All the chats in Illinois

Illinois is one of fifty states that, together with Washington DC, make up the United States of America. Its capital is Springfield and its most populous city, Chicago. It is located in the Midwest region of the country, the Northeast Center division, bounded on the north by Wisconsin, on the northeast by Lake Michigan, on the east by Indiana - part of this limit is formed by the Wabash River - southeast and south by the river Ohio that separates it from Kentucky, and to the west with the Mississippi River that separates it from Missouri and Iowa. With 12 830 632 habs. In 2010 it is the fifth most populous state, behind California, Texas, New York and Florida.

He was admitted to the Union on December 3,1818, as the 21st state. About 65% of the state's population lives in the Chicago metropolitan area, one of the largest industrial and financial centers in the world, the second largest the country's industrial center - after Los Angeles - and the second largest financial center in the United States - after New York. Although Illinois has a highly diversified economy, being one of the main financial centers of the United States, and a highly industrialized state, from the economic crisis of 2008-2010 the State is in technical bankruptcy with a debt of more of 5,000 million dollars and without paying the basic services payments. Geographically, Illinois is characterized by its uneven terrain in general, and by its unstable climate. Agriculture is an important source of income for Illinois.

Tourism and the provision of transport and telecommunications services are other important revenue sources in the state. Chicago is the largest city in the state and one of the most dynamic railway and airport centers in the United States. Illinois is known for its large and diverse population and its balance between rural areas, small industrial cities, extensive suburbs and a large metropolitan area, that of Chicago. Its diverse economy and central position has made it an important transport hub for 150 years. It is this mix of factories and farms, of urban and rural areas, that makes Illinois a microcosm within the nation. The nickname of Illinois is The Prairie State, which means "The State of the Prairie." Another nickname is that of The Land of Lincoln.

Many of its inhabitants take pride in the fact that US President Abraham Lincoln spent most of his life in the state. His tomb is in Springfield. The first Europeans to explore the region of present Illinois were French missionaries. This region was part of New France until 1763, when it became British. In 1783, after the end of the War of the American Independence of 1776, it became part of the then called Territorio del Noroeste. On February 3,1809, the Illinois Territory was created. On December 3,1818, Illinois became the 21st state of the United States.