Illinois

Illinois, state in the north central United States; bordered by Lake Michigan in the northeast, Indiana in the east, Kentucky in the southeast, Missouri in the southwest, Iowa in the northwest, and Wisconsin in the north.

Land and climate

Illinois consists almost entirely of a rolling plain that slopes gradually from north to south. Much of the north and central portions of the state are covered by dark prairie soils and loams, which are especially rich and productive. The Shawnee Hills cross the southern part of the state in a band varying from 5 to 40 mi (8 to 64 km) wide. Illinois possesses an extensive river system. The Mississippi River, which forms the state's western border, is linked with Lake Michigan by the Illinois Waterway, which includes the Chicago, Des Plaines, and Illinois rivers. The Illinois (273 mi/439 km), the largest river lying wholly within Illinois, drains about half the state. Illinois has a continental climate, with cold winters and hot summers. Chicago is the state's and region's leading city and is the third largest city in the nation. Other major cities include Springfield, Peoria, and Rockford.

Economy

A leading agricultural state, Illinois produces corn, hogs, cattle, and soybeans. Industry includes the manufacture of machinery, electrical and electronic equipment, processed foods, metal products, and chemicals. Illinois is a leading coal producer and also has significant oil resources.

Government

The state's government is based on the constitution of 1970. The governor serves a 4-year term. The General Assembly consists of 59 senators serving 2- and 4-year terms and 177 representatives serving 2-year terms. Illinois sends 22 representatives and 2 senators to the U.S. Congress.

History

A prehistoric Native American people, the mound builders, were the first known inhabitants of what is now Illinois. By the 17th century, the principal inhabitants of the region were the Illinois, a confederation of Algonquian-speaking tribes. The first Europeans known to have visited the region were Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette, in 1673. In 1763, at the end of the French and Indian War, Illinois was ceded to the British. After the American Revolution the region became part of the Northwest Territory of the United States. It was made a separate territory in 1809. With the defeat of the Sauk and Fox in the Black Hawk War of 1832, the last barrier to European American settlement of the state was removed. The debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas in the senatorial race of 1858 brought Lincoln to national attention. After the Civil War, industry made great progress as immigrants poured in on the newly completed railroads. Decades of labor unrest reached their climax in the Haymarket Riot of 1886 in Chicago. Agriculture suffered a serious depression through the 1920s, to be joined by the rest of the economy during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Today Illinois continues to attract hundreds of new factories, and space age industries and atomic research facilities are thriving.