Indianapolis is a city within the geographical center of Indiana and capital of the state. Also the seat of Marion County, which it consolidated in 1970. Historically a leading center of manufacturing and commerce in the Midwest, Indianapolis also is a major transportation hub. Called the Crossroads of America, four interstate freeways and also four federal highways meet in Indianapolis, getting the city within a day's drive of one-half the nation's population.
Indianapolis is situated on the Tipton Till Plain, a place of flat to gently rolling land molded by the retreat of a glacier 18,000 a long time ago. The White River, which streams through the city from northeast to southwest, is too shallow to be used for shipping. In fact, Indianapolis is famous being the largest United States city not on a natural body of navigable water. The city's climate is temperate, with no pronounced wet or dry seasons. Yearly precipitation is approximately 1020 mm (about 40 in). In January the average high temperature is 1° C (34° F) and the average low is -8° C (17° F); in July the average high is 30° C (86° F) and the average low is 18° C (65° F).
The development of Indianapolis started throughout 1820 when a committee from the state's legislature chose the site for a new state capital because of its central location. The legislature named the city Indianapolis, which literally means the City of Indiana (from the Greek polis, or "city").
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