Ohio is a state in the northeastern Midwest of the United States. The state, originally part of the Northwest Territories, was admitted to the United States on the 17th in a row, on March 1, 1803. The state’s official nickname is the Horse Chestnut State. The state capital and largest city is Columbus. In the United States, the state ranks tenth in terms of population density. The Ohio government consists of the executive branch, headed by the governor, the legislative branch, which includes the Ohio General Assembly, and the judiciary, at the apex of which, in the state, is the Supreme Court. Ohio’s representatives currently hold 18 seats in the US House of Representatives.
STATE NAME
Ohio was named after the Ohio River, the deepest tributary of North America’s great river, the Mississippi. In turn, the name of the Ohio River comes from the word ohi-yo, which in the language of the Iroquois Indians means “big river”.
GEOGRAPHY
Ohio is located in the Midwest of the United States and belongs to the Northeast Central States of the United States. The territory of the state of Ohio is 116,096 km2 (34th place among the US states). Ohio borders Canada in the north, Pennsylvania in the east, West Virginia in the southeast, Kentucky in the south, Indiana in the west and Michigan in the northwest. The southern border of the state runs along the Ohio River, and most of the northern border runs along Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes of the United States. In the north of Ohio, along Lake Erie, a coastal lowland stretches. In the northwest of the state (as well as in the northeast of neighboring Indiana) is a region known as the “Great Black Swamp”. For only a century and a half, this area was a vast swampy area, interspersed with islands of dry land. With the increase in the number of settlers in Ohio”
To the south is the Allegheny Plateau (Alleeni), part of the Appalachian mountain system. A distinction is made between the western part of the plateau, smoothed by glaciers, and the eastern part, which was not affected by glaciation. In the west of the Allegheny Plateau there are lower and gentler hills, to the east their height increases, gradually turning into the mountains of West Virginia. The hills in the southeast are covered with forests, there are several Ohio state parks, the most popular of which is Hocking Hills.
HYDROGRAPHY
The Allegheny Plateau in Ohio is cut by the channels of numerous rivers, the largest of which is the most full-flowing tributary of the great North American Mississippi River, which gave the state its name – the Ohio River. Other major rivers in the state are the Muskingum, Sayoto, and Great Miami tributaries of the Ohio River, as well as the Cuyahoga and Maumee that flow into Lake Erie.
The only national park in the state of Ohio is located in the Cuyahoga River Valley, the waterfalls, caves and picturesque landscapes of which attract numerous tourists. Marys, for decades the largest artificial body of water in the world. Now this lake is included in the state park of the same name.
CLIMATE
Ohio has a temperate (and even subtropical) climate in the south, with hot summers and cool winters.
In northeast Cleveland, the average January temperature ranges from -6°C to 1°C, and the average July temperature ranges from 18°C to 28°C. In the capital city of Ohio, Columbus, which is located in the central part of the state, in January the temperature is usually between -6°C to 2°C, and in July – from 18°C to 30°C. In southwestern Cincinnati, winters range from -6°C to 3°C and summers from 19°C to 30°C. In the northern regions of the state, on the coast of Lake Erie, severe snowstorms often occur in winter.
ECONOMY
Ohio has a very well developed and diversified economy and consistently ranks among the top ten US states in terms of gross domestic product. If Ohio were an independent state, it would take the twentieth place in the list of the richest countries in the world. Various industries, agriculture, and tourism are very well developed in the state. About 8% of Ohio’s GDP comes from the financial sector of the economy (banks, insurance companies, etc.)
Ohio is one of the largest centers of scientific research in the USA (according to some estimates – the second after California). The state is developing in the field of energy, medicine, aeronautics, space exploration, and agriculture. The most prominent research organizations in Ohio include the Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, the John Glenn Center (a division of NASA) and the Cleveland Clinical Hospital, the Center for Tissue Regeneration and Research Institute at the University of Dayton, the US Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright AFB -Patterson, Worcester Agricultural Research Center and many others.
TOURISM
In Newark, Ohio, one of the main tourist attractions is the giant basket-shaped headquarters of Longaberger, a company that makes handmade baskets, wrought iron, ceramics, and other homewares.
