APRIL 2009
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APRIL 2009
Information about Illinois for each letter of the alphabet.
Click on highlighted word for more information.
A IS FOR AGRICULTURE, AMISH, & ARCHEOLOGY
The
Illinois Department of Agriculture provides information about AGRICULTURE in the state. The round Silo for farm storage of silage was first constructed on a farm in
Spring Grove. The
State Soil is Drummer and the central portion of the state has some of the most fertile earth in the country. Illinois has
Future Farmers of America and
4-H Clubs. The
National Agriculture Statistic Service and
Agriculture in the Classroom have agriculture information, games, and puzzles.
The
Amish way of life largely revolves around working and socializing together as a family and community.
Arthur is the heart of Illinois Amish Country.
Illinois has an
ARCHAEOLOGY Awareness Month. The state has
educational programs and celebrates Archaeology Month. There are many
Archaeological Sites in Illinois, and stone weapons from 12,000 B.C. have been found.
Illinois has many
BEACHES including
Licensed Public Beaches that are monitored for safety and water quality.
A wide variety of
BIRDS can be found in Illinois. Over 284 species of birds can be found at
Horseshoe Lake. The State Bird is the
Cardinal. Birdwatching is popular and there are
Birding Clubs and
Birding Hotspots.
Illinois has many
BRIDGES including
Covered Bridges and
Suspension Bridges. There are also many
Historic Bridges.
Illinois has several
BYWAYS and Scenic Drives.
The state has a variety of trails including
Horse and Mule Trails and
Biking Trails. There are also
Hiking Trails and the state participates in
National Trails Day. Illinois has several unique
Roadside Attractions.
Springfield is the CAPITAL of Illinois.
Arcola is know as the Broom Corn Capital of the world and has a celebration each September.
Mendota is called the Corn Capital of the country.
Metropolis, the home of Superman, exists in Southern Illinois.
Peoria is the oldest community in the state.
Illinois has all forms of COMMUNICATION including
newspapers, magazines, television, radio, telephone, and internet. There are 13 telephone area codes.
Internet Service Providers are located throughout the state.
Webcams are located throughout the state.
Illinois has 102
COUNTIES. The largest county is
Cook and the smallest is
Pope. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states for the level of government below the
state government. The state has more units of government than any other state.
The American Folk Dance of Illinois is the
Square Dance. The state has
Square Dance Clubs and Square Dance Festivals.
Illinois has many
DAMS and
Locks. The
Fox River has 15 dams, and the tallest generates
hydroelectric power.
Wind Power and
Solar Power are being investigated. The
United States Society on Dams is involved in the maintenance, construction, operation, & safety of dams. The state also has a
State Dam Safety Program.
Illinois experiences an occasional
EARTHQUAKE. The 1st recorded earthquake occurred in 1795. The most recent earthquake was in 1968. The USGS has a special page for kids about
earthquakes
Public
EDUCATION is provided free in Illinois. School attendance is
compulsory from age 7-16. The
Illinois State Board of Education oversees education in the state. Information about schools in Illinois is available at
Schoolbug and
Great Schools.
Illinois has many special
EVENTS throughout the year including
Food Festivals and
Arts and Craft Fairs. A
State Fair is held in Springfield and there are many
County Fairs. The
Illinois Saint Andrew Society has Tartan Day events. There are
Celtic and Scottish Festivals. Chicago has an
Irish/American Heritage Fest and Southern Illinois has an
Irish Festival. The state celebrates
Federal Holidays and other special days.
A wide variey of
FISH live in the rivers and lakes of Illinois and
fishing is a popular activity. The State Fish is the
Bluegill. Illinois has 4
Fish Hatcheries.
The Illinois
State Flag is a representation of the Great Seal of the state. There are some
Illinois has
FOOD Festivals, Shows, and events. The
food timeline of Illinois shows that Native Americans, European settlers, and the Industrial Revolution all played important roles in shaping the foods of the state. More than 2/3 of the
Horseradish grown in the county comes from Illinois, and there is a
Horseradish Festival. Although the "hot dog" was not invented in the United States, the
first ones were served at the 1898 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
Cracker Jack was invented in Illinois.
Chicago-Style Pizza was invented - guess where? - in Chicago.
Illinois has had many
FORTS. The limestone powder magazine from the 3rd Fort de Chartres.
Fort de Chartres is considered to be the oldest building in the state.
Fort Massac State Park has a replica of the 1802 American fort that was on site.
For de Chartres is the last of three 18th century forts by that name erected near the Mississippi River by the colonial government of France. There are some
Mysterious Stone Forts in Southern Illinois.
The
Illinois State Geological Survey provides information about the GEOLOGY of the state including a
geologic timeline. The state has a variety of
rocks and minerals. The State Mineral is
Fluorite.
The
GLOBAL POSTION of Illinois ranges from 36-42 degrees north Latitude and 87-91 degrees west Longitude. Logan is the geographic center of the state. The highest point is
Charles Mound and the lowest point is the Mississippi River.
Geocaching is high-tech treasure hunt using a GPS finder, and there are many
geocaches in Illinois. NOAA provides a
topographical map of the state.
Illinois has many
HISTORIC SITES and Interpretive Centers. The
National Trust helps protect historic places in Illinois. The
Lincoln Home is a National Historic Site.
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site is a World Heritage Site.
The
HISTORY of Illinois dates back 5,000 years ago when Indians hunted in the area, and the remains of their civilization can be viewed today. In 1673, French explorers
Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet were the first Europeans of record to visit the area. Illinois participates in
National History Day.
The major
INDUSTRIES in Illinois include agriculture, cattle, manufacturing, mining, and technology. It is the 4th largest industrial state in the country. The largest cookie and cracker factory in the world (
Nabisco) is located in Chicago. Des Plaines is home to the first
McDonald's. A variety of
Trade Shows are held during the year.
Illinois has a variety of
INSECTS including many
butterflies and moths. The State Insect is the
Monarch Butterfly.
Illinois has many
ISLANDS on rivers. Most of them are on the Mississippi River.
Jazz is popular in Illinois and there are
Jazz Festivals,
Jazz Clubs and Jazz Groups in the state. Illinois has several
Opera Companies and
Orchestras. The
State Song is Illinois.
Illinois has
KARST and caves. There are 5 karst regions and more than 300 caves. Most of the caves are privately owned.
Illinois Caverns and
Cave-In-Rock are open to the public. The
National Speleological Society has chapters in Illinois. The National Park Service has a
Cave and Karst Program.
Many aspects of life in Illinois focus on KIDS and the state has a special
Illinois Kid Zone.The
Department of Agriculture and the
Department of Natural Resources each have a Kids Page.
Aside from
Lake Michigan, Illinois has few significant natural LAKES, but it has several big bodies of water formed by dams. Among them are Carlyle and Crab Orchard lakes, and Lake Shelbyville. Chain o? Lakes, a group of small natural lakes in the northeastern part of the state, is popular with summer vacationers.
Public LIBRARIES are located throughout Illinois. The Chicago Public Library is the largest public library in the world. The
State Library is in Springfield.
Illinois has several
LIGHTHOUSES. The
Grosse Point lighthouse is a National Historic Landmark.
Illinois has several
MILITARY installations.
Scott Air Force Base is home to 5 headquarters and a Reserve Airlift Unit. The state has Army and Air
National Guard Units, and the
Army Corps of Engineers has several projects.
A variety of
MUSEUMS are located throughout Illinois. The
Illinois State Museum is in Springfield. The
Midway Village and Museum Center has museums of times-gone-by. The
Museum of Science and Industry has some unique exhibits.
The NAME Illinois came from the word Illini which was a confederation of several Indian tribes. Another theory is that is was the Algonquin Indian name for warriors. Most
counties were named after people. The state nickname is the Prairie State, and it is also called "The Land of Lincoln". The name
"ice cream sundae" was coined in Evanston.
There are not many NATIVE AMERICANS in Illinois today, but at one time
several tribes lived in the state. Paleo-Indians and their descendants explored Illinois before 5000 BC and can be studied at the
Modock Rock Shelter in Randolph County. Woodland Indians were their descendants. By AD 900, Middle Mississippi Indians built large earthen mounds and developed complex urban areas.
Dickson Mounds Indian Museum near Lewiston features special exhibits which chronicle the Indian?s valuable place in Illinois history. The
American Indian Center in Chicago has an annual powwow.
OIL and gas have been produced in Illinois for over 100 years. The
Illinois Oilfield Museum preserves oilfield exploration and production in the state.
Illinois has 4
OBSERVATORIES and 12
Planetariums. The state has several
Astronomy Clubs. Many are members of the
Astronomy League and celebrate
Astronomy Day.
P IS FOR PARKS & PEOPLE
Illinois has hundreds of
PARKS including State Parks and Recreation Areas. It also has
Theme Parks and
Water Parks.
Rock Island Trail State Park has 26 miles of trails.
Jefferson Lake State Park has 15 miles of hiking and equestrian trails.
Illinois has over 12,000 PEOPLE and is the 5th most populous state in the country. Several
Famous People came from Illinois including
President Abraham Lincoln and
President Ronald Reagan.
The
United States Mint issued a
QUARTER for each state in the order that it became part of the Union. Illinois became a State in 1818 and an
Illinois Quarter was issued in 2003. The U.S. Mint has a special
Kids Page.
QUILTING has an interesting history, and Illinois has many quilting groups and
Quilting Guilds.
There are also
Weaving Guilds.
Take a
QUIZ about Illinois. And still another QUIZ about the state.
Illinois has a variety of
REPTILES and amphibians, and 17 species of
turtles. The state has 4 kinds of
poisonous snakes.
Illinois has a number of
RIVERS. The major rivers are the Mississippi, Ohio, Illinois, and Wabash. The Wabash River separates the south half of the state from Indiana, and the Ohio River forms the border between the southern tip of the state and Kentucky. The Chicago River is dyed green on Saint Patrick's Day.
Middle Fork Vermilion River is designated a Wild and Scenic River.
American Rivers is an organization that protects & restores rivery systems in the country.
Illinois has high school, college, league, and professional
SPORTS teams. The state has over 700
Golf Courses both public & private. Many
Famous Sports Figures have called Illinois their home. The state has several
ski resorts.
Illinois has many species of TREES and over 100
Big Trees including 4 that have set national records. The State Tree is the
White Oak. Shawnee is a National Forest and Fernwood is a State Forest. The
Shawnee National Forest has waterfalls, lakes, ponds, and rock streams. Illinois
FORESTS are part of the Eastern Broadleaf Forests.
The
Illinois Department of TRANSPORTATION provides information about all forms of transportation in the state and has an
Adopt-a-Highway Program. The state has the highest number of
personalized license plates in the country. The
Federal Highway Adminisration provides traffic and road closure information>. To celebrate its 50th anniversary,
Matchbox Cars issued a vehicle for each state. The vehicle for for Illinois was the
International Fire Pumper.
Illinois has many
UNIVERSITIES Colleges and other school of higher education. The
University of Illinois has 3 campuses. The Northern Illinois University has a
Center for Southeast Asian Studies.
Four ships of the United States Navy have been named USS Illinois
The 1st USS Illinois (sloop), a screw sloop-of war, was laid down but never completed. The 2nd
USS Illinois (BB-7), lead ship of her class of battleship, served for over half a century and was eventually renamed Prairie State. The 3rd USS Illinois was a diesel-powered trawler acquired by the Navy, renamed USS Albatross (AM-71), and employed as a minesweeper. The 4th
USS Illinois (BB-65) would have been an Iowa-class battleship if her construction had not been cancelled before she was launched.
Illinois has a wide variety of
VEGETATION ranging from prairies to fertile plains. The State Flower is the
Illinois Native Violet. The
Midewind National Tallgrass Prairie is the 1st tallgrass prairie in the country.
Big Bluestem is the State Prairie Grass. According to the United States Department of Agriculture the state is in
plant hardiness zones 4, 5, and 6.
The
Nature Conservancy helps preserve the land in Illinois.
Illinois does not have any
VOLCANOES now, but there is evidence of volcanoes existing in the state 500 million years ago.
Illinois has 4 distinct seasons and is know for its variety of
WEATHER. It has major winter storms, deadly tornadoes, and heat and cold waves.
NOAA provides information about weather in the state. The Environmental Protection Agency provides information about
global warming in Illinois.
XMAS is the abbreviation for Christmas which is celebrated in
Illinois much as it is in the rest of the
country and
world.
YMCA organizations are located throughout Illinois.
Illinois has several
YOUTH HOSTELS. There are also
Elderhostel programs.
The use of postal
ZIPCODES began in 1963. Zipcodes in
Illinois start with the number 6. The mailing code is IL. The Chicago Post Office on West Van Buren is the only postal facility in the world you can drive a car through.
Illinois is in the
Central Standard Time ZONE and observes
Daylight Savings Time.
Illinois has 19
ZOOS including
Petting Zoos and Pony Rides. The
Shedd Aquarium is the largest indoor aquarium in the world.
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