Indiana

Den rødeste flekken er Hanover.
Jeg skal bo i staten Indiana i USA. Nærmere bestemt i en liten by som heter Hanover. Den ligger ganske sør i staten.
Etter hva jeg har skjønt så bor det rundt 3 500 mennesker der; ikke særlig mange, men det kan jo være bare bra! Jeg regner med at det blir lettere å etablere seg og få nye venner i på et litt mindre sted, noe som selvfølgelig er viktig for meg.
Den ligger i overkommelig avstand (1 time med bil) til 3 større byer, hvorav to av dem ligger i statene Ohio og Kentucky.
I Hanover skal jeg gå på Southwestern High School, en skole med klasser fra 9. til 12. klasse. Blir bra! Jeg gleder meg ufattelig mye til å få oppleve the American High School Spirit!



Dette er den informasjonen jeg fikk om Indiana av STS i en mail. 
Det meste står på engelsk, og jeg orker rett og slett ikke å oversette det. Jaja!

Hovedstad: Indianapolis
Innbyggertall: 6,080,485
Guvernør: Frank O'Bannon (D, til januar 2005)
Ble med i unionen: 11. desember, 1816
Som den: 19ende staten.
Motto: The Crossroads of America
Kallenavn: Hoosier State
Blomst: Peon
Fugl: Cardinal
Sang: On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away
Idrettslag: Indiana Pacers (Basketball for menn), Indianapolis Colts (Fotball)
Navnets opphav: Betydningen er "Indianerlandet"
Hovedindustriene: Jern, Stål, Olje
Historiske ting: Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, George Rogers Clark National Historical Park, Amish Acres, Conner Prairie Pioneer Settlement, Historic Fort Wayne
Interessante steder: Wyandotte Cave, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indiana Dunes, Holiday World, Brown, County craft shop
Grenser til: Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio. Indiana grenser også til Lake Michigan.

About Indiana
Transportation routes have been important to the state since the National Road was built in the 1830s. They have made Indiana a crossroads, a meeting place of different elements central to the Midwest. The Great Lakes give way to vast plains of corn, farmers share freeways with factory workers, and rural countryside verges on large cities. There is even diversity in the way people talk -- the high, sharp Midwestern accent of the north mellowing to a slight southern drawl near the Ohio River.

History
The first travelers to reach present-day Indiana were the so-called Big Game Hunters who entered the area in pursuit of mammoth and mastodon 10,000 years ago. Between 1000 BC and AD 700, prehistoric Hoosiers began to grow crops to supplement the food they hunted and gathered. The practice of building large earthen burial mounds also began during this period and continued for more than a thousand years. The mounds became increasingly large as time passed -- some can still be seen in the state today, notably at Mounds State Park in Anderson.
The French entered the area in the late 1600s and soon established several outposts along the Maumee and Wabash Rivers, the most important being built at Vincennes. Following the French and Indian War (1754-63), the English gained control over Indiana, but British rule was short. After the Revolutionary War and through the Ordinance of 1787, Indiana became part of the Northwest Territories of the U.S.
Native American resistance to both English and U.S. forces was fierce. In the early 1790s, two U.S. Army expeditions were defeated in battles near present-day Fort Wayne. A third force under Gen. "Mad" Anthony Wayne turned the tide, however, winning a decisive victory that forced the Native Americans to surrender much of the territory that now makes up the state. The great chief Tecumseh led the last major effort against pioneer settlement. His attempt to unite various groups in the area was ended when William Henry Harrison (the future U.S. president) won the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811.
Hoosiers sided with the Union in the Civil War and supplied a large number of troops to the fight. While Indiana was predominantly agricultural in the early 1800s, manufacturing and industry became more widespread after the war. The importance of factories and mills to Indiana's economy has grown in the 20th century, with a heavy industrial section developing in the north, near Gary. The state remains an important producer of grains and livestock, however, and large stretches of farmland are one of the memorable aspects of driving through Indiana.

Climate
The best time to see Indiana is May-September. Indiana has hot summers and cold winters, with fairly high humidity. The combination of warm temperatures and high humidity can make July and early August a bit uncomfortable, particularly in the southern parts of the state. Temperatures can climb to the high 90s F/mid 30s C. Expect late spring and fall temperatures to range from a low of 40 F/4 C to a high of 65 F/19 C. A sweater or jacket will be needed in the evenings. Those visiting in winter will find plenty of snow -- as much as 40 in/102 cm falls near Lake Michigan. January temperatures average 16 to 41 F/-14 to 5 C.

Shopping 
The state's major shopping centers are in Indianapolis, Merrillville (south of Gary) and Fort Wayne, but Indiana's more unique treasures can be found at antique stores in the smaller communities. If you have extra time, we particularly recommend a leisurely drive east on Highway 40 from Indianapolis to the Ohio line. The route is known as Antique Alley, and almost every town has half a dozen interesting shops. Webb's Antique Mall in Centerville contains nearly 2 acres/0.8 hectares of furniture and other collectibles. Beyond antiques, Indiana offers hand-crafted furniture, Amish quilts and consumable delicacies, such as apple butter, Indiana wines and popcorn (Orville Redenbacher was a Hoosier). In Muncie, you can see the charming paper creations, such as clocks, being made by F. B. Fogg. CoasterStones, Bundey Decoys and Turner dolls are also made-in-Indiana items that will be nice souvenirs of your visit.