The land where once America's west began, Ohio is today a state of sprawling cities, expanding industries, and major transportation systems located at the heart of the great markets of the East and Midwest. Ohio is an Iroquois word meaning "something big," which was the way the Iroquois described its namesake the Ohio River. Ohio's nickname The Buckeye State is derived from the buckeye trees that grow on the state's hills and plains. It combines its reputation as one of the nation's leading industrial economies with the appeal of its natural beauty which attracts tourists from all sections of the United States. With its hundreds of inland lakes, rivers, and streams, Ohio is one of the nation's top 10 states for boating.

Ohio is bordered on the east and southeast by Pennsylvania and West Virginia, to the south by Kentucky, on the west by Indiana, and to the north by Michigan and Lake Erie. The state has four main land regions. The Great Lake Plains, bordering Lake Erie, is a busy manufacturing, trading, and shipping center. The Till Plains, stretching across central and western Ohio, is one of the most fertile agricultural areas in the U.S. The Appalachian Plateau is a hilly region that makes up eastern Ohio, and is known for its sheep and cattle grazing, its large forests, and rich mineral deposits. The Bluegrass Region is excellent farm country located at the center of Ohio's southern boundary. The state boasts 73 state parks and 60,000 miles of streams. Picturesque waterways include the Little Miami, Great Miami, and Mad rivers in southwest Ohio, the Mohican, Walhonding, and Kokosing rivers in the northcentral region, the Hocking and Muskingum in the southeast, the Grand River in the west, and the Scioto which flows from the northwest southward to the Ohio River. Lake Erie is noted for its world class sport fishing. Ohio's natural resources are abundant water, rich farmlands, and minerals. Active conservation programs focus on flood control, reforestation, wildlife preservation, soil erosion, and water pollution. Principal cities are Cleveland (the largest), Cincinnati, Toledo, Columbus (the capital), Dayton, Akron, Hamilton, and Youngstown. State population now exceeds 11,300,000.

This state which has spawned seven U.S. Presidents is also the birthplace of such famous Americans as the inventor Thomas Edison, aviation pioneers the Wright Brothers, automotive pioneer Charles Kettering, industrialists Harvey Firestone and Benjamin Goodrich, golfer Jack Nicklaus, track star Edwin Moses, and Olympic figure skater Scott Hamilton. It is a state celebrated for Annie Oakley, Johnny Appleseed, the Underground Railroad, and the world's largest Amish population. Its noted writers include Harriet Beecher Stowe, Sherwood Anderson, Zane Grey, Louis Bromfield, James Thurber, and William Dean Howells. Ohio State, University of Cincinnati, Case Institute of Technology, Antioch, and Xavier are listed among the state's many fine colleges and universities.

This top industrial state is a major producer of pig iron, steel, and coke. Its chief manufacturers include automobiles and motor vehicle parts, machine tools, electrical equipment, clay and glass products, machinery, business machines, rubber products, paper, and textiles. Also important to the economy are agriculture, mining, meat packing, forestry, food processing, and commercial fishing. The state is served by more than 180 public airports, including international airports in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton, and Columbus. It offers one of the nation's largest highway and rail systems. It has nine ports on Lake Erie and 16 Ohio River terminals.

Notable points of interest are Caesar's Creek Pioneer Village dating to 1793; Buffington Island State Memorial, a Civil War battle site; The Aviation Trail; Cedar Bog Nature Preserve; Bear's Mill, an authentic water-powered mill; the Antique Emporium; the site of George Armstrong Custer's birthplace; the Edison Museum; George Rogers Clark Heritage Association; Hopewell Culture National Historical Park; Inscription Rock marked with prehistoric Indian pictograms; the Miamisburg Indian Mound; the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center; the Ohio River Museum; the birthplace memorials honoring presidents James A. Garfield, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes; Benjamin Harrison; William McKinley, William Howard Taft, and Warren G. Harding. Cultural attractions include nationally recognized art museums in Cincinnati and Cleveland; the Taft Museum; the Cincinnati Zoo; and world class symphonies in Cincinnati and Cleveland.

For thousands of years prior to European explorations in the 1670s, Ohio was occupied by Mound Builders and other Native Americans. Virginia and England set up the first Ohio Company in 1750. The United States claimed Ohio and the Northwest Territory in 1787. Ohio was admitted to the Union in 1803 as the 17th state. It was the first state west of the Alleghenies and an east-west crossroads which earned Ohio its other nickname as the Gateway State.

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