Illinois (pronounced or "ill-i-NOY") is the 21st U.S. state and is located in the Midwest region of the United States of America. The state is known for its large and diverse population, its balance of rural areas, small industrial cities, vast suburbs and great metropolis, its highly diverse economic base, and its central location that has made it a transportation hub for 150 years. It is this mixture of factory and farm, of urban and rural that makes Illinois a microcosm of the nation.

About 2000 Native American hunters inhabited the area at the time of the American Revolution, and by a small number of French villagers. American settlers began arriving from Kentucky in the 1810s; they achieved statehood in 1818. Yankees arrived a little later and dominated the north, creating the metropolis of Chicago in the 1830s. The coming of the railroads in the 1850s made highly profitable the rich prairie farmlands in central Illinois, attracting large numbers of immigrant farmers from Germany and Sweden. Northern Illinois, strongly Republican, provided major support for Illinoisans Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant during the Civil War. By 1900, factories were being rapidly built in the northern cities, along with coal mines in central and southern areas, attracting large numbers of immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe. Illinois was a major arsenal in both world wars; large numbers of blacks left the cotton fields of the South to come to Chicago, where they developed a famous jazz culture.

The state is named for the Illinois River which was named by French explorers after the indigenous Illiniwek people, a consortium of Algonquian tribes that thrived in the area. The word Illiniwek means "tribe of superior men."State of Illinois. Illinois Symbols. Accessed on April 20, 2006

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Which cars are reliable?
Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:49:00 -0500
Lexus once again stands alone atop a closely watched ranking of vehicle dependability after Buick slipped from the No. 1 spot it shared with the Japanese luxury brand last year, J.D. Power and Associates said.
O'Hare-area demolition OKd
Thu, 07 Aug 2008 22:41:00 -0500
Chicago officials praise decision affecting more than 500 properties A DuPage County judge Thursday gave the City of Chicago permission to begin demolition of more than 500 properties in Bensenville that it has purchased to make way for the O'Hare runway expansion.
Chicago clout keeps power on | Video
Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500
ComEd delivers a generator to home of O'Hare boss peeks over the fence T he mayor's favorite pool boy—airport operations boss Dave "Pool Boy" Ochal—is at it again, throwing his vast political clout in the faces of his neighbors after the storms knocked out power this week.
Man held in Obama threat had weapons, authorities say
Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:40:00 -0500
MIAMI (AP) _ A man who authorities said was keeping weapons and military-style gear in his hotel room and car appeared in court Thursday on charges he threatened to assassinate Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
New troopers on highways won't free up city cops
Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:34:37 -0500

Chicago cop suspended for demanding free Starbucks
Thu, 07 Aug 2008 23:06:00 -0500
Employees testify she flashed badge, handcuffs or gun when asked to pay A Chicago police officer was suspended for three months and ordered to undergo counseling for demanding free coffee and pastries from six Starbucks Coffee houses over five years.

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