio are transportation equipment, industrial machinery, chemical
products, steel, industrialized foods, plastic and rubber products in
general, furniture and appliances, glass and printed materials. Ohio is
the second largest national steel producer, behind only Indiana. The
construction industry comprises 3.8% of the state's GDP, employing
approximately 347,000 people. For its part, mining is responsible for
0.2% of Ohio's GDP, employing nearly 22,000 people. The state's main
natural resources are coal, natural gas and granite.
The tertiary
sector comprises 70% of Ohio's GDP. About 18% of the state's GDP comes
from community and personal services. This sector employs more than
1,950,000 people. Wholesale and retail trade corresponds to 17% of GDP,
and employs approximately 1,520,000 people. Financial and real estate
services correspond to about 16% of the state's GDP, employing
approximately 475,000 people (the state's main financial center is
Cleveland, other important financial centers are Cincinnati, Columbus
and Toledo). Government services correspond to 11% of GDP, employing
approximately 800,000 people. Finally, transport and telecommunications
employ 290,000 people and comprise 8% of GDP. Coal-fired thermoelectric
plants produce about 85% of the electricity generated in the state,
while the rest is generated in nuclear plants.
The first school in Ohio was founded in 1773 by a missionary, with
the goal of converting Native American children to the Catholic
religion, and imposing "Western" ideals and customs on them. In 1825,
the state government authorized the founding of a public education
system composed only of elementary schools, beginning to provide budgets
for the maintenance of secondary schools (high schools) starting in
1853. During In the 1960s, several school districts closed several of
their schools due to lack of budget.
Currently, all educational
institutions in Ohio must follow certain rules and standards dictated by
the Ohio State Board of Education. This board directly controls the
state's public school system, which is divided into several school
districts. The council is made up of four members elected by the
Legislature and 8 members chosen by the governor, for an official period
of up to four years. Each major city (city), various secondary cities
(towns), and each county consists of at least one school district. In
Ohio, a given school district often operates in several cities at the
same time, even if it is centered in another given city. In cities, the
responsibility for managing schools falls to the municipal school
district, while in less densely populated regions, this responsibility
falls to the school districts operating in the county. Ohio allows the
existence of "charter schools" — independent public schools, which are
not managed by school districts, but which depend on public budgets for
their support. Schooling is compulsory for all children and adolescents
over six years of age, until the completion of secondary education or
until the age of sixteen. In 1999, the state's public schools served
approximately 1,837,000 students, employing approximately 116,200
teachers. For their part, private schools served approximately 254,500
students, employing approximately 16,200 teachers. The state's public
school system used about $12.207 billion, and public school spending was
about $7,300 per student.
The state's first library was founded
in 1804, in Belpre. Cleveland's public library system is one of the
largest in the United States. The state currently has 250 public library
systems, which annually move an average of 13.8 books per inhabitant.
Ohio's first institution of higher education, Ohio University, was
founded in Athens in 1804. Ohio currently has 179 institutions of higher
education, of which 61 are public and 118 are private. The state's
system of public higher education institutions is the University System
of Ohio.
Ohio, since it became a state in 1803, has been an important
crossroads between the eastern and west-central United States. Numerous
railroads and interstate highways cross the state. Ohio's main road
center is Columbus, while Cleveland is the main rail, port, and airport
center.
The state's busiest airport is Cleveland International
Airport, followed by Columbus, Dayton, Toledo, and Cincinnati
international airports. In 2002, Ohio had 8,417 kilometers of railroad
tracks.
Ohio has a highly developed network of highways and
interstate highways. In 2003, the state owned 198,789 kilometers of
roads and highways, of which 2,530 kilometers were part of the federal
interstate highway system.
Ohio's first newspaper, The Centinel of the North-Western Territory,
was first printed in 1793, in Cincinnati.60 The country's first
abolitionist newspaper, The Philanthropist, was printed in Ohio in 1817,
in Mount Pleasant. Currently more than 330 newspapers are published in
the state, of which 80 are daily newspapers.
Ohio's first radio
station was founded in 1922, in Cleveland. That same year, Ohio
University created the first radio station for educational purposes, in
Columbus. The first television network was founded in 1947 in Cleveland.
Currently, Ohio has about 297 radio stations (of which 106 are AM and
191 are FM) and 44 television stations.
Many inventors and pioneers are natives of Ohio. They stand out among
them:
Wilbur Wright. The Wright Brothers would conduct numerous test
flights in Ohio before making what is considered by many to be the first
successful airplane flight, on December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North
Carolina, not far from Ohio.
Charles F. Kettering, inventor of the
automobile ignition system.
Charles M. Hall, author of the aluminum
refining process.
John Glenn, first American to orbit in space.
Neil Armstrong, first person to step on the Moon.
Ohio has professional teams in the major North American leagues: the
Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball, the
Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns of the National Football League,
the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association, the
Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League, and Columbus Crew
with Football Club Cincinnati of Major League Soccer.
In college
sports, the Ohio State Buckeyes have excelled in football and men's
basketball, and the Cincinnati Bearcats in men's basketball.
The
Mid-Ohio speedway has hosted races in the CART, IndyCar Series, NASCAR
Nationwide Series, Can-Am, American Formula 5000, IMSA GT Championship,
American Le Mans Series and Rolex Sports Car Series. Between 1982 and
2007, the CART Cleveland Grand Prix was held at the city's airport. Some
of Ohio's most notable drivers have been Ted Horn, Bobby Rahal, Sam
Hornish Jr. and Tim Richmond.
The WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
and Memorial Tournament are PGA Tour golf tournaments played in Ohio.
For their part, the Inverness and Firestone golf courses have hosted
several editions of the United States Open and the PGA Championship.
The Cincinnati Masters is a tennis tournament of the ATP World Tour
Masters 1000 and the WTA Premier 5.
The symbols
of the state of Ohio are:
Tree: Ohio Buckeye (Aesculus glabra, False
Ohio Buckeye)
Drink: Tomato juice
Nicknames:
Buckeye State
Mother of Modern Presidents (unofficial)
Flower: Dianthus
caryophyllus
Fossil: Trilobites
Fruit: Apple
Insect: Ladybug
Motto: With God all things are possible
The heart of it all,
displayed on state license plates between 1991 and 2001. (unofficial)
So much to discover, adopted as part of the state's bicentennial. (not
official)
Mammal: Odocoileus virginianus
Song: Beautiful Ohio,
"Ohio is for lovers" (UNOFFICIAL)
Bird: red cardinal
Gemstone:
Ohio Flint
Reptile: Coluber constrictor.