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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chicagotribune.com -

3 years fighting 'the man'
Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500
Brandishing the weight of the Tribune, the Problem Solver has written more than 300 columns, sharing in your frustrations and triumphs, your angst and exhilaration. What's Your Problem? has turned the ripe old age of 3. See the money saved and animals rescued as we remember some of the elected officials, utilities, insurance companies, tow companies, pro athletes and businesses we've tackled.
McCain's pick: Sarah Palin
Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:55:55 -0500
John McCain has chosen a tough-talking social conservative with credentials as a reformer. Photos Meet 'Sarah Barracuda' Editorial: New game You say: Gutsy, also cynical
Bears' Tillman details daughter's transplant
Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:42:00 -0500
Infant called 1st Illinois child helped by experimental Berlin Heart Tears came to the eyes of Bears cornerback Charles Tillman Friday at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago as he spoke about three excruciating months watching his infant daughter, Tiana, struggle for life.
Cubs bidding heats up as groups, bids evolve
Fri, 29 Aug 2008 19:11:00 -0500
The makeup of the group of prospective buyers for the Chicago Cubs and the relative strength of their bids has shifted in recent weeks since the team's owner narrowed the field to five.
Hurricane Gustav looms; Gulf Coast evacuations planned this weekend
Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:18:00 -0500
GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) _ Hurricane Katrina victims still living in temporary housing along Mississippi's coastline should begin evacuating this weekend as Gustav approaches the Gulf Coast, Gov. Haley Barbour said Friday.
Making big bucks? Watch your mercury levels
Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500
Midwesterners better off, but threat from fish persists The nation's first region-by-region analysis of mercury in women's blood shows vast differences based on where they live, with the highest levels found in the Northeast.

Chicago Sun-Times :: News ::

Judge scolds anti-war protesters
BY ART GOLAB Staff Reporter/agolab@suntimes.com Sat, 30 Aug 2008 04:00:00 -0600
Five anti-war protesters who disrupted an Easter service at Holy Name Cathedral by shouting and discharging fake blood were sentenced Friday to a year of probation and 30 days of community service. They also paid $2,600 each in restitution for damage caused by their protest.
Law adds protection from bias based on genetic test
Sat, 30 Aug 2008 04:00:00 -0600
A new state law strengthens protections against discrimination based on the results of sophisticated genetic tests that can pinpoint someone's risk of disease, bringing Illinois in line with federal law and in some instances surpassing it. Advocates hope it will offer peace of mind to people who might be dissuaded from undergoing such tests because they fear repercussions from their employer or health insurer.
Teen shot says he needs to change schools
BY ERICA L. GREEN AND ANNIE SWEENEY Staff Reporters Sat, 30 Aug 2008 04:00:00 -0600
Joseph Jackson has wanted to go to Hyde Park High School since he was in second grade. They have programs for carpentry and bricklaying, skills he wants to master to get a job and make a better life for his family. The Robeson High School student hopes he'll now get a chance to attend Hyde Park for another reason -- to save his life.

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