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Ohio Facts

Ohio Facts
The State of Ohio is located in the mid-west United States. It shares state borders with Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. It sits across Lake Erie from the Province of Ontario in Canada. Ohio is the 34th largest U.S. state with 44,825 square miles. Ohio is the 7th most populated U.S. state with approximately 11,570,808 residents and it is ranked as the 10th most densely populated state in America. It is believed that the region was populated by nomads as far back as 13,000BC. Prior to European settlement the region was inhabited by Native Americans. Ohio became the 17th U.S. state in 1803 however it wasn't until 1953 that Ohio's admission to the Union was officially declared, retroactive to 1803 as the 17th U.S. state.
Interesting Ohio Facts:
The name Ohio is derived from an Iroquois Indian word that means 'large river' or 'good river'.
Ohio's state nickname is the 'Buckeye State'.
Ohio's state motto is 'With God, All Things Are Possible'.
Ohio's state song is 'Beautiful Ohio'.
Ohio's official state flag was adopted in 1902. It was designed by John Eisemann and the inspiration for the design originated from Ohio's calvary pennant used from 1862 until 1865.
Ohio residents are referred to as Ohioans.
Ohio's capital city and its largest city is Columbus.
Ohio's state bird is the cardinal and the state insect is the ladybug.
The state mammal for Ohio is the white-tailed deer and the state reptile is the black racer snake.
The state flower for Ohio is the scarlet carnation and its state tree is the buckeye.
Major rivers in Ohio include Sandusky River, Scioto River, Muskingham River, Maumee River, Miami River, Cuyahoga River and Ohio River.
Major lakes in Ohio include Grand Lake and Lake Erie, which is one of the Great Lakes.
Several former U.S. Presidents were born in Ohio including: 18th President Ulysses S. Grant (born in Point Pleasant and served from 1869 to 1877), 19th President Rutherford B. Hayes (born in Delaware and served from 1877 to 1881), 20th President James A. Garfield (born in Orange and served in 1881), 23rd President Benjamin Harrison (born in North Bend and served from 1889 to 1893), 25th President William McKinley (born in Niles and served from 1897 to 1901), 27th President William H. Taft (born in Cincinnati and served from 1909 to 1913), and 29th President Warren G. Harding (born in Corsica = now Blooming Grove - served from 1921 to 1923).
Major industry in Ohio includes manufacturing of cars, steel, airplanes, plastic, rubber products and chemicals, as well as mining for coal.
Major agriculture in Ohio includes corn, oats, soybeans, wheat, hay, fruit, dairy, hogs and sheep.
The first traffic light was installed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1914.
The cash register was invented in Dayton in 1879 by James Ritty.
The first police cars were used in Akron, Ohio and Cincinnati had the first professional fire department.
The first professional baseball team was the Cincinnati Reds.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is located in Cleveland, Ohio.
The first man to walk on the moon was Neil Armstrong from Wapakoneta, Ohio.
The inventors of the airplane the Wright Brothers were from Dayton, Ohio.


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