Illinois

Illinois is a state in the Midwestern United States anchored by Chicago, the third-largest city in the country and a global hub of finance, transport and culture. Its capital is Springfield, long associated with Abraham Lincoln. Nicknamed the Prairie State, it combines a major metropolis with vast farmland.

Most of Illinois is flat, fertile prairie ideal for corn and soybeans, drained by the Mississippi, Illinois and Ohio rivers, with Lake Michigan along its northeastern edge. Chicago sprawls along the lakefront. The climate is humid continental, with cold winters and hot summers.

Illinois culture is defined by Chicago, a center of blues and jazz, architecture, deep-dish pizza and major-league sports, set against a strong agricultural heartland. The state has a rich political history and a diverse, urban-rural mix.

Home to the Illinois Confederacy and other peoples, the area became the 21st state in 1818. Chicago grew explosively as a rail and industrial hub, and Illinois is closely tied to Abraham Lincoln, who lived in Springfield before the presidency.