States from A-Z: Ohio and Oklahoma

Ohio

The US state is surrounded by Lake Erie in the north (border to Canada) and bordered by the river Ohio in the south. The word Ohio derives from the Iroquois and means "beautiful river". Ohio became 17th member of the USA in 1803. The capital of Ohio is Columbus.

In the 18th century the French built up a system of several linked trading posts to control the trade between the French and the Native Americans. Due to the French- Indian War, which resulted in the Treaty of Paris in 1763, France had to cede Ohio to Great Britain. First the settlement in Ohio was forbidden by the British Proclamation, but this restriction was lifted by the US after becoming independent from the British Crown. Shortly after Ohio became one of the first states in which slavery was officially forbidden.

Ohio is one of the leading US headquarters of mechanical engineering. It is also producer of transporting devices, machinery, tools, metal, electric devices and food. Since Ohio is part of the Corn Belt, agriculture is an important factor. The agricultural production covers soybeans, milk products, corn, tomatoes, cattle (pork, cow), poultry and eggs. Moreover commercial fishing is practised in the area around Lake Erie.

The gross domestic product per person added up to 34.609 US dollar in 2006, which ranks 28 in comparison to the national level.

Ohio combines lots of diversified landscapes, recreation areas and historical sights (particularly archeological sites and excavations of Indian settlements and sepulchers).

Ohio offers more than 2.500 lakes and about 45.000 river miles, which attracts a lot of tourists. Additionally one of the oldest and largest amusement parks of the USA, Cedar Point, is situated on the peninsula Sandusky and offers a total of 17 roller coasters.

 

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Oklahoma

The state Oklahoma is located in the south of the USA and north of Texas. The word Oklahoma derives from the language of the Choctaw and stands for human being (okla) and red (humma), which together means "The country of the redskin".

The nickname of Oklahoma is "The Sooner State", which results from the pioneers, who settled the land before (sooner) the US government, which bought the land from the Native Americans and officially allowed the land to be inhabited.

The capital of Oklahoma is Oklahoma City.

Within the USA Oklahoma takes an unique position, since the area was declared Indian territory in 1834.

But to look further back into history Oklahoma was first granted to the USA in the course of the Louisiana Purchase 1803 and given to the 5 Civilized Tribes (Creek, Seminole, Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw) which were driven away from the eastern states due to the Indian Removal Act of 1830. This resettlement of 50.000 Indians is also known by the name "Trail of Tears", since one out of three Native Americans died on the 1.200 miles long trek.

Until today most of the Indian tribes still have their political headquarter in Oklahoma.

Foundation of Oklahoma City by the Pale-Face

The US government ordered the Whites to stay out of the Indian Territory in 1880, but nevertheless that rule was violated several times by the "Sooners" who had already settled and claimed their land.

After negotiating with the Native Americans 2.000 acres of land were granted to the settlers on April, 22nd 1889. The outcome of this event was immense, since hundreds of settlers immigrated within short time, so that Oklahoma City arose quasi in just one night. The Indian territory turned into the Oklahoma territory in 1890. Until 1906 the area of the settlers expanded permanently - an attempt to establish the Native American state "Sequoyah" in the east failed.

In 1807 Oklahoma became 46th state of the USA and the economy flourished after discovering petroleum and petroleum gas 1928.

But because of periods of drought and sandstorms many people used the Route 66 and settled in the western states - which can be read up in the book The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, who literally describes the "dust bowl".

Facts about Oklahoma

Oklahoma offers more than 300 museums and historical sites, such as an open-air museum with a windmill in Shattuck, the tomb of the Apache Geronimo in Fort Sill or the Cowboy museum in Oklahoma City. Not far from the new memorial for the victims of the assault in Oklahoma City in 1995, the restored Bricktown Entertainment District can be found, which provides restaurants, shops, an exciting nightlife and boat trips on a channel.

The famous 250 miles long Route 66 runs through Oklahoma presenting more than 12 different ecosystems like tablelands and sand dunes in the south west or wetland and waterfalls in the south east.