The economy of Illinois By Encyclopædia Britannica, adapted by Newsela staff on 09.26.19 Word Count 429 Level 590L Image 1. Two men search for oil with a drilling rig at a cornfield in Okawville, Illinois, October 9, 2004. Oil is a top export for Illiniois. Photo from: Getty Images/Scott Olson Illinois is a state in the midwestern United States. It was the 21st state. The state shares a border with Lake Michigan and many states, including Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Iowa. The capital of Illinois is Springfield. About 12,741,080 people lived in Illinois in 2018. Chicago is one of the country's biggest cities. It is in the northeast of Illinois. Chicago creates big differences in Illinois' population. People who live near Chicago live in cities and suburbs. People in other parts of Illinois live in both cities and rural areas. Race also creates differences in the state. Illinois is an important state for America's economy. The economy refers to how much money is in one place and how it is spent there. It includes all the jobs and business in the area. Illinois makes money from different businesses. Economy Illinois has a balanced economy. It makes money from many different businesses. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. The state government tries to help the state's economy to grow. It gets other states to buy Illinois products. Private companies are important, too. They help create new businesses and technologies. Agriculture Illinois has good land for farming. Farms cover about three-fourths of the state's area. It is one of the top states for growing soybeans and corn. Resources And Power About one-fourth of the United States' black coal is in Illinois. The state also makes a lot of petroleum. These materials are used to make gasoline and electricity. The state makes nuclear energy, too. Manufacturing Illinois does a lot of manufacturing. The state makes food, metal and electronic products. There are many printing companies, too. In the 1950s, Illinois lost many manufacturing jobs. The jobs were sent to other states and countries. Today manufacturing is still an important part of Illinois' economy. Finance Chicago is an important city for business. Businesspeople put money into different products. They hope they will make more money later. Many businesspeople buy and sell corn, grains, soybeans and metals. Transportation Illinois is a key state for transportation. The state has large train systems. Many big highways pass through Illinois. Chicago is known for water transportation. Many products come into Chicago through Lake Michigan. Illinois has about 700 airports. Chicago has two major airports. They are O'Hare International and Midway International. There are also smaller airports in other cities. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Quiz 1 Look at Image 2. Based on the image, what is the state capital of Illinois? (A) Chicago (B) Springfield (C) Morton (D) Alton 2 What does Image 3 show? (A) a plane flying over Lake Michigan (B) a plane flying near a train in Illinois (C) a plane landing at Midway International Airport in Chicago (D) a plane landing at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago 3 Which sentence from the section "Manufacturing" states WHY manufacturing jobs in Illinois decreased in the 1950s? (A) Illinois does a lot of manufacturing. (B) The state makes food, metal and electronic products. (C) The jobs were sent to other states and countries. (D) Today manufacturing is still an important part of the Illinois economy. 4 Which question is answered in the introduction [paragraphs 1-3]? (A) What is the smallest city in Illinois? (B) What is the population of Illinois? (C) What jobs do people have in Illinois? (D) What businesses make money in Illinois? This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com..