- The state motto, the Crossroads of America,
reflects the importance of Indiana in the
commercial activities of the country, for
numerous transportation routes pass through the
state.
- Indianapolis is the state's capital and largest
city.
- Indiana entered the Union on December 11, 1816,
as the 19th state.
- The state's nickname is the Hoosier State, and
the people of Indiana are called Hoosiers. These
two names are among the most widely known of all
state nicknames, but their origin remains
disputed. Among the many explanations is that of
Jacob Piatt Dunn. He traced the word back to
hoozer, a dialect word from the Cumberland
district of northwestern England that meant any
unusually large feature, such as a hill. It
eventually came to mean a hill dweller, and as
such, was introduced in hilly southern Indiana,
the earliest settled part of the state. Another
explanation holds that the term comes from the
many Indiana residents hired by contractor Sam
Hoosier, who became known as Hoosiers. Still
others believe the word is a corruption of
pioneer question Who's here?
- The word Indiana simply means 'land of the
Indians,' referring to the region's many Native
American inhabitants. The term was coined in the
1760s and first applied to a private tract of
land in Pennsylvania. In 1800 it was applied to
the Indiana Territory when the United States
Congress created it out of the Northwest
Territory.
- Gary, Indiana is the murder capital of the USA (Probably the world)
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