Stately Knowledge: Illinois: Just the Facts

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Just the Facts:

Capital: Springfield
Population: 12,419,293
Governor: George H. Ryan (R, to January 2003)
Entered the Union: December 3, 1818
As the: 21st state
Motto: State sovereignty, national union
Nicknames: Prairie State, Land of Lincoln
Flower: Violet
Bird: Cardinal
Song: Illinois
Sports Teams: Chicago Bulls (Men's Basketball), Chicago Bears (Football), Chicago White Sox (Baseball), Chicago Cubs (Baseball), Chicago Blackhawks (Hockey)
Origin of Name: From an Indian word and French suffix, meaning "tribe of superior men"
Major Industries: Coal Mining, Agriculture, Oil
Historical Sites: Lincoln Home and Tomb, Old State Capitol, Bishop Hill, Cahokia Mounds, Illinois and Michigan National Heritage Corridor, Nauvoo, Ulysses S. Grant Home
Points of Interest: Art Institute of Chicago, Field Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, Brookfield Zoo, Sears Tower
Bordering States: Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana. Illinois also borders Lake Michigan.
Flag:

Illinois'

Encyclopedias and Almanacs

Follow these links to read articles about Illinois from Encyclopedias and Almanacs:

Encarta Concise Encyclopedia

Columbia Encyclopedia

Information Please Almanac

Other Helpful links:

The State of Illinois' Home Page (http://www.state.il.us/)
Look here for information on Illinois' government, schools, libraries, museums, and tourism. You can also see pictures of the capitol grounds.

Learn Illinois (http://www.state.il.us:80/kids/learn/default.htm)
Great stuff on Illinois just for kids!

Enjoy Illinois (http://www.enjoyillinois.com)
The Illinois Bureau of Tourism's home page. It has a lot of information on interesting and historical things in Illinois.

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