Indiana

Indiana is a state in the Midwest region of the United States. It is famous for the Indianapolis 500, one of the biggest car races in the world. Indiana has lots of flat farmland and friendly small towns. People from Indiana are called Hoosiers.

Land and People

About 7 million people live in Indiana. The capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Most of the state is flat with rich soil that is great for farming. Corn and soybeans are the biggest crops grown in Indiana.

Culture and Fun Facts

Indiana is crazy about basketball. The movie Hoosiers was based on a real Indiana high school team. The Indianapolis 500 race happens every May and draws huge crowds. Indiana is also the home of the famous Santa Claus town that gets thousands of letters to Santa every year.

Fun Facts

• The Indianapolis 500 has been held every year since 1911 and is one of the oldest car races in the world.
• There is a town in Indiana called Santa Claus that gets about half a million letters to Santa each December.
• Basketball was so popular in Indiana that almost every small town built a gym for their high school team.

Did You Know?

Nobody knows for sure where the nickname 'Hoosier' came from. People have been calling Indiana residents Hoosiers since the 1830s, but the word's origin is still a mystery.