He weighed 491 … Illinois (nicknamed: the Prairie State) has 102 counties. Share them with us in the comments below! Illinois was the first state to ratify the 13 th amendment to abolish slavery. We did some research and put together 25 fun facts about Illinois' history and culture. Illinois was the 21 st state in the USA; it became a state on December 3, 1818.. State Abbreviation - IL State Capital - Springfield Largest City - Chicago Area - 57,918 square miles [Illinois is the 25th biggest state in the USA] Population - 12,882,135 (as of 2013) [Illinois is the fifth most populous state in the USA, after California, New York, Texas, and Florida] Major Rivers: Illinois River, Mississippi River, Ohio River, Wabash River

Some important facts about Illinois are highlighted in the lists below. Illinois' northeasternmost boundary is to Lake Michigan. In 1673, French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet arrived in the region. To the south-east, Illinois is bordered along the Ohio River by Kentucky and to the east by Indiana. \"Illinois\" is the modern spelling for the early French Catholic missionaries and explorers' name for the Illinois Native Americans, a name that was spelled in many different ways in the early records. Illinois Agriculture. Illinois Facts. Major Lakes: Lake Michigan, Rend Lake.

1. Chicago is a major center for transportation and business. 24.

Illinois & Michigan Canal Learn the history of Illinois and Michigan Canal .
1832 - The Black Hawk War occurs and the Native Americans are forced to return to Iowa. The Mormons leave Illinois for Utah. In the 2000 census, Springfield had more than 110,000 people living in it.

Capital: SpringfieldPopulation: 13 millionNickname: The Prairie StateKey Cities: Chicago, Champaign, Peoria, Rockford, SpringfieldPostal Abbreviation: ILMajor Industries: Service industry, manufacturing, agriculture, mining Springfield is the capital city of the U.S. state of Illinois.It is close to the center of the state. Interesting facts about Illinois. Illinois Facts. 25. Illinois is home to the world's largest bottle of catsup. The State of Illinois is located in the Midwestern United States. The top crops grown in Illinois are corn and soybeans. Inventors John Deere and Cyrus McCormick made their fortunes in Illinois by improving farm machinery. Get Illinois facts, maps, and pictures in this U.S. state profile from National Geographic Kids.

Illinois is the 25th largest state with 57,914 square miles. 1861 - Illinois congressman Abraham Lincoln becomes president of the United States. 1818 - Illinois becomes the 21st state. Illinois: Quick Facts A statue of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln stands near the State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois.

State of Illinois Activities : Illinois Facts and Trivia Facts, trivia, symbols and interesting information about Illinois. Learn the state nickname, abbreviation, date it joined the union, state number, state bird, state motto, state flower, state song, state tree, state mammal, state fish, state largest cities, state capital and famous residents. 1839 - The capital city is moved to Springfield.
Lincoln lived in Springfield before he became president. It shares state borders with Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Kentucky, and Indiana. 1844 - Mormon leader Joseph Smith is killed. The state Capitol, in the middle of Springfield, is where the General Assembly (the state's legislature) meets and where the governor's office is. Are we missing any good ones? The tallest man in the world was born in Alton in 1918.

With these 57 interesting facts about Illinois, let us learn more about its geography, history, people, economy and more. Illinois has a diverse economy.

Central and northern Illinois is mostly used for agriculture.

The state’s capital is Springfield. Illinois is known as the "Land of Lincoln" as Abraham Lincoln spent most of his life there.