Tag Archive: Study in Illinois

Illinois is a state in the Midwestern United States. It is in 25th place in terms of area – 149,998 km², and in fifth place in terms of population, which, according to the US Census Bureau for 2011, is 12,869,257 people. The capital of the state is Springfield, the largest city is Chicago, other large cities are Aurora, Rockford, Jolit.
STATE NAME
The name of the state of Illinois, like the names of many other US states, comes from the language of the indigenous inhabitants of North America – the Indians. In this case, the roots of the word “Illinois” can be traced in one of the dialects of the Algonquian group of languages ​​- Illinois-Miami.
According to various versions, the word “Illinois” comes either from Illiniwek, which means “a tribe of higher people”, or from irenwewa, which translates as “he speaks as always.”
In any case, the word “Illinois” came into English from French, because it was the French missionaries and explorers who were the first Europeans in the lands of the modern state of Illinois.
GEOGRAPHY
The state of Illinois is located in the Midwest of the United States and belongs to the northeastern central states of the United States of America. The territory of the state of Illinois is 149,998 km2 (twenty-fifth place among the US states).
Illinois is bordered by the states of Wisconsin to the north, Michigan to the northeast (the Lake Michigan border), Indiana to the east, Kentucky to the southeast (along the Ohio River), Missouri to the southwest, and Iowa to the northwest (with both states along the Mississippi River).
Illinois is located in the central time zone of the United States.
Almost all of Illinois is hilly plains, elevations rise only in the northwest (this is where the highest point of the state is located – Charles Mound, 376 meters above sea level) and in the south (Shawnee Hills). Illinois is located on the territory of the Great Plains of the United States and most of the state (almost all the northern and central districts) are occupied by prairies, though largely modified by human activities.
There are more forests in the south of the state, it is here that one of the largest (more than 1000 km2) protected forests in the USA, the Shawnee National Forest, is located. Oaks, maples, hickories grow in the forests of Illinois; in them you can see white-tailed deer, foxes, muskrats, raccoons and many other animals.
The largest river in the state (except for the border Mississippi, Ohio and Wabash) is the Illinois (more than 430 km).
CLIMATE
Illinois has a humid continental (and subtropical in the south of the state) climate with hot summers (when the weather is determined by warm air masses coming from the Gulf of Mexico) and cool winters (when cold Arctic air comes from the north, from Canada). Precipitation falls all year round, but most of the rain falls in late spring – early summer.
The average temperature of the coldest winter month in Illinois’s largest city, Chicago, is from -8°C to 0°C, and the hottest summer month is from 19°C to 29°C. In the central state capital, Springfield, average temperatures range from -8°C to 1°C in January and from 19°C to 30°C in July. In southern Illinois, in the city of Cairo, summer temperatures range from -4°C to 6°C, and in July from 21°C to 32°C.
The vast water surfaces of the Great Lakes have a significant impact on the weather of the “Prairie State”, in particular, snow storms often occur in winter (the so-called “snow effect from the lakes”). Thunderstorms are frequent in Illinois (an average of fifty thunderstorm days per year), and destructive tornadoes are not uncommon.
ECONOMY
Illinois is one of the most economically developed states in the US, it ranks fifth in the country in terms of GDP (after California, Texas, New York and Florida).
Industrial enterprises of Illinois are mainly concentrated in the northeast of the state, in the Chicago area. The rest of the state is predominantly agricultural; in the south, in addition, they extract minerals and harvest wood.
Chicago is not only the largest city in Illinois, but also one of the largest financial and commercial centers in the United States. This huge city ranks third (after New York and Los Angeles) among US metropolitan areas in terms of gross domestic product. Chicago is home to one of the US Federal Reserve Banks and one of the regional mortgage banks (FHLBank) created by the US government. There are five large stock and commodity exchanges, many commercial banks, brokerage and insurance companies. Twelve Fortune 500 companies (the largest companies in the United States) are headquartered in Chicago and its suburbs, including the Boeing aerospace corporation, Motorola telecommunications company, retailer Sears, and the well-known fast food chain McDonald’s.
TOURISM
One of the most important sectors of the state’s economy is tourism. Numerous tourists are attracted by the picturesque nature of Illinois (like the Shawnee National Forest located in the south, for example), historical sites (Illinois is not accidentally called “Lincoln Land”), the unique architecture and cultural features of the Chicago metropolis (which is worth only the famous Chicago blues!), And also various events (including the annual classical music festivals Grant Park Music Festival and culinary Taste of Chicago).
Interestingly, it was in Chicago that the world’s first Ferris wheel was built, and the Navy Pier amusement park located here is on the list of the most popular tourist attractions in the United States.