Southern Indiana | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates:39°0′N86°0′W / 39.000°N 86.000°W /39.000; -86.000 | |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 1,386,568 |
| Time zones | Central |
| Eastern | |
| Postal codes | |
| Area code | 812/930 |
Southern Indiana is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern third of theU.S. state ofIndiana and borders the states ofIllinois to the west,Kentucky to the south, andOhio to the east. Spanning the state's southernmost 33 counties, its main population centers includeSouthwestern Indiana (anchored by the city ofEvansville), theLouisville metropolitan area (south), and theCincinnati metropolitan area (southeast). The region's history and geography have led to a blending ofSouthern andMidwestern cultures, distinct from the rest of the state. It is often considered to be part of theUpland South and the Southern influenced Lower Midwest.[1]
TheWabash forms the region's western boundary andOhio forms the region's entire southern and the majority of its eastern boundary. Elevation ranges from around 360 feet (110 m)above mean sea level at the rivers' confluence to 1,060 feet (320 m) at the highest point in theKnobstone Escarpment. Southern Indiana's topography is considerably more varied than Central andNorthern Indiana, including large tracts of forest, rolling hills, andkarst caves. The region is also home to the oldest exposedDevonian fossil beds in the world at theFalls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area. Situated in theWabash Valley seismic zone,Southwestern Indiana is at elevated risk for earthquakes.
Southern Indiana, home to about 1.4 million people, was the first area of the state to be settled by European colonists. Founded in 1732,Vincennes is the oldest continually inhabited European settlement in Indiana and served as the first capital of theIndiana Territory;Corydon would later serve as the state's first capital. Aside fromWayne County, all of the pre-statehood and most of the state's oldest counties are in Southern Indiana. Protected areas includeCharles C. Deam Wilderness Area,George Rogers Clark National Historical Park,Hoosier National Forest, and theLincoln Boyhood National Memorial. Southern Indiana is home to about a dozen higher education institutions, includingIndiana University Bloomington, the flagship campus of theIndiana University system. TheCatholic Church has a significant presence in the region, includingSaint Meinrad Archabbey, theMonastery Immaculate Conception, and Mount Saint Francis. The region is split between theEastern andCentraltime zones.[2]
Kentuckiana, aportmanteau of "Kentucky" and "Indiana", is a loosely defined sub-region of theUpland South that spans north-central Kentucky and Southern Indiana's south-central counties. It is primarily centered on theLouisville metropolitan area. Counties typically considered part of the Kentuckiana sub-region include:
Southwestern Indiana observesCentral Time, includingPosey,Vanderburgh,Warrick,Spencer, andGibson counties. The rest of Southern Indiana observesEastern Time.
Southern Indiana also differs from the rest of the state linguistically.Southern dialect andSouth Midland dialect of American English are prevalent, as opposed to theInland North dialect in far Northern Indiana and theNorth Midland dialect in Central and North-Central Indiana. Southern Indiana is the northernmost extent of the South Midland region, forming what linguists refer to as the "Hoosier Apex" of the South Midland dialect.
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About 12 accredited institutions of higher education are located throughout Southern Indiana, including some private, liberal arts colleges and multiple public university campuses, including the flagship campus of theIndiana University system,IU Bloomington. The "‡" symbol indicates universities with main campuses outside Southern Indiana.
There are two professional sports teams in the region, both located inEvansville – theEvansville Thunderbolts (founded in 2018) play ice hockey, and theEvansville Otters (founded in 1995) play in baseball's independentFrontier League.
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