Everything about Ohio totally explained
Ohio is a
Midwestern state of the
United States. Part of the
Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads in
North America. At the time of European contact and in the years that followed,
Native Americans in today's Ohio included the
Shawnee,
Iroquois,
Miamis, and
Wyandots. Beginning in the 1700s, the area was settled by people from
New England, the
Mid-Atlantic States,
Appalachia, and the Upper South.
Prior to 1984, the
United States Census Bureau considered Ohio part of the North Central Region. That region was renamed "Midwest" and split into two divisions. Ohio is now in the
East North Central States division. Ohio has the highest population density of any state not on the
Eastern Seaboard, and it's the
seventh-largest state by population in the U.S.
Ohio was the first state admitted to the Union under the
Northwest Ordinance. Its
U.S. postal abbreviation is
OH; its old-style abbreviation was
O. Natives of Ohio are known as Ohioans or
Buckeyes.
Etymology
The name "Ohio" is derived from the
Seneca word
ohi:yo’, meaning "beautiful river" (French mistranslation) or "large creek", which was originally the name of both the
Ohio River and
Allegheny River.
History
Native Americans
After the so-called
Beaver Wars in the mid-1600s, the powerful
Iroquois confederation of the
New York-area claimed much of the Ohio country as a hunting and, probably most importantly, a beaver-trapping ground. After the devastation of epidemics and war in the mid-1600s, which had largely emptied the Ohio country of indigenous people by the mid-to-late seventeenth century, the land gradually became repopulated by the mostly
Algonquian-speaking descendants of its ancient inhabitants, that is, descendants of the
Adena,
Hopewell, and
Mississippian cultures. Many of these Ohio-country nations were multi-ethnic and sometimes multi-linguistic societies born out of the earlier devastation brought about by disease, war, and the subsequent social instability. They subsisted on agriculture (
corn,
sunflowers,
beans, etc.) supplemented by seasonal hunts. By the 1650s they were very much part of a larger global economy brought about by fur trade.
The indigenous nations to inhabit Ohio in the historical period (most clearly after 1700), included the
Miamis (a large confederation),
Wyandots (made up of refugees, especially from the fractured
Huron confederacy),
Delawares (pushed west from their historic homeland in New Jersey),
Shawnees (also pushed west, although they may be descended from the
Fort Ancient people of Ohio),
Ottawas (more commonly associated with the upper Great Lakes region),
Mingos (like the Wyandot, a recently formed composite of refugees from Iroquois and other societies), and
Eries (gradually absorbed into the new, multi-ethnic "republics," namely the Wyandot).
Ohio country was also the site of Indian massacres, such as the
Yellow Creek Massacre and
Gnadenhutten.
Colonial and Revolutionary Eras
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 rest of the
Old Northwest to Great Britain.
Pontiac's Rebellion in the 1760s challenged British military control, which ended with the American victory in the
American Revolution. In the
Treaty of Paris in 1783 Britain ceded all claims to Ohio to the United States.
Northwest Territory: 1787-1803
The
United States created the
Northwest Territory under the
Northwest Ordinance of 1787. Slavery wasn't permitted. Settlement began with the founding of
Marietta by the
Ohio Company of Associates, which had been formed by a group of American Revolutionary War veterans. Following the Ohio Company, the
Miami Company (also referred to as the "
Symmes Purchase") claimed the southwestern section and the
Connecticut Land Company surveyed and settled the
Connecticut Western Reserve in present-day
Northeast Ohio. The old 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.
Statehood: 1803 - present
Eight U.S. presidents hailed from Ohio at the time of their elections, giving rise to the nickname "Mother of Presidents", a sobriquet it shares with
Virginia. Seven presidents were born in Ohio, making it second to Virginia's eight, but Virginia-born
William Henry Harrison and his grandson,
Benjamin Harrison, (who also lived part of his adult life in Indiana) settled in, led their political careers from and/or were buried in
North Bend, Ohio, on the family compound, founded by William's father-in-law
John Cleves Symmes. The other six presidents born in Ohio were
Ulysses S. Grant,
Rutherford B. Hayes,
James A. Garfield,
Benjamin Harrison,
William McKinley,
William Howard Taft and
Warren G. Harding.
In 1835, Ohio fought with
Michigan in the
Toledo War, a mostly bloodless boundary war over the Toledo Strip. 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 addition to the eastern third that was already part of the state, in exchange for giving up its claim to the Toledo Strip.
Ohio's central position and its population gave it an important place during the Civil War, and the Ohio River was a vital artery for troop and supply movements, as were Ohio's railroads. At the end of the Civil War, three top Union generals were all from Ohio: Grant, Sherman, and Sheridan. Ohio also contributed more soldiers per-capita than any other state in the Union.
In 1912 a Constitutional Convention was held with
Charles B. Galbreath as Secretary. The result reflected the concerns of the Progressive Era. It introduced the initiative and the referendum, allowed the General Assembly to put questions on the ballot for the people to ratify laws and constitutional amendments originating in the Legislature as well. Under the Jeffersonian principle that laws should be reviewed once a generation, the constitution provided for a recurring question to appear on Ohio's general election ballots every 20 years. The question asks whether a new convention is required. Although the question has appeared in 1932, 1952, 1972, and 1992, it has never been approved. Instead constitutional amendments have been proposed by petition to the legislature hundreds of times and adopted in a majority of cases.
On
February 19,
1803,
President Jefferson signed an act of Congress that approved Ohio's boundaries and constitution. However, Congress had never passed a resolution formally admitting Ohio as the 17th state. The current custom of Congress declaring an official date of statehood didn't begin until 1812, with
Louisiana's admission as the 18th state. Although no formal resolution of admission was required, when the oversight was discovered in 1953, Ohio congressman
George H. Bender introduced a bill in Congress to admit Ohio to the Union retroactive to
March 1,
1803. At a special session at the old state capital in
Chillicothe, the Ohio state legislature approved a new petition for statehood that was delivered to Washington, D.C. on horseback. 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.
Law and government
Ohio's
capital is
Columbus, located close to the center of the state. The executive branch is made up of six officers:
Governor and
lieutenant governor,
Secretary of state,
Attorney general,
Auditor, and
Treasurer.
Governor Ted Strickland took office as governor in January 2007. The legislative branch of Ohio government, the
Ohio General Assembly, is made up of two houses--the
senate, which has 33 members, and the
house of representatives, which has 99 members.The judicial branch is headed by the
supreme court, which has one chief justice and six associate justices.
In the United States federal government, Ohio has 18 seats
(see congressional districts map) in the
United States House of Representatives.
Geography
Ohio's geographic location has proved to be an asset for economic growth and expansion. Because Ohio links the Northeast to the Midwest, 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. To the North,
Lake Erie gives Ohio 312 miles (502 km) of coastline, 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. Ohio's neighbors are
Pennsylvania to the east,
Michigan to the northwest,
Ontario Canada, to the north,
Indiana to the west,
Kentucky on the south, and
West Virginia on the southeast.
Ohio's borders were defined by
metes and bounds in the
Enabling Act of 1802 as follows:
Note that Ohio is bounded by the Ohio River, but nearly all of the river itself belongs to Kentucky and West Virginia. In 1980, the
U.S. Supreme Court held that, based on the wording of the cessation of territory by
Virginia (which, at that time included what is now
Kentucky and West Virginia), the boundary between Ohio and Kentucky (and by implication, West Virginia) is the northern low-water mark of the river as it existed in 1792. Ohio has only that portion of the river between the river's 1792 low-water mark and the present high-water mark.
The border with Michigan has also changed, as a result of the
Toledo War, to angle slightly northeast to the north shore of the mouth of the Maumee River.
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. Geologically similar to parts of West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania, this area's
coal mining legacy, dependence on small pockets of old manufacturing establishments, and 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. In 1965 the
United States Congress passed the Appalachian Regional Development Act, at attempt to "address the persistent poverty and growing economic despair of the Appalachian Region." This act defines 29 Ohio counties as part of Appalachia. While 1/3 of Ohio's land mass is part of the federally defined Appalachian region, only 12.8% of Ohioans live there (1.476 million people.)
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. The worst weather disaster in Ohio history occurred along the Great Miami River in 1913. Known as the
Great Dayton Flood, the entire Miami River watershed flooded, including the downtown business district of
Dayton. As a result, the
Miami Conservancy District was created as the first major flood plain engineering project in Ohio and the United States.
Grand Lake St. Marys 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 (52 km²), was the largest artificial lake in the world. It should be noted that 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.
Climate
The climate of Ohio is a
humid continental climate (
Koppen climate classification Dfa) throughout most of the state except in the extreme southern counties of Ohio's
Bluegrass region section which are located on the northern periphery of the
humid subtropical climate and
Upland South region of the United States. Summers are typically hot and humid throughout the State, while winters generally range from cool to cold. Precipitation in Ohio is moderate year-round. Severe weather isn't uncommon in the state, although there are typically fewer
tornadoes in Ohio than in states located in the so-called
Tornado Alley. Severe
lake effect snowstorms are also not uncommon on the southeast shore of
Lake Erie, which is located in an area designated as the
Snowbelt.
Although predominantly not in a subtropical climate, some warmer-climate flora and fauna does reach well into Ohio. For instance, a number of trees with more southern ranges, such as the
blackjack oak,
Quercus marilandica, are found at their northernmost in Ohio just north of the Ohio River. Also evidencing this climatic transition from a
subtropical to
continental climate, several plants such as the Southern magnolia
(Magnolia grandiflora),
Albizia julibrissin (mimosa),
Crape Myrtle, and even the occasional
Needle Palm are hardy landscape materials regularly used as street, yard, and garden plantings in the
Bluegrass region of Ohio; but these same plants will simply not thrive in much of the rest of the State. This interesting change may be observed while traveling through Ohio on Interstate 75 from
Cincinnati to
Toledo; the observant traveler of this diverse state may even catch a glimpse of Cincinnati's common
wall lizard, one of the few examples of permanent "subtropical" fauna in Ohio.
Records
The highest recorded temperature was 113 °
F (45 °
C), near
Gallipolis on
July 21,
1934.
The lowest recorded temperature was -39 °
F (-39 °
C), at
Milligan on
February 10,
1899.
Earthquakes
Earthquakes are rare, but not unheard of, in Ohio. More than 30 earthquakes occurred in Ohio in the period 2002-2007, and more than 200 quakes with a
magnitude of 2.0 or higher have occurred since 1776.
The most substantial known earthquake in Ohio history was the Anna (Shelby County) earthquake, which occurred on
March 9,
1937. It was centered in western Ohio, and had a magnitude of 5.4, and was of
intensity VIII.
Other significant earthquakes in Ohio include: one of magnitude 4.8 near
Lima on
September 19,
1884; one of magnitude 4.2 near
Portsmouth on
May 17,
1901; and one of 5.0 in northeast Ohio on
January 31,
1986, which continued to trigger 13 aftershocks of magnitude 0.5 to 2.4 for two months.
The most recent earthquake in Ohio of any appreciable magnitude occurred on
January 8,
2008, at 8:34:46 PM local time. It had a magnitude of 3.1, and its epicenter was under
Lake Erie, northeast of
Cleveland, approximately west of
Mentor-on-the-Lake.
The Ohio Seismic Network (OhioSeis), a group of seismograph stations at several colleges, universities, and other institutions, and coordinated by the Division of Geological Survey of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, maintains an extensive catalog of Ohio earthquakes from 1776 to the present day, as well as earthquakes located in other states whose effects were felt in Ohio.
Major cities
| Rank |
City |
2006 Population |
2006 Metro Population |
| 1 |
Columbus |
733,203 |
1,725,570 |
| 2 |
Cleveland |
444,313 |
2,114,155 |
| 3 |
Cincinnati |
332,252 |
2,104,218 |
| 4 |
Toledo |
298,446 |
653,695 |
| 5 |
Akron |
209,704 |
700,943 |
| 6 |
Dayton |
156,771 |
835,537 |
| 7 |
Youngstown |
81,520 |
586,939 |
| 8 |
Parma |
80,009 |
* |
| 9 |
Canton |
78,924 |
409,764 |
| 10 |
Lorain |
70,592 |
* |
| 11 |
Springfield |
62,844 |
141,872 |
| 12 |
Hamilton |
62,130 |
** |
| 13 |
Elyria |
55,745 |
* |
| 14 |
Kettering |
54,666 |
*** |
| 15 |
Lakewood |
52,194 |
* |
| 16 |
Mentor |
51,593 |
* |
| 17 |
Middletown |
51,290 |
** |
| 18 |
Cuyahoga Falls |
50,398 |
**** |
| 19 |
Mansfield |
50,212 |
127,010 |
| 20 |
Euclid |
48,717 |
* |
| *Greater Cleveland, **Cincinnati Metro, ***Dayton Metro, ****Akron Metro |
Columbus (home of
The Ohio State University,
Franklin University,
Capital University, and
Ohio Dominican University) is the capital of Ohio, near the geographic center of the state.
Other Ohio cities functioning as centers of
United States metropolitan areas include:
» *
Akron (home of
University of Akron and
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company)
*
Canton (home of
Pro Football Hall of Fame,
Malone College, and
The Timken Company)
» *
Cincinnati (home of
University of Cincinnati,
Xavier University,
Procter & Gamble)
*
Cleveland (home of
Cleveland State University,
Playhouse Square Center,
The Cleveland Museum of Art,
The Cleveland Orchestra,
Case Western Reserve University,
The Cleveland Clinic, and
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)
» *
Dayton (home of
University of Dayton)
*
Lima (home of
University of Northwestern Ohio)
» *
Mansfield (home of
North Central State College and
Mansfield Motorsports Park)
*
Sandusky (home of
Cedar Point, and
Kalahari Resort and Convention Center)
» *
Springfield (home of
Wittenberg University)
*
Steubenville (home of
Franciscan University of Steubenville)
» *
Toledo (home of
The University of Toledo)
*
Youngstown (home of
Youngstown State University).
Note: The Cincinnati metropolitan area extends into Kentucky and Indiana, and the Youngstown metropolitan area extends into Pennsylvania.
Ohio cities that function as centers of
United States micropolitan areas include:
» *
Ashland (home of
Ashland University)
*
Ashtabula » *
Athens (home of
Ohio University)
*
Bellefontaine » *
Bucyrus
*
Cambridge » *
Celina
*
Chillicothe (home of
Ohio University-Chillicothe)
» *
Coshocton
*
Defiance (home of
Defiance College)
» *
East Liverpool-
Salem
*
Findlay (home of
The University of Findlay)
» *
Fremont
*
Greenville » *
Marion (home of
Marion Popcorn Festival)
*
Mount Vernon (home of
Mount Vernon Nazarene University)
» *
New Philadelphia-
Dover
*
Norwalk (home of the
NHRA venue
Summit Motorsports Park)
» *
Oxford (home of
Miami University)
*
Portsmouth (home of
Shawnee State University)
» *
Sidney
*
Tiffin (home of
Heidelberg College and
Tiffin University)
» *
Urbana (home of
Urbana University)
*
Van Wert » *
Wapakoneta
*
Washington Court House » *
Wilmington (home of
Wilmington College)
*
Wooster (home of
The College of Wooster)
» *
Zanesville (home of
Zane State College).
Image:Columbus-ohio-skyline-panorama.jpg|Skyline of Columbus.
Image:Cleveland-Panorama-JasonRene.jpg|View of downtown Cleveland.
Image:Cincinnati oh skyline.jpg|View of downtown Cincinnati.
Image:Skyline of Toledo, Ohio.jpg|View of downtown Toledo.
Image:Downtown Akron Ohio.jpg|View of downtown Akron.
Image:Dayton Skyline.jpg|View of downtown Dayton.
Image:Youngstown2 036.jpg|View of downtown Youngstown.
Economy
Ohio is a major producer of machines,
tires and
rubber products,
steel, processed foods, tools, and other
manufactured goods. This isn't immediately obvious because Ohio specializes in capital goods (goods used to make other goods, such as
machine tools, automobile parts, industrial chemicals, and
plastic moldings). Nevertheless, there are well known Ohio consumer items including some
Procter & Gamble products,
Smuckers jams and
jellies, and
Day-Glo paints.
There are also numerous automobile plants in Ohio that manufacture cars, most notably the
Jeep plant in
Toledo, where the vehicles have been made since their initial release in
World War II.
Honda,
Ford, and
General Motors also have or had automobile plants in Ohio; in the case of the latter, one of their plants in Ohio (
Lordstown Assembly, near
Youngstown) is located right off the
Ohio Turnpike with its own exit.
Ohio is the site of the invention of the
airplane, resulting from the experiments of the
Wright brothers in Dayton. (
Wright State University located in Dayton is named in their honor.) 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 43,000
miles (70,000
km) 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. According to the
Ohio Department of Agriculture Ohio in 2001 ranked as 1st in Swiss cheese, 2nd in eggs,3rd in tomatoes, 5th in milk, 6th in corn, 6th in soybean, 8th in grapes, 9th in hogs, 9th in floriculture, and 11th in apples.
Two major amusement parks,
Cedar Point, and
Kings Island, are also important to the tourism industry. Ohio's Amish country is also a major pull for the State's tourism industry. Though still forming itself, tourism is becoming a major industry in Cleveland, especially medical tourism.
The
Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that Ohio's gross state product in 2004 was $419 billion
(External Link
). In 2006 the
Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that Ohio's gross state product was $461.3 billion ranking it 7th in the nation
(External Link). If Ohio was its own nation in would be ranked 17th in GDP ranked behind the Netherlands and above Belgium. Per capita 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
electricity equipment. According to the
2007 Fortune list Ohio had 28 Fortune 500 companies (ranked 5th nationally) and 60 Fortune 1000 companies (also ranked 5th nationally). 3 Ohio cities (Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland) have 5 or more Fortune 500 Companies (ranked 2nd behind Texas among the states.
Ohio's budget could face a
deficit as high as $1.9 billion in fiscal year 2009.
Ohio is recognized for its health care, due to several flagship hospitals that operate in the northeast region of the state. The
Cleveland Clinic, ranked among the three leading hospitals in the U.S., has its world headquarters and main campus in Cleveland. Its partner, the
University Hospitals of Cleveland health system, includes the Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, ranked among the top ten children's hospitals in the country. Cincinnati Children's Hospital is the leading center for research into childhood diseases in the state.
Demographics
which is an increase of 7,321 from the prior year and an increase of 124,861 since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 263,004 people (that is 938,169 births minus 675,165 deaths) and a decrease from net migration of -145,718.
Immigration from outside the United States contributed to a growth of 92,101 people, most coming from southeast and south Asia, yet net migration within the country resulted in a decrease of 237,819 people. Ohio has witnessed an increase in the
Laotian American and
Thai American populations, as well as
Asian Indians and
Latin Americans.
The
center of population of Ohio is also located in
Morrow County, in the county seat of
Mount Gilead (External Link).
As of 2004, Ohio's population included about 390,000 foreign-born (3.4%).
The largest ancestry groups in Ohio are
German (25.2%),
Irish (12.7%),
African American (11.5%),
English (9.2%),
American (8.5%), and
Italian (6.0%).
German is the largest reported ancestry in most of the counties in Ohio, especially in the northwest, central, and the extreme southwest. Ohioans who cited
American and
British ancestry are present throughout the state as well, particularly in the south-central part of the state. Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Dayton have large
African American communities. Cleveland and Toledo have sizable
Hispanic populations, while the Cleveland and Columbus areas have the largest
Asian populations.
Greater Cleveland is home to a notably large
Jewish community. Other Ohio cities, such as Cincinnati, also have sizable Hungarian and Jewish 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 in Ohio
The first
religious settlement in Ohio was founded in 1751 among the Huron Indians in what is now the Sandusky area. Shortly afterward,
Moravian missionaries converted some Delaware Indians to Christianity; the first Protestant church was founded by Congregationalist ministers at Marietta in 1788. Dissident religious sects such as the
Shakers,
Amish, and
Quakers moved into Ohio from the early 18th century onward, but the majority of settlers in the early 19th century were
Presbyterians,
Methodists,
Baptists,
Disciples of Christ, and
Episcopalians.
According to the
2000 Census, Ohio's reported
Roman Catholic population was 2,231,832, and state's
Jewish population was 142,255, with the largest
Jewish communities being in the Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus metro areas. Muslims in Ohio accounted for 41,281 people, while Ohio's communities of Amish and Mennonites -- among the largest in the nation -- tallied over 24,000 Amish and over 20,000 Mennonites respectively, located primarily in central Ohio.
The largest
Protestant denominations and their adherents in 2000 were the
United Methodist Church, 566,084; the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 301,749; the
Southern Baptist Convention, 200,232; the
Presbyterian Church USA, 160,800; the
United Church of Christ, 157,180;
Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, 142,571; and the
American Baptist Churches USA, 117,757. About 6.2 million people (55.1% of the population) declined to be counted as members of any religious organization.
Political demographics and history
Politically, Ohio is considered a
swing state.
The Economist notes that, "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,"
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 a 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
(External Link). The state supported
Democrat Bill Clinton in
1992 and
1996, but supported
Republican George W. 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. 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.
Many political analysts divide the state into five distinct regions: a central region and one in each corner. These regions are as different from each other as most states, and the largest (northeast) is only twice the size of the smallest (southeast). The northeast, including Cleveland, Youngstown, Lorain/Elyria, and other industrial areas, votes solidly Democrat largely due to its traditionally strong unions. The northwest is largely farmland with a few small manufacturing cities such as Toledo and Lima, and leans slightly Republican. The southwest is the most heavily Republican part of the state, especially in the suburbs in between Dayton and Cincinnati. Libertarian candidates also run surprisingly strongly in this area. The Appalachian regions in the Southeast are a swing bloc, tending to favor the candidates who have strong economic agendas. The central part of the state, consisting of Columbus and its suburbs, is typical of many newly large cities: a poor urban Democratic core surrounded by a rich suburban Republican ring.
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.
"Ohio has excelled as a recruiting-ground for national political leaders. Between the
Civil War and 1920, seven Ohioans were elected to the presidency, ending with
Harding's election in 1920. At the same time, six Ohioans sat on the
US Supreme Court and two served as
Chief Justices....'Not since the
Virginia dynasty dominated national government during the early years of the Republic' notes historian R. Douglas Hurt, 'had a state made such a mark on national political affairs.'
Ohioans dominated national politics for seventy years, because Ohio was to a large extent a microcosm of the nation. Hurt writes that the elements of that microcosm were 'the diversity of the people, the strength of the industrial and agricultural economy, and the balance between rural and urban populations.' He continues: 'The individuals who played major roles in national affairs appealed to broad national constituencies because they learned their skills in Ohio, where political success required candidates to reconcile wide differences among the voters. Ohioans were northerners and southerners as well as easterners and westerners. Consequently, Ohio's politicians addressed constituencies that were the same as those across the nation.' Finally, the pragmatic and centrist character of Ohio politics, Hurt asserts, has made it 'job-oriented rather than issue oriented.'"
Education
Ohio's system of
public education is outlined in Article VI of the
state constitution, and in Title XXXIII of the
Ohio Revised Code. Substantively, Ohio's system is similar to those found in
other states. At the State level, the Ohio Department of Education, which is overseen by the
Ohio State Board of Education, governs primary and secondary educational institutions. At the municipal level, there are approximately 700 school districts statewide. The
Ohio Board of Regents coordinates and assists with Ohio's institutions of
higher education which have recently been reorganized into the
University System of Ohio under Governor Strickland. The system averages an annual enrollment of over 400,000 students, making it one of the five largest state university systems in the U.S.
Colleges and universities
- 13 state universities
- University of Akron, Akron, Ohio
- Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio
- Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio
- University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio
- Kent State University, Kent, Ohio
- Miami University, Oxford, Ohio
- Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
- The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
- Shawnee State University, Portsmouth, Ohio
- University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio
- Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio (Fairborn, Ohio)
- Youngstown State University, Youngstown, Ohio
- 24 state university branch and regional campuses
- 46 private colleges and universities a b
- 6 free-standing state-assisted medical schools
- 15 community colleges
- 8 technical colleges
- 24 independent non-profit colleges
» a Included among these is the
University of Dayton, which is a private,
Roman Catholic university run by the
Society of Mary.
» b Two of these institutions are ranked among the top 40 in the nation:
Case Western Reserve University, and
Oberlin College.
Libraries
Ohio is home to some of the nation's highest-ranking public libraries. The 2006 study by Thomas J. Hennen Jr. ranked Ohio as number one in a state-by-state comparison. For 2006, Ohio's three largest library systems were all ranked in the top ten for American cities of 500,000 or more:
Cuyahoga County Public Library (first)
Columbus Metropolitan Library (third)
The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County (eighth)
The Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) is an organization that provides Ohio residents with internet access to their 251 public libraries. OPLIN also provides Ohioans with free home access to high-quality, subscription research databases.
Ohio also offers the OhioLINK program, allowing Ohio's libraries (particularly those from colleges and universities) access to materials in other libraries. The program is largely successful in allowing researchers access to books and other media that might not otherwise be available.
Sports
Professional
The first openly all-professional sports team called Ohio home: The Cincinnati Red Stockings of Major League Baseball formed in 1869. Today, Ohio is home to several professional sports teams, including seven major professional sports league franchises.
Ohio is currently the only state to have teams in each of the major leagues without one city or metro area that can lay claim to the "Grand Slam," though Cleveland briefly held this status from 1976 to 1978. Major professional sporting teams in Ohio include:
Major League Baseball
National Football League
National Basketball Association
National Hockey League
Major League Soccer
Former major league teams:
Akron Pros (NFL) (1920-1925)
Canton Bulldogs (NFL) (1920-1923 and 1925-1926)
Portsmouth Spartans (NFL) (1930-1933)
Cincinnati Red Stockings (NL)(1876-1880)
Cleveland Blues (NL) (1879-1884)
Cleveland Spiders (AA-NL) (1887-1899)
Cleveland Rams (NFL) (1936-1945)
Cincinnati Royals (NBA) (1957-1972)
Cleveland Barons (NHL) (1976-1978)
The rival World Hockey Association, considered by some a major professional sports league, had two Ohio teams, the Cleveland Crusaders (1972-1976) and the Cincinnati Stingers (1975-1979).
Dayton Triangles (NFL) (1920-1929)
Cleveland Rockers (WNBA) (1997-2003)
Other Ohio professional sports teams
College and high school
Ohio is also known for being full of rabid fans of college and high school football. Ohio State is the 5th winningest program in NCAA history and has 7 National Championships and 7 Heisman Trophy winners. Cincinnati, Akron, Ohio, Miami University, Bowling Green, Toledo and Kent State all also compete in Division I-A Football Bowl Subdivision, the highest level of College Football. Toledo holds one of the nation's longest Division I football winning streaks, winning 35 consecutive games from 1969 to 1971 under quarterback Chuck Ealey. Youngstown State is a perennial power in Division I-AA Football Championship Subdivision having won 4 I-AA Championships under current Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel. Mount Union College is the dynasty of Division III college football with 11 National Championships and a record 62 game winning streak at one point.
Massillon Washington High School in Massillon has won 9 high school football national championship polls and 31 state championships. Colerain High School is rising to be a dynasty in its own right, and is scheduled to face Massillon at Cleveland Browns Stadium in 2008.
Cincinnati's Greater Catholic League, consisting of boy's Catholic high schools from the Greater Cincinnati and Dayton areas, is one of the most competitive leagues in the state and the country. Not including its all-girls counterpart, the GGCL, the GCL has laid claim to over 110 state titles and more than 315 individual state titles, as well as numerous national championships. In particular, the GCL South Division has achieved a great deal of success. Consisting of the four, large all-male schools of Elder, LaSalle, Moeller and St. Xavier, four of the last six Division I State Football Championships have come from this division.
Recent Team State Championships for the GCL South: » *Elder Panthers: Football (2002, 2003), Baseball (2004)
*LaSalle Lancers: Cross Country (2005, 2006) » *Moeller Crusaders: Baseball (2004), Basketball (2003, 2007), Volleyball (2004, 2007)
*St. Xavier Bombers: Baseball (2003), Cross Country (2003), Football (2005, 2007), Tennis (2006, 2007), Swimming (2002-2004, 2006, 2007), Volleyball (2006)
Ohio High School's Federal League, including the McKinley Bulldogs, Perry Panthers, Jackson Polar Bears, North Canton
Hoover Vikings, Lake Blue Streaks, GlenOak Eagles, Austintown Fitch Falcons, and the Boardman Spartans, have one of the most competitive leagues in Ohio when it comes to sports.
Recent Championships for Federal League:
Jackson Polar Bears- State Finalist-Mens Soccer- 2007 Jackson Polar Bears-State Runner-ups-Women's Cross Country-2005 Hoover Vikings- State Finalist- Softball- 2007- D1- Beat by Hudson.
Hoover Vikings- State Champs- Softball- 2006- WP- Jessica Simpson- D1.
Lake Blue Streaks- State Champs- Softball- 2005 WP- Julie Boyes- D1.
Lake Blue Streaks- State Finalist- Softball- 2004- D1- Beat by St. Ursala.
Lake Blue Streaks- Mike Miller, three-time Ohio Wrestling State Champion 2003, 2004, 2005
Canton Mckinley Bulldogs - State Champs - Basketball - 2005/2006. First team to win the title back to back.
Transportation
Many major east-west transportation corridors go through Ohio. One of those pioneer routes, known in the early 1900s as "Main Market Route 3", was chosen in 1913 to become part of the historic Lincoln Highway which was the first road across America, 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 1926, the Lincoln Highway through Ohio became U.S. Highway 30.
Ohio also is home to of the Historic National Road, now U.S. Route 40.
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 through Akron, Canton, New Philadelphia and Marietta down into West Virginia. Interstate 75 between Cincinnati and Dayton is one of the heaviest section of traveled interstate in Ohio.
Air travel includes Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, which is a major hub for Continental Airlines, as well as Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (located in the state of Kentucky), which is a major hub for Delta Air Lines. Other major airports are located in Dayton, Toledo, Columbus, and Akron-Canton.
Transportation Lists
List of Ohio state highways
List of Ohio train stations
List of Ohio railroads
List of Ohio rivers
Historic Ohio Canals
State symbols
State animal: White-tailed Deer (1987)
State beverage: Tomato juice (1965)
State bird: Cardinal (1933)
State capital: Columbus
State flower: Scarlet Carnation (1904)
State fossil: Trilobite genus Isotelus (1985)
State herb capital: Gahanna (1972)
State insect: Ladybug Beetle (1975)
State motto: "With God all things are possible." (1959)
State rock song: "Hang On Sloopy" (1985)
State song: "Beautiful Ohio" (1969)
State tree: Buckeye (1953)
State reptile: Black racer snake (1995)
State stone: Ohio Flint (1965)
State wildflower: Large white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) (1986)
Slogans
- "Ohio, the heart of it all!" Used on Ohio's license plates and welcome signs between the years 1985-2001 (license plates) and 1991-2005 (welcome signs).The connotation being that the state's shape resembles a heart symbol -- and also that most people consider Ohio the beginning of the US Heartland. The town of North Baltimore, Ohio in Wood County makes the claim of being "The Cross Roads of The Heartland" in yet another claim of Ohio being the H
