|
|
|
|
Description
The glaciers of the Cenozoic Age leveled large areas of Illinois and the fertile land gave rise to vast prairies, which earned Illinois the nickname of The Prairie State. Early native residents included the prehistoric Mound Builders.
In 1673 French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet explored the Illinois River, which they named for the native Illiniwek people. As a result, the area was part of the French Empire until the Treaty of Paris of 1763 when it passed to the British as a result of the French and Indian War. At the time of the American Revolution, about 2000 Native American hunters inhabited the area. The area became part of the Northwest Territory of the United States in 1787.
In 1810 Illinois began to see an influx of settlers who arrived overland and by rafting down the Ohio River. Though settlement began in the southern part of the state, it moved northward quickly, driving out the native Americans. Illinois became the 21st state in 1818 with the capital in Kaskaskia, but by 1819 the capital was moved to Vandalia.
The Black Hawk War of 1832 resulted in all the remaining native American tribes being driven west of the Mississippi River. The expansion of railroads in the 1850s attracted a large number of immigrant farmers from Sweden and Germany.
Abraham Lincoln, then a lawyer, helped bring the capital to Springfield in 1839. He and Stephen A. Douglas won national attention with their debates on the issue of slavery in 1858. Lincoln became President in 1861. Illinois supported the Union during the Civil War with over 250,000 troops, although there was proslavery sentiment in the southern part of the state. At the time of the Civil War there were about 2 million people in the state.
Industrial development began in 1847 when Cyrus McCormick started manufacturing farm implements in Chicago. There was a rapid increase in industry after the Civil War. Chicago, the largest city in Illinois by 1857, was a mass of flimsy wooden structures in 1871 when most of it was destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire. It was quickly rebuilt and by 1875 there was little evidence of the disaster remaining.
By the early 1900s, factories were rapidly expanding in the northern cities, and coal mines in the central and southern parts of Illinois attracted large number of immigrants from eastern and southern Europe.
Illinois is an important agricultural state, producing primarily corn and soybeans. Hogs and cattle are also sources of farm income. It also has mineral deposits of fluorspar, bituminous coal, and oil.
With a 2000 census population of over 12 million, Illinois ranks 5th in population in the nation. Over 65% of the state’s population lives in the Chicago area, which is a center for manufacturing, finance, and transportation.
Read more about it here!
Land 
 Area 57,918 sq miles
Number of Counties 102
Highest Point Charles Mound, 1,235 ft.
Lowest Point Mississippi River, 279 ft.
Contact Us | Privacy Statement
|
|
Maps and more...
Current Time
here
State Flag here
Illinois County Map
here
Illinois Outline Map here
Illinois Maps at UT here
U.S. Maps (large selection) here
Name all the States & Capitol Cities a test, here
Facts and Figures Statehood Dec. 3, 1818 (21st state) Capital Springfield
Population 12,484,000
Nickname Prairie State
Motto "State Sovereignty, National Union"
Currency U.S. Dollar
(the latest conversion rates) here 
Illinois Quarter (new) here
Bird Cardinal
Flower Native Violet
Song "Illinois"
Recommended Links State of Illinois web site
State of Illinois tourism site
 Current Weather Conditions in:
Africa | Asia | Australia/Oceania Europe | Islands/Oceans | Middle East North America | South America World Atlas
|
|
 |
