Indiana is a state in the northeastern United States, one of the so-called states of the Northeast Center. The area is 94,321 km². The capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Other significant cities are Fort Wayne, Evansville, Gary, South Bend, Hammond. The official nickname is the Hoosier State.
The origin of the name
The name of the state of Indiana means “land of the Indians” or “Indian land”, because the Iroquois, Hurons, Mayans and other Indian tribes lived on the territory of the modern state of Indiana before the arrival of Europeans.
Officially, the name “Indiana” was first used in 1800, when the territory of Indiana was formed, although in practice this name had developed several decades earlier, in the sixties of the 18th century.
GEOGRAPHY
The state of Indiana is located in the Midwest of the United States and belongs to the northeastern central states of the United States. The territory of the state of Indiana is 94,321 km2 (thirty-eighth place among the US states, the smallest state in the continental US west of the Appalachians).
Indiana is bordered by the states of Michigan to the north, Ohio to the east, Kentucky to the south (border along the Ohio River), and Illinois to the west.
The state of Indiana lives according to the time of two time zones in the United States, most of the state belongs to the eastern time zone, and several western counties belong to the central one. Although Indiana does not have large elevation changes, various types of terrain can be seen here – from the flats in the north of the state to the hilly and ravine-indented terrain in the southern counties.
CLIMATE
Most of Indiana has a humid continental climate, changing to subtropical in the south of the state. The Hoosier State typically has cool winters and warm summers, with precipitation fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. Like other states in the US Midwest, Indiana often experiences heavy snowfalls and blizzards during the winter, caused by the so-called “Great Lakes snow effect”.
In North Indiana, South Bend, the coldest winter month, January, averages between -8°C and 0°C, while the hottest month, July, averages between 17°C and 29°C. In the largest city and state capital, Indianapolis, the average temperature in winter is usually between -6°C and 2°C, and in summer between 19°C and 30°C. In the south of Indiana, in the city of Evansville, in January the temperature ranges from -4°C to 5°C, in July – from 20°C to 31°C.
Although Indiana lies off the “tornado alley”, the state is often hit by devastating tornadoes.
Indiana’s economy
is primarily an industrial state, although agriculture and mining are also well developed.
The state is famous for its high-quality limestone, which is widely used in construction. Limestone slabs mined in Indiana line the Pentagon and the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, Yankee Stadium and the Empire State Building in New York, and many other famous US buildings. In addition to limestone, significant amounts of coal are mined in Indiana, as well as sand, gravel, and other building materials.
Indiana is often referred to as “America’s Crossroads” and many highways converge here, connecting the states of the Midwest with other regions of the United States.
TOURISM
Indiana attracts a significant number of tourists, not only for its reserves and natural features, but also for various recreational activities, among which traditional car racing is most famous.
In the capital of Indiana, at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway, since 1911, at the end of May (on the eve of Memorial Day), a five hundred mile race known as the Indianapolis 500 (or Indy 500) has been held. It is one of the most popular and oldest regular motor racing in the world, it is called “The Greatest Racing Spectacle”. Every year this race is watched by two hundred and fifty to four hundred thousand spectators.
In addition to the Indy 500, Indiana hosts Formula 1, NASCAR, MotoGP and others. Indianapolis is deservedly called the “Mecca of Motorsport” in the United States.
