Chicago – Paris on the Prairie

Chicago is located in the state of Illinois in the Midwestern United States. Chicago sits at the northeast corner of Illinois along the coast of Lake Michigan. Chicago is the third most populous city in the United States, with over 2.8 million people. Chicago is a global center of banking and finance, commerce, education, television and media, culture, art, fashion, research, and entertainment. Chicago has a land area of 227 square miles. Initially populated by various Native American tribes, the area known today as Chicago was explored by the French Canadian and Jesuits in the late 1600’s. The first permanent settlement was established in 1781 by Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, an African American from Santo Domingo. Located at the mouth of the Chicago River, which connected Lake Michigan with the Mississippi River, the site was selected for its strategic location and served as a trading post. Chicago officially incorporated as a town on March 4, 1837. The city was destroyed by the “Great Fire” in 1871 but recovered to host the World Columbian Exposition in 1873. Chicago’s fist subway opened in 1943 and one of the world’s tallest buildings, the Sears Tower, was built there in 1973. The name Chicago is derived from the Native American Indian word meaning “wild garlic” or “wild onion.”

The Chicago Economy: One Big Onion

Chicago is a major economic and financial center. The city and surrounding area is home to 32 companies listed on the Fortune 500 list of largest U.S companies. Manufacturing, publishing, printing, and food production, education, fashion and design, government services, general services, transportation, travel and tourism, and research in high technology and the life sciences are all drivers of the Chicago economy.

Education in Chicago: Lose Your Blues in Chicago

Educational attainment among the Chicago populace is on par with that of the U.S. as a whole. As of 2000, roughly 72% of its residents aged 25 and older had completed high school, below the U.S. average, and roughly 26% had completed college, slightly below the U.S. average. There are hundreds of colleges and universities in Chicago. Chicago is home to world-renowned institutions of research, including Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Illinois at Chicago. Among other private institutions of higher learning in Chicago are: DePaul University, Loyola University, and Rush University.

The Crime Scene in Chicago: Crime Rates Higher Than Other Large U.S. Cities

Chicago’s crime rates are noticeably higher than those of other large U.S. cities, such as Los Angeles and New York. However, Chicago is experiencing lower crime rates than its historically high levels. Most major forms of crime in Chicago, including violent crime, aggravated assault, burglary, and forcible rape have declined over the past few years. Motor vehicle theft has increased slightly.

The Chicago Population and Politics: Democrats Rule

Chicago has a population of more than 2.8 million people. Its population has declined very slightly over the past decade. Politically, Chicago has been a Democratic stronghold for most of the past century. The Democratic “machine” of Chicago political history is well known, sometimes for its inglorious practices, such as corruption. Among nearly 2.1 million votes cast in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, Chicago voters chose fellow resident, Illinois U.S. senator, and Democratic candidate Barack Obama over Republican candidate John McCain by a ratio of nearly four to one.