State Map of Illinois

Illinois was the twenty-first state to join the Union on December 3, 1818. Illinois covers an area of 57,914 square miles (149,998 square kilometers) in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan across Lake Michigan, in the Great Lakes region.
The population of Illinois is about 12,875,255, making it the fifth most populous state in the country. The capital of Illinois is Springfield, which is located in central Illinois. Chicago is the largest city in Illinois, and the third most populous in the country with a population of about 2.8 million, and a metropolitan area of about 9.8 million, extending into neighboring states Indiana and Wisconsin.

Chicago is an important transportation hub, as a port city and an airport hub at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, which was the busiest airport in the world for many years. The economy of Illinois is largely based on the agriculture and manufacturing sectors. The state's main agricultural products are corn and soybeans, as well as pigs, cows, and dairy. Illinois has been an industrial center since the industrial revolution, and produces chemicals, machinery, food, metals, transportation, plastics, and electronics.

Illinois is a significant state in US politics, as a microcosm of the country, meaning its demographics reflect those of the entire country. Additionally several US presidents have ties to the state, and three presidents were elected while living in Illinois: Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and Barack Obama. Illinois pays tribute to its connection to Lincoln with its nickname, Land of Lincoln, and the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in the capital.

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Last Updated on :  February 05, 2013