Indiana is a state in the Midwestern United States and the Great Lakes region. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, Kentucky and the Ohio River to the south and southeast, and Illinois and the Wabash River to the west. Nicknamed the Hoosier State, Indiana is the 38th-largest U.S. state by area and the 17th-most populous, with a population of about 7 million. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis.
The land that became Indiana was originally part of the Northwest Territory and later the Indiana Territory. Indigenous resistance to American settlement was broken after the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811 and the collapse of Tecumseh's confederacy in 1813. Indiana was admitted to the Union as the 19th state on December 11, 1816. Early settlers were mainly Americans of British ancestry from the eastern seaboard and the Upland South, along with Germans. After the American Civil War, when Indiana supported the Union, natural gas helped attract heavy industry and immigrants, especially to the northern counties.
Indiana’s economy is diverse, with a strong manufacturing base, significant agriculture, and major industry in the northwest near Gary, Indiana and the Chicago metropolitan area. The state is also known for automobile production and for its universities, including Indiana University, Purdue University, Indiana State University, and the University of Notre Dame. Indianapolis is a major transportation hub and home to corporate headquarters such as Elevance Health, Eli Lilly and Company, and Corteva.
Politically, Indiana shifted from Republican to Democratic dominance during the New Deal era, but in recent decades it has been considered a red state. The state is home to professional teams including the Indianapolis Colts, Indiana Pacers, and Indiana Fever, and it hosts the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.