The name Ohio is derived from the Seneca word ohi:yo’, meaning “beautiful river” (according to a French interpretation) or “great stream”. Seneca is spoken by one of the six Iroquois peoples. Originally, both the Ohio River and its tributary, the Allegheny River, were so named. Ohio is part of the Midwest of the United States of America. As part of the Great Lakes region, the state has long been the cultural and geographic center of North America. When the Europeans arrived, Shawnee, Iroquois, Miamis, and Wyandots lived there. At the beginning of the 18th century, settlers came from the areas of New England, the mid-Atlantic states, the Appalachians and the so-called “Upper South”, i. e. the northern part of the American southern states. In the 18th century, French colonists established trading posts to control the fur trade in the region. After the “French and Indian War” between France and Great Britain in 1754, Ohio was ceded along with the rest of the “Old Northwest” to Great Britain, which, however, had to cede control of Ohio to the United States of America after the “American Revolution” in 1783. On February 19, 1803, President Jefferson signed legislation recognizing the borders and constitution of the State of Ohio. However, the state was never formally admitted as the 17th state by the American Congress. It was not until 1953 that Congressman George H. Bender introduced a bill to incorporate Ohio into the United States retroactively to March 1, 1803. At a special session in the ancient capital of Chillicothe, Parliament approved a new application for membership, which was taken to Washington DC on horseback. On April 7, 1953 (the year of Ohio’s 150th anniversary), President Eisenhower signed the law into law that set March 1, 1803 as the official date of accession. Economic growth in Ohio is particularly favored by its geographical location. Between the Northeast and the Midwest, a great deal of freight and business traffic goes via the very well-developed transport routes across state borders. As part of the American Corn Belt, agriculture naturally plays a large part in the country’s economy. Other agricultural products include Swiss cheese, eggs, tomatoes, milk and soybeans. With more than 500 kilometers of shoreline on Lake Erie, more than 2500 lakes and 70,000 kilometers of rivers, it is a tourist paradise. Leisure captains, anglers, fishermen and bathers will find countless opportunities for their activities there. Check topschoolsoflaw.com for brief history of the state of Ohio.