The state of Illinois has one of the largest cities in the United States, Chicago, but there is much more to Illinois than just Chicago. Illinois became a state in 1818 and is often associated with perhaps the most famous U.S. President: Abraham Lincoln. Though Lincoln was born in Kentucky, he and his family lived in Illinois for most of his life, and that was where he was serving as a U.S. Senator when he was elected President.

Today, the state of Illinois is known heavily for its extremely popular professional sports teams. The Chicago Bulls were a dynasty, with one of the most famous pro basketball players of all time in Michael Jordan. Even years after his retirement they remain one of the most popular NBA teams anywhere. The Chicago Bears have long been one of the most popular NFL teams, and the state of Illinois has two baseball teams: the Chicago White Sox and the “loveable losers” the Chicago Cubs. Aside from pro athletes, Illinois has minor league baseball and NCAA sports participation by the University of Illinois and Northern Illinois University.

The state of Illinois is one of the most populous states in the Midwest. In fact, the city of Chicago is estimated to have more people than the entire state of Iowa. The economy used to be heavily farming based outside of the main cities, and while agriculture still plays a large part in the economy, technology and education have supplanted farming as main parts of the economic structure.

The state of Illinois is also known for scenic country roads that blend farmland with rolling hills and forests. Despite its most famous city being Chicago, Springfield is actually the capital of this beautiful and unique state.