Origin of State Name : French derivative of Iliniwek, meaning "tribe of superior men," an Indian group formerly in the region.

Nickname : The Prairie State, Land of Lincoln

Slogan : Land of Lincoln.

Capital : Springfield.

Country : 102 counties

Entered Union : 3 December 1818 (21st).

Song : "Illinois."

Motto : State Sovereignty–National Union.

Flag : The inner portion of the state seal and the word "Illinois" on a white field.

Population : 12,713,634 in the year of 2004

Animal : White-tailed deer.

Bird : Cardinal.

Fish : Bluegill.

Insect : Monarch butterfly.

Flower : Native violet.

Tree : White oak.

Mineral : Fluorite.

Presidential Birthplace : Ronald Wilson Reagan, 1981-1989 {40th} Born: February 6, 1911, in Tampico, Illinois

Agriculture : Corn, soybeans, hogs, cattle, dairy products, wheat.

Industry : Machinery, food processing, electric equipment, chemical products, printing and publishing, fabricated metal products, transportation equipment, petroleum, coal.