Ohio websites about places to go, things to do, vacation information, sports links, facts about the state, destinations, golf, business, and more. Columbus is the state capital and Ohio's largest city. Ohio is known as the "Buckeye State" for its prevalence of Ohio Buckeye trees, and, as such, Ohioans are also known as "Buckeyes." Ohio's state flag is a pennant design. It is the only state flag of that design in the United States.

Ohio's geographic location has proved to be an asset for economic growth and expansion. Because Ohio links the Northeast to the Midwest, much cargo and business traffic passes through its borders along its well-developed highways. Ohio has the nation's 10th largest highway network, and is within a one-day drive of 50% of North America's population and 70% of North America's manufacturing capacity. The American Federation of Labor was founded in Columbus.

Ohio is one of the nation's industrial leaders, ranking third in manufacturing employment nationwide. Important manufacturing centers are located in or near Ohio's major cities. Akron is known for rubber; Canton for roller bearings; Cincinnati for jet engines and machine tools; Cleveland for auto assembly, auto parts, and steel; Dayton for office machines, refrigeration, and heating and auto equipment; Youngstown and Steubenville for steel; and Toledo for glass and auto parts.

Tourism includes the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Indian burial grounds at Mound City Group National Monument, Perry's Victory International Peace Memorial, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame at Canton. Seven United States presidents were born in Ohio. They are: Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, William H. Taft, and Warren G. Harding.

The state's fertile soil produces soybeans, corn, oats, greenhouse and nursery products, wheat, hay, and fruit, including apples, peaches, strawberries, and grapes. More than half of Ohio's farm receipts come from dairy farming and sheep and hog raising.

Ohio native Thomas Edison invented the kinetoscope, or motion picture camera. Thomas A. Edison from Milan also developed the incandescent light bulb. Cleveland boasts America's first traffic light. It began on Aug. 5, 1914. Ermal Fraze invented the pop-top can in Kettering. James J. Ritty, of Dayton, invented the cash register in 1879 to stop his patrons from pilfering house profits.

Some well-known personalities were born in Ohio. Among them Steven Spielberg, Paul Newman, Annie Oakley, Arsenio Hall and Clark Gable. Ohio senator John Glenn became the oldest man to venture into outer space. On February 20, 1962 he was the first American to orbit the earth. In October of 1998 at age 77 he returned to the space program and traveled back into space.

Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon. He was from Wapakoneta. The Wright Brothers are acknowledged as inventors of the first airplane they were from Dayton. Charles Kettering of Loundonville invented the automobile self-starter in 1911. Charles Goodyear of Akron developed the process of vulcanizing rubber in 1839. Roy J. Plunkett of New Carlisle invented Teflon in 1938. W.F. Semple of Mount Vernon patented chewing gum in 1869. Jesse Owens grew up in Cleveland. He won four gold medals in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.