- Illinois has had three state seals since it became a state. The most recent version dates back to …
The state of Illinois lies in the Midwestern heartland of the United States. It presents a striking contrast between urban and rural life. Illinois consists of two parts—Chicago and Downstate. Chicago is the nation's third largest city and an industrial and financial center. The city and its surrounding counties have a population of more than 8 million. Downstate refers to the rest of Illinois, not just to the south but to the northwest as well. The population of this part of the state exceeds 4 million. The name of the state comes from an Indian word, Iliniwek, meaning “men.” Illinois is popularly called the Land of Lincoln after the country's 16th president. Illinois was where Abraham Lincoln became a lawyer, entered politics, married, served as a congressman, and was nominated for the presidency in 1860. GeographyIllinois covers 56,345 square miles (145,934 square kilometers) in the north-central part of the United States. Wisconsin borders it on the north. To the west the Mississippi River separates Illinois from Iowa and Missouri. On the south the Ohio River forms the boundary with Kentucky. To the east is Indiana, with the Wabash River forming part of the boundary. The northeastern part of the state stretches along Lake Michigan for 63 miles (101 kilometers). Illinois was called the Prairie State by its early explorers because of its vast grasslands. It is one of the most level states, with an average elevation of about 600 feet (180 meters). Illinois consists of several natural regions. Gradually sloping hills and shallow river valleys cover most of the state. The highest point in the state is in this region: Charles Mound in the northwest, at 1,241 feet (378 meters). The Ozark Mountains extend into Illinois from Missouri in the southwest corner. Another area of low plateaus enters Illinois from Indiana and Kentucky in the southeast. This area is sometimes called the Shawnee Hills. Plants and animalsForests cover more than 10 percent of the land in Illinois. The state's length gives it an unusual variety of Northern and Southern plant life. The chief trees are oak, beech, hickory, and maple. Some pines have been planted in state forests. Wildlife once roamed freely around the Illinois prairies and forests. But the bison, bear, wolf, mountain lion, and elk have since disappeared. Deer became extinct in 1910, but the Department of Conservation reintroduced the animal to the area in 1933. Although pollution has nearly wiped out many species of fish, bullheads, carp, and catfish still abound. People and cultureThe Illinois region was originally inhabited by Native American peoples. Europeans arrived in the area in the 17th century. At that time the most important Native American group in the region was the Illinois, a loose alliance of tribes including the Cahokia, Kaskaskia, Michigamea, Peoria, and Tamaroa. By the early 1830s most of the state's Native Americans had been forced to move west of the Mississippi River. The first permanent white settlers in the region were the French. Illinois remained largely French until after the American Revolution. In the early 19th century English settlers and Americans from the Eastern states moved into the area. Beginning in the 1840s Illinois attracted large numbers of European immigrants. Most of these were Germans, Irish, and Scandinavians, who settled in the northern half of the state. Other waves of immigrants arrived in the late 1800s and early 1900s. These people, chiefly from Central and Southern Europe, settled in the larger cities to work in factories and mills. Chicago in particular drew settlers from many ethnic backgrounds. At the beginning of the 21st century African Americans made up about 15 percent of the population of Illinois. The majority of them lived in Chicago. Illinois' Spanish-speaking population grew significantly in the 1990s. By 2000 Hispanics made up 12 percent of the state's people. CitiesChicago is the leading metropolitan area of the Midwest. A center of industry, finance, and culture, it is perhaps most famous as a transportation hub. Several suburbs of Chicago, including Aurora, Naperville, and Joliet, are also among Illinois' largest cities. Rockford, the state's second largest city, is the chief trade center of northwestern Illinois. Springfield, the state capital, is Downstate. Other important cities in Illinois are Peoria and the Champaign-Urbana complex. RecreationIllinois has few spectacular scenic attractions. Along its rivers and lakes, however, are many scenic bluffs and wooded ravines. One of those, Starved Rock, has been preserved as a state park. Shawnee National Forest is in the southern part of the state. Chicago attracts many visitors with its cultural activities and sandy beaches along Lake Michigan. The city's professional sports teams include the Cubs and White Sox (baseball), Bears (football), Bulls (men's basketball), and Blackhawks (ice hockey). Most of the state's historical sites are associated with Abraham Lincoln. From Springfield to New Salem, where Lincoln lived from 1831 to 1837, the state has many memorials dedicated to the former president. EducationChicago and Downstate both have a number of public and private institutions of higher education. The largest state-supported institution is the University of Illinois, with its main campus in Champaign-Urbana and a large branch in Chicago. The private institutions include the University of Chicago and Northwestern University, two of the nation's premier universities; Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT); DePaul University; Loyola University; and the School of the Art Institute. EconomyThe economy of Illinois is diverse. The state is strong in manufacturing, agriculture, finance, mining, transportation, government, and services. Farming - Cornfields stretch across much of central Illinois.
Illinois has ranked among the chief farming states since about 1850. The deep black soil of much of northern and central Illinois is among the finest in the world in terms of agricultural quality. The most valuable crops are corn and soybeans. Wheat, oats, and sorghum are also important. Hayfields are found throughout the state. More than 20 percent of Illinois' farm production comes from the sale of livestock and livestock products. The state is noted especially for pork and dairy products. Cattle, sheep, and turkeys are also important. IndustryIllinois is one of the largest industrial centers in the nation. Manufacturing employs about 14 percent of the state's workers. Illinois is a leading producer of agricultural and construction machinery. It also ranks among the top states in the manufacture of food products, rubber products, chemicals, electrical equipment, and fabricated metal products such as hand tools and hardware. Illinois is also a leader in printing and publishing. Communication technology became an increasingly important industry during the 1990s. MiningIllinois has large reserves of coal, though much of it is low quality. Petroleum production reached its peak in 1940 and has declined since. Other valuable minerals mined in the state are sand, gravel, stone, and fluorspar. FinanceIllinois is a major banking and insurance center. Chicago is home to the Board of Trade, the nation's oldest and largest commodity exchange. The city also has the Chicago Stock Exchange, the Mercantile Exchange, and a Federal Reserve Bank. HistoryIndian settlement in Illinois dates from 8000 BC. Beginning in about AD 800 prehistoric Indians known as the Mississippian people lived in the region. They left behind thousands of earth mounds that they had built up from the prairie. The largest of these is Monks Mound, in Cahokia in southwestern Illinois. A number of Native Americans peoples lived in the area when Europeans arrived. The French explorers Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette entered the region in 1673. Illinois was controlled by the French until 1763, when it passed to the British. In 1778 George Rogers Clark seized the region for the United States. The first settlement on the site of Chicago was made in 1779 by a black pioneer named Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable. Fort Dearborn was founded at the same site in 1803. Illinois was officially given over to the United States in 1783, at the end of the American Revolution. It became the 21st state on December 3, 1818. Some 250,000 Illinoisans fought for the Union during the American Civil War. Growth of the stateIn 1871 fire swept through Chicago, destroying a third of the city. However, the fire proved only a temporary setback in the city's rapid growth. Chicago soon developed into an industrial center. By the end of the 19th century Illinois was a main focus of the labor movement. Chicago was the site of several violent confrontations between workers and police. The two most famous events were the Haymarket Square Riot of 1886 and the Pullman Strike of 1894. During the 1920s Chicago became known for gangsters, bootleg (illegal) liquor, and organized crime. In spite of this violence and corruption, Illinois underwent tremendous economic and cultural growth. In 1933–34 the Century of Progress Exhibition in Chicago drew attention to the city's industrial might. In the early 1940s, on the campus of the University of Chicago, scientists conducted research in nuclear energy. These experiments led to the development of the atom bomb. Political makeupSince the Civil War, the Republican and Democratic parties have competed for power in Illinois. Chicago is strongly Democratic. Much of the rest of the state is Republican. From 1955 until his death in 1976, Mayor Richard J. Daley of Chicago built up enormous statewide—and nationwide—power in the Democratic Party. James Thompson, a Republican, was first elected governor in 1976. He was reelected for four consecutive terms, a record in the history of the state. In 1989 Richard M. Daley, son of Richard J. Daley, was elected mayor of Chicago. Population (2000 census), 12,419,293. |