Indiana is a U.S. state situated in the Midwest region of the country, bounded by Lake Michigan to its northwest and Ohio to its east. To its north lies Michigan, while Kentucky borders it on the south. The state's capital is Indianapolis, located at the Hoosier State's center. Covering an area of approximately 36,418 square miles, Indiana is the 38th-largest American state by size.
Indiana's terrain ranges from rugged valleys dissected by rivers such as Wabash and Whitewater to level plains in the central part of the state. Northwestern Indiana consists mainly of rolling dunes along Lake Michigan's shores, while most central Indiana consists of rural farmlands. Parts of southern Indiana are characterized by gently sloping hills and numerous karst topographies with exposed limestone rocks protruding from cliffs and caverns beneath the ground surface.
The climate varies depending upon location within the state; much of central and northern Indiana has a clean humid continental climate with cold winters and hot summers, while rapid temperature changes can occur during spring and fall months due to intense cold fronts that pass through these areas regularly. Conversely, southern parts have a subtropical atmosphere with much higher temperatures throughout summer than what can be observed elsewhere in Indiana.
Overall, Indiana offers various geographical features within its boundaries; woodlands comprise approximately 19% of its entire land area, agricultural lands account for 64%, wetlands 3.5%, and developed/barren lands make up the rest.
The State of Indiana is divided into 92 counties. In alphabetical order, these counties are: Adams, Allen, Bartholomew, Benton, Blackford, Boone, Brown, Carroll, Cass, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Crawford, Daviess, Dearborn, Decatur, DeKalb, Delaware, Dubois, Elkhart, Fayette, Floyd, Fountain, Franklin, Fulton, Gibson, Grant, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Harrison, Hendricks, Henry, Howard, Huntington, Jackson, Jasper, Jay, Jefferson, Jennings, Johnson, Knox, Kosciusko, La Porte, Lagrange, Lake, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Martin, Miami, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Newton, Noble, Ohio, Orange, Owen, Parke, Perry, Pike, Porter, Posey, Pulaski, Putnam, Randolph, Ripley, Rush, Scott, Shelby, Spencer, St Joseph, Starke, Steuben, Sullivan, Switzerland, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Union, Vanderburgh, Vermillion, Vigo, Wabash, Warren, Warrick, Washington, Wayne, Wells, White, and Whitley.
With an area of 94,321 sq. km, Indiana is the 38th largest and the 17th most populous state in the USA. Located near the center of the state at the confluence of Fall Creek and White River is Indianapolis – the capital, largest, and the most populated city of Indiana. It serves as an administrative, cultural, and economic center of the state. The world’s largest children’s museum is found in Indianapolis, which occupies over 40,227 sq.m of exhibition space and showcases more than 120,000 artifacts.
The State of Indiana is located in the East-North-Central (Midwest and Great Lakes) region of the United States. It is geographically positioned both in the Northern and Western hemispheres of the Earth. Indiana is bordered by Michigan in the north; by Ohio in the east; by the Ohio River and Kentucky in the south and southeast; by the Wabash River and Illinois in the west; and by Lake Michigan in the northwest.
Regional Maps: Map of North America
The above blank map represents the State of Indiana, located in the East-North-Central (Midwest and Great Lakes) region of the United States. The above map can be downloaded, printed and used for geography education purposes like map-pointing and coloring activities.
The above outline map represents the State of Indiana, located in the East-North-Central (Midwest and Great Lakes) region of the United States.
Legal Name | State of Indiana |
---|---|
ISO 3166 Code | US-IN |
Capital City | Indianapolis |
Major Cities |
|
This page was last updated on February 10, 2023