Ohio: home to John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Jesse Owens, and many more famous people, as well as the Ohio State Buckeyes and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Find out more in our latest state video. Transcript: Hi. My name is Michelle, and I am currently an intern in the Public Affairs Section at the U.S. Embassy Vienna. Today, I'm here to tell you about my home state of Ohio. Ohio often serves as a bridge between the Midwest and the Northeast, making it a popular hub for business. After all, it is home to Wendy's and Abercrombie & Fitch. Ohio sits on Lake Erie to the north and is bordered by the Ohio River to the South allowing for many ports, as well as a lot of sailing, kayaking, and fishing. The river also gave Ohio its name. The Iroquois word ohi-yo means "great river." Native Americans inhabited Ohio for quite some time, with the Adena and Hopewell tribes being the most famous. Both tribes were mound-builders leaving behind spectacular works that are still studied today, mainly the Great Serpent Mound of the Adena and the earthworks from the Hopewell. However, these and most other indigenous cultures disappeared from Ohio by the late 17th century. On March 1, 1803, Ohio became the 17th state. Today, Ohio has three major cities, known as the three C's, which cut diagonally across the state. Cincinnati is in the southwest, Columbus, the state capital, in the middle, and Cleveland, "the Mistake on the Lake," in the northeast, where I'm from. On the shore of Lake Erie, Cleveland is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. While often picked on by outsiders, Cleveland is a great place to live. It is also home to several professional sports teams, including with my favorite baseball team-the Cleveland Indians. Go Tribe! Cleveland also has the second largest Playhouse Square in the country and the Cleveland Clinic and University hospitals which are world-renowned. Also, my home town is often used as a backdrop in movies. In fact, "The Avengers" was partially filmed in Cleveland and the upcoming "Iron Man III" and "Captain America" will be as well. Columbus is home to one of the largest college campuses in the country, The Ohio State University, home of the Buckeyes, where you can always here our state rock song, "Hang on Sloopy." As with most schools, our football team is the most well-known with seven national championships, but we can claim dozens of championships in other sports as well. Olympic gold-medalist Jesse Owens, basketball-star Bobby Knight, and golfer Jack Nicklaus all attended Ohio State. Ohio is known as the Buckeye state, after the Ohio Buckeye Tree. Another nickname is the Birthplace of Aviation, as Ohio was home to the Wright brothers. Ohio is also the birthplace of seven presidents and home to an eighth. One of these presidents James A. Garfield lived less than twenty minutes from my home. Ohio is home to both John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, and Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon. If you get out of the cities, you will see the beauty of Ohio that I love. The farmlands, forests, and gentle hills are great for hiking, picnics, and even swimming if you're so brave. Here you can get all four seasons, gorgeous sunsets, and can drink your morning coffee while watching the deer in your backyard. Ohio offers the best of both worlds, with the bustle of the city and the beauty of the country, so I invite you to visit-we have something for everyone.

• published: 02 Apr 2013
• views: 19243