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Illinois became the 21^st state on Dec 3^rd 1818. The states name comes from the Indian word "warrior" and many roads and streets in the states owe their names to the Indians such as Algonquin Road in Chicago.

Origin of state's name: The word Illinois is from the Indian word "warrior".

Capital City: The Capital city is Springfield which surprises many people who believe Chicago is the capital. The state is surrounded by Lake Michigan on the east and other states including Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Kentucky and Missouri.

Population: the population of the state was close to 12.5 million in the last census of 2000.

Driving  

Driver's license information, applications, testing requirements, driver's manuals and testing locations can all be found on the Illinois Motor Vehicle's website.

http://www.sos.state.il.us/services/services_motorists.html

Economy – The state is noted for having good agricultural land and grows corn, wheat and soybeans. Other agriculture includes dairy farming. The main industries and chemical production, electronics production, food processing.

State Flower – The state flower is the Purple Violet or Viola which has characteristic blue violet coloring and grows in the shade and in the sun.

State Bird: The state bird is the Cardinal (or Pitylus Cardinalis). The Cardinal is a robust bird with distinct colored plumage. 

State Song: The state song is Illinois which praises Illinois for its scenery and its bravery during troubled times. 

Illinois – Interesting Facts

• The Sears Tower in Chicago is the tallest building in North America
• Illinois was the first state to abolish slavery in 1865 in accordance with the 13^th Amendment.
• McDonald's first stored was opened in Des Plaines, Illinois.
• Springfield is the state capital and the home of the National Historic Site of the home of President and Mrs. Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln is buried just outside Springfield at the Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site.
• The Chicago Water Tower and Pumping Station were the only building to survive the Great Fire of Chicago.
• Evanston was the birth place of the ice cream sundae. Originally the word was Sunday but was changed to due objection from religious members so the community.  
• The nickname "Windy City" for Chicago came from a newspaper editor who became impatient with Chicagoans boasts of the firs Columbian expedition.
• The Chicago Public Library is the world's largest public library.
• There is a large Irish emigrant population in Chicago and the Chicago River is dyed green every St. Patrick's Day  

Illinois - Famous People

Many famous people were born and raised in Illinois and many famous people call Illinois their home today. This includes actors, athletes, authors, politicians and entertainers.

Gillian Anderson, Jack Benny, Harrison Ford, Ernest Hemingway and Quincy Jones are all from Illinois.