Higher Education  

Ohio has over 50 colleges and universities, as well as more than 40 two-year and community colleges. Ohio State University, the state's largest public institution, has campuses in Columbus (main campus), Lima, Mansfield, Marion, and Newark. Other public institutions include Bowling Green State University; Central State University, in Wilberforce; University of Cincinnati; Cleveland State University; Kent State University; Miami University, in Oxford; Ohio University, in Athens; the University of Akron; the University of Toledo; Wright State University, in Dayton; and Youngstown State University. Private institutions include Antioch College, in Yellow Springs; Baldwin Wallace College, in Berea; Case Western Reserve University, in Cleveland; the University of Dayton; Kenyon College, in Gambier; Denison University, in Granville; Oberlin College; Ohio Wesleyan University, in Delaware; and Xavier University, in Cincinnati.

Geography

The state of Ohio is 107,045 square kilometers in area. Ohio's three main land regions are the Great Lakes Plains in the north, the Allegheny Plateau in the east, and the Till Plain in the west. Part of the lowlands that lines the shores of the Great Lakes, the Great Lakes Plains are characterized by level or slightly rolling terrain. The Allegheny Plateau, covering most of the eastern half of Ohio, possesses rich mineral deposits such as coal, natural gas, oil, clay, and salt. Covering western Ohio from the Great Lakes Plain south to the Ohio River, the Till Plain contains fertile soil suitable for supporting the production of soybeans, grains, and livestock. The state's most important river is the Ohio, which winds 724 km to form the state's southern and southeastern borders. Ohio's major cities include Columbus (capital), Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, Akron, and Dayton. The population of the state is over 11 million.

Climate

Ohio's generally temperate climate features warm, humid summers and cold winters. The city of Cleveland, in the northeast, experiences an average July temperature of 23° C and an average January temperature of -2° C. Cincinnati, in the southeast, averages 24° C in July and 0.5° C in January. The state's average annual precipitation (including rain and snow) is 97 cm.

Cultural Profile

Ohio supports more than three hundred museums. Among the museums in Cleveland are the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, the Cleveland Children's Museum, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Cincinnati's museums include the Cincinnati Art Museum and the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History. Museums in Columbus include the Columbus Museum of Art and the Center of Science and Industry. Other museums in the state include art museums in Toledo, Dayton, and Akron, as well as the United States Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton.

There are approximately 72 symphony orchestras in Ohio, including orchestras in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, and Toledo. Dance companies in the state include the Cleveland Ballet, the Cincinnati Ballet, and the Ohio Ballet Company of Akron. Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus have opera companies. In addition, Ohio boasts many professional, community, and college theater companies.

Recreation

Ohio has over seventy state parks, nineteen state forests, and one national forest. Swimming, boating, fishing, hunting, horseback riding, canoeing, waterskiing, spelunking, skating, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling are among the state's many popular outdoor activities. Some of Ohio's other interesting attractions are Kelleys Island, Ohio Caverns, and Shoenbrunn Village.

Interesting Facts

Residents of Ohio are nicknamed "Buckeyes." Famous people from Ohio include Sherwood Anderson (writer), Neil Armstrong (astronaut), Clarence Darrow (lawyer), Thomas Edison (inventor), Clark Gable (film actor), James Garfield (twentieth president of the US), Ulysses S. Grant (eighteenth president of the US), Warren Harding (twenty-ninth president of the US), Benjamin Harrison (twenty-third president of the US), Bob Hope (entertainer), William McKinley (twenty-fifth president of the US), Toni Morrison (writer), Paul Newman (actor), Jack Nicklaus (professional golfer), Jesse Owens (athlete), Steven Spielberg (film director), Gloria Steinem (women's rights activist), William Howard Taft (twenty-seventh president of the US), Orville and Wilbur Wright (inventors of the first successful self-propelled airplane).