The state of Indiana is located in the Midwest. Indiana has a
stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline to the north and is otherwise
bordered by Michigan,
Ohio to the east, Kentucky to the south,
and Illinois to the west. Indiana is
one of the fifty states that, together with Washington, D.C.,
make up the United States. Its capital and most populated city
is Indianapolis. It is located in the Midwest region of the
country, Central Northeast division, bordered to the northwest
by Lake Michigan, to the north by Michigan, to the east by Ohio,
to the south by the Ohio River (which separates it from
Kentucky) and to the west by Illinois (part of this boundary is
formed by the Wabash River). It was admitted to the Union on
December 11, 1816, as the 19th state.
Indiana is mostly
covered by plains. Much of the state has gentle terrain and
fertile soil, which stimulated the practice of agriculture in
the region. Today, Indiana is a major producer of U.S. wheat and
corn.
The word Indiana means "Indian lands." Indiana's
nickname is The Hoosier State (inhabitants of the State are
known nationally as Hoosiers). The origin of this nickname is
unknown, and there are various theories about its origin. One of
them is that the word hoosier comes from Samuel Hoosier; a
businessman who had the habit of hiring employees originally
from Indiana. Other theories attribute the origin of the word to
a local slang, possibly husher or hoozer.2
Indiana was
originally part of the French colony of New France. In 1763, the
region came under British control. After the end of the
Revolutionary War in 1776, present-day Indiana passed into
American hands, initially as part of the Northwest Territory and
later as its own territory. On December 11, 1816, the Indiana
Territory was elevated to statehood, becoming the 19th state of
the United States. Its strategic location gave it much
importance throughout the 19th century, during the movement of
expansion westward towards the Pacific coast, which is why it
adopted the official motto The Crossroads of America. ).
1 Indianapolis - capital.
2
Fort Wayne
3
Evansville
4 South Bend
5
Bloomington
6
Lafayette
7 Terre Haute
By plane
Indianapolis International Airport (IATA: IND)
Fort
Wayne International Airport (IATA: FWA)
By car
Interstate:
I80: Joliet IL - La Porte IN - Toledo OH
I90: Chicago IL - Gary IN -
Lake Station IN - Rossford OH
I94: Chicago IL - Gary IN - Lake
Station IN - Marshall MI
I70: Effingham IL - Indianapolis IN - Dayton
OH
I65: Louisville KY - Indianapolis IN - Gary IN
I74: Champaign
IL - Indianapolis IN - Cincinnati OH
I64: St Louis MO - Evansville IN
- Louisville KY
I69: Calvert City KY - Evansville IN - Angola IN -
Marshall MI
Indiana's motto is "America's Crossroads," and rightly so. Indiana
has the most interstate highways of any state of its size (14), but the
state was originally named for all the railroad tracks that pass through
the state.
By Train.
Amtrak runs daily from Indianapolis to
Chicago or from Chicago to Indianapolis. Fares are reasonable (about
$15-25 each way). The train also passes through Lafayette and several
other towns on its way to Chicago. The trip takes about 4.5 hours,
compared to about 3 to 3.5 hours by car.
The South Shore Line
connects northern Indiana with Chicago, with stops in Hammond, East
Chicago, Gary, Ogden Dunes, Beverly Shores, Michigan City, Hudson Lake,
and South Bend. The last stop is Millennium Station in Chicago. The trip
from South Bend to Chicago (or vice versa) takes 2.5 hours. The line
uses a zoned fare system, with fares increasing with distance and
slightly decreasing on weekends. Weekday fares range from $3.80 to
$10.75 and weekends from $3.00 to $9.00.
By Bus.
In addition
to Greyhound, Miller Trailways (aka Hoosier Ride) operates intercity bus
service throughout Indiana.
Several shuttle bus companies connect the
Indianapolis airport with other central Indiana cities (Terre Haute,
Bloomington, West Lafayette, and Muncie), making the airport a sort of
ground transportation hub. GoExpress operates a Bloomington to
Indianapolis/ IUPUI Downtown (Campus Commute), which also operates a
regular shuttle service between Bloomington and Indianapolis/IUPUI
Downtown.
For more information on transportation, please click here.
Hitchhiking
Hitchhiking is legal in Indiana, except on interstate
highways.
Late April Thunder Over Louisville Clarksville and Jeffersonville.
Opening ceremonies for the Kentucky Derby Festival in Louisville,
Kentucky. Thunder Over Louisville is the largest annual fireworks show
in the nation, and the Indiana coast of the Ohio River is the best place
to see it. Be prepared to camp out the day before if you plan to get a
good seat. In the afternoon, there will be a spectacular air show
featuring commercial and military aircraft. After sunset, fireworks
begin and last nearly 30 minutes.
Early to mid-August Indiana State
Fair Indianapolis State Fairgrounds. The state's largest summer event.
No trip to Indiana is complete without a visit to this fair. Animals,
crafts, art, rides, dance, education, environmentalism, Hoosier Pride,
and food. There are live music and concerts. Prairie Home Companions
come every other year.
Early September Valparaiso Popcorn Festival
Downtown Valparaiso. voted "Best Festival in the Region" by Times
readers for 15 years, the Valparaiso Popcorn Festival continues to offer
family-friendly activities for all ages. More than 200 arts and crafts
booths, 30 food booths, children's games, a 5-mile (8.0 km) popcorn
panic, and the nation's first popcorn parade are just the beginning of
the excitement at this amazing festival.
Mid-September Lanesville
Heritage Weekend. A typical fall festival in southern Indiana. Similar
to the County Fair, but held later in the year. Local food and crafts
are sold, and rides, tractors, and truck pulls provide entertainment.
Early to mid-October Harvest Homecoming Festival New Albany This is the
largest festival in southern Indiana, drawing attendees from miles
around. The festival begins with a Saturday morning parade through the
streets of New Albany. The festival lasts for several weeks, with booths
and carnival rides downtown.
Early October Westside Nut Club Fall
Festival Evansville. The second largest street festival in the U.S.
after Mardi Gras, this festival is held the first week of October on
several blocks of Franklin Street on the city's west side. The festival
features food booths selling a wide variety of foods, from brain
sandwiches to chocolate-covered grasshoppers. More than 100,000 people
visit the festival each fall.
Mid-October Feast of the Hunters' Moon
Lafayette. This feast recreates life in the early 18th century near Fort
Ouiatenon, a French trading outpost.
Most of Indiana is in the Eastern Time Zone (the same as New York and Washington, DC). Northwest Indiana, however, is in the Central Time Zone, which is the same time as nearby Chicago. Likewise, southwestern Indiana, including Evansville, is in the same time zone. Both zones are on daylight saving time from early March to early November.
English is the common language, but in the Amish-inhabited areas of Indiana, Pennsylvania Dutch, which is closer to German, is also spoken.
Most of the state's cuisine is typical Midwestern, with the occasional unusual dish such as corn casserole. Outside of the major cities, most restaurants are diner or family style, but the larger cities offer a wide variety of cuisines. Indianapolis in particular has an international flavor, with ethnic restaurants from all over the world, as do the major campus towns (Bloomington, West Lafayette). Lake County deviates from Indiana standards and is a good place to find Chicago-style cuisine, such as hot dogs and pizza.
Hoosiers know how to drink! No matter where you are, you won't have
trouble finding a bar. The trendiest drinking district in the state is
probably Broad Ripple in Indianapolis, but there are streets lined with
bars and pubs in every city in the state, especially around the major
universities in Bloomington, West Lafayette, and South Bend. Upland in
Bloomington is particularly popular and available statewide. Outside of
Indiana, especially in the Ninth County Region, drink prices can be very
low. It is not uncommon to find domestic bottled beer for $1 on
weekdays, and there are a variety of other specials.
For dancing
and nightlife, the best places to go are around Indianapolis and Fort
Wayne, and around the major universities.
Liquor stores are open
on Sundays throughout the state. Hours of operation are noon to 8 pm.
Bars and restaurants can serve beer, wine, and liquor seven days a
week from 7 am to 3 am local time. Bar hours vary according to
population density and owner preferences, but most full-service "chain"
restaurants with alcohol sales do not operate beyond 11 PM or midnight.
However, in most rural areas, if you look for a neighborhood bar or
nightclub, you will always find one that serves alcohol until 3 am. In
major cities, almost all bars stay open until this time.
There
are many rumors that Indiana liquor laws prohibit the "take-out" sale of
cold beer. This is a complete falsehood. You can purchase cold beer at
liquor stores, village pantry service stations, and some grocery stores
throughout the state. Liquor stores that sell hard alcohol are not
allowed to sell pop or soda cold.
Indiana, with its many rural towns, has a fairly low crime rate per
capita; in 2006 (the most recent year for which data are available), the
state ranked 29th in crime per 100,000 people. Metropolitan areas are
exceptions, including the former steel town of Gary, the Chicago suburbs
in the northwest, and some areas of Indianapolis.
Although
outside of Tornado Alley, Indiana has a fairly high incidence of
tornadoes. Visitors to Indiana may want to check the tornado safety
page.
High rates of HIV and hepatitis C infection were reported
in 2015 in certain areas of southeastern Indiana, primarily in the town
of Austin in Scott County.
Indiana is bordered to the north by Lake Michigan and Michigan, to
the east by Ohio, to the southeast and south by Kentucky, and to the
west by Illinois. Indiana is one of the Great Lakes states.
The
Wabash River cuts Indiana for about 650 kilometers, running
northeast-southwest. It is a tributary of the Ohio River, since it is a
tributary of the Mississippi River. The latter's watershed covers most
of the state. The Wabash has given its name and theme to two state
songs: On the Banks of the Wabash and Wabash Cannonball. On the banks of
the White River (a tributary of the Wabash, which zigzags through the
center of the state) are located two large cities, which are
Indianapolis and Muncie. Evansville, the third largest city in the
state, is located on the banks of the Ohio River, which delimits the
entire border of Indiana with Kentucky. Another important river is the
St. Joe.
Northwest Indiana
The northwest corner of the state
is part of the Chicago metropolitan area (a city located in the
neighboring state of Illinois), and is, therefore, densely populated,
with more than one million inhabitants. Gary, along with the cities that
make up the The northern half of Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties are
suburbs of Chicago. They are all in the Central Time Zone, as is
Chicago. They are connected to the metropolis through a South Shore
Electric railway line.
South Bend/North Central Indiana
South
Bend, Mishawaka, Elkhart and Goshen in north central Indiana make up the
region known as Michiana. These cities, which the U.S. Census Bureau has
grouped into two metropolitan areas, have grown over the past 10 years
into a single metropolitan area, encompassing both St. Joseph and
Elkhart counties. .
The Kankakee River, which meanders through
northern Indiana, serves as a dividing line between rural and suburban
Indiana.
Central Indiana
The state capital, Indianapolis, is
located in the central part of the state. A nearby city is Columbus,
known for its rich and modern architectural heritage.
Southern
Indiana
Evansville is Indiana's third largest city, located in the
southwest corner of the state.
Southern Indiana is a mix of
farmland and forests. The Hoosier National Forest is a 200,000-acre
nature preserve located in the south central part of the state. The
topography of the southern part of the state is more varied and
generally more rugged than the northern part. In this region are located
the knobs, a series of hills about 300 m high, which run parallel to the
Ohio River. The limestone geology of southern Indiana has allowed the
natural excavation of numerous caves. Indiana is home to one of the
largest limestone quarry regions in the US.
The areas under
management of the National Park Service are:
George Rogers Clark
National Historical Park, Vincennes;
Indiana Dunes National
Lakeshore, near Porter;
Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, in Lincoln
City;
Hoosier National Forest, in Bedford.
We can divide Indiana into three physiographic regions:
The Great
Lakes Plains occupy the northern region of Indiana. This region is
characterized by its small and numerous lakes and low-lying mountains,
composed of sediments left by glaciers. Its soil is very fertile, and
most of the region is used for the practice of agriculture.
The Till
Plains occupy the central region of Indiana. The altitudes of these
plains gradually increase as one travels southward. These plains have
few geographical features, and are characterized by their low, wide
mountains. Its soil is fertile, although not as fertile as in the Great
Lakes Plains. The highest point in Indiana is located in this region -
Hoosier Hill -, 383 meters high, located in Wayne County.
The
Southern Plains and Hills occupy the southern region of Indiana. It is
the only one of the three regions that was not covered by glaciers
during the Ice Age. For this reason, it has the most rugged terrain in
the state. Much of this region is covered by forests. The lowest point
of Indiana is located in this region, at its southwestern edge.
Indiana's climate is continental, in which four seasons are
distinguished, with warm summers and cold winters. Temperatures,
throughout the year, decrease as latitude increases — with the exception
of the extreme northwest of the State, where the presence of Lake
Michigan means that, in winter, the average temperature of the region is
slightly higher than in the rest from the north of the state. The
weather is relatively unstable, and can change suddenly especially in
winter. The main reason for this instability is the absence of
geographical obstacles in the State and in its vicinity, which allow the
rapid movement of air currents coming from any direction.
The
average temperature in winter is –6 °C in the north of the State, –3 °C
in the central region and 1 °C in the south. The average minimum is –9
°C in the north, –6 °C in the central region, and –3 °C in the south.
For its part, the average maximum is 0 °C in the north, –3 °C in the
central region and 8 °C in the south. The lowest temperature on record,
–38°C, was measured in New Whiteland on January 19, 1994.
The
average temperature in summer is 21 °C in the north, 23 °C in the
central region, and 27 °C in the south. The average minimum is 15 °C in
the north, 16 °C in the central region and 18 °C in the south. The
average maximum temperature is 27 °C in the north, 30 °C in the central
region and 32 °C in the south. The highest temperature recorded is 47°C,
measured on July 14, 1936, in Collegeville. Average annual rainfall
rates vary from less than 90 centimeters in the north to more than 110
centimeters in the south. Average annual snowfall rates, meanwhile,
range from 100 centimeters in the north to 25 centimeters in southern
Indiana.
It is believed that the first Native Americans in the region that
currently comprises the State of Indiana were the mound builders,
although they would eventually disappear from the region. The first
European explorers to arrive in the region, in 1679, encountered Native
Americans from the Miami tribe. Later, during the 18th and 19th
centuries, other tribes would settle (and leave) from Indiana, such as
the Delaware, the Mahican, the Munsee and the Shawnee, who came from the
east (they had emigrated after losing their lands to the white settlers)
and the Kickapoo, Piankshaw, Potawatomi and Wea, as well as Huron
tribes, who came from the north. The Pottawatomies would be the last
Native Americans to settle in the region, around 1795. All of these
native tribes were forced to sell or give up all their lands by the
white settlers who had settled in the region, and they had to migrate in
the direction of the west. When the Potawatomi were forced to leave
Indiana in 1838, few Native Americans remained in the state.
The
first European explorer to explore present-day Indiana was the Frenchman
René Robert Cavelier de La Salle, who explored part of the St. Joseph
and Kankakee rivers. Cavelier would again explore the northern region of
present-day Indiana in 1680. In 1682, he annexed the entire region
around the Great Lakes (along with the Mississippi River watershed) to
the French crown.
The French had little interest in populating
the region, as they wanted to establish trading posts to barter with
local Native Americans (mainly for furs). In 1732, the French founded
Indiana's first permanent settlement, Vincennes. However, the British
began to compete with the French for control of this trade, starting in
the early 18th century. At first, the Native Americans traded with the
French, but gradually they shifted to the British, who paid more for
their furs, even with firearms.
In 1754, the French and Indian
War broke out between the French and the British in North America. It
ended in 1763, and resulted in French defeat. Under the terms of the
Treaty of Paris, the French ceded control of the Indiana region—among
other territories—to the British. Over the next few years, the
population of the region would grow very slowly, thanks to settlers from
the Thirteen Colonies, who settled mainly in Vincennes. In 1778, three
years after the start of the American War of Independence, a troop of
rebels, under the command of George Rogers Clark, took Vincennes from
the British. They took control of the settlement again that same year,
although Clark recaptured it permanently in 1779.
In 1787,
Indiana became part of the Northwest Territory. Then, the white
inhabitants settled in the region suffered constant attacks from Native
Americans, which increased drastically after the end of the American
Revolution in 1783. After this, the Miami tribe carried out various
attacks against settlements inhabited by people of European Union,
killing various targets and destroying such settlements. Only in 1794,
the Miami were defeated at the Battle of Fallen Timbers.
In 1800,
the Indiana Territory was created, with its capital in Vincennes. This
territory – whose first governor was William Henry Harrison, who would
later be the ninth president of the United States, in March 1841 –
incorporated lands that are currently part of other States, especially
the entire region that makes up the current State of Illinois. The
Illinois region became its own territory in 1809, which caused the
Indiana Territory to acquire borders similar to its current ones. The US
government encouraged the settlement of the region by selling land at
low prices to those willing to settle in the region.
That same
year, Harrison purchased 1.17 million acres of land from Native
Americans under the Treaty of Fort Wayne. This treaty was one of the
causes of Tecumseh's War, which began in 1811, when various native
tribes united against the rebels. That same year, Harrison defeated the
Native Americans at the Battle of Tippecanoe. After the start of the War
of 1812, the Native Americans allied themselves with the British. In
1813, Harrison again defeated the Native Americans at the Battle of
Thames (in the present-day Canadian province of Ontario). The main
leader of the Indian forces, Tecumseh, was mortally wounded in the
battle, ending Indian attacks on white settlements in Indiana. In 1813,
the capital of the territory passed to Corydon. On December 11, 1816,
Indiana became the 19th State of the United States.
The Indiana government faced a problem after being elevated to
statehood: the complete lack of economic resources, and the absence of
sources of income that would generate benefits for the State. The
government's only source of income was a small property tax, which was
quickly implemented as an emergency measure, and which met with great
resistance from the state's farmers, who were barely able to generate
enough profits for their self-sustenance—because of the isolated
location of the region, far from consumer markets, and the lack of
adequate means of transportation. The Indiana government would receive
financial aid from the federal government during the 1820s, which would
spend uncontrollably on various programs. Uncontrolled spending had put
the Indiana government deeply into debt in just two decades, and many of
these programs were never completed.
In 1818, Indiana acquired
its current borders, when the United States purchased the west-central
region of Indiana, which included the area where the city of
Indianapolis is currently located, from Native Americans. In 1819, the
first European settled permanently in the region where Indianapolis is
currently located, a city that was officially founded in 1821, and which
would officially become the capital of the State in 1824, thanks to its
central location.
In 1825, a Scottish reformer, Robert Owen,
founded New Harmony, planning to create a community, and the beginning
of a new social system, as well as the installation of various rules and
joint cooperation between its inhabitants. New Harmony would be governed
by progressive ideas, which were unknown at that time. Although it had
some success during its first months, the lack of cooperation among the
inhabitants caused the end of the experiment in 1827.
The
economic conditions of the State—difficult until then—began to gradually
improve starting in the 1830s, with the construction of navigation
canals, which connected the rivers of Indiana with the Great Lakes
(until then, agricultural products were transported by Mississippi River
to New Orleans. The construction of railroads in Indiana, beginning in
the late 1840s, accelerated the economic growth of the State, and caused
more immigrants and inhabitants of the American East to settle in the
State. Indiana's first railroad, built between Indianapolis and Madison,
opened in 1847.
During the 1850s, Indiana already had an
extensive railroad network that connected it with the rest of the
country, and a consolidated and rapidly growing agricultural industry.
In 1852, the Studebaker brothers created an industrial plant for the
manufacture of railroad cars in South Bend. The brothers' industrial
company, Studebaker, would later become the largest manufacturer of
railroad cars in the country.
In 1861, the American Civil War
would break out. Indiana, whose population was overwhelmingly
abolitionist, actively participated on the side of the Union, the United
States proper, against the Confederate States of America. The only
recorded conflict in Indiana was the Battle of Corydon, in 1863, which
took place in Corydon.
After the war, there would be an economic
recession in the State's agricultural sector, caused mainly by the low
prices of agricultural products and high transportation prices. All of
this put many farmers into debt, many of whom moved to the cities.
Indiana's agricultural sector would only recover during the 1890s.
However, the creation of Studebaker and the Civil War had stimulated the
construction of various industrial establishments, during and after the
Civil War. In 1886, the discovery of natural gas sources in Indiana
attracted various industrial companies. In 1889, the Standard Oil
Company would found what was then one of the largest oil refineries in
the world, in Whiting. That same year, Benjamin Harrison of
Indianapolis, grandson of William Henry Harrison, would be inaugurated
president of the United States. By the end of the 19th century,
manufacturing was by far Indiana's largest source of income, and nearly
30 percent of the state's population lived in cities.
Indiana's industrial sector continued to grow rapidly during the
first decades of the twentieth century. Industrial companies were
installed in the State and various industrial cities were founded. One
of the most successful of these cities was Gary, founded in 1906 by the
United States Steel Corporation, which would be where the company would
install its main industrial complex. During the first decades of the
century, the state would adopt labor laws, such as the Workmen's
Protection Act of 1915, which required employers to pay compensation to
workers injured due to their errors or negligence. However, such laws
would later be modified, so much so that Indiana currently has some of
the least worker-friendly legislation in the country. The First World
War and the high demand for industrialized products during the 1920s
were two factors that stimulated the development of Indiana's industrial
sector during the beginning of the century, at the same time that the
agricultural sector suffered a great crisis due to low prices. prices.
In 1929, the Great Depression would break out, causing a major
economic recession in Indiana, the closure of various industrial
facilities, and high unemployment rates. This recession lasted
throughout the 1930s. In 1933, in an attempt to better deal with the
recession, Indiana reorganized its Executive Branch, giving the governor
greater powers. Socioeconomic assistance programs and public works
carried out by the federal and Indiana governments helped partially
minimize the effects of the recession in the State.
In 1940,
Democrat Henry F. Schricker was elected governor, although most of the
elected members of the State Legislature were Republicans. That same
year, they approved an act that diminished the powers of the governor,
although the Supreme Court of the United States later annulled it,
calling it unconstitutional. In 1941, the entry of the United States
into World War II ended the effects of the economic recession that
existed, due to the increase in demand for industrialized products. By
the late 1940s, more than half of Indiana's population lived in cities.
Indiana prospered economically until the 1970s, with industry being
its main source of income. Industrial cities such as Indianapolis and
Gary continued to attract farmers, as well as people from the southern
United States, mostly African Americans. Today, both Indianapolis and
Gary are home to large African American communities. In 1970,
Indianapolis and its home county, Marion, merged their governments,
leading to the drastic expansion of Indianapolis, which took over almost
the entire county.
Rising expenses forced the Indiana government
to implement a sales tax in 1963. The state would increase the amount of
this tax in 1973 and in the 1980s. During the 1970s, the increasing
modernization of the industrial sector caused many workers will be left
without jobs. During the 1980s, Indiana was hit by the economic
recession that had occurred in the industrial sector of the Rust Belt
States—causing mass layoffs and the closure of several
factories—although the effects of the recession were significantly
smaller than those suffered by other Rust Belt States. The State's
economy and its industrial sector recovered rapidly during the 1990s, in
contrast to the rest of the Rust Belt States.
Politically, it has
been a state where Republicans have always won, but in the 2008
election, Barack Obama took a Democratic turn.
According to the 2005 census, Indiana had a population of 6,271,973,
an increase of 45,436 (or 0.7%) over the previous year and an increase
of 191,456 inhabitants (or 3.1%), compared to the year 2000. The
population increase since the last census is due to a natural increase
of 159,488 people (451,681 births minus 292,193 deaths) and a net
migration of 38,656 people in the state. External migrations have led to
a net gain of 55,656 people, while internal migrations have led to a net
loss of 17,000 people.
In 2005, 3.9% of the state's residents
(242,281) were not born in the United States.
Indiana's
population growth, since 1990, has been concentrated in the counties
around Indianapolis, where four of the five counties with the highest
population growth rates in the State are located: Hamilton, Hendricks,
Johnson and Hancock. The fifth county is Dearborn, located near
Cincinnati. For its part, demographic decline is concentrated in a
series of counties that geographically form a line between Logansport
and Richmond. Three other counties that also experienced population
decline, located along the Wabash and Ohio Rivers, were Vigo, Knox and
Perry.
The largest ethnic groups in Indiana are Germans (comprising 22.7% of
the state's population), Americans (12.0%; the majority of Scottish and
English descent), Irish (10.8%), English (8.9%), African Americans
(8.4%) and Poles (3.0%). Only 91.9% of Hoosiers specified an ancestry in
the 2000 census.
Germans are the largest ethnic group in Indiana.
According to the 2000 census, out of every four whites, one was of
primarily German ancestry. People of American (mostly whites of British
ancestry) and British ancestry are also present throughout Indiana,
especially in the southern and central regions of the state. Gary and
other Indiana suburbs of Chicago, along with the city of Indianapolis,
are home to large African American communities.
South Bend has a
large Polish population, and in Mishawaka there are a reasonable number
of people of Belgian descent. In South Bend, city residents celebrate
Easter Monday, the Polish celebration of the end of Lent.
Elkhart
County has a large Hispanic population, particularly in the city of
Goshen. These areas, previously dominated by people of German and Dutch
descent, now have a high concentration of Hispanic (mostly Mexican)
business establishments, so much so that many city signs and license
plates are bilingual.
The distribution of the population by age in 2004 was:
Less than 5
years: 6.9%
Less than 18 years old: 25.7%
Over 65 years: 12.4%
Females make up 50.8% of Indiana's population.
Religious affiliations of the population of Indiana:
Christianity
72% - 4,853,481
Protestants 54% - 3,640,111
Catholics 18% -
1,213,370
Other religions 2% - 134,818
No religion 26% - 1,112,646
In regards to religion, the population of Indiana is predominantly
Protestant, although there is also a significant Catholic population,
which is emphasized by the presence of the University of Notre Dame, as
well as the growing system of parochial schools in major areas.
metropolitan. Southern Indiana is home to a number of Catholic
monasteries and one of the two archabbeys in the United States, Saint
Meinrad Archabbey. Indiana is home to a large and influential proportion
of Amish and Mennonites, especially in Elkhart and LaGrange counties to
the north, and smaller numbers in Parke County to the west. The state
has the largest population of members of the Church of Christ in the
entire nation.
Catholic and Protestant (mainline) churches have a
strong presence in cities, while rural areas tend to be dominated by
evangelical and fundamentalist churches, as well as independent Baptist
and Pentecostal churches. Two conservative denominations, the Free
Methodist Church and the Wesleyan Church, are headquartered in
Indianapolis.
The Islamic Society of North America is
headquartered in Plainfield, west of Indianapolis. There are significant
numbers of Jews in urban areas, especially in Indianapolis, South Bend,
Fort Wayne, and Terre Haute.
Indiana's gross domestic product was $214 billion in 2005, ranking
5th in the nation. The per capita income in 2005 was $31,276. The
unemployment rate is 3.3%.
Indiana is located in the Corn Belt,
as reflected in its agricultural products. The main one is corn,
although soy also occupies an important place. The state's proximity to
large urban centers, such as Chicago, ensures the production of milk,
eggs and vegetables. Specialty crops include melons (in the southern
Wabash Valley), tomatoes (cultivated in central Indiana), grapes, and
mint. In addition, Indiana is a significant producer of tobacco. Most of
the original land was not grassland and had to be cleared for
cultivation. However, some patches of forest mass remain intact, and
much of the state's mountainous south is also widely covered by forest
(allowing for the existence of a local timber sector, which specializes
in furniture production).
Much of Indiana's revenue comes from
industry. The Calumet region, in the northwest, is the largest steel
center in the United States, and this activity requires the generation
of large amounts of electricity, making the electricity sector another
of the State's main sources of income. Other industrial products from
Indiana are automobiles, electrical equipment, transportation equipment,
chemical products, rubber, oil and coal derivatives, and industrial
machinery. Indianapolis is home to the main headquarters of
pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, as well as the headquarters of Mead
Johnson Nutritionals, a division of Bristol-Myers Squibb. Elkhart, in
the north, also had a strong pharmaceutical industry, although this has
changed in recent times, with the closure of Whitehall Laboratories in
the 1990s, and with the closure of the Bayer factory in the city,
announced at the end of 2005.
Despite its dependence on the
manufacturing industry, Indiana has been significantly less affected by
the economic recession that occurred in the industrial sector in
neighboring states, in the so-called Rust Belt. Certain factors in the
labor market seem to have the explanation. First, much of heavy
industry, such as machinery and steel production—traditional Indiana
industries—requires a highly skilled workforce—which exists in abundance
in the state—and companies are often willing to locate in Indiana. , due
to the lack of qualified labor in other regions. Second, Indiana's
workforce is primarily located in midsize cities, rather than large
metropolises, where costs (like taxes, for example) are generally more
expensive. This makes it possible for large companies—with workers'
acceptance—to pay slightly lower wages than such workers would receive
in other regions of the country. In other words, companies often see
Indiana as an opportunity to obtain qualifications above the national
average, while paying wages below the national average.
When it
comes to mining, Indiana is well known for its decorative limestone from
the southern part of the state, especially Lawrence County. One of the
many public buildings clad with this stone is The Pentagon (after the
attacks of September 11, 2001, the Indiana mining industry made a
special effort to replace the damaged walls with a coating almost
identical to the original in terms of materials and cutting). There are
also large coal mines in the southern part of the state. Like most Great
Lakes states, Indiana has small and medium-sized operating oil fields.
They are mainly concentrated in the far southwest, although it is
possible to see operating derricks in the suburbs of Terre Haute.
Indiana's economy is considered one of the most employer-friendly in
the United States. This is due in part to its conservative business and
industrial climate, low taxes charged on commercial and industrial
establishments, and many labor laws that have not changed since the
mid-19th century, which emphasize the supremacy of the employer and
disadvantage workers. For example, employers can fire workers at any
time, without just cause. Indiana labor unions have a weak presence, and
it is difficult to organize one. Indiana is said to be a post-industrial
state with a pre-industrial mind when it comes to workers' rights. With
isolated exceptions in university areas, such as Bloomington and
Lafayette, Indiana is not very receptive to innovations and
technological advances. Most Indiana political leaders continue to
emphasize the state's traditional economic base, agriculture and
industry.
The government of the state of Indiana has a division of powers:
executive, legislative and judicial.
The chief executive branch
official in Indiana is the governor. This is elected by the voters of
the state for a term of up to four years, and may hold this position
without a term limit. The governor of Indiana has several powers that
governors of other states do not have, such as the power to not only
appoint the leaders of most of the various departments of the State
Executive, but also the power to adjust the salaries of these people and
to remove such persons from office at any time. The current governor of
Indiana is Eric Holcomb, elected in November 2020.
The Legislative
Branch of Indiana—officially called the General Assembly—is made up of
the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate has a total of
50 members, while the House of Representatives has 100. Indiana is
divided into 100 legislative districts. The voters of each district
elect one senator and two representatives, who will represent said
district in the Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively.
Senators have a term of up to four years, while the term of office of
representatives is two. There is no limit to the number of terms a given
person can serve.
The highest courts of the Indiana Judicial Branch
are the Indiana Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals of Indiana. The
Supreme Court consists of four judges and a chief justice (the latter
cannot have political affiliation), while the Court of Appeals consists
of 15 judges. With the exception of the chief justice of the Supreme
Court, all judges of the two aforementioned courts are elected by the
governor for terms of up to two years. Such judges may continue to serve
in the event that the population of the State, in a vote, decides to
continue having such judge in office. In that case, the judge's term is
extended to 10 years, and can be extended again after the end of this
period.
About half of Indiana's government budgets are generated
by state taxes, while the remainder comes from federally provided
budgets and borrowing. In 2002, the State government spent 22,205
million dollars, having generated another 20,116 million. Indiana's
public debt is $9.456 billion. The debt per capita is $1,536, the value
of state taxes per capita is $1,657, and the value of government
expenditures per capita is $3,606.
The current Indiana Constitution was adopted in 1851, while its first constitution was approved in 1816. The Indiana Legislature can propose amendments to the Constitution, and to be approved, they need to obtain 51% of the votes of both chambers of the Legislature in two successive votes, and then be ratified by at least 51% of the electoral population, in a referendum. This is the only way to make amendments to the Constitution, as Indiana does not allow constitutional petitions or conventions.
Indiana is divided into 92 counties. Of these, 91 are governed by a council of commissioners, made up of three members, elected by the population of the county in question for a term of up to four years. The other county, Marion, has adopted a joint management program with the city of Indianapolis. Currently, Marion County is administered by a mayor and a 29-member city council, along with the city of Indianapolis. In addition to counties, there are other administrative divisions, such as main cities (cities) and secondary cities (towns), and municipalities. The political administration format of these divisions is set by the government, and all these divisions must follow these patterns. Currently, all cities in the State are governed by a mayor and a municipal council.
Historically, Indiana has been dominated politically by the
Republican Party since the American Civil War, although the influence of
the Democratic Party has been slowly growing since the Great Depression
of the 1930s. Since voting for Lyndon B. Johnson over Barry Goldwater in
1964 , Indiana has not sided with any Democratic presidential candidate,
with the exception of Barack Obama in 2008. Indiana polls are the first
to close on Election Day, and it is almost invariably the first state to
Republican column.
During presidential campaigns, candidates
often pay little attention to Indiana, although for different reasons.
The Republicans are certain that they will win the state, while the
Democrats do not want to make an effort to win votes in a state
dominated by the Republicans.
However, half of Indiana's
governors of the 20th century have been Democrats, although their
policies have been considerably more right-oriented than those of
Democrats in other parts of the country.
Most Hoosiers identify
as "conservative," and right-leaning talk radio shows, like Rush
Limbaugh's, have a wide audience. Gun policy, unions, gay marriage or
workers' rights are not popular issues among many Hoosiers, which
explains their adherence to the Republican Party. However, attempts by
political pressure groups or even state legislators to make the state
“more conservative” have had little success.
Indiana was the first State to institute a public state education
system—schools and institutions of higher education—in the United
States, in 1816. The necessary budgets for this public system would come
from the creation of new taxes. However, many Indiana residents were
against paying taxes for educational services, and this public system
was quickly canceled in a large part of the State (it could only operate
in the main urban centers). In 1851, Indiana again created a state
public school system, this time, successfully.
Currently, all
educational institutions in Indiana must follow certain rules and
standards dictated by the Indiana State Board of Education. This board
directly controls the state's public school system, which is divided
into several school districts. The council is made up of eleven members.
One of them is the superintendent of education, who leads the council,
and is chosen by the governor for a term of up to four years. The
remaining ten members are elected by the population of the State, also
for a term of up to four years.
Each major city (city), various
secondary cities (towns), and each county consists of at least one
school district. In cities, the responsibility for managing schools
falls to the municipal school district, while in less densely populated
regions, this responsibility falls to the school districts operating in
the county. Indiana allows the existence of charter schools —
independent public schools, which are not managed by school districts,
but which depend on public budgets for their support. Schooling is
compulsory for all children and adolescents over seven years of age,
until the completion of secondary education or until the age of
seventeen, although they can leave at sixteen if they have the
permission of the school director and from his parents.
In 1999,
the State's public schools served approximately 988,700 students,
employing approximately 58,900 teachers. For their part, private schools
served approximately 105,500 students, employing approximately 7,400
teachers. The State's public school system used about $6.697 million,
and public school spending was approximately $7,200 per student. About
86.4% of the state's inhabitants over 25 years of age have a high school
diploma.
The first state library was founded in 1807, in
Vincennes. Indiana currently has thousands of libraries, managed by 239
different public library systems, moving an average of 11.1 books per
capita annually.
The first institution of higher education in
Indiana was the Indiana Seminar – now the campus of Indiana University
in Bloomington – founded in 1820. Currently, the state has 99
institutions of higher education, of which 29 are public and 70 are
private. The most recognized universities in Indiana are: Indiana
University, Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame.
Indiana is a national crossroads and a major transportation hub. The
main railway, road and airport center of the State is Indianapolis,
while its main port is Gary. The main airports are Indianapolis,
Evansville, Fort Wayne, Gary and South Bend.
In 2002, Indiana had
6,861 kilometers of railroads and 152,239 kilometers of highways, of
which 1,881 kilometers were interstate highways, considered part of the
United States federal highway system. The main Interstates that pass
through the state are: I-69, I-65, I-94, I-70, I-74, I-64, I-80, and
I-90.
Indiana's first newspaper, the Indiana Gazette, was first
printed in 1804, in Vincennes. Currently, about 270 newspapers are
published in the State, of which approximately 72 are daily newspapers.
Indiana's first radio station was founded in 1921, in Bloomington, and
the first television station, in 1949, in Indianapolis. In 2002, Indiana
had about 219 radio stations (of which 79 were AM and 140 were FM) and
36 television stations.
Indiana has two major league sports teams: the Indiana Pacers of the
National Basketball Association and the Indianapolis Colts of the
National Football League.
The state has a long tradition in
college basketball. The Indiana Hoosiers have achieved five NCAA and 21
Big Ten Conference national championships. The Purdue Boilermakers
reached an NCAA national final, but they surpass their rivals in Big Ten
championships with 22 and in direct meetings with 57% of victories. High
school championships are also very popular.
In college football,
the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have achieved multiple national
championships and have won the Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Orange Bowl and
Sugar Bowl. Meanwhile, the Purdue Boilermakers won ten Big Ten
Conference championships and won the Rose Bowl and the Peach Bowl.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an oval where the Indianapolis
500 has been held since 1911, one of the most famous motorsports races
in the world and the epicenter of the AAA, USAC, CART and currently the
IndyCar Series single-seater championships. The circuit began hosting
other races in the 1990s, including the NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400,
the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix and the Indianapolis Grand Prix
of the World Motorcycle Championship.
Meanwhile, Indianapolis
Raceway Park has hosted the U.S. Races. Nationals, the National Hot Rod
Association's premier drag race.
Crooked Stick Golf Club has
hosted the PGA Championship, US Open, US Women's Open, US Veterans Open,
Solheim Cup and the BMW Championship.
The state has a
professional soccer team, the Indy Eleven of Indianapolis, which
competes in the North American Soccer League, the second division of
soccer in the United States.