Indiana

Indiana is a Midwestern US state known for its passion for basketball, its auto-racing heritage and its productive farmland. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Nicknamed the Hoosier State, it sits at the crossroads of America with a strong manufacturing tradition.

Indiana is largely flat to gently rolling, with fertile plains in the center and north, hillier terrain in the south, and a short Lake Michigan shoreline with dunes in the northwest. The climate is humid continental.

Indiana culture is famous for Hoosier basketball, the Indianapolis 500 motor race, and a friendly Midwestern character. Agriculture and manufacturing remain economic mainstays, alongside a growing life-sciences sector.

Inhabited by the Miami and other peoples, Indiana became the 19th state in 1816. It developed through farming, river and rail commerce, and heavy industry, with Indianapolis emerging as a transportation and sports capital.