Illinois State Seal

Illinois is a state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 5th most populous and 25th most extensive state, and is often noted as amicrocosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, andnatural resources like coal, timber, and petroleum in the south, Illinois has a diverse economic base and is a major transportation hub. The Port of Chicagoconnects the state to other global ports from the Great Lakes, via the Saint Lawrence Seaway, to the Atlantic Ocean; as well as the Great Lakes to theMississippi River, via the Illinois River. For decades, O'Hare International Airport has been ranked as one of the world's busiest airports. Illinois has long had a reputation as a bellwether both in social and cultural terms and politics.