The state's name means "Land of the Indians", or simply
"Indian Land". The name dates back to at least 1800,
when Indiana Territory was created.
On June 29, 1816, Indiana adopted a constitution,
and on Dec 11, 1816, became the 19th State to join the
United States.
Indiana is bounded on the north by Lake Michigan
and the state of Michigan; on the east by Ohio; on the
south by Kentucky, with which it shares the Ohio River as a border;
and on the west by Illinois.
Indiana is one of the Great Lakes states.
Northeastern Indiana is home to a
number of lakes, many of which are the remains of the glaciers
that covered Indiana thousands of years ago.
Indiana is a diverse state with
a few large urban areas and a number of smaller industrial cities.
The total population is just over 6 million.
The northwest corner of the state is part of the
Chicago metropolitan area and has nearly one million residents.
Rural areas in the central portion of the state are typically
composed of a patchwork of fields and forested areas.
The geography of Central IndianaIndiana consists of gently rolling
hills and sandstone ravines carved out by the retreating glaciers.
Southern Indiana is a mixture of farmland,
forest and very hilly areas.
Residents of Indiana are called Hoosiers.
Although many stories are told, the origin of the term is unknown.
It is intersected by numerous Interstates and U.S. highways,
giving the state its motto as "The Crossroads of America".
The 475 mile (764 km) long Wabash River bisects the state
from northeast to southwest before flowing south,
mostly along the Indiana~Illinois border.
The Wabash is also the longest free~flowing river east of the Mississippi.
WEATHER
Most of Indiana has hot, humid summers and cool to cold winters.
Summertime maximum temperatures average around 85 ° F (29 ° C) with cooler nights around 60 ° F (16 ° C).
Winters are a little more variable, but generally cool to cold
temperatures with all but the northern part of the state
averaging above freezing for the maximum January temperature,
and the minimum temperature below 20 ° F (-8 ° C) for most of the state.
The state receives a good amount of precipitation,
40 inches (1000 mm) annually statewide,
in all 4 seasons,
with March through August being slightly wetter.
Indiana does have its share of severe weather,
both winter storms and thunderstorms.
While generally not receiving as much snow as some
states farther north, the state does have occasional blizzards.
The state averages around 40~50 days of thunderstorms per year,
with March and April being the period of most severe storms.
Indiana is also vulnerable to tornado activity.
ECONOMY
The Indiana Chamber of Commerce
has full~time legislative experts in the areas of tax
and public finance, education and congressional affairs,
environment and energy, economic development and
small business, labor relations and civil justice,
and health care and workplace safety.
The Chamber’s lobbying features an emphasis on good government, state taxes, labor relations,
research & development, transportation, and
working together with other organizations.
A high percentage of Indiana's
income is from manufacturing.
Northwest Indiana is the
largest steel producing area in the U.S.
Other manufactured products include pharmaceuticals and medical
devices, automobiles, electrical equipment,
transportation equipment, chemical products,
rubber, petroleum & coal products, and factory machinery.
Steelmaking itself requires generating very large amounts
of electric power.
Indiana's power production
chiefly consists of the consumption
of fossil fuels, mainly coal.
Another source is hydro~electric power.
Indiana has 6 hydro~electric dams.
Indiana has 24 coal power plants,
including the largest coal power plant in the United States.
Indiana is becoming a leading state
in the production of biofuels.
There are 12 ethanol and 4 biodiesel plants located in the state.
The limestone geology of Southern Indiana has created
numerous caves and one of the largest limestone quarry regions
in the USA.
Soybeans and corn are the major cash crops.
In a typical year, almost half of all cropland in Indiana is planted in corn.
Specialty crops include melons, tomatoes, grapes, and mint.
Indiana's labor force is located primarily in medium-sized
and smaller cities rather than in very large and expensive metropolises.
This makes it possible for employers to pay
lower wages for skilled workers.
Indiana's economy is considered to be one of the most
business~friendly in the U.S.
This is due in part to its conservative business climate,
low business taxes, relatively low union membership, and labor laws.
The doctrine of at~will employment, whereby an employer can
terminate an employee for any or no reason, is in force.
SCHOOLS
In order for students to succeed in school, at work,
and in the community, they will need more skills and
knowledge than ever before.
To meet these challenges, Indiana established world-class
academic standards in English/language arts, mathematics,
science, and social studies. These standards outline what
students should know and be able to do at each grade level.
Indiana is known as the "Brain Bank of the Midwest".
Indiana's colleges and universities attract the 4th
largest number of out~of~state students in the nation and the
largest out~of~state student population in the midwest.
Indiana universities also lead
the U.S. in the attraction of
international students.
The Mission of the Indiana State Board of Education is to
fulfill its statutory responsibility by establishing policies
that promote excellence in learning for all students.
The Board provides Leadership, Vision, and Advocacy
to secure optimum educational opportunity and benefit
to the citizens of Indiana.
Higher education institutions include
Indiana University, Purdue University, University of Notre Dame,
Rose~Hulman Institute of Technology,
Indiana~Purdue at Indianapolis,
Butler University, Ball State University, Valparaiso University,
Indiana State University, University of Southern Indiana,
Vincennes University, Wabash College, DePauw University,
Manchester College, Earlham College and Indiana Wesleyan University.
For more details please contact the
Indiana Department of Education.
HOSPITALITY
Every year millions of people visit Indiana.
They come to enjoy the parks, museums, festivals and more.
The Indiana Office of Tourism Development works closely
with industry partners around the state to make the
tourism industry the best it can be.
Indiana offers new and exciting travel ideas -
from arts and culture experiences to outdoor recreation adventures.
For more details please contact
Indiana State Tourism.
NEWS
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