Indiana is located in the midwestern part of the United States. It shares borders with Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio. Indiana became the 19th U.S. state on December 11, 1816. Indianapolis is Indiana's state capital and its most populated city. Farming is important to the state and crops grown include corn, soybeans, and hay. Indiana is famous for the Indie 500 car race, the University of Notre Dame, Indiana Dunes State Park, Amish communities, covered bridges, and steel mills. The state's nickname is "Crossroads of America" and residents of the state are called Hoosiers. (3-page lesson)
State Flag of Indiana
The state flag of Indiana is blue with a gold torch surrounded by gold stars.
The gold torch represents liberty and enlightenment and the one large star above the torch represents Indiana.
Indiana State Seal
The sun on the seal represents Indiana's bright future and the mountains are a representation of the Allegheny Mountains.
The woodman represents civilization and the buffalo represents the wilderness.
The date 1816 is the year Indiana became the 19th U.S. state.