Indiana State Guide

Indiana has its urban areas and its industrial cities, but for the most part, the state is comprised of rural farmland. People from Indiana refer to themselves as "Hoosiers," a word that was originally used in colonial America to denote poor farmers who didn't own slaves or large plantations. While the word is still considered derogatory in other parts of the country, the folks from Indiana wear it with pride, earning Indiana its distinction as the "Hoosier State." Indiana is perhaps best known for the Indianapolis 500, an automobile race held every Memorial Day weekend, and Hoosier Hysteria, an annual high school basketball tournament.