- ILLINOIS FAST FACTS -

Illinois is located in the Midwestern region of the United States, at the foot of Lake Michigan, and is one of eight states that make up the Great Lakes Region. It is bordered by Wisconsin on the north, Lake Michigan to the northeast, Indiana to the east, Kentucky to the southeast, Missouri to the west, and Iowa to the northwest.

The first Eurpeans to visit the area were the French explorers Louis Jolliet and Jacquest Marquette in 1673 when they explored the Illinois River. A fort was constructed where Peoria now stands in 1690 by French explorers under Sieur de La Salle, Rene Robert Cavelier and Henri de Tonti. Illinois was a part of New France until 1763 when France was defeated by the British in the Seven Years War. It became a territory of the United States after the American Revolution. The Illinois Territory was created on February 3, 1809. On December 3, 1818 it was admitted to the Union as the twenty-first state.

The official state slogan Land of Lincoln is in honor of President Abraham Lincoln, who served as the 16th Prsiden of the United States from 1861 until his death by assassination on April 15, 1865. Springifled is the site of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. Ulysses S. Grant and Barack Obama were also elected as President while residing in Illinois. Ronald Reagan was born and raised in Illinois, but elected as President while living in California.

There are currently 102 counties in Illinois. The city of Chicago, in Cook county, was established in 1833 and by 1857 it was, and still is, the largest city in Illinois.It's population in 2020 was nearly 13,000,000. The State Capital is at Springfield, in Sangamon county.

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