Illinois

Illinois is the transportation crossroads of the United States. With one of the world's two busiest airports, the dominant railroad hub, one of the largest interstate highway systems, and a major inland shipping route, the state takes good advantage of its central position.

Located between the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes, Illinois was a mixture of woodland, prairie, and savannah before it was settled in the 19th Century. Although still called the Prairie State, almost all of the prairie has been replaced by farmland and urban areas. Outside of the Chicago Metro Area the state includes vast fields of corn and soybeans. The topography is mainly flat except for bluffs on the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers and the small "Illinois Ozarks" near the southern tip.

Chicago is far and away the largest city in Illinois, and its urban area holds over half of the state's population. The state also borders the city of St. Louis, and includes much of its metropolitan area. Major secondary cities are Rockford, Peoria, and Springfield.