Illinois

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Midwestern state of the USA, bordered to the east by Indiana, to the southeast by Kentucky, with the Ohio River serving as a boundary, to the west by Missouri and Iowa, with the Mississippi River as a boundary, and to the north by Wisconsin; area 143,962 sq km/55,584 sq mi; population (2000) 12,419,300; capital Springfield. The state is made up of three main physical areas: the Central Plains, the Shawnee Hills, and the Gulf Coastal Plain. In the northeast, Illinois has a shore of 101 km/63 mi on Lake Michigan, occupied by Chicago, the largest city in the state, and its northern suburbs. Illinois is a leading manufacturing state, producing machinery and electronic equipment, and is also a very important agricultural state, with major crops including corn, soybeans, and meat and dairy products. It also has an important mining industry. Other towns and cities include Rockford, Aurora, Naperville, Peoria, Joliet, Elgin, and Waukegan. The state is home to Algonquian Illinois, Kickapoo, Potawatomi, Sac, and Fox, among other indigenous peoples. The growth of the railroads led to Chicago becoming the most important city in the Midwest in the 19th century; after the Civil War the state become a significant producer and there was heavy immigration, and the state experienced labour unrest at the end of the 19th century. After the decline of heavy industry in the 1950s, Chicago remained a major trade centre. Illinois was admitted to the Union in 1818 as the 21st US state.

Blue, white, and red recall the 19th century Russian tricolour. The ‘Partisan Star’ was removed in 1991. Effective date: 27 April 1992. >>