State Abbreviation - IL
State Capital - Springfield
Largest City - Chicago
Area - 57,918 square miles [Illinois is the 25th biggest state in the USA]
Population - 12,419,293 (as of 2000) [Illinois is the fifth most populous state in the USA, after California, New York, Texas, and Florida]
Name for Residents - Illinoisan
Major Industries - agriculture (corn, soybeans, wheat, oats, barley, rye, sorghum), cattle, manufacturing, mining

Presidential Birthplace - Ronald Wilson Reagan was born in Tampico on February 6, 1911 (he was the 40th US President, serving from 1981 to 1989)

Major Rivers - Mississippi River, Ohio River, Illinois River, Wabash River
Major Lakes - Lake Michigan, Rend Lake
Highest Point - Charles Mound - 1,235 feet (376 m) above sea level
Bordering States - Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin
Bordering Body of Water - Lake Michigan

Origin of the Name Illinois - Illinois comes from the word Illini, a confederation of the Cahokia, Kaskaskia, Michigamea, Moingwena, Peoria and Tamaroa Indian tribes.
State Nickname - Prairie State
State Motto - State Sovereignty, National Union
State Song - "Illinois"