State of Indiana: The facts

The state of Indiana has long been known as the Hoosier state and is the crossroads of America. It is rich in both sports and leisure pursuits as well as being home to some well known schools and universities. To learn all about the state of Indiana, read the guide below.

Facts about the Hoosier State

State capital
The capital of the state is Indianapolis. This city is also the largest within the state and is the second largest of any of the state capitals. Map of Indiana
If you were to look at a map of the state, you would see it measures 140 miles across and 270 miles from north to south. It has a total land area of 36,418 square miles making it the 38th state in terms of size. Population It ranks a little higher in terms of population with 6,483,802 residents at the
2010 census. It is the 18th state in terms of largest number of inhabitants.
Becoming a state Before it was a US state, it was known as the Indiana Territory and on 11 December 1816, it became the 19th state of the Union when it was admitted into the United States.
Location Indiana is in the Midwestern United States and is within the Great Lakes region. It is the smallest state in the continental US and is located west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Sports and industry

Sports In American football, the state is represented by the Indianapolis Colts. Basketball has the Indiana Pacers and motor sports fans will know it is also home to the Indianapolis 500. Hoosier state
The residents are all known as Hoosiers, the exact origin of this term is unknown, although it is believed to come from the frontier days when the greeting was ‘who’s here?’. The name of the state means ‘Indian Land’ or ‘Land of the Indians’ and dates from the 1760s. The US Congress named it as the Indiana Territory when it was separated from the North West Territory in 1800.
Least populated
The least populated area of Indiana is the tourist area around Nashville, Brown County. It has the highest percentage of forested land in any of the state's
92 counties with nearly 90% of the county being forestry land and virtually no farms across its 316 square miles. Major industries Steel production, the auto industry and pharmaceuticals are the top industries within the state. It is the largest steel producing area of the US and two leading pharmaceutical companies are based within the state.