Illinois (pronounced ill-uh-NOY) nicknamed the Prairie State for its emphasis on the preservation of prairies (meadow pastures). Although Springfield is the capital of Illinois, Chicago is the largest city with its O’Hare International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world. Other cities in Illinois include Decatur, Rantoul, Aurora, Bloomington, Champaign, Naperville, Arlington Heights, Joliet, Peoria, Elgin, Hoffman Estates, Rockford and Waukegan.
The weather in Illinois ranges from humid subtropical climate in the south to humid continental climate with cold winters. The average snowfall in Chicago is about 40 inches in the Chicago area. Southern parts of the state get less snowfall in winter. Illinois also experiences above average rainfall and is vulnerable to tornado activity. April through October is a good time to visit this state.
Racial ethnicity includes people from Latin America, Asia, Europe and Africa.
There are several state parks in Illinois. The Cache River State Park is known for its swamps with over a hundred species of endangered plants and animals. The Giant City State park is known for its strange rock formations created by the area’s Pennsylvanian bedrock. Other state parks in Illinois include Pere Marquette State park, Wayne Fitzgerrel State park, Cave-in-rock State park, Garden of the God Recreation area, Fort Massac State park, Mississippi Palisades State park, Allerton Park and Retreat Center, Starved Rock State park.
Shawnee National Forest which is located between the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers is a fascinating landscape of rolling hills, open land, forest, lakes and rugged cliffs. This park has 403 miles of hiking trails, over 240 campsites and 17 picnic points.
(Hollywood Casino Riverboats offer blackjack, slots, stud poker, roulette, craps and mini-baccarat in the midst a virtual Hollywood memorabilia museum. Harrah’s Metropolis Casino is located on Ohio River. This also offers 27 table games along with big name entertainment.)
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