Explore a destination located in Ohio, United States
Ohio, also known as the "Buckeye State," is home to over 11 million people.[4] The state has five different geological regions consisting of sandy shoreline, fertile farmlands, high hills, sinkholes, and prairie lands. The state shares borders with Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana.[7] French explorer Robert de La Salle was the first non-native to reach Ohio in 1670, and the land was declared the 17th state in the nation in 1803.[8] Many expensive exports and imports were carried through the Lake Erie Canal and Ohio River in the state's early years.[1] The state animal is a white-tailed deer, and the state flower is the red carnation.[9] Columbus is the capital of Ohio and is also the largest city, closely followed by the cities of Cincinnati and Cleveland.[1] Ohio hosts many attractions, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Known for their place in American football, the Cleveland Browns represent Ohio in the National Football League. Notable attractions in Ohio include the Cincinnati Zoo and the National Museum of the US Air Force.[3] Weather in Ohio consists of warm summers and frigid winters.[6] Several large corporations are based out of Ohio, such as Kroger, Procter and Gamble, and Nationwide Insurance.[2]
The state of Ohio is located in the United States in the northeastern area of the nation. The origin of Ohio’s name is undefined; however, some experts believe that the name comes from the Iroquois word ‘oyo’. The word means great river and refers to the Ohio River. Ohio is nicknamed the “Buckeye State” after the state tree the buckeye. Established in 1803, Ohio was the nation’s 17th state.[8] The capital of Ohio is the city of Columbus; the city is the state’s largest, with a population of 913,000 people. Other major cities include Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, Akron, and Dayton.[7] The overall population of Ohio is around 11.69 million citizens. Ohio is the seventh most populous state in the United States, with the median age of its residents being around 39 years old. The predominant religion in Ohio is Christianity.[4]
There are several world-renowned attractions in the state of Ohio. The state is home to both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Both attractions showcase history’s most famous artists and players and their accomplishments. Ohio is known for its place in American football with two major intercollegiate sports teams, the Ohio Bobcats and the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Cleveland Browns—based in Cleveland—are part of the National Football League.[1] Several parks and museums are also major tourist attractions. Guests can spend time in the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, which was first opened in 1875 and covers over 74 acres of land. The Cleveland Museum of Art and the National Museum of the US Air Force are located within the region along with the Franklin Park Conservatory and the Great American Ballpark. Each of these attractions has a long history in the state. The West Side Market and Cedar Point Amusement Park welcome millions of visitors every year.[2]
Around 222 million people visit Ohio every year; 44 million of those visitors stay in the area for overnight trips. Due to the high levels of tourism, the state offers over 443,000 tourism-related jobs. The tourism industry within Ohio makes around 10.5 billion dollars from tourism annually. Most of the visitors to the area come for the cultural attractions, sports events, museums, and to visit the two Hall of Fame attractions. The peak season for tourism is between the months of June and August due to the warm weather and sports activities.[5] Many of the state’s visitors come from around the state as well as neighboring states. The area is a common stopping spot during road trips as Ohio is just a day’s drive from 50% of North America’s population.[4]
Several corporations known nationwide are based in Ohio. Kroger, a retail company and general retailer, is located in Cincinnati. Procter and Gamble, a multinational consumer goods corporation, and Nationwide Insurance are also based out of Cincinnati.[1] The main points of industry in Ohio include insurance and banking, motor vehicle assembly, steel production, agriculture, research, and development. Produce such as soybeans, corn, and tobacco are widely produced throughout the state. Hogs are the state’s most significant form of livestock, and around 96% of the farms in Ohio are family-owned. Resources mined and produced from the land are coal, natural gases, and a rock salt called Halite which is pulled from beneath Lake Erie.[2]
Ohio is located in the northeastern corner of the United States. The state is bordered by Michigan and Lake Erie to the north, West Virginia and Pennsylvania to the east, Kentucky and West Virginia to the south, and the state of Indiana to the west.[1] Ohio is made of five distinct geographical regions. The northern Great Lakes Plains is the first of these regions, and its acreage is covered in a fertile lowland with sand and clay beaches, tall bluffs, and sand dunes. The Till Plains cover the western area of the state and is where most of the state's corn grows. Campbell Hill, the highest reaching elevation point in Ohio, is located in this region. The Appalachian Plateau is the largest geographical area in the state, covering most of the eastern side with high hills and low valleys. The Bluegrass Region is the smallest of the regions and is located in the southern corner of the state. Many steep cliffs, sinkholes, and caves dot the land there.[7] A five-mile meteor crater called the Serpent Mound is located in the Bluegrass Region, formed by a meteor crash millions of years ago.[1]
Wildlife within the region varies widely depending on the geographical region. Some mammals that can be found in the region include black bears, coyotes, bobcats, American beavers, and the state's animal, the white-tailed deer. Birds in the region include ring-necked pheasants, wild turkeys, great horned owls, bluejays, American robins, and red-headed woodpeckers. There are over 350 species of birds in Ohio. The reptiles that roam the land include the black racer, water snakes, and woodland box turtles. Sighting western chorus frogs, red-spotted newts, and American toads are common within the northern Great Lakes Plains.[9] Native plants in Ohio consist of mostly thin trees, shrubbery, and prairie grass. In particular, there are beech trees, aspens, pawpaw, boxelder, American elm, and slippery elm. Many different wildflowers grow along with these trees, including phlox, trillium, aster, and wild lily.[10]
Weather throughout the state of Ohio is fairly consistent, with the summer season lasting four months and the colder winter season being three months. The summer lasts from May to September, with an average temperature of seventy-two degrees Fahrenheit. The hottest month of the season is July. Winter lasts from December to March, with temperatures around forty-four degrees Fahrenheit. The coldest month of the winter is January. The region sustains around thirty-seven inches of rain annually and twenty-two inches of snow. The land closer to Lake Erie is humid and windy, with partly cloudy weather over half of the year. Near the center and southern half of the state, the weather is drier with high winds.[6]
Historians and Archaeologists have discovered a history of life in Ohio dating back almost 13,000 years. Discoveries from this time zone include Ice Age ground sloth bones and other human tools. Following these ancient people, the land was occupied by Native American tribes such as the Erie, Kickapoo, and Shawnee.[1] A French explorer by the name of Robert de La Salle was the first non-native traveler to see the land. He arrived in the area of Ohio in 1670. Soon after his arrival, many fur traders from France followed suit.[8]
The British claimed the area in 1763 after winning the French and Indian War. Ohio was later proclaimed an American Territory after the Revolutionary War ended in 1783. In 1803, the territory was established as the 17th state in the United States of America. When the Ohio River and Lake Erie Canal were opened for transport, it made shipping goods from the east much easier. This drew many more settlers to the area. During the Civil War, many people from Ohio fought for the Union or refused to fight at all.[1]
Wilbur and Orville Wright, also known as the Wright brothers, were born and raised in Dayton, Ohio, in the 1870s. The brothers built their first flying contraption in Ohio and later moved on to make the first flyable aircraft in history. Other notable advancements in the history of Ohio include the establishment of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, the Lucasville Prison Riot in 1993, and the dedication of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.[3] Several famous individuals in Astrological history are from Ohio, including Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon, John Glenn, the first person to orbit the earth, and the oldest man to travel in space.[8]
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