The U.S. presidential nomination race resumes Tuesday after a two-week break as four states, including Ohio, hold their primaries and caucuses.
Following are some basic facts about the state:
With an estimated population of 11,353,140, Ohio is the seventh largest state in the country.
The state is a major producer of machinery, tires and rubber products and other manufactured goods. It also has numerous automobile plants.
In recent years, since a decline in the manufacturing sector and the subprime mortgage crisis resulted in higher unemployment and foreclosure rates, the economy tops voters' concerns.
Historically, Ohio has performed as a state of political swing. Due to the mixture of blue-collar industrial districts and white-collar business districts, the state retains a balance between conservatives and liberals and is considered a microcosm of the nation as a whole.
The state is known as the "Modern Mother of Presidents" for sending eight natives to the White House, seven of whom were Republicans. No Republican presidential candidate has won the White House without winning Ohio.
Both Republican and Democratic primaries are open to independent voters in the state.
A total of 141 Democratic delegates and 84 Republican delegates are at stake in Ohio on March 4, with the former allocated proportionally and the later all taken by the candidate who wins a statewide majority of voters.
Democratic candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton is only five percentage points ahead of her rival Barack Obama, compared to a two-digit lead in mid-February.
Republican candidate and Vietnam veteran John McCain is expected to gain a big win in the state with military veterans making up 13 percent of the total population.
Source: Xinhua
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