Illinois is called the Prairie State for the gorgeous prairies seen all over Illinois. Illinois posses gorgeous topography, spectacular tourist attractions, remarkable state symbols, fascinating history, and amazing famous people.

Illinois is 318 miles long, 211 miles

wide. In all, it is 57,354 square

miles

The coldest day in Illinois was on

January 5, 1999. It was-36°F. The

hottest day in Illinois was on July 14,

1954, and was117°F. The average

temperature in the winter is 20-30˚ and

the average temperature in the summer

is 50-60˚.-

When Europeans first found the Illinois River it was so pure that they could drink from it. By the 1850’s it was so polluted that all the fish living in it had died. The State legislatives passed a pollution laws that helped clean up the river. Now, in present day Chicago there’s more than 30 different types of fish in the Illinois River.

Illinois has three geographic regions: the Central Plains, the Shawnee hills, and the Gulf coastal plain.

The Central Plains covers about 80% of Illinois. The soil there is dark and rich, making it ideal for farming.

The Shawnee Hills covers roughly 11% of Illinois. The Shawnee hills is comprised of hills and forests.

The Gulf Coastal Plains v=covers about 10% of Illinois. The weather patterns are rain, snow, and clear sky.

Lake Springfield is a manmade lake. It has a 57 mile shoreline. You can boat and fish and there’s a children zoo on the shore.

The old state capitol became the state capitol in 1839. When Lincoln became a state legislator he gave his house divided speech there.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONSTOURIST ATTRACTIONS

Wrigley Field is the home of the Chicago Cubs Baseball team. Many people come from all over the United States to watch them there.

Lincoln’s Home National Historic Site was the only home Lincoln ever resided in until he became elected to be the 16th president and moved into the white house.

The Illinois State fish is a Bluegill.

The World Record for heaviest

bluegill is 4 pounds 12 ounces.

The Illinois State Flower a Violet, Greeks would make wine and sweetened food from Violets.

The Monarch Butterfly is the Illinois

State Insect. Female Monarch

butterflies lay hundreds of eggs in

the spring.

The White Tailed Deer is the Illinois State

Animal. White Tailed Deer have their

own language of body movement.

The Illinois state fossil is the

Tully Monster. The Tully

Monster was first discovered in

1958 in the Mazon Creek

Lagerstaaten.

The Illinois State Mineral is Fluorite, also called Fluorspar.

Illinois became a state on December 3, 1818, as the 21st state.

When the first Europeans (French) came to Illinois they met a tribe called Illiniwek. The French pronounced this Illinois, so they named the state Illinois.

10,000 years ago the first people lived in Illinois. They were called the Paleo Indians.

1673, the first Europeans arrive.

1783 United States started governing themselves.

1818, Illinois became a state.

1871, The Chicago Fire burned down 20,00 buildings and left 100,000 homeless.

This is the Illinois State Flag. The Illinois State Flag is just the great seal of Illinois with a white background.

Ronald Reagan was a California Governor, a movie and television actor, and the 40th president of the United

States.

Ulysses S. Grant became the18th

president of the United States, in 1868.

Oprah Winfrey is an African American Author, a

television host, and a movie actress. She makes Chicago her home.

Abraham Lincoln became the16th president of the United States in 1860.

Walt Disney, the founder of countless characters, and movies, the ever famous Mickey Mouse, and two

amusement parks.

Quincy Jones became the musical director of Dizzy

Gillespie in 1956.

The first Skyscraper was in Chicago and is called the Home Insurance Building.

In Mount Pulaski ( a city in Illinois) it is illegal for boys but not girls to throw snowballs at trees.

Sometimes Illinois brags that it has the highest number of personalized license plates.

Superman, in the stories protects Metropolis, which most people think as a made up city, but it Metropolis, Illinois is a real place.

Illinois is the home to the worlds first McDonalds (delicious, but not that healthy).

In Illinois the top name chosen for boys is Michael.

In Illinois the top name chosen for girls is Emily.

http://www.freemages.co.uk/album/etats_unis/chicago_downtown_by_night.jpg http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/images/usa/illinois.jpg http://blogs.reuters.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/storm1.jpg http://www.xyphon.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/illinois-river.jhttp://www.outdooralabama.com/fishing/images/Bluegill400.jpghttp://files.myopera.com/bambiandfay/albums/211671/violet-flower.jpg http://www.opinion250.com/images/monarch-butterfly-female.jpg http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/IMAGES/Pennsylvania/white_tailed_deer_buck2.jpghttp://www.50states.com/flag/image/nunst019.gif http://burdickeight.wikispaces.com/file/view/ronald-reagan-picture.jpg/31659845/ronald-reagan-picture.jpg http://successfulnewyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/OPRAH-WINFREY.jpg http://www.americaslibrary.gov/assets/jb/nation/jb_nation_grant_1_m.jpg http://abrahamlincolnfunfacts.com/images/Abraham_Lincoln.jpg http://www.digital-topo-maps.com/county-map/illinois-county-map.gif http://evilvince.com/wp-images/Chicago_Historical_Museum_Chicago_Fire.jpg http://image06.webshots.com/6/0/46/51/76804651ZWIDGd_ph.jpg http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/06/4b/9c/old-state-capitol-building.jpg http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/lincoln-home-national-historic-site-1.jpg http://www.oursportscollectibles.com/wrigley_field_entrance.jpg http://architecturewear.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/TheFirst1.jpg http://img.wikinut.com/img/epkq-mwmlc7qg4qm/jpeg/724x5000/winter-in-Illinois.jpeg http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1192/1338657263_42a2869b62.jpg http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/roadside-statues-103.jpg http://www.achievement.org/achievers/jon0/large/jon0-047.jpg http://www.leadership-with-you.com/images/waltdisney.jpg http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr146/malcolmmlodoch/100_1909.jpg http://webmineral.com/specimens/photos/Fluorite.jpg http://larryfire.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/first_mcdonalds.jpg http://animalnewyork.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/illinois-farm.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3304/3645611247_eeb2f78e47.jpg http://c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000K33nmRMHo5Y/s/750/750/Soybean-Field-and-Summer-Storm-Clouds http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e7/Seal_of_Illinois.svg/215px-Seal_of_Illinois.svg.png

Image Locations

Somervill, Barbra A. Illinois. Blacksburg, Virginia: Children's Press, 2001. Print.

Santella, Andrew. Uniquely Illinois. Chicago, Illinois: 2003. Print.

Anderson, Kathy P. Illinois. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Lerner Publications Company, 1993. Print.