Indiana

Indiana is one of the fifty states that, along with Washington D.C., make up the United States of America. Its capital and most populous city is Indianapolis. It is located in the Midwest region of the country, Northeast Central 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 slightly uneven terrain and fertile soil, which stimulated the practice of agriculture in the region. Indiana is currently a major producer of wheat and corn in the United States.

The word Indiana means "land of the Indians." Indiana's nickname is The Hoosier State. The origin of this nickname is unknown, and there are various theories about its origin. One is that the word hoosier comes from Samuel Hoosier; a businessman who was in the habit of hiring native Indiana employees. Other theories attribute the origin of the word to local slang, possibly husher or hoozer.

Indiana was originally part of the French colony of New France. In 1763, the region came under British control. After the end of the War of Independence in 1776, present-day Indiana passed into the hands of the Americans, initially as part of the Northwest Territory and later as their own territory. On December 11, 1816, Indiana Territory was elevated to statehood, after which it became the 19th United States. Its strategic location gave it great importance throughout the 19th century, during the movement of expansion towards the west, towards the Pacific coast, for which it adopted the official motto The Crossroads of America (The crossroads of America).

History

Until 1816

It is believed that the first Native Americans in the region that now comprises the State of Indiana were mound builders (mound builders), although they would eventually disappear from the region. They arrived in the region, in 1679, they found Native Americans from the Miami tribe. Later, during the 18th and 19th centuries, other Indiana tribes would settle (and leave), such as the Delaware, the Mahican, the Munsee and the Shawnee, who came from the east (they had emigrated after losing their lands, in favor of 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 cede all their land by white settlers who had settled in the region, and they had to migrate in the direction of the west. When the Potawatomi were forced out of 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 explore the northern region of present-day Indiana again 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 took little interest in populating the region, wanting to establish trading posts to barter trade with the 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, beginning in the early 18th century. At first, the Native Americans traded with the French, but gradually shifted to the British, who paid more for their furs, even with guns.

Map of the Territory of Indiana.

In 1754, the French-Indian War broke out between the French and the British in North America. It ended in 1763, and resulted in a 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 region's population 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 group 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.

Battle of the Fallen Trees (1794).

In 1787, Indiana became part of the Northwest Territory. At that time, the white inhabitants settled in the region suffered constant attacks from Native Americans, which drastically increased after the end of the American Revolution in 1783. After this, the Miami tribe carried out various attacks against settlements inhabited by people of African descent. Europe, killing various targets and destroying such settlements. In 1794 alone, the Miami were defeated at the Battle of Fallen Timbers.

In 1800, the Indiana Territory was created, with its capital at 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 the current ones. The US government encouraged the settlement of the region, by selling land at low prices to those who were willing to settle in the region.

Tecumseh.

William Henry Harrison.

That same year, Harrison purchased 3 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 would begin 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 with the British. In 1813, Harrison again defeated the Native Americans at the Battle of Thames (in present-day Ontario, Canada). The main leader of the Indian forces, Tecumseh, was fatally wounded in the battle, ending Indian attacks on white Indiana settlements. In 1813, the capital of the territory became Corydon. On December 11, 1816, Indiana became the 19th state of the United States.

1816 to 1900

Indiana's government faced a problem after being elevated to state status: the complete lack of economic resources, and the absence of revenue sources that would generate benefits for the state. The only source of government revenue was a small property tax, which was quickly implemented as an emergency measure, and met with great resistance from state farmers, who were barely able to generate enough self-sustaining profits—because 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 it would spend uncontrollably on various programs. Runaway spending had severely indebted the Indiana government in just two decades, and many of these programs were never completed.

In 1818, Indiana acquired its present borders, when the United States purchased west-central Indiana, which included the area where the city of Indianapolis is 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 state capital in 1824, thanks to its central location.

Utopian Vision of New Harmony (Table 1838).

In 1825, a Scottish reformer, Robert Owen, founded New Harmony, planning to create a community, and the start of a new social system, as well as the installation of various rules and joint cooperation among its inhabitants. New Harmony would be governed by progressive ideas, which were unknown at the time. Although he had some success during his first months, the lack of cooperation between the inhabitants caused the end of the experiment, in 1827.

The state's economic conditions —difficult until then— began to gradually improve starting in the 1830s, with the construction of navigation canals, which connected Indiana's rivers with the Great Lakes (until then, agricultural products They were transported up the 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 rail 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, was active on the Union side, 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 agricultural sector of the State, caused mainly by the low prices of agricultural products and the high prices of transportation. All this put many farmers in debt, many of whom moved to the cities. Indiana's farming 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, at Whiting. That same year, Benjamin Harrison of Indianapolis, the grandson of William Henry Harrison, would be sworn in as President of the United States. By the late 19th century, manufacturing was already Indiana's largest source of income by far, and nearly 30% of the state's population lived in cities.

1900 to the present day

Children working in a glass factory in Indiana in 1908. Photo by Lewis Hine.

Indiana's industrial sector continued to grow rapidly through the first decades of the 20th 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 set up 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 as a result of their mistakes or negligence. However, such laws would later be changed, 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 the industrial sector in Indiana during the beginning of the century, at the same time that the agricultural sector suffered a great crisis due to the low prices.

In 1929, the Great Depression would hit, 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. The socioeconomic assistance programs, and the public works carried out by the federal and Indiana governments, helped to 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. They approved that same year an act that diminished the powers of the governor, although the Supreme Court of the United States annulled it later, 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. In 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. Currently, both Indianapolis and Gary are home to large African-American communities. In 1970, Indianapolis and its parent county, Marion, merged their governments, causing Indianapolis to dramatically expand to nearly the entire county.

Increasing spending 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, increasing modernization of the industrial sector It put many workers out of a job. During the 1980s, Indiana was hit by the economic recession that had struck the industrial sector of the Rust Belt States—causing mass layoffs and factory closures—although the effects of the recession were significantly less than those suffered by other states of the Rust Belt. The state's economy and its industrial sector recovered rapidly during the 1990s, in contrast to the rest of the Rust Belt states.

In politics, it has been a state where the Republicans have always won, but in the 2008 election, Barack Obama took a Democratic turn.

Geography

Indiana is bordered on the north by Lake Michigan and Michigan, on the east by Ohio, on the southeast and south by Kentucky, and on the west by Illinois. Indiana is one of the Great Lakes states.

The Wabash River cuts Indiana for about 400 miles, 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 names and themes to two state songs: On the Banks of the Wabash and Wabash Cannonball. On the banks of the White River (a tributary of the of the Wabash, which zigzags through the center of the state) are located two large cities, which are Indianapolis and Muncie. Evansville, the state's third-largest city, is located on the banks of the Ohio River, which delimits the entire Indiana-Kentucky border. Another major river is the St. Joe.

• 

  The St. Joe on his way to Elkhart

• 

  Most of the north and center of Indiana are croplands sprinkled with small cities, such as North Manchester

• 

  The Wabash River Basin covers almost the entire area of Indiana

• 

  The Ohio River forms its southern border with the state of Kentucky

• 

  Map of Indiana

Northwestern Indiana

The northwestern 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 over a million inhabitants. Gary, along with the cities which make up the northern half of Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties, are suburbs of Chicago. They are all in the Central Time Zone, just like Chicago. They are connected to the metropolis through a railway track of lka South Shore Electric.

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 US Census Bureau has grouped into two metropolitan areas, have become a single metropolitan area over the past 10 years, comprising both St. Joseph County and Elkhart County..

The Kankakee River, which meanders through northern Indiana, serves as the 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 modern architectural heritage.

Southern Indiana

Evansville is the third largest city in Indiana, located in the southwestern corner of the state.

Southern Indiana is a mix of farmland and forest. 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. The knobs are located in this region, a series of hills about 300 m high, which run parallel to the Ohio River. The limestone geology of southern Indiana has allowed for the natural excavation of numerous caves. Indiana is home to one of the largest limestone quarrying regions in the US.

Areas managed by the National Park Service are:

• George Rogers Clark National Historical Park, in Vincennes;
• Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, near Porter;
• Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial in Lincoln City;
• Hoosier National Forest, Bedford.

Physiographic Regions

physiographic regions of Indiana.

We can divide Indiana into three physiographic regions:

• The Plains of the Great Lakes occupy the northern region of Indiana. This region is characterized by its small and numerous lakes and small 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 Plains Till occupy the central region of Indiana. The altitudes of these plains gradually increase as they travel southward. These plains have few geographical accidents, and are characterized by their low and wide mountains. Its soil is fertile, but not as much as in the plains of the Great Lakes. The highest point in Indiana is located in this region — the Hoosier Hill — with 383 meters of altitude, located in Wayne County.
• The Plains and South Hills occupy the southern region of Indiana. It is the only one in the three regions that was not covered by glaciers during the Ice Age. Therefore, it has the most rugged terrain in the state. Much of this region is covered by forests. The lowest point in Indiana is located in this region, at its extreme southwest.

Climate

Dawn on an Indiana motorway.

Indiana's climate is continental, with four seasons, with warm summers and cold winters. Temperatures, throughout the year, drop 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 upstate. 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 its surroundings, 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 of the maximums is 0 °C in the north, –3 °C in the central region and 8 °C in the south. The lowest recorded temperature, -38 °C, was measured at 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 is 27 °C in the north, 30 °C in the central region and 32 °C in the south. The highest recorded temperature is 47 °C, measured on July 14, 1936, in Collegeville.

Mean annual precipitation rates of rainfall 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.

Demographics

Indiana population density.

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%), in relation to the year 2000. The demographic 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 resulted in a net increase of 55,656 people, while internal migrations produced a net loss of 17,000 people.

In 2005, 3.9% of the state's population (242,281) were not born in the United States.

Indiana's population growth, since 1990, has been concentrated in the counties surrounding 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, the population decline is concentrated in a series of counties that geographically form a line between Logansport and Richmond. Three other counties that also experienced a population decline, located along the Wabash and Ohio rivers, were Vigo, Knox and Perry.

Races and Ethnicities

• 85.8 % white
• 8.4 % African American
• 3.5 % Hispanic
• 1.0 % Asian
• 0.3 % Native Americans
• 1.2 % two or more races

Indiana's largest ethnic groups 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 Indianans specified ancestry in the 2000 census.

Germans are the largest ethnic group in Indiana. According to the 2000 census, out of four whites, one was of primarily German ancestry. People of American (mostly white of British descent) 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 Mishawaka has a reasonable number of people of Belgian descent. In South Bend, city dwellers 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 signs and plaques in the city are bilingual.

Indiana age pyramid (2000).

Pyramid of ages

The age distribution of the population in 2004 was:

• Less than 5 years: 6.9 %
• Under 18: 25.7 %
• Over 65 years: 12.4 %

Female people make up 50.8% of Indiana's population.

Religion

Indianapolis Scottish Rite Cathedral.

Indiana population religious affiliations:

• 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 terms of religion, Indiana's population 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 the main metropolitan areas. A number of Catholic monasteries and one of the two archabbeys in the United States, the Archabbey of Saint Meinrad, are found in southern Indiana. Indiana is home to a large and influential proportion of Amish and Mennonites, especially in Elkhart and LaGrange counties to the north, and a smaller number 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 the cities, while in rural areas, Evangelical and Fundamentalist churches, as well as independent Baptist and Pentecostal churches, tend to predominate. Two conservative denominations, the Free Methodist Church and the Wesleyan Church, have their headquarters 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.

Main cities

Indianapolis, view from the air.

Mishawaka.

Population  100 000 (urbanized area)

• Fort Wayne
• Evansville
• South Bend
• Gary.

Population  10 000 (urbanized area)

Major Suburbs of Indianapolis

Chicago Major Suburbs

Major Suburbs of Louisville

• Clarksville
• Jeffersonville
• New Albany

Major Suburbs of Fort Wayne

• Huntertown
• Leo-Cedarville
• New Haven

Important Suburbs of Evansville

• Princeton
• Newburgh

Suburbs of South Bend

• Granger
• Mishawaka

Economy

Face of a quarter of a dollar, Indiana.

Indiana's 2005 gross domestic product was $214 billion, which ranked 5th in the nation. Per capita income in 2005 was $31,276. The unemployment rate stands at 3.3%.

Indiana is located in the heart of the Corn Belt, as reflected in its agricultural products. The main one is corn, although soybeans also occupy an important place. The proximity of the state to large urban centers, such as Chicago, ensures the production of milk, eggs and vegetables. Some specialty crops are melons (in the southern Wabash Valley), tomatoes (whose cultivation is concentrated in central Indiana), grapes, and mint. Additionally, Indiana is a significant producer of tobacco. Most of the original land was not prairie and had to be cleared before it could be cultivated. However, some patches of forest stand remain intact, and much of the mountainous south of the state is also extensively forested (allowing for a local timber industry, specializing in furniture production).

Much of Indiana's income 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 major source of revenue for the State. Other Indiana industrial products are automobiles, electrical supplies, transportation equipment, chemical products, rubber, oil, and coal derivatives, and industrial machinery. Indianapolis is home to the main headquarters of the 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 Bayer's factory in the city, announced in late from 2005.

Despite its reliance on manufacturing, Indiana has been significantly less affected by the economic downturn than industrial downturns in neighboring Rust Belt states. Certain factors in the labor market seem to have the explanation. First, much of the heavy industry, such as machine and steel production—Indiana's traditional industries—requires a highly-skilled labor force—abundant in the state—and businesses are often willing to locate in Indiana., due to the lack of skilled labor in other regions. Second, Indiana's workforce is located primarily in midsize cities, rather than in large metropolises, where costs (such as taxes, for example) are generally more expensive. This makes it possible for large companies —with the acceptance of the workers— to pay salaries that are slightly lower than those that such workers would receive in other regions of the country. In other words, companies often see Indiana as an opportunity to earn skills above the national average, while paying wages below the national average instead.

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 nearly 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 to medium-sized operating oil fields. They are mainly concentrated in the extreme southwest, although it is possible to see operating drilling rigs in the suburbs of Terre Haute.

An Indiana farm.

Indiana's economy is considered one of the friendliest in the United States in relation to employers and bosses. This is due in part to its conservative commercial and industrial climate, low taxes on commercial and industrial establishments, and many labor laws that have not changed since the mid-19th century, which emphasize boss supremacy and disadvantage workers. For example, employers can fire workers at any time, without just cause. Indiana's labor unions have a weak presence, and organizing one is difficult. 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 technological advances and innovations. Most of Indiana's political leaders continue to emphasize the traditional economic base of the state, agriculture and industry.

Government and politics

View of Indiana State Capitol in Indianapolis.

The Indiana state government has a division of powers: executive, legislative, and judicial.

• The chief executive officer in Indiana is the governor. It is elected by the state electors for a term of up to four years, and can exercise this position without mandate limits. The governor of Indiana has several powers that the governors of other states do not have, such as the power not only to name the leaders of most of the various state executive departments, but also the power to adjust the salaries of these people and to dismiss such people from office at any time. The current governor of Indiana is Eric Holcomb, elected in November 2020.

• The Legislative Power 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 members. Indiana is divided into 100 legislative districts. The electors of each district elect a senator and two representatives, who will represent the 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 in the number of mandates in which a given person can exercise.

• The highest court of the Judiciary of Indiana is the Supreme Court of Indiana and the Court of Appeals of Indiana. The Supreme Court consists of four judges and one head of 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 the judges of the two courts mentioned are elected by the Governor for a term of up to two years. Such judges may continue to hold office in the event that the population of the State, in a vote, decides to continue to hold such a judge in office. In that case, the judge ' s mandate 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 rest come from federally provided budgets and loans. 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 spending per capita is $3,606.

Constitution

Indiana's current Constitution was adopted in 1851, while its first constitution was approved in 1816. The Indiana Legislature can propose amendments to the Constitution, and to pass, they need to obtain 51% of the votes of both chambers of the Legislative 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.

Administrative division

Indiana County.

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 co-management program with the city of Indianapolis. Today, 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 cities and towns, and municipalities. The political administration format of these divisions is set by the government, and all these divisions must follow those patterns. Currently, all the cities of the State are governed by a mayor and a municipal council.

Politics

Historically, Indiana has been politically dominated by the Republican Party since the American Civil War, though the Democratic Party's influence has been slowly growing since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Since it voted 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's polls are the first to close on Election Day, and are almost invariably the first to close on Election Day. been in the republican column.

During presidential campaigns, candidates often pay little attention to Indiana, though for different reasons. Republicans are certain they will win the state, while Democrats don't want to push themselves to win votes in a Republican-dominated state.

However, half of Indiana's governors in the 20th century have been Democrats, though their policies have been considerably more right-wing than Democrats in other parts of the country.

Most Indianans identify as "conservative," and right-wing radio shows like Rush Limbaugh's have a wide audience. Gun policy, unions, gay marriage or workers' rights are not popular issues among many Indianans, 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 met with little success.

Education

Indiana University Art Museum in Bloomington.

Indiana was the first state to institute a public system of state education —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 of the inhabitants of Indiana were against the payment of 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 statewide public school system, this time with success.

Currently, all educational institutions in Indiana must follow certain rules and standards set forth by the Indiana State Board of Education. This council 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 heads the council, and is chosen by the governor for a term of up to four years. The ten remaining members are elected by the population of the State, also for a term of up to four years.

Every city, several towns, and every county has at least one school district. In cities, the responsibility for running schools rests with the municipal school district, while in less densely populated regions, this responsibility rests with the school districts operating in the county. Indiana allows for charter schools—independent public schools, which are not run by school districts, but which rely on public budgets for their support. Schooling is compulsory for all children and adolescents over seven years of age, until the conclusion of secondary education or until they are seventeen years of age, although they can leave at sixteen if they have the permission of the school principal and from his parents.

Aerial view of the main building of Notre Dame University.

In 1999, the state's public schools served about 988,700 students, employing approximately 58,900 teachers. For their part, private schools served about 105,500 students, employing approximately 7,400 teachers. The State public school system used about $6.697 billion, and public school spending was approximately $7.200 per student. About 86.4% of the inhabitants of the state with more than 25 years of age have to their credit a graduate diploma in secondary education.

The first State library was founded in 1807, in Vincennes. Currently, Indiana has thousands of libraries, managed by 239 different public library systems, which move an average of 11.1 books per inhabitant annually.

Indiana's first institution of higher education was the Indiana Seminary—now the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington—founded in 1820. Today, 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.

Transport and telecommunications

Borman Expressway in Hammond.

Indiana is a national crossroads and 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 those of 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. Indiana's first radio network was founded in 1921, in Bloomington, and the first television network, in 1949, in Indianapolis. In 2002, Indiana had about 219 radio networks (of which 79 were AM and 140 were FM) and 36 television networks.

Culture

Sports

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 of college basketball. The Indiana Hoosiers have won five NCAA national championships and 21 Big Ten Conference championships. The Purdue Boilermakers have reached an NCAA National Final, but lead their rivals in Big Ten championships with 22 and in head-to-heads with 57% wins. High school championships are also very popular.

When it comes to college football, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have clinched multiple national championships and have won the Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Orange Bowl, and Sugar Bowl. Meanwhile, the Purdue Boilermakers clinched 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 automobile races in the world and the epicenter of the AAA, USAC, CART single-seater championships and currently the IndyCar Series. 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 Motorcycle World Championship Indianapolis Grand Prix.

Meanwhile, Indianapolis Raceway Park has hosted the U.S. Nationals, the premier drag race of the National Hot Rod Association.

Crooked Stick Golf Club has hosted the PGA Championship, US Open, US Women's Open, Veterans US Open, Solheim Cup and the BMW Championship.

The state has one professional soccer team, the Indianapolis Indy Eleven, which competes in the North American Soccer League, the second division of soccer in the United States.

Status symbols

These are the symbols of the state of Indiana:

• Nicknames:
  • Hoosier State
• Tree: Tulípero (Liriodendron)
• Colors: Blue and Gold
• Flower: Peony (Paeonia)
• Lema: Crossroads of America (Cruce of Ways of America)
• Song: On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away (To the Wabash shore, away from here)
• Bird: Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
• Stone: Caliza
• Poem: Indianaby Arthur Franklin Mapes
• River: Wabash

Notable people born in Indiana