Indiana: From Indian Village to A Leading Agricultural and Industrial State
Located near several relevant metropolitan areas such as Illinois and Michigan, Indiana has a large and accessible market that provided the rectangular shape and much access to other nation. Just like Maine, Indiana has many scenic features—its distinct regions are characterized by numerous lakes, plains, hills, and valleys. Since 1825, its largest city at the same capital, Indianapolis, which is the seat of the famous Marion County, lies near its center.
With 5,564,228 population, it ranks 14 among the 50 states in terms of density, where predominant are English, Scottish, Welsh, even Germans and Irish. As its population grew vastly, Indiana became more urbanized. No doubt that Indiana maintains a diverse economy and paves the way for revolutionizing its industry---especially in mining (extraction of bituminous coal) and manufacturing (from steel and petroleum products). One of Indiana’s oldest industries was producing sandstones grinding wheels and honing stones. Except its south central portion, all of Indiana was considerably glaciated, and because of this, it has very productive, deep, and fertile soil for vegetation.
It can be noted that Indiana has 92 counties, which are highly under the board of County commissioners and just like Maine, its federal legislature is not dominated or represented by one ruling political party only.
Indiana both attracts and allures tourists because of its features on natural and historical interest. With more than 20 state parks and state forest---Indiana’s land is very much suited for outdoor recreation. Indiana’s continuous booming economy likewise attracts a lot of tourists. Tourist attraction includes earliest settlement by Europeans at Vincennas and remains of a pre-historic Indian culture, which are preserved at Mounds State park.
Aside from historical and cultural sites, Indiana ever since pioneered in making laws for environmental protection since its vast areas are but surrounded by wildlife---where bears, buffaloes, deer, wolves, and smaller game species such as wild turkeys, prairie, chickens, grouse, and pheasant take refuge. It was in 1880 that Indiana’s government recognized that most if not all of its wildlife were threatened. But with the promulgation of the environmental protection law---animals such as muskrat, opossum, raccoon, and fox have increased in number too.
In terms of agriculture and crop production, Indiana is one of the leading states in production of spearmint and peppermint as well as corn, soybeans, and valuable cash crops like wheat, oats, tobacco, hay, rye, apples, and peaches. Since early 19th century Indiana was a leading producer of hardwood lumber and even ranks first among the states in the production of pharmaceuticals and prefabricated homes, and ranks second in producing and manufacturing all sorts of musical instruments all over America.
And not known to many, because of its large portions of land areas, Indiana is one of the ten leading coal-mining states---where oil and natural gas are extracted in Eastern and Southwestern Indiana, and efficaciously refined in its largest and capital city, the Indianapolis. European immigrants as well as laborers went to Indiana to provide the most vital economic factor for its future development and prosperity---skills that highly if not relatively commendable skills that diversified the industry of Indiana as one of the very powerful states in America. Among these are glassmaking, furniture producing and manufacturing, and also brick and tile making.
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