Illinois is a midwestern state bordering Indiana in the east and the Mississippi River in the west. Nicknamed "the Prairie State," it's marked by farmland, forests, rolling hills and wetlands. Chicago, one of the largest cities in the U.S, is in the northeast on the shores of Lake Michigan. It’s famous for its skyscrapers, such as sleek, 1,451-ft. Willis Tower and the neo-Gothic Tribune Tower.   Abbreviation: IL Capital: Springfield Temperature: 58 degrees, rain showers Time: 1:00pm (1 hour behind us) Nickname: The Prairie State This nickname was given to Illinois by the first settlers to arrive here  due to the vast expanses of prairie . Population: 12.67 million (PA 12.8) Size: 57,915 sq mi (PA 46,000) Statehood: December 3, 1818 State Flag:  State Motto:  State Sovereignty, National Union. The state motto means that  Illinois governs itself under the government of the United States . In the eagle's claws is a shield with thirteen bars and thirteen stars, this...