Monday, May 23, 2011

Illinois


State of Illinois
Flag of IllinoisState seal of Illinois
FlagSeal
Nickname(s): Land of Lincoln; The Prairie State
Motto(s): State sovereignty, national union
Map of the United States with Illinois highlighted
Official language(s)English
Spoken language(s)English (86.8%)
Spanish (4.9%)
Polish (1.6%)
Other (6.7%)
DemonymIllinoisan
CapitalSpringfield
Largest cityChicago
Largest metro areaChicago metropolitan area
Area Ranked 25th in the U.S.
 - Total57,914 sq mi
(149,998 km2)
 - Width210 miles (340 km)
 - Length395 miles (629 km)
 - % water4.0/ Negligible
 - Latitude36° 58′ N to 42° 30′ N
 - Longitude87° 30′ W to 91° 31′ W
Population Ranked 5th in the U.S.
 - Total12,830,632 (2010)
- Density223.4/sq mi  (86.27/km2)
Ranked 12th in the U.S.
 - Median income $54,124 (17)
Elevation 
 - Highest pointCharles Mound
1,235 ft  (377 m)
 - Mean600 ft  (182 m)
 - Lowest pointMississippi River
279 ft  (85 m)
Before statehoodIllinois Territory
Admission to Union December 3, 1818 (21st)
GovernorPat Quinn (D)
Lieutenant GovernorSheila Simon (D)
LegislatureGeneral Assembly
 - Upper houseSenate
 - Lower houseHouse of Representatives
U.S. SenatorsDick Durbin (D)
Mark Kirk (R)
U.S. House delegation11 Republicans, 8 Democrats 
Time zoneCentral: UTC-6/-5
AbbreviationsIL, Ill., US-IL
Websiteillinois.gov

Illinois  is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. It is the most populous state in the Midwest region; however with 65% of its residents concentrated in the Chicago metropolitan area, most of the state has either a rural or a small-town character. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal, timber, and petroleum in the south, Illinois has a broad economic base. Illinois is an important transportation hub; the Port of Chicago connects the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River via the Illinois River, and for decades, O'Hare International Airport has ranked as one of the world's busiest airports. As the "most average state", Illinois has long had a reputation as a bellwether both in social and cultural terms and politics.

In the 1810s settlers began arriving from Kentucky; in 1818 Illinois achieved statehood. The state filled up from south to north. Chicago was founded in the 1830s on the banks of the Chicago River, one of the few natural harbors on southern Lake Michigan. Railroads and John Deere's invention of the self-scouring steel plowturned Illinois' rich prairie into some of the world's most productive and valuable farmlands, attracting immigrant farmers from Germany and Sweden. By 1900, the growth of industrial jobs in the northern cities and coal mining in the central and southern areas attracted immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe. Illinois was an important manufacturing center during both world wars. The Great Migration of African Americans from the rural South to Chicago, established a large community that created the city's famous jazz and blues cultures.Illinois  is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. It is the most populous state in the Midwest region; however with 65% of its residents concentrated in the Chicago metropolitan area, most of the state has either a rural or a small-town character. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal, timber, and petroleum in the south, Illinois has a broad economic base. Illinois is an important transportation hub; the Port of Chicago connects the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River via the Illinois River, and for decades, O'Hare International Airport has ranked as one of the world's busiest airports. As the "most average state", Illinois has long had a reputation as a bellwether both in social and cultural terms and politics.
Three U.S. Presidents have been elected while living in Illinois — Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and Barack Obama. However, the only President actually born and raised in Illinois was Ronald Reagan. Today, Illinois honors Lincoln with its official state slogan, Land of Lincoln, which is displayed on its license plates.

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