State of Illinois
Flag of Illinois Seal Nickname(s): Land of Lincoln; The Prairie State Motto(s): State sovereignty, national union
Official language(s)	English[1]
Demonym	Illinoisan
Capital	Springfield
Largest city	Chicago
Largest metro area	Chicagoland
Area	Ranked 25th in the US
- Total	57,918 sq mi (140,998 km²)
- Width	210 miles (340 km)
- Length	395 miles (629 km)
- % water	4. The Flag of the state of Illinois was designed in 1912 by Lucy Derwent and chosen by the Rockford Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution The Great Seal of the State of Illinois was first adopted in 1819 by the first Illinois General Assembly. This is a list of US state nicknames, including officially adopted Nicknames and other traditional nicknames for individual states of the United States. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. Prairie, from the French prairie ("meadow" "grassland" "pasture" refers to an area of land of low topographic relief that historically Here is a list of state Mottos for the states of the United States of America. The United States does not have an Official language; however the majority of the population speaks English as a native language (about 82% English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place Washington DC has been the capital of the United States since 1800 Springfield is the capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 116482 (U This is a list of the largest cities of US states by population Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas|Table of United States Core Based Statistical AreasIn the United States, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB has produced The Chicago metropolitan area is the Metropolitan area associated with the city of Chicago in the United States and its suburbs Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. This is a complete list of the states of the United States and its major territories ordered by total area, land area, and water area The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand 0/ Negligible
- Latitude	36° 58′ N to 42° 30′ N
- Longitude	87° 30′ W to 91° 31′ W
Population	Ranked 5th in the US
- Total	12,831,970[2]
- Density	223. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology This is a list of states of the United States by population (with inhabited non-state jurisdictions included for comparison as of July 1, 2007, according to the This article is a list of the 50 US States ordered by Population density. 4/sq mi  86. 27/km² (11 in the US)
- Median income	$45,787[3] (18)
Elevation
- Highest point	Charles Mound[4] 1,235 ft  (377 m)
- Mean	600 ft  (182 m)
- Lowest point	Mississippi River[4] 279 ft  (85 m)
Admission to Union	December 3, 1818 (21st)
Governor	Rod Blagojevich (D)
Lieutenant Governor	Pat Quinn (D)
U.S. Senators	Richard Durbin (D) Barack Obama (D)
Congressional Delegation	List
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Abbreviations	IL US-IL
Website	www.illinois.gov

The State of Illinois (pronounced /ˌɪlɨˈnɔɪ/|Ill-i-NOY) is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. Household income is a measure of current private income commonly used by the United States government and private institutions Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below --> Charles Mound is a gentle high hill in northern Jo Daviess County Illinois, near the small town of Scales Mound and northeast of Galena. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This is a list of U Events 1800 - War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Hohenlinden, French Year 1818 ( MDCCCXVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government Rod R Blagojevich (bləˈgɔɪəvɪtʃ, born December 10, 1956) is an American Politician from the state of Illinois. This is a complete and current List of United States Lieutenant Governors. Patrick J Quinn (born December 16, 1948) is an American Politician from Illinois. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses These are tables of congressional delegations from Illinois to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. This is a list of United States of America States by time zone The Central Time Zone observes Standard time by subtracting six hours from UTC during standard time ( UTC−6) and five hours during Daylight saving Daylight saving time ( DST The traditional abbreviations for US states and territories were widely used in mailing addresses prior to the introduction of two-letter U ISO 3166-2US is an ISO standard which defines Geocodes it is the subset of ISO 3166-2 which applies to the United States of America. A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Illinois is the most populous and demographically diverse^[5] Midwestern state and the fifth most populous in the nation. 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. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Illinois is an important transportation hub; the Port of Chicago connects the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River via the Illinois River. Facilities Iroquois Landing Lakefront Terminal at the mouth of the Calumet River it includes of warehouses and facilities on Lake Michigan with over 780000 square The Laurentian Great Lakes are a chain of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada–United States border. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to The Illinois River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 273 miles (439 km long in the U 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,"^[6] while Peoria has long been a proverbial social and cultural bellwether. Macrocosm and microcosm is an ancient Greek schema of seeing the same patterns reproduced in all levels of the Cosmos, from the largest scale (macrocosm or universe-level The Associated Press ( AP) is an American News agency. The AP is a Cooperative owned by its contributing Newspapers radio Peoria Illinois (named after the Peoria tribe is the largest city on the Illinois River and the County seat of Peoria County, Illinois The saying " Will it play in Peoria? " is traditionally used to ask whether a given product person promotional theme or event will appeal to Mainstream A bellwether is any entity in a given arena that serves to create or influence trends or to presage future happenings

Nearly 66% of the population resides in the northeastern corner of the state comprising the Chicago metropolitan area. The Chicago metropolitan area is the Metropolitan area associated with the city of Chicago in the United States and its suburbs 1 in 4 residents of the state live within the city of Chicago itself. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States.

With a population near 40,000 between 1300 and 1400 AD, the Mississippian city of Cahokia, in what is now southern Illinois, was the largest city within the future United States until it was surpassed by New York City between 1790 and 1800. The Mississippian culture was a mound-building Native American culture that flourished in what is now the Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern The City of New York About 2,000 Native American hunters and a small number of French villagers inhabited the Illinois area at the time of the American Revolution. Habitants is the name used to refer to both the French settlers and the inhabitants of French origin who farmed the land along the two shores of In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" ^[7] American settlers began arriving from Kentucky in the 1810s; they achieved statehood in 1818. The Commonwealth of Kentucky ( is a state located in the East Central United States of America. The future metropolis of Chicago was founded in the 1830s on the banks of the Chicago River, one of the only natural harbors on southern Lake Michigan. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The Chicago River is 156 miles (251 km long and flows through downtown Chicago. Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America, and the only one located entirely within the United States. ^[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. "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. John Deere ( February 7, 1804 &ndash May 17, 1886) was an American blacksmith and manufacturer who founded Deere & Company &mdash The plough ( American spelling plow; both plaʊ is a Tool used in Farming for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for sowing seed Prairie, from the French prairie ("meadow" "grassland" "pasture" refers to an area of land of low topographic relief that historically Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term German Americans ( German: Deutschamerikaner) are citizens of the United States of Ethnic German ancestry Swedish Americans are Americans of Swedish descent most often related to the large groups of immigrants from Sweden in the late nineteenth century and early Northern Illinois provided major support for Illinoisans Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant during the American Civil War. Abraham Lincoln (February 12 1809 &ndash April 15 1865 the sixteenth President of the United States, successfully led his country through its greatest internal Ulysses S Grant, born Hiram Ulysses Grant (April 27 1822 &ndash July 23 1885 was an American general and the eighteenth President of the United States Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South By 1900, the growth of industry in northern cities and coal mining in central and southern areas attracted immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe, and made the state a major arsenal in both world wars. Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. The term Southern Europe can have four definitions geographical political climatic phytogeographic A world war is a War affecting the majority of the world's most powerful and populous nations African-Americans migrating to Chicago from the rural South formed a large and important community, which created the city's famous jazz and blues cultures. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa See also Second Great Migration (African American The Great Migration was the movement of approximately seven million African-Americans out of the The history of African Americans in Chicago dates back to Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable ’s trading activities in the 1780s Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression

Etymology

See also: List of Illinois counties and List of Illinois county name etymologies

The state is named for the French adaptation of an Algonquian language (perhaps Miami) word apparently meaning "s/he speaks normally" (Miami ilenweewa,^[9][10] Proto-Algonquian *elen-, "ordinary" and -we·, "to speak"). The links in the column FIPS County Code are to the Census Bureau Info page for that county This is a list of Illinois county name etymologies. Many counties in the U French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people The Algonquian (also Algonkian, and pronounced both and) languages are a subfamily of Native American languages that includes most of the languages in the Algic The Miami-Illinois language is a Native American language formerly spoken in the United States primarily in Illinois, Missouri, Indiana Proto-Algonquian (commonly abbreviated PA) is the name given to the posited Proto-language of the languages of the Algonquian family. ^[11] Alternately, the name is often associated with the indigenous Illiniwek people, a consortium of Algonquian tribes that thrived in the area. The Illiniwek (also known as the Illini, Illinois Confederacy) were a group of six Native American Tribes in the upper Mississippi River A consortium is an association of two or more individuals companies organizations or governments (or any combination of these entities with the objective of participating The Algonquian (also Algonkian, and pronounced both and) languages are a subfamily of Native American languages that includes most of the languages in the Algic The name Illiniwek is frequently (incorrectly) said to mean "tribe of superior men";^[12] or "men". Both etymologies are unworkable.

Geography

Chicago, the largest city in Illinois and the Midwest, as viewed from the John Hancock Center

Main article: Geography of Illinois

The northeastern border of Illinois is Lake Michigan. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The John Hancock Center at 875 N Michigan Ave. in Chicago, Illinois, is a 100- story, 1127-foot (344 m tall Skyscraper See also List of Illinois counties Illinois is in the north-central U Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America, and the only one located entirely within the United States. Its eastern border with Indiana is all of the land west of the Wabash River, and a north-south line above Post Vincennes, or 87° 31′ 30″ west longitude. The State of Indiana ( was the 19th US state admitted into the union The Wabash River is a long River in the eastern United States that flows southwest from northwest Ohio near St The city of Vincennes is the County seat of Knox County, Indiana. Its northern border with Wisconsin is fixed at 42° 30' north latitude. Wisconsin ( or wɪˈskɑnsɨn (French Ouisconsin) is one of the fifty United States of America, located in the north central part of the United States Its western border with Missouri and Iowa is the Mississippi River. Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee The State of Iowa ( is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States of America. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to Its southern border with Kentucky is the Ohio River. The Commonwealth of Kentucky ( is a state located in the East Central United States of America. The Ohio River is the largest Tributary by volume of the Mississippi River. ^[13] Illinois also borders Michigan, but only via a water boundary in Lake Michigan. Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. ^[14]

Though Illinois lies entirely in the Interior Plains, it has three major geographical divisions. The Interior Plains is a vast physiographic region that spreads across the Laurentian craton of North America The first is Northern Illinois, dominated by the Chicago metropolitan area, including the city of Chicago, its suburbs, and the adjoining exurban area into which the metropolis is expanding. Northern Illinois is a region generally covering the northern third of the U The Chicago metropolitan area is the Metropolitan area associated with the city of Chicago in the United States and its suburbs Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. As defined by the federal government, the Chicago metro area includes a few counties in Indiana and Wisconsin and stretches across much of northeastern Illinois. The State of Indiana ( was the 19th US state admitted into the union Wisconsin ( or wɪˈskɑnsɨn (French Ouisconsin) is one of the fifty United States of America, located in the north central part of the United States It is a cosmopolitan city, densely populated, industrialized, and settled by a wide variety of ethnic groups. The city of Rockford generally sits along Interstates 39 and 90 and is the state's third largest city. Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois Interstate 39 (I-39 is an interstate highway in the Midwestern United States. Interstate 90 (I-90 is the longest interstate highway in the United States at nearly 3100 miles (5000 kilometers

Southward and westward, the second major division is Central Illinois, an area of mostly flat prairie. Central Illinois is a region of the US state of Illinois that consists of the entire central section of the state divided in thirds from north to south Prairie, from the French prairie ("meadow" "grassland" "pasture" refers to an area of land of low topographic relief that historically Known as the Heart of Illinois, it is characterized by small towns and mid-sized cities. The western section (west of the Illinois River) was originally part of the Military Tract of 1812 and forms the distinctive western bulge of the state. In May 1812 an act of Congress was passed which set aside bounty lands as payment to volunteer soldiers for the War against the British ( War of 1812) Agriculture, particularly corn and soybeans, as well as educational institutions and manufacturing centers, figure prominently. Maize (ˈmeɪz ( Zea mays L. ssp mays) known as corn in some countries is a cereal grain domesticated in Mesoamerica Cities include Peoria—the third largest metropolitan area in Illinois at 370,000—Springfield—the state capital—Quincy, Decatur, Bloomington-Normal and Champaign-Urbana. Peoria Illinois (named after the Peoria tribe is the largest city on the Illinois River and the County seat of Peoria County, Illinois Springfield is the capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 116482 (U Quincy Illinois, known as the " Gem City " is a city on the Mississippi River in Adams County, Illinois, United States Decatur is the largest city and the county seat of Macon County in the U Bloomington-Normal refers to the twin municipalities of Bloomington and Normal in McLean County, in Central Illinois. Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. Urbana (ɝˈbænə is the County seat of Champaign County, Illinois, United States. ^[14]

Illinois, showing major cities and roads

The third division is Southern Illinois, comprising the area south of U.S. Route 50, and including Little Egypt, near the juncture of the Mississippi River and Ohio River. "Southern Illinois" redirects here For the university see Southern Illinois University Little Egypt is a term for the extreme southern US Route 50 is a major east-west route of the US Highway system, stretching just over 3000 miles (4800 km from Ocean City Maryland on the Atlantic Ocean "Southern Illinois" redirects here For the university see Southern Illinois University Little Egypt is a term for the extreme southern The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to The Ohio River is the largest Tributary by volume of the Mississippi River. This region can be distinguished from the other two by its warmer climate, different mix of crops (including some cotton farming in the past), more rugged topography (the southern tip is unglaciated with the remainder glaciated during the Illinoian Age and earlier ages), as well as small-scale oil deposits and coal mining. Cotton is a soft staple Fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant ( Gossypium sp The area is a little more populated than the central part of the state with the population centered in two areas. First, the Illinois suburbs of St. Louis comprise the second most populous metropolitan area in Illinois with nearly 600,000 inhabitants, and are known collectively as the Metro-East. Metro-East is a region in Illinois that comprises the eastern suburbs of St The second area is Williamson County, Jackson County, Franklin County, Saline County and Perry County. Williamson County is a County located in the US state of Illinois. Jackson County, incorporated January 10 1816 is a County located in the U Franklin County is a County located in the US state of Illinois. Saline County is a County located in the US state of Illinois. Perry County is a County located in the US state of Illinois. It is home to around 210,000 residents. ^[14]

The region outside of the Chicago Metropolitan area is often described as "downstate Illinois". However, residents of central and southern Illinois view their regions as geographically and culturally distinct, and do not necessarily use this term.

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. The Driftless Area or Paleozoic Plateau is a region in the American Midwest noted mainly for its deeply carved river valleys Charles Mound, located in this region, has the state's highest elevation above sea level at 1,235 feet (376 m). Charles Mound is a gentle high hill in northern Jo Daviess County Illinois, near the small town of Scales Mound and northeast of Galena. Mean sea level (MSL is the average (mean height of the Sea, with reference to a suitable reference surface The highest structure in Illinois is the Sears Tower with a roof elevation of approximately 2,030 feet (619 m) above sea level. The Sears Tower, a Skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois, has been the tallest building in North America since 1973 [Chicago elevation (580 ft) + tower height (1450) = 2030. ]

The floodplain on the Mississippi River from Alton to the Kaskaskia River is the American Bottom, and is the site of the ancient city of Cahokia. Alton is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about 15 miles north of St The Kaskaskia River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 320 miles (515 km long in central and southern Illinois in the United States The American Bottom is a Flood plain of the Mississippi River in southwestern Illinois, extending from Alton Illinois, to the Kaskaskia It was a region of early German settlement, as well as the site of the first state capital, at Kaskaskia which is separated from the rest of the state by the Mississippi River. Kaskaskia is a village in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. ^[15][14]

A portion of Southeastern Illinois is part of the extended Evansville, Indiana Metro Area, commonly referred to as the Tri-State with Indiana and Kentucky. Evansville (ˈɛvənzˌvɪl is the third-largest city in the U Seven Illinois Counties are in the area.

Climate

Main article: Climate of Illinois

Because of its nearly 400 mile (640 km) length and mid-continental situation, Illinois has a widely varying climate. The Climate of Illinois describes the average weather conditions and extremes noted within the state of Illinois over time Most of Illinois has a humid continental climate (Koppen climate classification Dfa) with hot, humid summers and cool to cold winters. The humid continental climate is a Climate found over large areas of land masses in the temperate regions of the mid-latitudes where there is a zone of conflict between The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems It was developed by Wladimir Köppen, a German climatologist The southernmost part of the state, from about Carbondale southward, borders on a humid subtropical climate (Koppen Cfa) with more moderate winters. Carbondale is a city in southern Illinois in the midwest United States, miles southeast of Saint Louis Missouri Humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa or Cwa) is a climate zone characterized by hot humid summers and chilly to mild winters Average yearly precipitation for Illinois varies from just over 48 inches (1,220 mm) at the southern tip to around 35 inches (890 mm) in the northern portion of the state. Normal annual snowfall exceeds 38 inches (96 cm) in the Chicago area, while the southern portion of the state normally receives less than 14 inches (35 cm). ^[16] The highest temperature recorded in Illinois was 117 °F (47 °C), recorded on July 14, 1954, at East St. Events 1223 - Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father Philip II of France. Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) Louis, while the lowest temperature was -36 °F (-38 °C), recorded on January 5, 1999, at Congerville. Events 1477 - Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is killed and Burgundy becomes part of France. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Congerville is a village in Woodford County, Illinois, United States. ^[17][15][14]

Illinois averages around 50 days of thunderstorm activity a year which put it somewhat above average for number of thunderstorm days for the United States. Illinois is vulnerable to tornadoes with an average of 35 occurring annually, which puts much of the state at around 5 tornadoes per 10,000 square miles (30,000 km²) annually. ^[18] 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. The Great Tri-State Tornado of Wednesday March 18, 1925, crossed from southeastern Missouri, through southern Illinois, then into southwestern ^[19]

Recreation

See also: List of protected areas of Illinois

Illinois has numerous museums. Overview Illinois has a wide variety of state owned and administered Protected areas state parks state forests state recreation areas state fish and wildlife areas The state of the art Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield is the largest presidential library in the country. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum documents the life of the 16th U And numerous museums in the city of Chicago are considered some of the best in the world. These include the John G. Shedd Aquarium, the Field Museum of Natural History, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Museum of Science and Industry. The John G Shedd Aquarium is an indoor Public aquarium in Chicago, Illinois in the United States that opened on May 30 The Field Museum of Natural History is located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's premier Fine art museums The Museum of Science and Industry (MSI is located in Chicago, Illinois in Jackson Park, in the Hyde Park neighborhood adjacent to The Museum of Science and Industry is the only building remaining from the 1893 Columbian Exposition held in Chicago to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus' discovery of the new world. The World's Columbian Exposition (also called The Chicago World's Fair) a World's Fair, was held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary

The Illinois state park system began in 1908 with what is now Fort Massac State Park becoming the first park in a system encompassing over 60 parks and about the same number of recreational and wildlife areas. The Illinois state park system began in 1908 with what is now Fort Massac State Park becoming the first park in a system encompassing over 60 parks and about the same number of recreational Fort Massac is a colonial-era fort on the Ohio River in Massac County, Illinois, USA.

Areas under the protection and control of the National Park Service include the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor near Lockport, the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, the Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield, the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail, and the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. The National Park Service ( NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation The Illinois and Michigan Canal ran 96 miles (155 km from the Bridgeport neighborhood in Chicago on the Chicago River to LaSalle Illinois, Lockport is a city in Will County, Illinois, United States that incorporated in 1853 The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail is part of the National Trails System Lincoln Home National Historic Site preserves the Springfield Illinois home Abraham Lincoln lived in from 1844 to 1861 before becoming the 16th President of The Mormon The Trail of Tears was the forced relocation of Native Americans from their homelands to Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma in the Western United States

History

Main article: History of Illinois

Pre-European

Copper plates found at pre-Columbian burial sites in Illinois. Pre-Columbian Cahokia, the urban center of the pre-Columbian Mississippian culture, was located near present-day Collinsville Illinois.

Cahokia, the urban center of the pre-Columbian Mississippian culture, was located near present-day Collinsville, Illinois. Christopher Columbus (1451 &ndash May 20 1506 was an Italian Navigator, colonizer The Mississippian culture was a mound-building Native American culture that flourished in what is now the Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern Collinsville is a city located mainly in Madison County, and partially in St That civilization vanished in the 15th century for unknown reasons. The next major power in the region was the Illiniwek Confederation, or Illini, a political alliance among several tribes. The Illiniwek (also known as the Illini, Illinois Confederacy) were a group of six Native American Tribes in the upper Mississippi River There were about 25,000 Illinois Indians in 1700, but systematic attacks and genocide by the Iroquois reduced their numbers by 90%. The Iroquois Confederacy (also known as the "League of Peace and Power" the "Five Nations" the "Six Nations" or the "People of the Longhouse ^[26] Members of the Potawatomi, Miami, Sauk, and other tribes came in from the east and north. The Potawatomi (also spelled Pottawatomie and Pottawatomi, among many variations) are a Native American people of the upper Mississippi The Miami are a Native American tribe originally found in Indiana, southwest Michigan and Ohio, and now living also in Oklahoma ^[14] In the American Revolution, the Illinois and Potawatomi supported the American cause.

European exploration

French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet explored the Illinois River in 1673. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Father Jacques Marquette ( June 1, 1637 &ndash May 18, 1675) was a French Missionary who founded Michigan Louis Jolliet, also known as Louis Joliet with only one L ( September 21, 1645 &ndash 1700 was a French Canadian explorer The Illinois River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 273 miles (439 km long in the U In 1680, other French explorers constructed a fort at he site of the nowaday’s city of Peoria, in 1682 a fort atop Starved Rock in nowaday’s Starved Rock State Park. Peoria Illinois (named after the Peoria tribe is the largest city on the Illinois River and the County seat of Peoria County, Illinois Starved Rock State Park is an Illinois State park located in Utica Illinois, in rural LaSalle County Illinois, about 75 miles (120 km Starved Rock State Park is an Illinois State park located in Utica Illinois, in rural LaSalle County Illinois, about 75 miles (120 km As a result of this French exploration, Illinois was part of the French empire until 1763, when it passed to the British. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The small French settlements continued; a few British soldiers were posted in Illinois but there were no British or American settlers. In 1778 George Rogers Clark claimed the Illinois Country for Virginia. George Rogers Clark (November 19 1752 – February 13 1818 was a soldier from Virginia and the highest ranking American military officer on the northwestern frontier during The Illinois Country ( Pays des Illinois) was the name used in the 17th century and afterwards to refer to an undefined region centered around present day southwest The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state The area was ceded by Virginia to the new United States in 1783 and became part of the Northwest Territory. For the Canadian territory see Northwest Territories. For the northwestern corner of the Lower 48 see Northwestern United States. ^[27]

19th century

The Illinois-Wabash Company was an early claimant to much of Illinois. The Illinois-Wabash Company, formally known as the United Illinois and Wabash Land Company, was a company formed in 1779 from the merger of the Illinois Company and the The Illinois Territory was created on February 3, 1809, with its capital at Kaskaskia. Illinois Territory was a historic Organized territory of the United States established on March 1, 1809. Events 1112 - Ramon Berenguer III of Barcelona and Douce I of Provence marry uniting the fortunes of those two states Year 1809 ( MDCCCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Kaskaskia is a village in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. In 1818, Illinois became the 21st U. S. state. The new state debated slavery then rejected it, as settlers poured into southern Illinois from Kentucky.

Thanks to Nathaniel Pope, the delegate from Illinois, Congress shifted the northern border 41 miles (66 km) north to 42° 30' north, which added 8,500 square miles (22,000 km²) to the state, including Chicago, Galena and the lead mining region. Nathaniel Pope ( January 5, 1784 &ndash January 22, 1850) was a politician and jurist from the U Galena is the largest city in and County seat of Jo Daviess County, Illinois in the United States with an estimated population of 3396 The capital remained at Kaskaskia, but in 1819 it was moved to Vandalia. Vandalia is a city in Fayette County, Illinois, 69 miles (111 km northeast of St In 1832 the Black Hawk War is fought in Illinois and nowaday's Wisconsin between the United States and several Indian tribes. The Black Hawk War was fought in 1832 in the Midwestern United States. Wisconsin ( or wɪˈskɑnsɨn (French Ouisconsin) is one of the fifty United States of America, located in the north central part of the United States Indians removed to Iowa, attempted to return, but were defeated by the U. S. militia and forced back to Iowa.

The winter of 1830-1831 is called the "Winter of the Deep Snow". A sudden, deep snowfall blanketed the state, making travel impossible for the rest of the winter. Many travelers perished. Several severe winters followed, including the "Winter of the Sudden Freeze". On December 20, 1836, a fast-moving cold front passed through, freezing puddles in minutes and killing many travelers who could not reach shelter. Events 69 - Vespasian, formerly a general under Nero, enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor. Year 1836 ( MDCCCXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap The adverse weather resulted in crop failures in the northern part of the state. The southern part of the state shipped food north and this may have contributed to its name: "Little Egypt", after the Biblical story of Joseph in Egypt supplying grain to his brothers. "Southern Illinois" redirects here For the university see Southern Illinois University Little Egypt is a term for the extreme southern Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin ^[28]

By 1839 the Mormon utopian city of Nauvoo, located on the Mississippi River, was created, settled, and flourished. TalkMormon#Latter Day Saint vs Latter-day Saint --> Mormon There is also a Nauvoo Alabama, and a Nauvoo Pennsylvania Nauvoo ( is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois In 1844 the Mormon leader Joseph Smith was killed in the Carthage, Illinois jail. Carthage is a city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. After close to six years of rapid development the Mormon city of Nauvoo, which rivaled Chicago as Illinois' largest city, saw a rapid decline. In 1846 the Mormons had left Illinois for the West in a mass exodus.

The state has a varied history in relation to Slavery and the treatment of African-Americans in general. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Some slave labor was used before it became a territory, but Slavery was banned by the time Illinois became a state in 1818. The Southern part of the state, known as "Little Egypt", was largely settled by immigrants from the South, and the section was sympathetic to the South and slave labor. For a while the section continued to allow some slave labor on a migratory basis, but citizens were opposed to allowing Blacks as permanent residents. In the Illinois Constitution of 1848, reacting to such concerns, a provision was made for exclusionary laws to be passed. In 1853 John A. Logan, later a Union General in the American Civil War, introduced such bills and laws were passed to prohibit all African-Americans, including Freedmen, from settling in the state. For other persons with similar names see John Logan. John Alexander Logan ( February 8, 1826 &ndash December 26 Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South A freedman is a former slave who has been manumitted or emancipated. ^[29]

Chicago gained prominence as a Great Lakes port and then as an Illinois and Michigan Canal port after 1848, and as a rail hub soon afterward. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The Laurentian Great Lakes are a chain of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada–United States border. The Illinois and Michigan Canal ran 96 miles (155 km from the Bridgeport neighborhood in Chicago on the Chicago River to LaSalle Illinois, By 1857, Chicago was Illinois' largest city. ^[27]

With the tremendous growth of mines and factories in Illinois in the 19th century, Illinois played an important role in the formation of labor unions in the United States. Labor unions in the United States function as legally recognized representatives of workers in numerous industries The Pullman Strike and Haymarket Riot in particular greatly influenced the development of the American labor movement. The The labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better

Further information: History of Chicago

American Civil War

Main article: Illinois in the Civil War

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. This article is about the history of Chicago Illinois. Early days At the beginning of recorded history the Chicago area was inhabited by a number of Algonquian The state of Illinois during the American Civil War was a major source of troops for the Union army (particularly for those armies serving in the Western Theater Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South The Union Army was the army that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads 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. Abraham Lincoln (February 12 1809 &ndash April 15 1865 the sixteenth President of the United States, successfully led his country through its greatest internal Seventeen cavalry regiments were also gathered, as well as two light artillery regiments. ^[30]

Twentieth century

In the 20th century, Illinois emerged as one of the most important states in the union with a population of nearly 5 million. By the end of the century, the population would reach 12. 4 million. The Century of Progress World's Fair was held at Chicago in 1933. A Century of Progress International Exposition was the name of a World's Fair held in Chicago, Illinois from 1933 to 1934 to celebrate Expo (short for "exposition" and also known as World Fair and World's Fair) is the name given to various large public exhibitions held since the Oil strikes in Marion County and Crawford County lead to a boom in 1937, and, by 1939, Illinois ranked 4th in U. Marion County is a County located in the US state of Illinois. Crawford County is a County located in the US state of Illinois. S. oil production.

Following World War II, Argonne National Laboratory, near Chicago, activated the first experimental nuclear power generating system in the United States in 1957. Argonne National Laboratory is one of the United States Department of Energy 's oldest and largest science and engineering research national laboratories and is By 1960, the first privately financed nuclear plant in United States, Dresden 1, was dedicated near Morris. Chicago became an ocean port with the opening of the Saint Lawrence Seaway in 1959. The St Lawrence Seaway is the common name for a system of Canals that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes The seaway and the Illinois Waterway connected Chicago to both the Mississippi River and the Atlantic Ocean. The Illinois Waterway system consists of 336 miles of water from the mouth of the Chicago River to the mouth of the Illinois River at Grafton, Illinois In 1960, Ray Kroc opened the first McDonald's franchise in Des Plaines. Raymond Albert Kroc ( October 5, 1902 - January 14, 1984) took over the then small-scale McDonald's Corporation franchise in 1954 and

In 1970, the state's sixth constitutional convention authored a new constitution to replace the 1870 version. It was ratified in December. The first Farm Aid concert was held in Champaign to benefit American farmers, in 1985. Farm Aid started as a Benefit concert on September 22, 1985, in Champaign Illinois, held to raise money for Family farmers in the The worst upper Mississippi River flood of the century, the Great Flood of 1993, inundated many towns and thousands of acres of farmland. WikipediaCiting sources --> See also Mississippi River The Upper Mississippi The Great Flood of 1993 occurred in the American Midwest, along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and their tributaries from April to October It also flooded many homes and streets slowing transportational services. ^[27]

Demographics

Illinois Population Density Map

As of 2006, Illinois has an estimated population of 12,831,970, which is an increase of 65,200 from the prior year and an increase of 412,323, or 3. 3%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 481,799 people (that is 1,138,398 births minus 656,599 deaths) and a decrease due to net migration of 71,456 people out of the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in an increase of 402,257 people, and migration within the country produced a loss of 473,713 people. American immigration ( emigration to the United States of America) refers to the movement of non-residents to the United States. ^[31]

As of 2004 there were 1,682,900 foreign-born (13. 3%). ^[32]

At the northern edge of the state on Lake Michigan lies Chicago, the nation's third largest city. In 2000, 23. 3% of the population lived in the city of Chicago, 43. 3% in Cook County and 65. 6% the counties of the Chicago metro area; Will, DuPage, Kane, Lake, and McHenry Counties as well as Cook County. The Chicago metropolitan area is the Metropolitan area associated with the city of Chicago in the United States and its suburbs The rest of the population lives in the smaller cities and in the rural areas that dot the state's plains. According to the 2000 census, the state population center was 41.278216° N 88.380238° W in Grundy County northeast of Mazon. In Demographics, the center of population of a region is the geographical point nearest to all the inhabitants of that region on average Grundy County is a County located in the US state of Illinois. Mazon is a village in Mazon Township, Grundy County, Illinois, United States. ^{[33][27][15][14]}

According to 2005 census, the racial distributions are as follows: 65. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity Roman Catholicism in the United States has grown dramatically over the country's history from being a tiny minority faith during the time of the Thirteen Colonies 6% White American, 15. White is a Color, the perception which is evoked by Light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive Cone cells in the Human eye 1% African-American, 3. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa 9% are Asian, 2% other, and the remaining 13. 2% are Hispanics or Latino of any race. Hispanic (hispano hispánico hispânico Hispānus adjective from ''Hispānia'', the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula) is a term that historically Nearly three in ten whites in Illinois claimed at least partial German ancestry on the Census. African-Americans are present in large numbers in the city of Chicago, East St. Louis, and the southern tip of the state. Residents citing American and British ancestry are especially concentrated in the southeastern part of the state. Metropolitan Chicago has the greatest numbers of people of Irish, Mexican, and Polish ancestry. Irish Americans (Gael-Mheiriceánach are citizens of the United States who can claim ancestry originating in Ireland. See also History of Mexican-Americans Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican ancestry A Polish American is an American citizen of Polish descent There are an estimated 10 million Americans of Polish descent

7. 1% of Illinois' population was reported as under age 5, 26. 1% under age 18, and 12. 1% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 51% of the population. ^[35][15]

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 10. 85% of the population aged 5 and older speak Spanish at home, while 1. 60% speak Polish. Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. ^[36]

Religion

Catholics and Protestants are the largest religious groups in Illinois. However, Illinois is not as heavily Protestant as are neighboring states. Roman Catholics, who are heavily concentrated in and around Chicago, account for 30% of the population. ^[37] Chicago and its suburbs are also home to a large and growing population of Hindus, Jews, Muslims, and Sikhs. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical American Jews, or Jewish Americans A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion Sikh (English or; ਸਿੱਖ sikkh, IPA) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism.

Economy

Illinois State Quarter

Main article: Economy of Illinois

The 2006 total gross state product for Illinois was nearly $589 billion USD,^[38] placing it 5th in the nation. The 50 State Quarters program ( is the release of a series of commemorative coins by the United States Mint. The economy of Illinois is highly diverse The Chicago metropolitan area is home to many of the nation's largest companies including Boeing Gross state product (or gross regional product) is a measurement of the economic output of a state or Province. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been The 2004 per capita income was $34,721 USD. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been ^[39]

Illinois's state income tax is calculated by multiplying net income by a flat rate, currently 3%. Net income is equal to the Income that a firm has after subtracting costs and Expenses from the total Revenue. A flat fee, also referred to as a flat rate or a linear rate, refers to a pricing structure that charges a single fixed fee for a service ^[40] There are two rates for state sales tax: 6. A sales tax is a Consumption tax charged at the Point of purchase for certain goods and services 25% for general merchandise and 1% for qualifying food, drugs and medical appliances. ^[41] The property tax is the largest single tax in Illinois, and is the major source of tax revenue for local government taxing districts. Property tax, or millage tax, is an Ad valorem tax that an owner pays on the value of the property being taxed The property tax is a local—not state—tax, imposed by local government taxing districts which include counties, townships, municipalities, school districts, and special taxing districts. A civil township is a widely used unit of Local government in the United States, subordinate to a county. School districts are a form of Special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools The property tax in Illinois is imposed only on real property. In the Common law, real property (or realty) refers to one of the two main classes of Property, the other class being Personal property ( ^[27][15][14]

Agricultural and industry

Illinois's agricultural outputs are corn, soybeans, hogs, cattle, dairy products, and wheat. Maize (ˈmeɪz ( Zea mays L. ssp mays) known as corn in some countries is a cereal grain domesticated in Mesoamerica Pigs, also called hogs or' swine', are Ungulates which have been domesticated as sources of food leather and similar products since ancient times Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family Wheat ( Triticum spp is a worldwide cultivated grass from the Levant area of the Middle East. In most years Illinois is the leading state for the production of soybeans,^[42] with a harvest of 500 million bushels (14 million metric tons) in 2004. This article is about the tonne or metric ton For other tons see Ton. Illinois is ranked second in total corn production. ^[43] Illinois' universities are actively researching alternative agricultural products as alternative crops.

As of 2003, the leading manufacturing industries in Illinois, based upon value-added, were chemical manufacturing ($16. 6 billion), food manufacturing ($14. 4 billion), machinery manufacturing ($13. 6 billion), fabricated metal products ($10. 5 billion), plastics and rubber products ($6. 8 billion), transportation equipment ($6. 7 billion), and computer and electronic products ($6. 4 billion). ^[44] Important non-manufacturing industries include financial services, publishing, petroleum, and coal. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit

Energy

Illinois is a net importer of fuels for energy, despite large coal resources and some minor oil production. Illinois exports electricity, ranking fifth among states in electricity production and seventh in electricity consumption. ^[45]

Coal

About 68% of Illinois has coal-bearing strata of the Pennsylvanian geologic period. The Pennsylvanian is a subperiod of the Carboniferous period lasting from roughly   to  Ma (million years ago According to the Illinois State Geological Survey, 211 billion tons of bituminous coal are estimated to lie under the surface, having a total heating value greater than the estimated oil deposits in the Arabian Peninsula. Bituminous coal is a relatively soft Coal containing a tarlike substance called Bitumen. The Arabian Peninsula (in Arabic: شبه الجزيرة العربية šibh al-jazīra al-ʻarabīya or جزيرة العرب jazīrat al-ʻarab) ^[46] However, this coal has a high sulfur content, which causes acid rain unless special equipment is used to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions. Sulfur or sulphur (ˈsʌlfɚ see spelling below) is the Chemical element that has the Atomic number 16 Acid rain is Rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually Acidic It has harmful effects on plants aquatic animals and infastructure Air pollution is the human introduction into the atmosphere of Chemicals Particulate matter, or Biological materials that cause harm or discomfort ^[27][15][14] Many Illinois power plants are not equipped to burn high-sulfur coal. In 1999, Illinois produced 40. 4 million tons of coal, but only 17 million tons (42%) of Illinois coal was consumed in Illinois. Most of the coal produced in Illinois is exported to other states, while much of the coal burned for power in Illinois (21 million tons in 1998) is mined in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming. The Powder River Basin is a region in southeast Montana and northeast Wyoming about east to west and north to south known for its Coal deposits The State of Wyoming ( is a sparsely populated state in the western region of the United States. ^[45]

Mattoon was recently chosen as the site for the Department of Energy's FutureGen project, a 275 megawatt experimental zero emission coal-burning power plant. Mattoon is a city in Coles County, Illinois, United States. The population was 18291 as of the 2000 census The United States Department of Energy ( DOE) is a Cabinet -level department of the United States government responsible for energy policy FutureGen is a US government project announced by President George W Zero emission refers to an Engine, Motor, or other energy source that emits no waste products that pollutes the environment or disrupts the climate

Petroleum

Illinois is a leading refiner of petroleum in the American Midwest, with a combined crude oil distillation capacity of nearly 900,000 barrels per day (143,000 m³/d). However, Illinois has very limited crude oil proved reserves that account for less than 1% of U. S. crude oil proved reserves. Residential heating is 81% natural gas compared to less than 1% heating oil. Natural gas is a Gaseous Fossil fuel consisting primarily of Methane but including significant quantities of Ethane, Propane, Heating oil, or oil heat, also known in the United States as No Illinois is ranked 14th in oil production among states, with a daily output of approximately 28,000 barrels (4,500 m³) in 2005. This is a list of Countries and their states/provinces that extract Crude oil from Oil wells Africa Algeria ( ^[47]

Nuclear power

Byron Nuclear Generating Station, in Ogle County. The Byron Nuclear Generating Station is a Nuclear power plant located in Ogle County Illinois, USA providing electricity to northern Illinois and the city Ogle County is a County located in the US state of Illinois. As of 2000 the population was 51032

Nuclear power arguably began in Illinois with the Chicago Pile-1, the world's first artificial self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction in the world's first nuclear reactor, built on the University of Chicago campus. Nuclear power is any Nuclear technology designed to extract usable Energy from atomic nuclei via controlled Nuclear reactions Chicago Pile-1 ( CP-1) was the world's first artificial Nuclear reactor. A nuclear chain reaction occurs when one Nuclear reaction causes an average of one or more nuclear reactions thus leading to a self-propagating number of these reactions This article is a subarticle of Nuclear power. A nuclear reactor is a device in which Nuclear chain reactions are initiated controlled The University of Chicago is a Private university located principally in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. A campus is traditionally the land on which a College or University and related institutional buildings are situated With six major nuclear power plants (Braidwood, Byron, Clinton, Dresden, LaSalle, and Quad Cities) housing eleven reactors, Illinois is ranked first in nuclear generating capacity among the 31 states with nuclear plants. Nuclear power is any Nuclear technology designed to extract usable Energy from atomic nuclei via controlled Nuclear reactions The Braidwood Nuclear power plant is located in Will County in northeastern Illinois, USA The Byron Nuclear Generating Station is a Nuclear power plant located in Ogle County Illinois, USA providing electricity to northern Illinois and the city Dresden Nuclear Power Plant ( Morris, Illinois) is the first privately financed nuclear power plant built in the United States LaSalle County Nuclear Generating Station, located 11 miles southeast of Ottawa Illinois serves Chicago and northern Illinois with electricity Quad Cities is a two-unit Nuclear power plant located near Cordova, Illinois, USA on the Mississippi River. ^[48] In 2005, 48% of Illinois' electricity was generated using nuclear power. ^[48]

Wind power

Illinois has seen growing interest in the use of wind power for electrical generation. Wind Power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form such as electricity using Wind turbines At the end of 2007 worldwide capacity of wind-powered generators was ^[49] Most of Illinois is rated "fair" for wind energy production by the Department of Energy, with some western sections rated "good" and parts of the south rated "poor". The United States Department of Energy ( DOE) is a Cabinet -level department of the United States government responsible for energy policy ^[50] Currently, there are four major wind farms in Illinois; the two largest farms each have a production capacity over 50 megawatts. A wind farm is a group of Wind turbines in the same location used for production of electric power The watt (symbol W) is the SI derived unit of power, equal to one Joule of energy per Second. A number of larger projects have also been proposed. ^[51] Although it currently represents only a negligible part of Illinois' energy production, it is estimated that wind power could provide 5-10% of the state's energy needs. ^[52]

Biofuels

Illinois is ranked second in corn production among U. Maize (ˈmeɪz ( Zea mays L. ssp mays) known as corn in some countries is a cereal grain domesticated in Mesoamerica S. states, and Illinois corn is used to produce 40% of the ethanol consumed in the United States. ^[53] The Archer Daniels Midland corporation in Decatur, Illinois is the world's leading producer of ethanol from corn. The Archer Daniels Midland Company ( is a conglomerate based in Decatur Illinois. Decatur is the largest city and the county seat of Macon County in the U

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is one of the partners in the Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI), a $500 million biofuels research project funded by petroleum giant BP. This article is about the flagship campus For other uses and locations of University of Illinois, see University of Illinois (disambiguation The University of The Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI formally announced on February 1 2007, is an organization that will pursue research "to develop new sources of energy BP plc, previously known as British Petroleum, is the third largest global Energy company, a multinational oil company (" Oil major ^[54][55] Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich recently announced a $25 million grant program to fund the construction of five new ethanol and biodiesel plants in Illinois. Rod R Blagojevich (bləˈgɔɪəvɪtʃ, born December 10, 1956) is an American Politician from the state of Illinois. Biodiesel refers to a non-petroleum-based Diesel fuel consisting of short chain Alkyl ( Methyl or ethyl) Esters made by ^[56]

Transportation

The sample version of the current Illinois passenger license plate introduced in 2001. A vehicle registration plate is a metal or plastic plate attached to a Motor vehicle or trailer for official identification purposes

See also: List of airports in Illinois, List of Illinois Routes, List of Illinois railroads, and Category:Illinois waterways

Because of its central location and its proximity to the Rust Belt and Grain Belt, Illinois is a national crossroads for rail, auto and truck traffic. tags they are used to transclude this state's "Commercial Service - Primary" airports in the List of airports The organized system of Illinois Routes (typically abbreviated as ILL) the State highway system for the U The following Railroads operate in the US state of Illinois. Common freight carriers Alton and Southern Railway (ALS The Rust Belt, sometimes called the Manufacturing Belt, is an area in parts of the Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic States, and portions of the Grain Belt The Grain Belt is an informal name for a United States region composed of the Prairie -region states across the northern Midwest

Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD) is one of the busiest airports in the world, with 62 million domestic passengers annually along with 12 million international passengers. ^[57] It is a hub for United Airlines and American Airlines, and a major airport expansion project is currently underway. An airline hub is an Airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination United Air Lines Inc, trading as United Airlines ( is a major airline of the United States. American Airlines Inc (AA is a US -based airline and the world's Largest airline in total passenger miles transported and passenger fleet size Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) is the secondary airport serving metro Chicago, with 19 million passengers in 2006. Chicago Midway International Airport, also known simply as Midway Airport or Midway, is an Airport in Chicago Illinois, United States

Illinois has an extensive rail network transporting both passengers and freight. Chicago is a national Amtrak hub and in-state passengers are served by Amtrak's Illinois Service featuring the Chicago to Carbondale Illini and Chicago to Quincy Illinois Zephyr and Chicago to St. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Doing business as Amtrak, is a Government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 The Illinois Service is a passenger rail network that consists of six routes operated by Amtrak to provide frequent daily service between Chicago The Illinois Zephyr is a 258-mile (415 km Passenger train operated by Amtrak that runs between Chicago and Quincy Illinois. Louis [lincoln service]. Currently there is trackwork on the Chicago-St. Louis line to bring the maximum speed up to 110 mph (180 km/h) which would reduce the trip time by an hour and a half. Nearly every North American railway meets at Chicago, making it one of the largest and most active rail hubs in the world. Extensive commuter rail is provided in the city proper and immediate northern suburbs by the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system. Chicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit within the City of Chicago, Illinois. The 'L' (variously and sometimes, styled "L" El EL or L) is a Rapid transit system that serves the city of The largest suburban commuter rail system in the United States, operated by Metra, uses existing rail lines to provide direct commuter rail access for hundreds of suburbs to the city and beyond. Metra (officially known as the Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation) is a Regional rail system that serves the city of Chicago Illinois

Major U. S. Interstate highways crossing the state include: I-24, I-39, I-55, I-57, I-64, I-70, I-72, I-74, I-80, I-88, I-90, and I-94. Interstate 24 (I-24 is an Interstate highway in the eastern United States. Interstate 39 (I-39 is an interstate highway in the Midwestern United States. Interstate 55 (I-55 is an Interstate highway in the central United States. Interstate 57 (I-57 is an Interstate highway in the midwestern United States. Interstate 64 (abbreviated I-64) is an Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. Interstate 70 (I-70 is an Interstate highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort Utah, to a Park and Ride Interstate 72 (abbreviated I-72) is an Interstate highway in the midwestern United States. Interstate 74 (abbreviated I-74) is an Interstate highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Interstate 80 (I-80 is the second-longest Interstate Highway in the United States (after I-90) History Prior to its designation as an Interstate Highway the route was known as IL 5, and before that IL 190. Interstate 90 (I-90 is the longest interstate highway in the United States at nearly 3100 miles (5000 kilometers Illinois carries the distinction of having the most primary (2-digit) Interstates pass through it among the 50 states. In 2005, there were 1,355 traffic deaths on Illinois roadways, the lowest in more than 60 years. ^{[14][15][27][58]}

In addition to the states rail lines, the Mississippi River and Illinois River provide major routes for the states agricultural interests. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to The Illinois River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 273 miles (439 km long in the U Lake Michigan connects Illinois to all waterways east. Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America, and the only one located entirely within the United States.

Law and government

Main article: Government of Illinois

See also: Illinois state elections, 2006

Under its constitution, Illinois has three branches of government: executive, legislative and judicial. The state government of Illinois is modeled after the federal government with adaptations originating from traditions cultivated during the state's frontier era The 2006 Election for statewide offices in the State of Illinois were held on 7 November 2006. Legislative functions are granted to the Illinois General Assembly, composed of the 118-member Illinois House of Representatives and the 59-member Illinois Senate. The Illinois General Assembly is the Legislative branch of the Government of the state of Illinois in the United States, created by the The Illinois House of Representatives is the Lower house of the Illinois General Assembly, the state legislature of the U The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the Legislative branch of the government of the State of The executive branch is led by the Governor of Illinois, but four other executive officials are separately elected by the people. The Governor of Illinois is the chief executive of the State of Illinois and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction as prescribed in the The judiciary is composed of the Supreme Court of Illinois and the lower appellate and circuit courts. The Supreme Court of Illinois is the highest judicial court of the state of Illinois. Court of Appeal, Court of Appeals, and Appellate Division redirect here for a list of specific courts using those titles see Court of Appeal Circuit court is the name of court systems in several Common law jurisdictions ^[13]

The dome on the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield is taller than the dome on the United States Capitol. The Illinois State Capitol, located in Springfield Illinois, is the capitol and seat of government of the U

Politics

Historically, Illinois was a major battleground state between the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The Governor of Illinois is the chief executive of the State of Illinois and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction as prescribed in the Rod R Blagojevich (bləˈgɔɪəvɪtʃ, born December 10, 1956) is an American Politician from the state of Illinois. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. The Lieutenant Governor of Illinois is the second highest executive of the State of Illinois. Patrick J Quinn (born December 16, 1948) is an American Politician from Illinois. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. The Illinois Attorney General is the highest legal officer of the state of Illinois in the United States. Lisa Madigan (born July 30, 1966 in Chicago) is the current and 41st Attorney General of the U The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. The Secretary of State of Illinois is the keeper of the official records laws and Great Seal of Illinois. Jesse White (born June 23, 1934) is a Democratic American politician. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. The Comptroller of Illinois is an elected official of the US state of Illinois. Daniel W Hynes (born July 20, 1968 in Chicago) is currently the Comptroller of the State of Illinois. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. The Treasurer of Illinois is an elected official of the US state of Illinois. Alexi Giannoulias (born March 16, 1976) is the Democratic Illinois State Treasurer. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. In recent elections, it has gradually shifted more Democratic at the national and state level and has become the most Democratic state in the Midwest. Democratic dominance in Illinois is due in part to the control of Chicago. In addition, Democrats have made inroads in the traditionally Republican "collar counties" (i. e. , the suburbs surrounding Chicago's Cook County, Illinois), which are becoming increasingly diverse. Cook County is a county in the US state of Illinois. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles In downstate Illinois, Republicans usually prevail in rural northern and central Illinois, and Democrats usually win in southern Illinois and in the Quad Cities and East St. Louis metropolitan areas. The Quad Cities is geographic region of the Mid-Mississippi Valley of the United States that includes multiple communities in the states of Iowa and Illinois East St Louis is a city located in St Clair County Illinois, USA directly across the Mississippi River from St Illinois voted for Democratic presidential candidates in the last four elections. John Kerry easily won the state's 21 electoral votes in 2004 by a margin of 11 percentage points with 54. 8% of the vote despite winning outright in only 15 of 102 counties.

Politics in the state, particularly Chicago machine politics, have been famous for highly visible corruption cases, as well as for crusading reformers such as governors Adlai Stevenson (D) and James R. Thompson (R). Chicago machine redirects here For the Major League Lacrosse team see Chicago Machine. This is about the mid-20th-century politician and diplomat for other American politicians so named see Adlai Stevenson (disambiguation. James Robert Thompson Jr (born May 8, 1936) also known as "Big Jim Thompson" was the longest-serving Governor of the U In 2006, former Governor George Ryan (R) was convicted of racketeering and bribery. George Homer Ryan (born February 24 1934 in Maquoketa Iowa) was the Republican Governor of the U In the late 20th century Congressman Dan Rostenkowski (Dem) was imprisoned for mail fraud; former governor and federal judge Otto Kerner, Jr. (D) was imprisoned for bribery; and State Auditor of Public Accounts (Comptroller) Orville Hodge (R) was imprisoned for embezzlement. Daniel David "Dan" Rostenkowski (born January 2, 1928 in Chicago, Illinois) is a former United States Representative from Otto Kerner Jr ( August 15, 1908 – May 9, 1976) was Democratic Governor of Illinois from 1961 to 1968 Orville Enoch Hodge (born October 1, 1904, Anderson Indiana - died 29 December, 1986, Edwardsville Illinois) was the In 1912 William Lorimer, the GOP boss of Chicago, was expelled from the U. S. Senate for bribery, and in 1921 Governor Len Small (R) was found to have defrauded the state of a million dollars. ^[59][27][15]

Illinois has the unique distinction of having popularly elected two of the five African Americans who have served in the U. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa S. Senate: Carol Moseley-Braun and Barack Obama. Carol Elizabeth Moseley Braun (born August 16, 1947) is an American Politician and Lawyer who represented Illinois in the ^[60]

The first Governor was Shadrach Bond, who served from 1818 to 1822. Shadrach Bond ( November 24, 1773 &ndash April 12, 1832) was a representative from Illinois Territory to the United States

Two presidents have claimed Illinois as their political base, former Representative of Illinois' 7th congressional district Abraham Lincoln (born in Kentucky) and General Ulysses S. Grant (born in Ohio). The 7th Congressional District of Illinois includes part of Cook County. Abraham Lincoln (February 12 1809 &ndash April 15 1865 the sixteenth President of the United States, successfully led his country through its greatest internal Ulysses S Grant, born Hiram Ulysses Grant (April 27 1822 &ndash July 23 1885 was an American general and the eighteenth President of the United States President Ronald Reagan was born in Tampico, Illinois, but ran from his political home state of California, where he served as Governor. Tampico is a village located in Whiteside County Illinois, United States. Former Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson was the Democratic nominee for president in 1952 and 1956. This is about the mid-20th-century politician and diplomat for other American politicians so named see Adlai Stevenson (disambiguation. Current Illinois Senator Barack Obama (born in Honolulu, Hawaii) received enough delegates to clinch the Presidential nomination of the Democratic Party in the 2008 United States Presidential election, and if successful in the general election, would be the third president from Illinois. Honolulu is the Capital and most populous Census-designated place (CDP in the U The United States presidential election of 2008, scheduled for Tuesday November 4 2008 will be the 56th consecutive His main opponent for the nomination, New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (born in Chicago and raised in Park Ridge, Illinois) would have been the second president born in Illinois, although she is running from New York. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26 1947 is the junior United States Senator from Park Ridge Illinois, is a suburb of 37775 residents Fifteen miles northwest of downtown Chicago it is close to O'Hare Airport, major expressways and rail transportation

Largest cities

See also: List of cities in Illinois and List of towns and villages in Illinois

Chicago is the largest city in the state and the third most populous city in the United States. List of cities in Illinois, arranged in alphabetical order but does not include towns villages or unincorporated communities List of towns and Villages in Illinois, arranged in alphabetical order Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The US Bureau of the Census currently lists seven other cities with populations of over 100,000 within Illinois. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title) is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census Based upon the Bureau's official 2006 scientific estimates,^[61] they are: Aurora, a Chicago outlier which at 170,617 has recently (2006) eclipsed Rockford for the title of "Second City" of Illinois. Aurora is the second-largest City in the US state of Illinois, with a population of 175952 (2007 est In Statistics, an outlier is an observation that is numerically distant from the rest of the data. Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois However, at 155,138, Rockford is not only the number three city, but also remains the largest city in the state not located within the Chicago metropolitan area. Naperville, another suburb located west of Chicago, is the fourth largest city in the state, with a population of 142,901. Naperville ( is an affluent city in the Chicago metropolitan area in Illinois in the United States, voted the second and third best place to live Joliet, a city southwest of Chicago, is fifth with 142,702. Joliet is a city in Will county in the US state of Illinois, located 40 miles southwest of Chicago. Springfield, the state capital of Illinois, comes in sixth with 116,482. Springfield is the capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 116482 (U Peoria, which decades ago was the second largest city in the state, comes in seventh with 113,107. Peoria Illinois (named after the Peoria tribe is the largest city on the Illinois River and the County seat of Peoria County, Illinois The final city in the 100,000 club is Elgin, an outlying northwest suburb of Chicago with a 2006 population of 101,903. Elgin (ˈɛldʒɨn is a city. (645 km northwest of Chicago on the Fox River. Other major urban areas include the Illinois portion of the Greater St. Louis area (often called the Metro-East area) which has a population of over 600,000 people, the Illinois portion the Quad Cities area which has a population of 215,000, the Champaign-Urbana area which has a combined population of 210,000, and Bloomington-Normal with a combined population of over 125,000. Greater St Louis is the common name of the St Louis-StCharles-Farmington MO-IL CSA or Metro St Metro-East is a region in Illinois that comprises the eastern suburbs of St The Quad Cities is geographic region of the Mid-Mississippi Valley of the United States that includes multiple communities in the states of Iowa and Illinois The Champaign-Urbana Metropolitan Statistical Area, also known as Champaign-Urbana and colloquially known as Chambana, is a metropolitan area in east Bloomington-Normal refers to the twin municipalities of Bloomington and Normal in McLean County, in Central Illinois.

Chicago's skyline

Education

Rockefeller Chapel, constructed in 1928, is the tallest structure on the University of Chicago campus. Rockefeller Chapel is by order the tallest building on the campus of the University of Chicago in Chicago Illinois. The University of Chicago is a Private university located principally in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago.

Illinois State Board of Education

Main article: Illinois State Board of Education

The Illinois State Board of Education or ISBE, autonomous of the governor and the state legislature, administers public education in the state. The Illinois State Board of Education or ISBE autonomous of the governor and the state legislature administers Public education in the state of Illinois. Public education is education mandated for or offered to the children of the general public by the Government, whether national regional or local provided by an institution Local municipalities and their respective school districts operate individual public schools but the ISBE audits performance of public schools with the Illinois School Report Card. School districts are a form of Special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools The Illinois School Report Card is a measurement of school performance created by the Illinois State Board of Education. The ISBE also makes recommendations to state leaders concerning education spending and policies.

Primary and secondary schools

See also: List of school districts in Illinois and List of high schools in Illinois

Education is compulsory from kindergarten through the twelfth grade in Illinois, commonly but not exclusively divided into three tiers of primary and secondary education: elementary school, middle school or junior high school and high school. List of school districts in Illinois (879 school districts Adams County Central Community Unit School District 3 - District This is a list of high schools in the state of Illinois. Adams County Central High School, Camp Point Primary education is the first stage of Compulsory education. Australia See also Education See also Primary education An elementary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of Compulsory education known as elementary Middle school or Junior High School serves as a "bridge" between the Elementary School and the High School Middle school or Junior High School serves as a "bridge" between the Elementary School and the High School High school is the name used in some parts of the world (in particular Scotland, North America and Australia) to describe an institution District territories are often complex in structure. In some cases, elementary, middle and junior high schools of a single district feed into high schools in another district.

Colleges and universities

See also: List of colleges and universities in Illinois

Major universities

Using the criterion established by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, there are nine "National Universities" in the state. The following is a list of Colleges and universities in the U Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and Education, founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1905 and Chartered in 1906 by an Act of Congress, is a Four of these rank among the top 100 National Universities in United States, as determined by the prestigious US News and World Report rankings: the University of Chicago (9), Northwestern University (14), the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (38), and the Illinois Institute of Technology (96) [3]. USNews & World Report is an influential weekly American Newsmagazine published in Washington D The University of Chicago is a Private university located principally in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. This article is about the flagship campus For other uses and locations of University of Illinois, see University of Illinois (disambiguation The University of Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT is a private PhD-granting university located in the greater Chicago Illinois area with programs in Engineering, Science, The other five major schools are: (alphabetically) DePaul University, Illinois State University, Loyola University Chicago, Northern Illinois University, and Southern Illinois University Carbondale. DePaul University is a private institution of Higher education and Research in Chicago, Illinois, U Illinois State University is a Public university in Normal Illinois and is the oldest public institution of Higher education in the state. Loyola University Chicago is a private co-educational Jesuit university established in Chicago in 1870 as Saint Ignatius College Northern Illinois University (NIU is a Public university located in DeKalb Illinois. Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC but usually just referred to as SIU) is located in Carbondale, Illinois.

Other post-secondary schools

Besides the "National Universities", Illinois has several other universities, both public and private. The following is a list of Colleges and universities in the U There are also literally dozens of small liberal arts colleges across the state. Liberal arts colleges are primarily colleges with an emphasis upon Undergraduate study in the Liberal arts. Additionally, Illinois supports 49 public community colleges in the Illinois Community College System. A community college is a type of Educational institution. The term has different meanings in different countries The Illinois Community College System consists of 39 public community college districts composed of 48 Community colleges and one multi-college center (East St

Sports

Soldier Field following renovation.

See also: List of professional sports teams in Illinois

Because of its large population, Chicago is the focus of most professional sports in Illinois though outside of the Chicago area professional teams in St. The following is a List of professional sports teams in Illinois. Louis and Indianapolis are also supported. Chicago is the home to 15 different professional sports teams.

The Chicago Cubs of the National League play in the second-oldest major league stadium (Wrigley Field) and are famous for not winning the World Series since 1908. The Chicago Cubs are a Professional Baseball franchise based in Chicago, Illinois. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball Wrigley Field is a Baseball Stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago The Chicago White Sox of the American League won the World Series championship in 2005, their first since 1917. The Chicago White Sox are a professional Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League ( AL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation. The Chicago Bears football team has won 9 total NFL Championships, the last occurring in Super Bowl XX. The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists#Proposed change to all featured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below Super Bowl XX was an American football game played on January 26, 1986 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans Louisiana to Coincidentally, the city's Arena Football League team, the Chicago Rush, won ArenaBowl XX. The Arena Football League (AFL was founded in 1987 as an American football indoor league. The Chicago Rush is a team in the Arena Football League. They began play as a 2001 expansion team ArenaBowl XX, held on Sunday June 11, 2006, was played to determine the Championship of the 2006 season of the Arena Football League The Chicago Bulls of the NBA are one of the most recognized basketball teams in the world, thanks to the heroics of a player often cited as the best ever, Michael Jordan, who led the team to six NBA championships in eight seasons in the 1990s. The Chicago Bulls are an American professional Basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17 1963 is a retired American professional Basketball player and active businessman The Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL began playing in 1926 as a member of the Original Six and have won three Stanley Cups. The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America For the first ships of the United States Navy, see Six original United States frigates. The Chicago Fire soccer club are members of MLS and are one of the league's most successful and best-supported since its founding in 1997, winning one league and four US Open Cups in that timespan. Major League Soccer ( MLS) is the top-flight professional Soccer league in the United States and Canada with 14 teams 13 in the U The Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is an American soccer competition open to all United States Soccer Federation (USSF affiliated teams from amateur adult club teams all the The Chicago Wolves are an AHL minor league team that is also very popular and has been a winning team since it's first season. The Chicago Wolves are a professional hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. Ahl is a surname and may refer to David H Ahl Ernst Ahl Frederick Ahl John Alexander Ahl The city was formerly home to other teams, such as the Chicago Rockers of the CBA, Chicago Skyliners of the IBL, the Chicago Bruisers of Arena Football and the Chicago Blitz of the USFL. The Chicago Bruisers were a charter member of the Arena Football League, playing in the four-team "demonstration season" of 1987. The Chicago Blitz were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s For the proposed "New USFL" see United States Football League (2010. Before the Fire, the Chicago Sting of Major League Soccer and the Chicago Power of the MISL both spent time as the state's premiere soccer team. The Chicago Sting ( 1975 - 1994) was an American professional soccer team based in Chicago Illinois. Major League Soccer ( MLS) is the top-flight professional Soccer league in the United States and Canada with 14 teams 13 in the U The Chicago Power were an Indoor soccer club based in Chicago Illinois that competed in the American Indoor Soccer Association and National Professional The Major Indoor Soccer League was the top professional Indoor soccer league in the USA. The city is not the only place where sports played professionally. The Rockford Lightning is one of the oldest CBA teams in the league, and the Peoria Chiefs and Kane County Cougars are minor league baseball teams affiliated with MLB. The Rockford Lightning are a Basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association. The Peoria Chiefs are a Class A Minor league baseball team affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, from Peoria Illinois. The Kane County Cougars are a Class A Minor league baseball team affiliated with the Oakland Athletics, that plays in the Midwest League. The Schaumburg Flyers are a prominent independent league baseball team. The Schaumburg Flyers are a professional baseball team based in Schaumburg Illinois, in the United States.

See also

• List of Illinois-related topics

References

Bibliography

• Biles, Roger. Illinois: A History of the Land and Its People (2005)
• Bridges, Roger D. and Davis, Rodney O. , Illinois : Its History and Legacy (1984) (ISBN 0933150865)
• Cole, Arthur Charles. The Era of the Civil War, 1848-1870 (1919). ISBN 0-8369-5646-X. narrative history
• Costa, David J. Illinois. (2007). Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas Newsletter XXV: 4, 9-12.
• Davis, James E. Frontier Illinois (1998). ISBN 0-253-33423-3. analytic history
• Gove, Samuel K. and James D. Nowlan. Illinois Politics & Government: The Expanding Metropolitan Frontier (1996). ISBN 0-8032-7014-3. Government text with guide to further sources.
• Grossman, James R. , Ann Durkin Keating, and Janice L. Reiff, eds. The Encyclopedia of Chicago (2004). ISBN 0-226-31015-9. online version; major scholarly guide to the metro area's history, geography, and culture
• Hallwas, John E. ed. , Illinois Literature: The Nineteenth Century (1986). OCLC 14228886.
• Howard, Robert P. Illinois: A History of the Prairie State (1972). ISBN 0-8028-7025-2. textbook
• Jensen, Richard. Illinois: A History (2001). ISBN 0-252-07021-6. interpretation using a traditional-modern-postmodern model.
• Keiser, John H. Building for the Centuries: Illinois 1865-1898 (1977). ISBN 0-252-00617-8, narrative history
• Meyer, Douglas K. Making the Heartland Quilt: A Geographical History of Settlement and Migration in Early-Nineteenth-Century Illinois (2000). ISBN 0-8093-2289-7.
• Kilduff, Pygman. Illinois: History Government Geography (1962) school text
• Kleppner, Paul. Political Atlas of Illinois (1988). ISBN 0-87580-136-6. Maps for 1980s.
• Peck, J. M. A Gazetteer of Illinois (1837). ISBN 1-55613-782-6.
• Sutton, Robert P. ed. The Prairie State: A Documentary History of Illinois (1977). ISBN 0-8028-1651-7. 2 vol of primary sources
• Walton, C. Clyde. ed. An Illinois Reader (1970), primary sources
• Works Progress Administration. The Works Progress Administration (renamed in 1939 the Work Projects Administration; WPA) was the largest New Deal agency employing millions of people Illinois: A Descriptive and Historical Guide (1939). ISBN 0-394-72195-0. A famous survey covering every town and city and much more.

External links

• State of Illinois Web Site
• Illinois State Databases - Annotated list of searchable databases produced by Illinois state agencies and compiled by the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association.
• USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Illinois
• U.S. Census Bureau
• Illinois State Facts
• Biographies of Illinois Governors 1818 to 1885
• 1837 Gazetteer of Illinois