Illinois

Capital: Springfield

Population: 12,419,293

Entered the Union: December 3, 1818

As the: 21st state

Motto: State sovereignty, national union

Nicknames: Prairie State, Land of Lincoln

Origin of Name: From an Indian word and French suffix, meaning "tribe of superior men"

Major Industries: Coal Mining, Agriculture, Oil

Historical Sites: Lincoln Home and Tomb, Old State Capitol, Bishop Hill, Cahokia Mounds, Illinois and Michigan National Heritage Corridor, Nauvoo, Ulysses S. Grant Home

Points of Interest: Art Institute of Chicago, Field Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, Brookfield Zoo, Sears Tower