Illinois

One of the n. central States. Its area is 56,650 sq. m. The surface is in the main extremely level, being a typical prairie State. In the s. portion it becomes slightly broken by erosion, and a range of hills known as the Grand Chain cro es it from e. to w. The s. five-sixths of the State is covered by carboniferous formations, a small area in the n. only being floored with Silurian beds. Agriculture, and particularly the culture of the cereals, is the principal industry of the State; manufactures are coming in and yearly a uming greater relative importance. The value of farms, farming implements and machinery in 1890 was $1,297,327,525, and the value of the product was $184,759,013. In the same year there was invested in manufactures $140,652,000 and the product was $414,864,000. The principal mineral production of the State is coal. It had within its area, in 1893, 14,678 miles of road. The capital is Springfield, near the center of the State. The largest and most important city is Chicago, on the shore of Lake Michigan. The Territory was formed from the old Northwest Territory 1809, and admitted as a State 1818. The first settlements were made by Marquette and La Salle, the latter giving the name to the river from which the State is named. Pop., 1890, 3,826,351, one-sixth of foreign birth; density of pop. 67.5 per sq. mile. (See Map, page 364.)