9781422286081

Indiana

I ndiana is called the “Crossroads of America.” Its position near the Great Lakes and at the junction of West and East has played an important role in the state’s development. Transportation, from the days of canals and railroads, to the con- struction of highways, has always been valued in Indiana. The state still has some of the best transportation routes and facilities in the country. Geography Indiana is the 13th-smallest state by area, covering a little more than 36,000 square miles (about 58,600 sq km). Of its total area, less than two percent is water. Indiana is located in the Midwest. It borders Ohio to the east and Illinois to the west. Kentucky is south across the Ohio River. Lake Michigan and the state of Michigan border Indiana to the north. Indiana Dunes National Lake Shore is located on 15 miles of the Lake Michigan shoreline. The most significant river in Indiana is the Wabash. The Wabash-Erie canal, finished in 1832, connected the Maumee River with the prominent Wabash River. The Maumee flows from

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