The
state of Illinois is situated in the central part of the
USA and stretches from the Lake Michigan to the
Mississippi River. This vast expanse is strewn with rich
farmlands, hills, valleys and glacial plains.
Although the capital of Michigan is Springfield, Chicago
is the biggest city. Nicknamed the ‘Windy City’, Chicago
is the center of industry, trade and transportation
centers, it is also where the first skyscrapers appeared
along the riverbank and facing the Lake Michigan.
The Lake Michigan is scattered with picturesque villages
and harbors along miles and miles of shoreline offering
beautiful scenery and sandy beaches. Around the lake
there are also hundred of parks, zoos and large areas of
forest reserves.
Throughout the state there are more than 1000 historical
sites and half a million acres of state parks, with a
multitude of outdoor activities and cultural centers.
This is also the state where Abraham Lincoln spent most
of his professional life in. At Springfield one may
visit his tomb and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential
Library and Museum.
Another interesting site are the earthen burial mounds
at Cahokia Mounds, this is the most complex of any other
prehistoric Native American community site north of
Mexico.
The climate varies considerably between hot summers and
freezing winters, with a lot of humidity around the
great lakes.
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