Information Illinois
Illinois in a state in the northern United States and consists mainly of rural areas. The state is also known as Lincoln Land or Prairie State. Illinois has numerous large lakes and is therefore also referred to as The Great Lake District. The Great Lakes are Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, Lake Superior, Lake Erie, and Lake Huron. The largest city in Illinois is Chicago, but the capital is Springfield. Chicago with three million inhabitants has a great love for music, art and architecture. It is the second largest city in America after Los Angeles and New York. Because Chicago is centrally located, it has a very important economic function for the state. The first skyscraper was built in Chicago. The 103-storey Willis Tower skyscraper gives you a beautiful view of this amazing city. See all cities in Illinois.
Geography
Illinois is located to the north and borders Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Illinois is 615 kilometers from North to South and 340 kilometers from East to West. The state is largely rural, but there are also some hills in the Mississippi River valley. Together with the Mississippi River, the mighty Ohio River forms the southern border of the state. The main river that runs throughout the state is the Illinois River. Illinois is formally made up of three zones, Northern Illinois, which includes Chicago and the Quad Cities, Central Illinois, a rural area with small towns, and Southern Illinois, a rural area that includes the eastern suburbs of St Louis.
History
Illinois was originally inhabited by the Illini Indians. In 1673, the first French settlers entered the state. The first French settlements at Peoria and Starved Rock date from ten years later, so immigration started fairly quickly. In 1763 the state came into the hands of the English, but was conquered again during the Revolution by the American pioneer Clark.
After the Revolution in 1783, the state of Virginia ceded western Illinois to the Union, making Illinois part of the northwestern territory. Illinois joined the United States of America as the 21st state on December 3, 1818.
Since the failure of slavery in 1824, the last Indian reservations were bought up and there was a rapid revival, especially by Germans and Irish.
Despite strong support for the Confederates during the Civil War, the state sided with the Union in 1861. After the civil war, the state flourished very quickly due to the great migration to the west. After the Great Depression, Illinois became one of the most important and prosperous states in America.
Economy
From an economic point of view, the state has major contradictions. The heart of Chicago is very prosperous with many large companies, while the suburbs on the south side are relatively poor due to the dilapidated industry. East St. Louis, with a lot of dilapidated heavy industry, is one of the poorest cities. The rest of Illinois is primarily focused on agriculture. Despite the fact that Illinois has a large amount of coal stored, it must still get its energy elsewhere.
| Abbreviation | IL |
| Nickname | Prairie State |
| Joined the US as the 21st State | Dec 3, 1818 |
| Capital city | Springfield |
| Census | 12,713,634 |
| Surface | 140,998 km² |
| Geography | Bordering Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky and Missouri |
| Governor | JB Pritzker |
| state motto | State sovereignty, national union |
| Official website | illinois.gov |
Mississippi River
The second longest river in America with a length of 3,766 km and a catchment area of 3.26 million km2 is the Mississippi River. However, the Missouri River is the longest river in America. The sources that feed the Mississippi River are the small rivers and Lake Itasca which is located in the north of the state of Minnesota. The mouth of this river flows into the Gulf of Mexico at Pilottown in the state of Louisiana.
The Mississippi River flows through or along the following 10 states: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana. The regions through which the river flows are the Midwestern United States and the southern United States. The river also flows through several lakes in its source area. South of Minneapolis, the river flows through a 7.5-mile gorge that eventually widens into Lake Pepin. The lower reaches of the river are characterized by the many cut-off swamps and meanders. The watercourse of the Mississippi River is controlled by weirs and dams.
The Mississippi Delta
Near the Gulf of Mexico is the Mississippi Delta which consists of a large braided stretch of river and many sand islands. The sand islands are formed by the sediment deposited by the river. At the mouth of the Mississippi River, various materials are entrained into the Gulf of Mexico. This is converted to about 304 million m2 per year. The river has a navigable distance of 3,477 km. Waterfalls and rapids of this river can be avoided via canals. Water reservoirs have also been constructed that are intended to correct the low water levels for shipping. The Missouri River is the main tributary of the Mississippi River. This river flows into the Mississippi near St. Louis. At the northern border of the state of Louisiana is the Red River, which splits the Mississippi River into its major branch, the Atchafalaya River. Minneapolis, St. Louis, Memphis, Natchez, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans are the major cities along this river.
