Indianapolis is the capital and the largest city of Indiana. It is a major commercial center. With a population of close to 800,000, it is Indiana's most populous city and one of the few cities in the Midwest that has seen a growth rate exceeding 5 percent.

Founded as the state capital in 1821, the city enjoyed great social, economic and cultural progress, mainly due to the discovery of a large natural gas deposit in the 1890s. With the state supplying free natural gas to factories in the region, there was a sharp increase in automobile and glass industries until 1915, when the deposits got depleted.

Indianapolis experiences hot summers and long and cold winters, with significant snowstorms. Spring is generally pleasant; however, since there are no mountains to protect the area, thunderstorms that occur in spring and fall often bring in tornadoes.

Indianapolis is rich in culture and in order to improve tourism, the government is taking further initiatives to project the city as a center of art and culture. Broad Ripple Village, War Memorial Plaza, Monument Circle, Massachusetts Avenue, Fountain Square and Wholesale Districare are some of the well-known cultural districts. The city is also known for its reputed educational institutions like Butler University, the University of Indianapolis, Marian College, Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, and Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis. The Indianapolis International Airport caters to Indianapolis and Marion County.

Indianapolis is probably best known for hosting the largest single-day sporting event in the world: the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race. This race is held at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which is the largest stadium in the world.

The city is also home to well-known sports teams, including the Indianapolis Indians, a minor league baseball team in the International League, the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League, the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Associaton and the Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association. Beginning with the 2006 event, the NCAA will be holding the Final Four, which is the semifinals and finals of the men's college basketball tournament in Indianapolis every four years. In recognition of its love for sports, the city has been dubbed "The Amateur Sports Capital of the World."

Peter Emerson
http://www.i-indianapolis.com/
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Picture: Indianapolis