Ohio

Ohio, midwestern state in the northern United States; bordered by Michigan and Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, the Ohio River (with West Virginia and Kentucky on the other side) to the southeast and south, and Indiana to the west.

Land and climate

Ohio has four main land regions. The Great Lakes Plains, a narrow, fertile strip of land bordering Lake Erie, is one of the nation's busiest shipping and manufacturing areas. The Appalachian Plateau in the east is a high, rugged area of relatively poor soil but it has the state's largest forests, richest mineral deposits, and most impressive scenery. The Till Plains in the west, an area of gently rolling plains, is the easternmost part of the great, fertile Corn Belt of the Midwest. The Bluegrass Region, a small wedge-shaped area in southern Ohio, has both hilly and flat areas, with relatively thin, poor soil. Ohio's rivers—including the Maumee, Miami, Scioto, and Muskingum—drain into Lake Erie or the Ohio River. Excellent ports on Lake Erie, together with the Ohio River and two major canals, have made Ohio a major transportation hub of the Midwest. Forests cover about one-fourth of the state. Ohio has warm, humid summers and cold, dry winters. Principal cities are Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati.

Economy

Manufacturing is by far the most important economic activity in Ohio, which is one of the nation's leading industrial states. Chief manufactured products are transportation equipment, machinery, primary and fabricated metal products, household appliances, chemicals, processed foods, and rubber products. Wholesale and retail trade is the chief service industry. Mining and agriculture are less important to the economy. Chief mineral products are coal, natural gas, petroleum, sandstone, limestone, and salt. Chief crops are corn, soybeans, hay, wheat, oats, and popcorn. Chief livestock products are beef cattle, hogs, sheep, and eggs and poultry.

Government

Ohio's present constitution was adopted in 1851. The governor serves a 4-year term. The state's legislature, called the General Assembly, consists of 33 senators serving 4-year terms and 99 representatives serving 2-year terms. In the U.S. Congress, Ohio is represented by 2 senators and 19 representatives.

History

Prehistoric Native Americans called Mound Builders were the area's first-known inhabitants. French explorer La Salle was probably the first European to explore the area, about 1670. France claimed the entire Ohio Valley, as did England. The conflicting claims led to the French and Indian wars (1754–63), after which France ceded the area to England. In 1763, Pontiac, an Ottawa chief, launched an Indian rebellion that the British eventually suppressed. Ohio, the scene of some battles during the American Revolution, became part of the U.S.'s Northwest Territory in 1787. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, white settlement increased rapidly, disrupted by a series of Indian uprisings. Ohio became the 17th state in 1803. During the Civil War, Ohio—a key Underground Railroad station—sided with the Union. After the war, Ohio's industries developed rapidly. The state's economy suffered in the Great Depression of the 1930s, but revived during World War II. Urban centers were hard-hit by Ohio's fiscal problems in the 1960s and 1970s. In the 1980s, Ohio sought improvements for its troubled farmers and industries.