Maps of Illinois state. Detailed road, adminsitartive, physical, topographical and other maps of Illinois state.

The state of Illinois is situated in the central part of the USA and stretches from the Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River. This vast expanse is strewn with rich farmlands, hills, valleys and glacial plains.

Although the capital of Michigan is Springfield, Chicago is the biggest city. Nicknamed the ‘Windy City’, Chicago is the center of industry, trade and transportation centers, it is also where the first skyscrapers appeared along the riverbank and facing the Lake Michigan.

The Lake Michigan is scattered with picturesque villages and harbors along miles and miles of shoreline offering beautiful scenery and sandy beaches. Around the lake there are also hundred of parks, zoos and large areas of forest reserves.

Throughout the state there are more than 1000 historical sites and half a million acres of state parks, with a multitude of outdoor activities and cultural centers. This is also the state where Abraham Lincoln spent most of his professional life in. At Springfield one may visit his tomb and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

Another interesting site are the earthen burial mounds at Cahokia Mounds, this is the most complex of any other prehistoric Native American community site north of Mexico.

The climate varies considerably between hot summers and freezing winters, with a lot of humidity around the great lakes.