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Indiana became the 19th US state in Dec 11 1816. Indian is often called the Hoosier state after a poem, "The Hosiers Nest".

Origin of state's name: The name Indiana means "Land of the Indians"

Capital City: The state capital is Indianapolis and the state is surrounded by Lake Michigan to the north and several other states including Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio.

Population: The state population is in excess of 6 million people based on the last census in 2000.

Driving

Driver's license information, applications, testing requirements, driver's manuals and testing locations can all be found on Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles website

http://www.state.in.us/bmv/

Economy: The states agriculture is based on corn, some wheat and soybeans, poultry and eggs, cattle and dairy products. The state is really an industrial state with petroleum and coal, chemical production, steel and heavy machinery production. 

State Motto: The state motto is "Cross Roads of America"

State Bird: The state bird is the Cardinal known for its robustness and distinctly colored plumage. The Cardinal is also the state bird for Illinois, North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.

State Flower: The state flower is the Peony which can have red, white or pink flowers and grows widely throughout the state.

Indiana – Interesting Facts

• Indiana is the home to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where each year the Indianapolis 500 is held. 
• The infamous James (Jimmy) Dean hails from Marion, Indiana.
• There is a town called Santa Claus in Indiana.
• Indiana is home many Amish settlements. The Amish do not allow themselves to use many modern everyday conveniences such as cars or electricity.
• Mark Spitz the Olympic swimmer attended Indiana State University

Indiana – Famous People

There are a lot of famous people who were born in Indiana including actors, politicians, athletes and authors. Michael Jackson and the Jackson family are from Gary Indiana and David Letterman of the "Late Show with David Letterman" is from Indianapolis. James Dean of Jimmy as he was better known was also from Indiana. The basketball player Larry Bird is also a native of Indiana.