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Illinois is located in the Midwestern portion of the United States. It is the 5th most populous state in the country mainly due to the large metropolitan area of Chicago and 25th largest state in the country. Due to it's proximity in the country and bordering the great lakes Illinois is a major transportation hub for the United States, with one of the busiest airports in the country O'Hare International Airport, and it's connection to the great lakes to the Atlantic Ocean via the Great Lakes and the St Lawrence Seaway, People & Commerce move through Illinois at a fast pase. The geography of Illinois can basically be summed up in one word flat, due to it being entirely part of the Interior Plains.
Entered the Union: December 3, 1818 (21st State)
Illinois Capital City: Springfield
Lagest Cities in Illinois: Chicago, Aurora, Rockford, Joliet, Naperville, Springfield, Peoria, Elgin, Waukegan, Cicero
Bordering States: Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Kentucky, Missouri, Wisconsin
Illinois 2013 Population (Estimate): 12,882,135
Illinois 2010 Population (Estimate): 12,830,632
Origin of State Name: Algonquin for “tribe of superior men”
State Motto: State sovereignty, national union
Illinois Nickname: Prairie State