Illinois

Illinois is a greener state, lots of tall corn. They've been having a lot of rain and most of the rivers we saw were pretty full. It’s a pretty flat state. There were storms predicted for most of the state, we drove straight through.

There’s some Illinois state facts below the pictures.

You can click on any of the pictures to enlarge them in a new window.


Some Illinois facts from netstate.com:

1. Agriculture: In terms of revenue generated, Illinois' top five agricultural products are corn for grain, soybeans, hogs, cattle and calves, and dairy products. Hogs are the most important livestock product in the state, followed by beef cattle, milk, chickens and eggs. Illinois is a leading farm income state with corn as its most important crop. Most of the crop is sold as grain and livestock feed but corn is also processed to produce corn syrup, starch and fuel alcohol. Soybeans are the second most farm product, followed by hay, wheat, rye, oats and grain sorghum. Apples are the most important fruit crop in Illinois. Other fruit crops are melons and peaches. Vegetable crops, other than sweet corn, are asparagus, cabbage, lima beans and snap beans.

2. Manufacturing: Illinois is a leading manufacturing state with machinery (construction equipment, farm machinery, machine tools) ranking first in this sector. The processed food sector ranks second among manufacturing industries with the chief products being baked goods, breakfast cereals, candy, sausage, and spices. Other processed foods include dairy, sauces and soft drinks. Chemical manufacturing (cleaning solutions, pharmaceuticals) ranks third. Other chemical products include industrial chemicals, paint, and resins.

3. Mining: Coal is the most important mined product of Illinois. Petroleum, crushed stone, sand and gravel provide a substantial contribution to the mining sector. Other mineral products are clays and tripoli, an abrasive silica.