| − | '''Illinois''' was the twenty-first state to enter into the [[union]]. Its capital is [[Springfield]], and the largest city is [[Chicago]]. Illinois is bordered by [[Indiana]], [[Kentucky]], [[Michigan]], [[Missouri]], [[Iowa]], and [[Wisconsin]]. Illinois was the most abandoned state in the country in 2023, as more people moved away from Illinois than from any other state. [[Chicago]] is long been considered to be one of the most politically corrupt cities in the [[U.S.]] Illinois has a population of 12,830,632 according to the 2010 census, making it the 5th most populous state. | + | '''Illinois''' was the twenty-first state to enter into the [[union]]. Its capital is [[Springfield]], and the largest city is [[Chicago]]. Illinois is bordered by [[Indiana]], [[Kentucky]], [[Michigan]], [[Missouri]], [[Iowa]], and [[Wisconsin]]. Illinois was the most abandoned state in the country in 2023, as more people moved away from Illinois than from any other state. [[Chicago]] is long been considered to be one of the most politically corrupt cities in the [[U.S.]] Illinois has a population of 12,830,632 according to the 2010 census, making it the 5th most populous state. Illinois has 102 counties. |
| | Illinois is one of the top 10 agricultural states in the [[United States]], and outside of [[Chicago]] agriculture is the biggest part of the [[economy]]. Its leading products are [[corn]], [[soybean]]s, and [[swine]]. | | Illinois is one of the top 10 agricultural states in the [[United States]], and outside of [[Chicago]] agriculture is the biggest part of the [[economy]]. Its leading products are [[corn]], [[soybean]]s, and [[swine]]. |
| − | Downstate Illinois is the political opposite of upstate Illinois, such that [[Trump]] won landslide victories in downstate Illinois while [[Dems]] win the state overall. | + | Downstate Illinois is the political opposite of upstate Illinois, such that [[Trump]] won landslide victories in downstate Illinois while [[Dems]] won the state overall. Many downstate counties have voted to "separat[e] from Cook County [Chicago] to form a new state and to seek admission to the Union as such, subject to the approval of the people”.<ref>https://www.nbcchicago.com/illinois-election-2024/7-illinois-counties-vote-to-explore-seceding-from-state/3593776/</ref> |
| | The state Constitution of Illinois, like all of the other 50 states, acknowledges God or our Creator or the ''Sovereign Ruler of the Universe''. It says: | | The state Constitution of Illinois, like all of the other 50 states, acknowledges God or our Creator or the ''Sovereign Ruler of the Universe''. It says: |