Capital: Columbus

Population: 11,689,442 (Source: 2012 U.S. Census)

Major Cities: Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, Akron, Dayton

Borders: Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania

Gross Domestic Product (GDP): $509,393 million (2012 U.S. Department of Commerce)

Key Industries:

Agriculture including soybeans, corn, grains, hogs, and cattle

Plastics, rubber, electrical equipment, appliances, automobiles, and steel

How Ohio got its name: The name Ohio comes from a Native American Iroquois word meaning great river.

Ohio State Symbols

State Nickname: Buckeye State

State Slogan: So Much to Discover; Birthplace of Aviation (on its license plate); (formerly) The Heart of It All

State Motto: With God all things are possible

State flower: Scarlet Carnation

State bird: Cardinal

State fish: none (unofficially it's the Walleye)

State tree: The Buckeye

State mammal: White-tailed deer

State foods: Tomato Juice

Becoming a State

Date admitted: Tuesday, March 1, 1803

Number admitted: 17

Prior Name: Northwest Territory

Postal Abbreviation: OH

The Geography of Ohio

Total Size: 40,948 sq. miles (source: 2003 Census)

Geographical Low Point: Ohio River at 455 feet, located in the county/subdivision of Hamilton (source: U.S. Geological Survey)

Geographical High Point: Campbell Hill at 1,550 feet, located in the county/subdivision of Logan (source: U.S. Geological Survey)

Central Point: Located in Delaware County approx. 25 miles north-northeast of Columbus (source: U.S. Geological Survey)

Counties: 88 (source: National Association of Counties)

Bodies of Water: Lake Erie, Grand Lake, Ohio River, Cuyahoga River, Scioto River, Miami River

Famous People

• Neil Armstrong - Astronaut and first man on the Moon

• Halle Berry - Actress

• George Custer - General who fought at Custer's Last Stand

• Thomas Edison - Inventor of many inventions including the light bulb

• James Garfield - The 20th President of the United States

• Ulysses S. Grant - Civil War general and 18th President of the United States

• Warren G. Harding - The 29th President of the United States

• Benjamin Harrison - The 23rd President of the United States

• Rutherford B. Hayes - The 19th President of the United States

• LeBron James - Professional basketball player

• William McKinley - The 25th president of the United States

• Paul Newman - Actor

• Jack Nicklaus - Professional golfer

• Pontiac - Famous Native American chief

• Pete Rose - Professional baseball player

• Steven Spielberg - Movie director

• William Howard Taft - The 27th President of the United States and Supreme Court Justice

• Orville Wright - Inventor of the airplane

Fun Facts

• The first traffic light was in Cleveland, Ohio.

• Akron is considered the rubber capital of the world.

• Ohio is home to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

• Seven presidents of the United States were born in Ohio. They are Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford Hayes, James Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, William Howard Taft, and Warren Harding.

• The name Ohio probably comes from an Iroquois Indian word that means 'great river'.

• The nation's first ambulance service was started in Cincinnati in 1865. Akron was the first city to use police cars in 1899.

• Life Savers candy was invented by Clarence Crane in 1912.

• Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, came from Ohio.

• The state flag is pennant design, rather than a rectangle like all the other state flags.

• The first capital city of Ohio was Chillicothe.

Professional Sports Teams

• Cincinnati Reds - MLB (baseball)

• Cleveland Indians - MLB (baseball)

• Cincinnati Bengals - NFL (football)

• Cleveland Browns - NFL (football)

• Cleveland Cavaliers - NBA (basketball)

• Columbus Blue Jackets - NHL (hockey)

• Columbus Crew - MLS (soccer)

Ohio

State History

People have lived in the land of Ohio for thousands of years. Early cultures were the Mound Building Cultures such as the Hopewell and the Adena peoples. These peoples disappeared around 1000 AD and were replaced by new cultures including the Fort Ancient people and the Whittlesey.

Ohio Welcome Sign by ErgoSum88

Native Americans

In the 1600s the Iroquois Indians moved into the land in order to hunt for beaver furs. Many of the existing tribes were pushed out of the region. However, due to diseases brought by Europeans, many of the Iroquois were wiped out. They were later replaced by tribes from the east such as the Delaware, the Shawnee, and the Miami.

Europeans Arrive

The first European to arrive in Ohio was French explorer Robert de La Salle in 1669. He claimed the land for the French. Soon the French had established trading posts in order to capitalize on the valuable fur trade in the region. They built several forts including Fort Miami in 1680 and Fort Sandusky in 1750.

In the early 1700s, British colonists from the east coast began to move into the area. They were looking for new land to settle and wanted a part of the fur trade. Soon the British and the French were competing for the fur trade, which eventually led to war.

French and Indian War

The war between the French and British lasted from 1754 to 1763. It is called the French and Indian War. Different Native American tribes allied with different sides of the war. The Ohio region was the site of many battles and bloodshed. George Washington fought on the side of the British in Ohio at the Battle of Fort Necessity. The British eventually won the war and took over the Ohio region in 1763.

Northwest Territory

When the Revolutionary War ended in 1783, Ohio became part of the United States. A few years later, in 1787, the United States created the Northwest Territory. This territory was a large area of frontier land that included such future states as Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota.

Becoming a State

In 1788, General Rufus Putnam led a number of settlers into Ohio and established Marietta as the first permanent settlement. Soon, many more settlers from the United States moved into the land. The population grew until, in 1803, Ohio was admitted into the Union as the 17th state. The first capital was in Chillicothe. In 1816, Columbus became the permanent capital.

Ohio Farm by tpsdave

1800s

Much of the early 1800s was marked by battles and wars in Ohio. First, there was a rebellion among the Native Americans led by Shawnee chief Tecumseh. He believed that the land had been taken unfairly from his people. Soon after Tecumseh's forces were defeated, Ohio became the battleground for some of the fighting with the British in the War of 1812.

Civil War

Ohio fought on the side of the Union during the Civil War. It was a "free state" that had outlawed slavery. Many slaves had escaped to Ohio through the Underground Railroad prior to the start of the war. Although few battles occurred in the state, many Ohio men fought for the Union army during the war. Some of the Union's most senior military leaders, such as Generals Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman, were from Ohio.

Many Presidents

Over the years, seven presidents of the United States have been born in Ohio. This is second only to Virginia. The presidents born in Ohio include James Garfield, Ulysses S. Grant, Warren G. Harding, Benjamin Harrison, Rutherford B. Hayes, William McKinley, and William Howard Taft.

Cleveland, Ohio by Lovleet

Timeline

• 1669 - French explorer Robert de La Salle explores the Ohio River claiming the land for the French.

• 1763 - The British take over after the French and Indian War.

• 1782 - The Gnadenhutten massacre occurs when 96 Lenape Indians are killed by an American militia.

• 1783 - The United States takes control after the Revolutionary War.

• 1787 - Ohio becomes part of the newly created Northwest Territory.

• 1788 - The first permanent settlement is established in Marietta.

• 1794 - The Battle of Fallen Timbers is fought between a Confederacy of Native Americans in Ohio and the United States.

• 1803 - Ohio becomes the 17th state.

• 1812 - The War of 1812 is fought against the British and their Native American allies.

• 1816 - Columbus becomes the capital.

• 1837 - The Proctor & Gamble Company is established in Cincinnati.

• 1898 - The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company is established in Akron.

• 1955 - The Ohio Turnpike opens.

• 1995 - The Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame museum opens in Cleveland.