Indiana, land of the Indians, is located in the heart of America's Midwest, in the Ohio River Valley and the basin of the Great Lakes. It is bordered on the north by Michigan and Lake Michigan, on the east by Ohio, to the west Illinois, and on the south by the Ohio River. Today Indiana is called The Hoosier State and its people are known as Hoosiers, although no one knows why. Tourists are drawn to its natural beauty--the many lakes and streams, the scenic woods and plains, the sand dunes off Lake Michigan. The state's capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Its estimated population is more than 5,940,000.

Indiana has three main regions. The Great Lake Plains region in the north has a watershed that separates two major river systems, the Saint Lawrence and the Mississippi. The Till Plains region covers central Indiana; its silty loam provides excellent pasture for livestock and rich soil for farming. The Southern Hills and Lowlands region in south central Indiana features steep hills between the Wabash and Ohio rivers, sometimes called The Hoosier Alps. Waters of the state's highest waterfall plunge 70 feet over a stone ledge in Clifty Falls State Park. Lake Wawasee, its largest lake, covers 5.6 square miles. Major rivers are the White, Kankakee, and the Wabash, major tributary of the Ohio which flows into the Mississippi. Major natural resources are water, forests, mineral springs, and abundant mineral deposits. Primary cities are Indianapolis, Gary, Fort Wayne, Evansville, South Bend, Hammond, Terre Haute, and Muncie. Indiana is the home to many leading colleges and universities, notably Indiana, Notre Dame, Purdue, DePauw, Butler, Indiana State, and Valparaiso. The first international auto race was held in Indianapolis in 1911, and the Indianapolis 500 continues to be a popular Memorial Day attraction. Famous Hoosiers are Cole Porter, Hoagy Carmichael, Ernie Pyle, Booth Tarkington, Jane Pauley, James Dean, Shelley Long, Florence Henderson, Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird, and Steve McQueen.

Indiana is one of the top 10 industrial states, and manufacturing is its most important economic activity. It is also a transportation center known as The Crossroads of America. It is a highly productive agricultural center, and part of the nation's Corn Belt. Its quarries supply most of the building stone produced in the United States. Also key to the state's economy are its steel mills, oil refineries, and emerging high-tech companies. Its manufactures include automobile and aircraft parts, railroad equipment, farm machinery, food products, clothing, glass, rubber, and leather products. The area is served by the Indianapolis International Airport and the Fort Wayne International Airport, major interstate highways and railroad systems, the Lake Michigan link to the Saint Lawrence Seaway, and the port facilities of nearby Chicago.

Attractions include French Lick, a health and vacation resort; Wyandotte Cave, one of the nation's largest caverns; Conner Prairie Pioneer Settlement; George Rogers Clark National Historical Site; Indian Dunes National Lakeshore; and White River State Park. Other points of interest are the Indian Mounds at the White River; Lincoln Museum at Fort Wayne; Home of James Whitcomb Riley; Tippecanoe Battlefield State Memorial; Turkey Run wildlife preserve; Spring Mill Village; and the Town of Santa Claus which remails millions of Christmas cards and packages ever December with the Santa Claus postmark. Cultural attractions include the Indiana Opera Theatre; Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra; Bloomington Chamber Singers; Ballet Internationale; Evansville Dance Theatre; and the Indy Jazz Fest. Also the American Cabaret Theatre; Lincoln Amphitheatre; Fort Wayne Civic Theatre; Eiteljorg Museum of American Indian and Western Art; Indianapolis Museum of Art; and Indiana State Museum. Indian's many casinos include Caesar's Indiana; Showboat Mardi Gras; and Trump Casino on Lake Michigan. Professional sports include the NBA Indiana Pacers, NFL Indianapolis Colts, The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Ski World, and Indianapolis Raceway Park.

The Indiana region was occupied by Mound Builders in prehistoric time. The first whites to arrive in the 1670s were French explorers and missionaries, followed by French fur traders. The first permanent settlement was Vincennes. The Indiana region was a Northwest battleground during the Revolutionary War, and was established the Indiana Territory by Congress in 1800. Indiana entered the Union on December 11, 1816, as the 19th state. Native son William Henry Harrison, hero of the Battle of Tippecanoe leading up to the War of 1812, was the 9th president of the U.S., elected in 1840. His grandson, Benjamin Harrison, became the 23rd president in 1889.

Other Indiana Resources:

These United States - Resources and Related Information for Indiana.