Illinois is Midwestern state of the USA. The name "Illinois" comes from a Native American word

meaning "tribe of superior men.“ Illinois was the 21st state to enter the Union.

Illinois

M I D W E S T

Illinois is in the north-central U.S. and borders on Lake Michigan. Surrounding states are Wisconsin to the north, Iowa and Missouri to the west, Kentucky to the south, and

Indiana to the east. Illinois also borders Michigan, but only via a water boundary in Lake Michigan. Nearly the entire western boundary is the Mississippi River, except

for a few areas where the river has changed course.

Lake Michigan

French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet explored the Illinois River in 1673. In 1680, other

French explorers constructed a fort at the site of the nowadays city of Peoria, in 1682 a fort atop Starved

Rock in nowadays Starved Rock State Park. As a result of this French exploration, Illinois was part of the French empire until 1763, when it passed to the

British.

Father J. Marquette

The Illinois Territory was created on February 3, 1809, with its capital at

Kaskaskia. In 1818, Illinois became the 21st U.S. state. It was one of 5 states

on Northwest Territory.

Old State House

Significant episodes in the state's early history include the influx of settlers following the opening of the Erie

Canal in 1825; the Black Hawk War in 1832, which virtually ended the Indian troubles in the area; and the rise of Abraham Lincoln from farm laborer to president.

Erie Canal

Chief Black Hawk

Abraham Lincoln

During the American Civil War, over 250,000 Illinois men served in the Union Army, more than any

other northern state except New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Beginning with President

Lincoln's first call for troops and continuing throughout the war, Illinois mustered 150 infantry regiments, which were numbered from the 7th to

the 156th regiments.

Today Illinois is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the 5th most populous in the nation. Illinois has a broad

economic base; it is an important transportation hub. An Associated Press analysis of 21

demographic factors found Illinois the "most average state“.

• Nicknames:Nicknames: Land of Lincoln; The Prairie StateLand of Lincoln; The Prairie State • Motto:Motto: State sovereignty, national unionState sovereignty, national union• Admission to Union:Admission to Union: December 3, 1818 (21December 3, 1818 (21stst))• Capital:Capital: Springfield (after Kaskaskia and Vandalia) Springfield (after Kaskaskia and Vandalia) • Largest city:Largest city: ChicagoChicago• Area:Area: 140,998 km140,998 km²² (ranked 25 (ranked 25thth in US) in US)• Population:Population: 12,852,548 people (ranked 512,852,548 people (ranked 5thth in US) in US)• Name for Residents:Name for Residents: IllinoisanIllinoisan• Highest point:Highest point: Mound Charles (376 m)Mound Charles (376 m)• Longest river:Longest river: Illinois (432 m)Illinois (432 m)• Highest structure:Highest structure: Sears Tower, Chicago (527 m)Sears Tower, Chicago (527 m)• Major Industries:Major Industries: agriculture (corn, soybeans, agriculture (corn, soybeans,

wheat, oats, barley, rye, sorghum), cattle, wheat, oats, barley, rye, sorghum), cattle, manufacturing, mining manufacturing, mining

Illinois is a leading producer of soybeans, corn, and hogs. Other agricultural commodities include cattle, wheat,

oats, sorghum, and hay.

Today, Illinois stands high in manufacturing, coal mining, agriculture, and oil production. The state's manufactures

include food and agricultural products, transportation equipment, chemicals, industrial machinery, and computer

equipment.

The Great Seal of Illinois features a bald eagle

pitched on a rock carrying a shield in its talons and a

banner with the state motto "State Sovereignty,

National Union" in its beak.

Illinois's original state flag has a

white background and

depicts the Great Seal of

Illinois.

There are about 500 rivers and 950 lakes in the State. The Illinois

River is a principal tributary of the

Mississippi River, about 439 km long. The state's

largest inland water system is Carlyle Lake,

which covers 26,000 acres in Southern Illinois.

In extreme northwestern Illinois, the Driftless Zone, a region of

unglaciated and therefore higher and more rugged topography, occupies a

small part of the state. Charles Mound, located in this region, has the state's highest point 377 m.

Illinois River

Carlyle Lake

Illinois has a continental climate, with large temperature extremes not moderated by

either mountains or oceans. Illinois is vulnerable to tornadoes with an average of 35 occurring annually. The deadliest tornado on

record in the nation occurred largely in Illinois. The Tri-State Tornado of 1925 killed

695 people in three states; 613 of the victims lived in Illinois.

Tri-State Tornado Damage

The 16th President of the USA Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky, in 1809. Lincoln served as a congressman from Illinois before being

elected President in 1861.

Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States of

America, was born in Tampico, Illinois.

Before being elected President, Barack Obama, the 44th President

of the USA, served as legislator from Illinois.

The 18th President of the USA General

Ulysses S. Grant was born in Ohio. Lived in

Galena, Illinois.

Springfield is the capital of Illinois with a population of 116,482. The city was originally called "Calhoun" after Vice President John C. Calhoun; as public sentiment turned against Calhoun the city was renamed Springfield.

Springfield became the capital in 1837. It is the 3rd capital after Kalkaska and Vandalia.

The city of Springfield is dotted with sites centered around U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, who started his political career in Springfield. These include: the Lincoln Home National Historic

Site, a National Historical Park that includes the preserved surrounding neighborhood, the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices State Historic Site, the Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site, the Old State Capitol State Historic Site, and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential

Library and Museum.

Lincoln Home

Lincoln TombLincoln Museum

The horseshoe sandwich, also originated in

Springfield. The city is also known for its chili or

“chilli”. In 1993 the Illinois state legislature adopted a

resolution proclaiming Springfield the “Chilli Capital of the Civilized

World”.

Cozy Dog

Springfield has long had an affiliation with food. The corn dog on a stick was

invented in the city under the name “Cozy Dog”, although there is some

debate to the actual origin of the popular snack.

Horseshoe sandwich

Common tourist attractions various food-related attractions such as the Maid-Rite

Sandwich Shop. The alleged first U.S. drive-thru window is still in operation in Springfield

at the Maid-Rite Sandwich Shop.

Chicago is the largest city in the state of Illinois. It is the nation's third largest city. Its population is nearly 3 million people. The

name Chicago is thought to come from an Algonquian word meaning “onion” or “skunk.” Chicago is called the "Windy

City", "Chi-Town", "Second City“, and the "City of Big Shoulders".

After the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed a third of the city, including the entire central business district, Chicago

experienced rapid rebuilding and growth. Ever since the city was rebuilt, it became known as the Second City, since the first city

was largely destroyed in the Fire.

1871

Nowadays Chicago

The first skyscraper in the world was the

10-storied Home Insurance Building in Chicago. It was

built in 1884-1885, using steel-skeleton

construction

Today Chicago is the home of the tallest

building in North America The Sears Tower which

has 110 stories.

Chicago is a major centre of higher education, with numerous colleges and universities. The prestigious University of

Chicago founded in 1890 was the site of the world’s first man-made self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction. Affiliated with 82

Nobel Prize laureates, the University of Chicago is widely regarded as one of the world's foremost universities. On December 2, 1942, physicist Enrico Fermi conducted the

world’s first controlled nuclear reaction at the University of Chicago as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project.

Among Chicago's attractions are the Art Institute of Chicago, the Field Museum of Natural History, the Jane Addams–Hull House

Museum, Navy Pier, Chicago Historical Museum, Jackson Park and numerous architectural landmarks such as the Sears Tower and

Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House.

Navy Pier Jackson Park

Historical Museum

Aurora

Rockford

Peoria

Walt Disney

Dick Van Dyke

Ernest Hemingway

T. Dreiser

Louis Armstrong

Ray Bradbury F.L.Wright

• Amphibian:Amphibian: Eastern Tiger SalamanderEastern Tiger Salamander• Animal:Animal: White-tailed DeerWhite-tailed Deer • Insect:Insect: Monarch ButterflyMonarch Butterfly• Fish:Fish: BluegillBluegill • Flower:Flower: Purple VioletPurple Violet • Tree:Tree: White OakWhite Oak• Reptile:Reptile: Painted Turtle Painted Turtle • Bird:Bird: Cardinal Cardinal • Prairie Grass:Prairie Grass: Big Bluestem Big Bluestem • Dance:Dance: Square DanceSquare Dance • Fruit:Fruit: AppleApple • Fossil:Fossil: Tully MonsterTully Monster • Mineral:Mineral: FluoriteFluorite• Seal:Seal: The Great Seal The Great Seal