Illinois, 21st State
(State sovereignty, national union)
- Name (Algonquin ): “iliniwok” or “illiniwek”; “tribe of superior men” or “best people”
- Governor: B. Pritzker (Democratic Party)
- Capital: Springfield
- Population: 12,659,682 (2020), (6th-most populous)
- Location: Illinois is located in the Midwest region of the United States.
- North: Wisconsin,
- East: Indiana,
- Southeast: Kentucky,
- Northwest: Iowa,
- Southwest:
- Area: 150,007 km2/57,918 mi2, 25th by rank
- Postal abbreviation: IL
- Admitted to Union: December 3, 1818
- Official language: English
1. State’s Symbols
- State tree: White Oak
- State Prairie Grass: Big Bluestem
- State flower: Violet
- State food
- State Fruit: Goldrush Apple
- State Vegetable & Grain: Sweet Corn
- State Pie: Pumpkin Pie
- State Snack Food: Popcorn
- State Animal: White-tailed Deer
- State Fish: Bluegill
- State Amphibian: Eastern Tiger Salamander
- State Dinosaur: none
- State Reptile: Painted Turtle
- State Bird: Northern Cardinal
- State Horse: none
- State Dog: none
- State Butterfly: Monarch Butterfly
- State Pet: Shelter Dogs & Cats
- State Fossil: Tully Monster
- State Soil: Drummer Soil
- State Rock: none
- State Gemstone: none
- State mineral: Fluorite
- State Exercise: Cycling
- State Songs: Illinois
- State Tartan:
- State Artifact: Pirogue
- State Poet Laureate: Kevin Stein
- State Folk Dance: Square Dance
- State Firearm: none
- State Tall Ship: none
- State Theater: The Great American People Show
2. Geography Facts
- Land: 143,985 km2 (55,593 mi2), 24th
- Water: 6,022 km2 (2,325 mi2), 20th
- Great Lakes: 6,594 km (2,546 mi) , 5th
- State Forests: 5
- National Forests: 2
- State Parks: 43
- Beaches: 22
- National Parks: none
- National Historic Site: 1 (Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield)
- National Monument: 1 (Pullman National Monument in Chicago)
- Water: 4.1%
- Largest city (by area): Chicago (606.1 km²)
- Largest city (by population): Chicago (2,694,236 people)
- Lowest point: Illinois; 279 feet, (85m), 32nd lowest
- Highest point: Charles Mound; 1,235 feet, (376 m), 45th tallest
3. Facts about Illinois
- The state ranks first in producing pumpkins and second in producing corn.
- The Chicago River is one of the few in the world that flows backward.
- It was the first state to ratify the 13th amendment to abolish slavery.
- Illinois houses the world’s largest bottle of catsup.
- Morton, IL is the “pumpkin capital of the world.” It supplies more than 85% of packaged pumpkin.
- The Nabisco factory in Chicago is the world’s largest bakery covering an area of at 1,800,000 square feet.
- The creator of Popeye the Sailorman cartoon, Elzie Crisler Segar, was born in Chester, Illinois.
- The first public office that Abraham Lincoln took was as a postmaster in New Salem, IL.
- Robert Pershing Wadlow, the world’s tallest man, was born in Alton, IL. He was 8’11”, weight 491 lbs and wore a size 37 shoe.
- On the 6th of April, 1930, in River Forest, Illinois, Twinkies were invented.
- Illinois stands first among all other states in generating nuclear power.
- Aurora, also known as the “City of Lights”, was the first city of the U.S. which installed street lights throughout the city.
- Nickname/s: Prairie State, Land of Lincoln.
- Major industries: Agriculture, Manufacturing (machinery, cloth, food items, chemicals), Mining, Services.
- Famous for: Abraham Lincoln Historic Sites, Sears Tower.
- Area codes: 217, 224, 309, 312, 331, 618, 630, 708, 773, 779, 815, 847, 872
4. Natural Resources
- Agriculture
- Corn
- Soybeans
- Hay
- Wheat
- Rye
- Oats
- Grain sorghum
- Fruit Agriculture:
- Apples
- Melons
- Peaches
- Vegetable Agriculture:
- Asparagus
- Cabbage
- Lima beans
- Snap beans
- Livestock:
- Hogs
- Beef cattle
- Chickens
- Livestock products;
- Milk
- Eggs
- Forestry:
- Black walnut
- Oaks (red and white)
- Yellow poplar
- Ash
- Hickory
- Maples (hard and soft)
- Mining:
- Coal (bituminous)
- Petroleum
- Crushed stones
- Sand and gravel
- Tripoli
- Abrasive silica
5. Mountains
Mountains Peaks: 240
Prominent Peaks:
- Charles Mound
- Benton Mound
- Mount Sumner
- Hudson Mound
- Scales Mound
- Squirrel Grove Mound
- Simmons Mound
- Williams Hill
- Horseshoe Mound
6. Divisions
- 102 Counties
- 300 Cities
- 19 Towns
- 980 Villages