Area, 36,291 sq mi (93,994 sq km).
Pop.(2000) 6,080,485, a 9.7% increase since the 1990 census.
Capital and largest city, Indianapolis.
"The Village of West Clay"
While Indiana is primarily a manufacturing state, about three quarters of the land is utilized for agriculture. With a growing season of about 170 days and an average rainfall of 40 in. (102 cm) per year, Indiana farms have rich yields. Grain crops, mainly corn and wheat, are important and also support livestock and dairying industries. Soybeans and hay are also principal crops, and popcorn and widely varied vegetables and fruits are also produced. Hogs, eggs, and cattle are also important. Meatpacking is chief among the many industries related to agriculture. Although the urban population exceeds the rural, many towns are primarily service centers for agricultural communities. Members of the local population refer to themselves as "Hoosiers", an endearing term of unknown origin.
Indiana is home to dozens of very prominent universities. The most well known being Purdue, Notre Dame and the University of Indiana. In addition there are significant student populations at Ball State, Butler, the University of Evansville, Valparaiso, Indiana State, and the joint IU/PU universities in Indianapolis, Ft. Wayne and Columbus. Added to that are some excellent smaller institutions which include Vincennes, Wabash, DePauw, Earlham, Anderson, Franklin, Marian and The University of Indianapolis.
The capital and largest city is Indianapolis home to the NFL Colts and NBA Pacers. Indianapolis is the home of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the venue for the Indy 500 each May. The Speedway also hosts the Brickyard 400 NASCAR race each year. Indianapolis is surrounded by a bevy of vibrant suburban cities that include Zionsville, Carmel, Noblesville, Westfield, Brownsburg, Avon, Clermont, Fishers, Lebanon, Sheridan, Thorntown, Advance, Plainfield, Danville, Southport, Martinsville, Mooresville, Shelbyville, Greenwood, McCordsville, and Lawrence. All of these communities offer amazing housing opportunities, with value that is hard to duplicate.
"Zionsville's Friendly Tavern "
*Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, Copyright (c) 2003.