GENERAL FEATURES

Illinois is located in the north-central United States. It is bordered by Wisconsin to

the north, Iowa and Missouri to the west, Kentucky to the south and Indiana to the east,
and the Wabash and Ohio Rivers on the southeast and south. The landscape of the
country can be divided into three major regions: the Central Plains, The Shawnee Hills
and the Gulf Coastal Plain.



THE LAND
Bordered by the Mississippi River on the west and the Wabash and Ohio Rivers
on the southeast and south, the landscape of Illinois can be grouped into three main
regions; the Central Plains, the Shawnee Hills and the Gulf Coastal Plain.
The Central Plains: About 90% of Illinois is covered by the Central Plains region.
These gently rolling fertile plains were carved and leveled by glaciers during the Ice
Age. The Central Plains run from Lake Michigan west and south to cover most of the
state and can be divided into three sections; the Great Lakes Plain, the Driftless Plains
and the Till Plains.
The Great Lakes Plains: This low flat stretch of land along Lake Michigan develops
some small hills north and west of Chicago.
The Driftless Plains: In the northwest corner of Illinois, the Driftless Plains offer the
highest elevations in the state. Large hills and valleys are present in this small area of
Driftless Plains. This is where Charles Mound, the highest point in Illinois, is located.
The Till Plains: By far the largest section of the Central Plains, the Till Plains offers
Illinois' contribution to the Corn Belt. This area of fertile soil typifies the landscape that
helped make Illinois one of the top five corn producing states, one of the leading
agricultural states in the nation and gave Illinois one of its nicknames; The Prairie State.
Some call the Till Plains section of Illinois the Garden Spot of the Nation.
The Shawnee Hills: The Shawnee Hills region stretches across the southern part of
Illinois south of the Central Plains. This small strip of land, ranging from five to 40 miles
wide and about 70 miles long is characterized by higher elevations (300 to 1,065 feet).
The landscape of the Shawnee Hills consists of rivers, valleys and woodland.
The Gulf Coastal: The extreme southern tip of Illinois is covered by the northern reach
of the Gulf Coastal Plain that stretches north from the Gulf of Mexico. This is the land
between the Ohio River on the east and the Mississippi River on the west and
sometimes referred to as "Egypt" because of its resemblance to the Nile Delta. Just
south of the Shawnee Hills, the Gulf Coastal Plain tends to be hilly but flattens
significantly toward the Illinois border with Kentucky.
Area 57,918 square miles
Land Area 55,593 square miles
Water Area 2,325 square miles
Highest point Charles Mound (1,235 feet above sea level)
Lowest point Mississippi River (279 feet above sea level)
Highest temperature 117 degree Fahrenheit
Lowest temperature -36 degree Fahrenheit
Geographic Center Chestnut


CLIMATE
Illinois has a widely-varying climate. A significant region of the state has a humid
continental climate, with hot, humid summers and cold winters. The southernmost part
of the state borders on humid subtropical climate with moderate winters.

Average annual rainfall varies from 1,219 mm in southern tip to around 889 mm
in the northern region. Average annual snow varies from 965 mm to 356 mm. The state
is vulnerable to tornadoes, with an average of 35 tornadoes occurring annually.

POPULATION
Illinois is one of the slowest growing states in the US. Between 2000 and
2010, the population of Illinois grew by a mere 3.3%, compared to a national average
US population growth of 9.7%.

Illinois Population 2013

Illinois is only the 24th largest state, but it has the 5th largest population in the
US with the 3rd largest city. The population of Illinois in 2013 is 12,897,625, making
Illinois the fifth largest state in the USA. This is based on a growth rate of 0.17%, which
ranks 44th. You can explore more about the latest Illinois population data using the
interactive tool below, or scroll down for more information.

Illinois Population Growth
In Illinois' cities, population growth has stalled. Chicago was, for much of its early
history, one of America's fastest growing cities. Between 1850 and 1930, the city grew
by at least 25% each decade, and in some decades it doubled or even tripled in size.
However, from the 1960s onwards, Chicago has been steadily shrinking and a city
which was home to 3.5 million people in 1960 is home to just 2.7 million today.


Existing Ammonia Plants is Illinois
East Dubuque, IL Rentech
Owner: Rentech Nitrogen
Project: Ammonia Plant Expansion
Capacity: 830 stpd existing
1020 stpd after expansion
Cronus Chemical
Owner: Cronus chemicals
Project: Greenfield urea/ammonia plant
Capacity: 800,000 metric tons/year