5 Themes of Indianapolis
by Drew Fry
Location
Indianapolis' exact location is 39.7910° N, 86.1480° W. In the very heart of the state of Indiana, as well as the Midwest itself, it is considered the "Crossroads of America." It is about 15 minutes south of the Carmel area (where I lived) and about an hour and a half from Bloomington, the stomping ground of the Indiana University Hoosiers. It's northernmost point is just west of Chicago and directly south of Lake Michigan as well.
Place
Indiana as a whole is a completely flat state. It houses many large forests and woodland areas. The Great Lakes are located directly to the north, but aside from that, there are no standoff physical features and orientation is mostly flatland. The flatland features are a result of glacier movement over the area thousands of years ago, that eroded and ground the land down. All four seasons exist in Indiana; hot humid summers, freezing harsh winters, mild rainy springs, chilled autumns, and everything in between. Main natural resources would include gas, oil, and coal. Aside from these, renewable resources such as trees, crops, and livestock, are a staple of the area. Indiana is very similar to Texas in it's city's relationships. Lakeway is to Austin as Carmel is to Indianapolis. The heart of the state is home to an urban and rapidly growing city area, and to the north, is a high scale small suburban town.
Region
Central Indiana is home to a variation of regions. Indianapolis is the primarily urban/city area in the very center of the state. Not too far from the Indianapolis area are an array of suburbs; the Carmel, Zionsville, and Fisher areas to name a few. All fairly wealthy areas (very similar to Lakeway), most suburbs are located to the north of the city, although a few are scattered around in other areas within close proximity. With the exclusion of a few small towns and college campuses elsewhere in the state, the rest of Indiana is farmland and rural area. The vast majority of the state's population as well as activity lies within the central area.
Movement
Indiana is considered the "Crossroads of America." This is due to the state, the Indianapolis area specifically, housing many major interstate roads that connect different parts of our country. When traveling by land, especially throughout the Midwest and select parts of the south, a lot of time can be spent crossing through the state of Indiana. With that, most human movement throughout Indiana are workers or vacationers moving from one place to the next. There are also a variety of businesses that draw workers from other states to work in the Indianapolis area. There is a lot more movement into the state than there is out of it. Renewable resources (farm product and wood) are exported heavily from the area, as well as some non-renewable resources such as gas, oil, coal, and Indiana limestone, which is popular in architecture. Technology once flowed heavy from the Indiana area too, Indiana inventors are credited with the invention of the first patented engined aircraft, the first patent for mass production of penicillin, and one of the very early prototypes of the dishwasher. Today, major technology advancements are medical-based. Eli Lilly is a major pharmaceutical producer based in Indianapolis that is constantly producing new drugs and medical equipment.
Human Environment Interaction
Human-Environment action in central Indiana is an even split between high levels of urbanization and preservation of natural land. Without a doubt, lots of natural habitats and pure land are cleared yearly to make space for schools, businesses, housing editions, and factories as the city and surrounding area continue to grow at a steady rate. While this is great for economic and population expansion, a lot of natural area suffers. In recent years the state has made a point to be more weary of destruction of existing area for urbanization, and better than that, the acres upon acres of state parks that exist are completely untouched and pure in juxtaposition to a lot of the central Indiana region. On the other hand, the land in Indiana provides humans with a VAST amount of space to produce bountiful crops and build upon for expansion. It is rich in all sorts of renewable and non-renewable resources alike which also promotes economic growth.
Works Cited
Location Picture:
Place Picture: http://indianapolisinshortsales.com/featured/welcome-to-indy/
Region Pictures: http://indianapolis-photos.funcityfinder.com/2010/06/08/downtown-indianapolis-skyline-photos-and-pictures/, http://www.carmel.in.gov/index.aspx?page=2, http://blogs.haverford.edu/enviroblog/2012/08/24/indiana-farming/
Movement Picture: http://www.progressillinois.com/2008/04/09/who-will-win-the-hoosier-state
Human Environment Picture: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/13844748
(Picture meant to go with Location portion)