Illinois Land of Lincoln

Capital The first capitol building was in Kaskaskia. Vandalia became the second capital of Illinois in 1820. Springfield became the capital of Illinois in 1839.

Illinois State Flag

State Symbols

Bird: The Cardinal In 1928, Illinois schoolchildren selected the cardinal as the State Bird of Illinois. The General Assembly made that designation official in 1929.

Animal: White-tailed Deer Illinois schoolchildren voted to select the white-tailed deer as the state animal in 1980. The vote was made official by the General Assembly in 1982.

Mineral: Fluorite The General Assembly established Fluorite as the state mineral in 1965. Illinois is the largest producer of Fluorite in the United States. Fluorite is used in making steel, enamels, aluminum, glass, and many chemicals.

Fossil: Tully Monster The Tully Monster is the state fossil. The Tully Monster was a soft-bodied marine animal that lived 280 to 340 million years ago. More than 100 Tully Monster fossils have been found in Illinois.

Grass: Big Bluestem In 1989 the Big Bluestem became the state prairie grass. The General Assembly adopted this designation following a poll of students conducted by the Illinois Department of Conservation.

Flower: Violet In 1907, Illinois schoolchildren voted to select the state tree and the state flower. . The General Assembly approved a bill to make these selections official in 1908.

Tree: White Oak In 1973, a special poll of 900,000 schoolchildren changed the State Tree from the Native Oak to the White Oak.

Fish: Bluegill Schoolchildren selected the Bluegill as the state fish in 1986. Although the Bluegill grows to only about 9 inches in length and weighs less than a pound, it has a reputation as one of the best fighting game fish.

Insect: Monarch Butterfly In 1974 a third-grader from Decatur suggested that the monarch butterfly become the state insect. Schoolchildren lobbied for the monarch butterfly and the General Assembly passed a bill making it official in 1975.

Illinois Facts 1818 Illinois becomes the 21st state. Found in the Midwest section of the United States 37° and 42° 30' N. and 87° 32' and 91° 31' W Illinois total population (released April 1, 2000) 12,419,293

Four Important Events In 1673 French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet were the first Europeans of record to visit the region. In 1818 Illinois becomes the 21st state In 1832 The Blackhawk War In 1900 Completion of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal

Geography Illinois is composed of about 60% prairie, 30% hills with prairie, and 10% hills. The prairies cover central, northeastern, eastern, and south central Illinois; hills with prairie are found in northwestern, western, and southern Illinois.

Climate Average annual precipitation ranges from 1,130 mm (45 in) in southern Illinois to 880 mm (35 in) in northern Illinois. Winter average temperatures are -4° C (25° F) in the north and 2° C (36° F) in the south. Summer averages are 24° C (75° F) in the north and 26° C (79° F) in the south. Atmospheric storms move across the state from

Bodies of Water Three major inland waterways—the Ohio, Illinois, and Mississippi rivers. The Illinois Waterway provides an access route to the Mississippi River for Great Lakes ships via the Chicago River, Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, and Des Plaines and Illinois rivers.

Natural Resources Extracted minerals include petroleum, natural gas, clay, silica, fluorspar, lead, zinc, and limestone. Illinois is the fourth-to-sixth largest producer of bituminous coal in the United States.

Native People Illiniwek Sauk Winnebago Potawatomi Kickapoo Peoria, Kaskakia Tamaroa Cahokia Michigamea

Some Important People of Illinois Abraham Lincoln Ronald Reagan Jean Baptiste Point du Sable Daniel Burnham Black Hawk Jane Addams John Deere Cyrus McCormick

Sources Illinois State Website www.illinois.gov Library of Congress www.loc.gov Illinois State History: www.rootsweb.com/~ilhistor/index.html