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Illinois
Motto: "State sovereignty, national union"
Nicknames: Official - "Land of Lincoln"; also known as "The Prairie State"
Capital: Springfield
Population: 12,653,544 (Estimate by the US Census Bureau 7/01/03); Ranks 5th in US State Population
Size: 390 miles long and 210 miles wide; covers 57,918 square miles - 25th largest of the 50 states
State Bird: Cardinal
State Flower: Violet
Illinois is the Peoria Indian word "iliniwok," meaning men or warriors, perhaps referring to members of the Illinois tribe. Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle named the Illinois River in 1679 after the Indians he found living along its banks. The state was then named after the river.
Illinois became a state on December 3, 1818. It was the 21st state to be admitted to the Union.
People who live in or come from Illinois are called Illinoisians or Illinoisans.
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