Home to the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts, the NBA’s Indiana Pacers, the re-emerging college basketball powerhouse Indiana Hoosiers, as well as the Indianapolis 500 every Memorial Day, Indiana is a sports lover’s paradise. Origins of the word ‘Hoosiers’ are variously attributed to the slurring of an early frontier greeting when approaching an unfamiliar cabin, “Who’sh ‘ere?” and to the skills of Indiana brawlers at beating or “hushing” their foes – these “hushers” later being called Hoosiers. Whatever the derivation of the word, Indianans are proud to call themselves Hoosiers, and Hoosiers are hysterical when it comes to their sports teams.
Indiana’s economy relies heavily upon manufacturing with the steel, industrial machinery, and pharmaceutical industries key to its success. In fact, pharmaceutical giants Eli Lilly and Mead Johnson Nutritionals are headquartered in the state, and Indiana ranks second in the U.S. in the number of biopharmaceutical jobs. While the state’s current power production is heavily dependent on the burning of coal, Indiana is fast becoming a leader in the production of biofuels such as enthanol and biodiesel, and will play an important role in America’s energy independent future.
Roads
Interstate 65: From Alabama to Indiana, I-65 spans a significant section of America’s midsection. Its 261 miles pass through the Indiana cities of Indianapolis and LaFayette.
Interstate 69: I-69 runs from Indianapolis to the Canadian border in Michigan, traveling 157 miles through Indiana, including passage near the cities of Muncie, Marion and Ft. Wayne.
Interstate 70: Spanning the distance from Utah to Baltimore, I-70 spends 157 miles in Indiana where it passes through Indianapolis.
Interstate 74: I-74 runs from Iowa to Ohio, spending 172 miles in Indiana, intersecting I-70 and I-65 in Indianapolis.
Interstate 80: America’s second-longest highway (see I-90 below), I-80 runs from San Francisco to New Jersey. Its 157 miles in Indiana include the cities of Gary and South Bend, and the suburbs of Chicago.
Interstate 90: I-90 is America’s longest highway running from Seattle to Boston. Its 156 miles in Indiana are known as the Indiana Toll Road, and link Hammond, Gary and South Bend.
Interstate 94: From Montana to Michigan, I-94 provides a major connection between America’s Great Lakes and Intermountain regions. Its 46 miles in Indiana are known as the Borman Expressway, and pass through Hammond, Gary, Portage and Michigan City.