- Illinois, the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation.
- Total Area: 26th among states, 150,007 sq km (57,918 sq mi).
- The Port of Chicago connects the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River via the Illinois River.
- Abraham Lincoln's first public office was as postmaster of New Salem, Illinois.
- Metropolis the home of Superman really exists in Southern Illinois.
- Capital: Springfield.
- Illinois is often viewed as a microcosm of the United States; an Associated Press analysis of 21 demographic factors found Illinois the "most average state", while Peoria has long been a proverbial social and cultural bellwether.
- The Home Insurance Building was built in 1885 in Chicago, becoming the world’s first modern skyscraper.
- With a population near 40,000 between 1300 and 1400 AD, the Mississippian-culture city of Cahokia, in what is now southern Illinois, was the largest city within the United States at the time, and kept it's record until after 1790, when it was surpassed by New York City.
- Inventors John Deere and Cyrus McCormick made their fortunes in Illinois by improving farm machinery.
- Illinois achieved statehood in 1818. The future metropolis of Chicago was founded in the 1830s on the banks of the Chicago River, one of the few natural harbors on southern Lake Michigan.
- The first nuclear chain reaction took place in Illinois at the University of Chicago in 1942.
- By 1900, the growth of industrial jobs in the northern cities and coal mining in the central and southern areas attracted immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe.
- When Illinois became a state in 1818, it had a population of 34,620 people. Illinois is now the sixth most populous state in the country with almost 11.5 million people.
- The Great Migration of African Americans from the rural South to Chicago formed a large and important community that created the city's famous jazz and blues cultures.
- The name "Illinois" comes from a Native American word meaning "tribe of superior men."
- The name "Illinois" is traditionally said to mean "man" or "men" in the Miami-Illinois language, with the original iliniwek transformed via French into Illinois.
- The state slogan, "Land of Lincoln," was adopted by the General Assembly in 1955. The State of Illinois has a copyright for the exclusive use of the slogan.
- Illinois' favorite son is Abraham Lincoln. The Lincoln sites in Springfield are among the best known tourist sites in the world.
- The first Aquarium opened in Chicago, 1893.
- Chicago is the nation's third largest city.
- The state's largest inland water system is Carlyle Lake, which covers 26,000 acres in Southern Illinois.
- The Sears Tower, located in Chicago, was the world's tallest building from 1973 until 1996. The Sears Tower is still the tallest building in North America.
- Illinois ranks third in the nation in the number of interstate highway miles.
Illinois, the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation.[6] With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and western Illinois, and natural resources like coal, timber, and petroleum in the south, Illinois has a broad economic base. Illinois is an important transportation hub; the Port of Chicago connects the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River via the Illinois River. Illinois is often viewed as a microcosm of the United States; an Associated Press analysis of 21 demographic factors found Illinois the "most average state", while Peoria has long been a proverbial social and cultural bellwether.[6]
With a population near 40,000 between 1300 and 1400 AD, the Mississippian-culture city of Cahokia, in what is now southern Illinois, was the largest city within the United States at the time, and kept it's record until after 1790, when it was surpassed by New York City. Gradually Cahokia and the area were abandoned, and at the time of the American Revolution, only about 2,000 Native American hunters and a small number of French villagers inhabited the Illinois area.[7] United States migrant settlers began arriving from Kentucky in the 1810s; Illinois achieved statehood in 1818. The future metropolis of Chicago was founded in the 1830s on the banks of the Chicago River, one of the few natural harbors on southern Lake Michigan.[8] Railroads and John Deere's invention of the self-scouring steel plow made central Illinois' rich prairie into some of the world's most productive and valuable farmlands, attracting immigrant farmers from Germany and Sweden.
By 1900, the growth of industrial jobs in the northern cities and coal mining in the central and southern areas attracted immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe. Its manufacturing made the state a major arsenal in both world wars. The Great Migration of African Americans from the rural South to Chicago formed a large and important community that created the city's famous jazz and blues cultures. Today, approximately 74% of the population of Illinois resides in the northeastern corner of the state, primarily within the city of Chicago and the surrounding area.
Three U.S. Presidents have been elected while they were living in Illinois — Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and Barack Obama. However, the only US President actually born in Illinois was Ronald Reagan, who was born in Tampico, raised in Dixon, and attended college at Eureka. Lincoln is the only president buried in Illinois; he is interred at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield. Today, Illinois demonstrates the importance of Lincoln's legacy to the state by the official state slogan, Land of Lincoln, which is displayed on all state-issued license plates.[9]
Contents
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* 1 Name
* 2 History
o 2.1 Pre-European
o 2.2 European exploration
o 2.3 19th century
+ 2.3.1 Civil War
o 2.4 Twentieth century
* 3 Geography
o 3.1 Climate
* 4 Demographics
o 4.1 Urban areas
o 4.2 Religion
* 5 Economy
o 5.1 Agriculture
o 5.2 Manufacturing
o 5.3 Services
o 5.4 Energy
+ 5.4.1 Coal
+ 5.4.2 Petroleum
+ 5.4.3 Nuclear power
+ 5.4.4 Wind power
+ 5.4.5 Biofuels
* 6 Arts and culture
o 6.1 Museums
o 6.2 Music
* 7 Sports
* 8 Parks and recreation
* 9 Government
o 9.1 Politics
o 9.2 Law enforcement
* 10 Education
o 10.1 Illinois State Board of Education
o 10.2 Primary and secondary schools
o 10.3 Colleges and universities
* 11 Infrastructure
o 11.1 Transportation
* 12 Bibliography
* 13 See also
* 14 References
* 15 External links
[edit] Name
See also: List of Illinois counties and List of Illinois county name etymologies
"Illinois" is the modern spelling for the early French missionary/explorers' name for the Illinois people, a name that was spelled in many different ways in the early records.[10]
The name "Illinois" is traditionally said to mean "man" or "men" in the Miami-Illinois language, with the original iliniwek transformed via French into Illinois
