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Place Name
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Akron
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Pronunciation
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A-kruhn
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Place Status (Type)
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city
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Capital Of
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Summit County
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Population
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223,019 (1990)
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Location
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Summit County, Ohio (OH), United States, North America
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Latitude
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41°05'N
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Longitude
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81°32'W
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Akron
(A-kruhn), city (1990 pop. 223,019),  Summit co.,
NE Ohio, on the Little Cuyahoga R.; 41°05'N 81°32'W. It is a port
of entry and an important industrial and transportation center. Once
the heart of the nation's rubber and tire mfg. industry, Akron still
contains the hq. of some rubber corporations, and chemical and polymer
corporations. Its other mfg. ranges from fishing tackle to plastics,
rubber, missiles, and heavy machinery. The Ohio and Erie Canal (opened
1827) and later the RR spurred the city's growth. The first rubber
plant was established in 1870. Focused on tire production, Akron's
rubber industry followed the growth and decline of Detroit's
automobile industry and by the mid-1980s virtually all the tire plants
had shut down. Since then, the city has emphasized the production of
polymer prods. such as coatings and engineered plastics. The city is
the seat of the Univ. of Akron and the Inst. of Rubber Research. It has
an art institute, a music center, and a symphony orchestra. Of note is
a giant airdock for blimps, one of the world's largest bldgs. without
inner supports. Polymer research is internationally recognized. Largest
private employment sectors: automotive, chemicals, packaging,
utilities, banks, transportation (aircraft systems). Inc. 1865.
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