INDIANA

Indiana is home to more than just the Indianapolis 500, it is also home to about 6.3 million Hoosiers. What’s a Hoosier? It’s the nickname for both the state and its residents, and the term is believed to have originated in colonial times in reference to the area’s many non-slaveholding farmers. Whatever its meaning, Indiana and its residents bear the term proudly, and there is much to be proud of in Indiana.

Indiana is one of the more populous states in the country, and many of those people reside in Indianapolis, the state’s capital and largest city. Indianapolis has almost 800,000 residents, making it the 12^th largest city in the country and the third largest in the Midwest. However, portions of the northwestern part of the state lie in the Chicagoland area, so it is heavily populated, too. Gary, Indiana (lyrically immortalized in the musical The Music Man) is located in this area and has a little over 100,000 residents, over 80% of whom are African American.

For a state that sits in the Rust Belt, Indiana has managed to avoid the negative reputation associated with the area, perhaps due in part to its strong sports heritage. French Lick, Indiana is the birthplace of NBA legend Larry Bird, and Indianapolis is the home to NBA franchise the Indiana Pacers. Even so, Indiana is probably better known for its college sports affiliation. Indiana University (mascot: Hoosiers, of course) runs an elite basketball program, and former coach Bob Knight is the winningest coach in college basketball. Indiana is even known for its high school basketball, thanks to the movie Hoosiers, which some argue is the best sports movie ever made. Those who take issue with that assertion are probably pulling for Rudy, which is about the legendary Notre Dame football program. This famous football powerhouse is located in South Bend, Indiana. And, of course, there’s the Greatest Spectacle in Racing: The Indianapolis 500.

Another reason Indiana may have avoided the depressed economic fate of other Rust Belt states is because of the quirks of its manufacturing industry. While industrial manufacturing does make up a large portion of the state’s economy, the type of manufacturing done there tends to require highly skilled labor, making it difficult for manufacturers to relocate to cheaper locales. Further, Indiana’s manufacturing centers are located in smaller population areas, allowing employers to reap the benefits of a lower cost of living. Several major pharmaceutical companies are headquartered in Indiana, including Eli Lilly and a nutritional division of Bristol-Meyers Squibb. Indiana has a large agricultural sector that produces soybeans and corn almost exclusively.

Indiana is sometimes referred to as the "Brain Bank of the Midwest" because it has so many elite colleges and universities. Besides the already mentioned University of Indiana and Notre Dame, Indiana is home to Butler University, Purdue University, Ball State University, Valparaiso University and DePauw University. Not surprisingly, all of these universities have made some name for themselves in college basketball. There are over 35 other colleges and universities in the state, not counting community and technical colleges.

With its balanced economy and population, and opportunities for higher education, Indiana is a great place to live.