Illinois General Information

GENERAL

Illinois is a US state. It is located in the midwest and borders Lake Michigan in the north. The name comes from the Algonquin language and French and means land of warriors. Among other things, the metropolis of Chicago and part of Route 66 are in Illinois. The postal abbreviation is IL.

Nickname

Prairie State

Capital

Springfield

Biggest town

Chicago

Area

Rank (within the US): 25th out of 50 states

Total: 150 km²

Land: 143.97 km²

Water (%): 6.03 km² (4.02%)

Residents

Rank (within the US): 5th out of 50 states

Total (2000): 12,419,293

Density: 83 / km²

State membership

Place: 21st

Since: December 3, 1818

GEOGRAPHY

Time zone: Central: UTC –6 / –5

Latitude: 36 ° 58’N to 42 ° 30’N

Longitude 87 ° 30’W to 91 ° 30’W

Width: 340 km

Length: 630 km

Highest position: 376 m

Average location: 182

Lowest position: 85 m

Illinois is a prairie state of the United States. The Mississippi River forms the border in the west with the states of Iowa (in the north) and Missouri (in the south). To the south, the Ohio River takes on this role to the state of Kentucky. Wisconsin is to the north of Illinois and Indiana to the east. The state is traversed by the Illinois River, which flows into the Mississippi. Lake Michigan is in the northeast.

HISTORY

From the 8th century to the 13th century, Illinois was part of the highly developed Mississippi culture, including the settlement of Cahokia. In 1673 the French Louis Joliet (researcher) and Jacques Marquette (Jesuit missionary) came to the country and were the very first Europeans. In 1712 the land south of the Illinois (river) came to the French colony Louisiana, but in 1763 France had to cede Illinois to Great Britain.

Illinois remained part of the British province of Québec until 1774, when Virginia annexed the country. In 1784 the USA took over Illinois and incorporated it into the Northwest Territory three years later. In 1809, Illinois was given its own territory after it had previously been captured by the Indiana Territory.

On December 3, 1818, Illinois became the 21st state in the United States. Construction of the Illinois-Michigan Canal began in 1836.

ECONOMY

Illinois has very fertile soils, which are mainly devoted to the cultivation of corn (corn belt). Hybrid maize is also bred and grown. In addition, a lot of grain (wheat, oats, rye and barley) is grown, as well as potatoes and soybeans. Coal, natural gas and oil are mined. Since 1850 in particular, Illinois began industrial development with large-scale slaughterhouses, agricultural machinery, and petroleum and chemical factories.

In the north of the country, the iron and steel industry determines the economic focus. The St. Lawrence Seaway, which enabled Illinois to participate in maritime traffic, is also important. Despite all of this, Chicago is at the heart of the economy.

CHICAGO

Chicago is a city with a lot of history and numerous cultural influences that are reflected in all areas of life. The “Windy City” is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan and is the third largest city in the USA. The diverse residents have different roots, so the variety in the kitchen is particularly large. Here the delicacies range from exotic dishes such as B. Eastern European dough dumplings, Chicago-style pizza or Mexican tamales (corn dough in a sheet casing), as well as typical American snacks such as hot dogs and sandwiches. Those who like to dance a leg after dinner will find a great range of jazz bars in Chicago or you can stretch your legs in one of the many museums.
Once the site of prohibition and gangster legends around one of Chicago’s most famous residents, Al Capone, Chicago is now one of the most modern cities in the United States. In addition to the manufacture of cars, the industry is also based on the sectors of transport and logistics or biotechnology.

Chicago is called “Windy City” and everyone who has been there before can confirm that the wind blows around your ears. The best time to visit Chicago is between April and October and, despite the wind, it can get up to 30 degrees between June and August. In winter there is often snow, which means you have to wrap yourself up warm. Despite everything, the breathtaking skyline of the big city can definitely compete with that of New York.

Location: In the northeast of the USA, below the border with Canada, in the state of Illinois

Population: approx. 2.7 million

Area: 606.1 km²

Nickname: The Windy City, The City of Big Shoulders

Illinois Counties and County Seats

There are a total of 102 counties in the state of Illinois.

1. Adams County (County Seat: Quincy)
2. Alexander County (County Seat: Cairo)
3. Bond County (County Seat: Greenville)
4. Boone County (County Seat: Belvidere)
5. Brown County (County Seat: Mount Sterling)
6. Bureau County (County Seat: Princeton)
7. Calhoun County (County Seat: Hardin)
8. Carroll County (County Seat: Mount Carroll)
9. Cass County (County Seat: Virginia)
10. Champaign County (County Seat: Urbana)
11. Christian County (County Seat: Taylorville)
12. Clark County (County Seat: Marshall)
13. Clay County (County Seat: Louisville)
14. Clinton County (County Seat: Carlyle)
15. Coles County (County Seat: Charleston)
16. Cook County (County Seat: Chicago)
17. Crawford County (County Seat: Robinson)
18. Cumberland County (County Seat: Toledo)
19. De Witt County (County Seat: Clinton)
20. DeKalb County (County Seat: Sycamore)
21. Douglas County (County Seat: Tuscola)
22. DuPage County (County Seat: Wheaton)
23. Edgar County (County Seat: Paris)
24. Edwards County (County Seat: Albion)
25. Effingham County (County Seat: Effingham)
26. Fayette County (County Seat: Vandalia)
27. Ford County (County Seat: Paxton)
28. Franklin County (County Seat: Benton)
29. Fulton County (County Seat: Lewistown)
30. Gallatin County (County Seat: Shawneetown)
31. Greene County (County Seat: Carrollton)
32. Grundy County (County Seat: Morris)
33. Hamilton County (County Seat: McLeansboro)
34. Hancock County (County Seat: Carthage)
35. Hardin County (County Seat: Elizabethtown)
36. Henderson County (County Seat: Oquawka)
37. Henry County (County Seat: Cambridge)
38. Iroquois County (County Seat: Watseka)
39. Jackson County (County Seat: Murphysboro)
40. Jasper County (County Seat: Newton)
41. Jefferson County (County Seat: Mount Vernon)
42. Jersey County (County Seat: Jerseyville)
43. Jo Daviess County (County Seat: Galena)
44. Johnson County (County Seat: Vienna)
45. Kane County (County Seat: Geneva)
46. Kankakee County (County Seat: Kankakee)
47. Kendall County (County Seat: Yorkville)
48. Knox County (County Seat: Galesburg)
49. La Salle County (County Seat: Ottawa)
50. Lake County (County Seat: Waukegan)
51. Lawrence County (County Seat: Lawrenceville)
52. Lee County (County Seat: Dixon)
53. Livingston County (County Seat: Pontiac)
54. Logan County (County Seat: Lincoln)
55. Macon County (County Seat: Decatur)
56. Macoupin County (County Seat: Carlinville)
57. Madison County (County Seat: Edwardsville)
58. Marion County (County Seat: Salem)
59. Marshall County (County Seat: Lacon)
60. Mason County (County Seat: Havana)
61. Massac County (County Seat: Metropolis)
62. McDonough County (County Seat: Macomb)
63. McHenry County (County Seat: Woodstock)
64. McLean County (County Seat: Bloomington)
65. Menard County (County Seat: Petersburg)
66. Mercer County (County Seat: Aledo)
67. Monroe County (County Seat: Waterloo)
68. Montgomery County (County Seat: Hillsboro)
69. Morgan County (County Seat: Jacksonville)
70. Moultrie County (County Seat: Sullivan)
71. Ogle County (County Seat: Oregon)
72. Peoria County (County Seat: Peoria)
73. Perry County (County Seat: Pinckneyville)
74. Piatt County (County Seat: Monticello)
75. Pike County (County Seat: Pittsfield)
76. Pope County (County Seat: Golconda)
77. Pulaski County (County Seat: Mound City)
78. Putnam County (County Seat: Hennepin)
79. Randolph County (County Seat: Chester)
80. Richland County (County Seat: Olney)
81. Rock Island County (County Seat: Rock Island)
82. Saline County (County Seat: Harrisburg)
83. Sangamon County (County Seat: Springfield)
84. Schuyler County (County Seat: Rushville)
85. Scott County (County Seat: Winchester)
86. Shelby County (County Seat: Shelbyville)
87. St. Clair County (County Seat: Belleville)
88. Stark County (County Seat: Toulon)
89. Stephenson County (County Seat: Freeport)
90. Tazewell County (County Seat: Pekin)
91. Union County (County Seat: Jonesboro)
92. Vermilion County (County Seat: Danville)
93. Wabash County (County Seat: Mount Carmel)
94. Warren County (County Seat: Monmouth)
95. Washington County (County Seat: Nashville)
96. Wayne County (County Seat: Fairfield)
97. White County (County Seat: Carmi)
98. Whiteside County (County Seat: Morrison)
99. Will County (County Seat: Joliet)
100. Williamson County (County Seat: Marion)
101. Winnebago County (County Seat: Rockford)
102. Woodford County (County Seat: Eureka)