Chicago

1. Chicago’s flag Chicago Kyra Flood 8R

2. Chicago’s Landforms Chicago’s landforms include Lake Michigan, the Chicago Plain, the Valparaiso Moraine and the Desplaines Valley. Chicago is built atop the Chicago Plain, a flat crescent at the southern head of Lake Michigan averaging 60 feet above the surface level of the lake.

3. Tourist Attractions John Hancock Center Wrigley Field Willis Tower Brookfield Zoo Navy Pier

4. Willis Tower Willis Tower is the tallest building in the western hemisphere, standing at 1,450 feet and 110stories high. Willis Tower is the headquarters of Willis North America's Midwest Region. The building was renamed Willis Tower in July 2009 as the company combined five local offices and brought together about 500 Associates. The Willis Tower was completed in 1973 and has since become one of the most recognizable landmarks in the Chicago skyline and in the world.

5. Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is one of baseball’s oldest ballparks where fans come out to see the Cubs Play whether they are winning or not. Construction of the 14,000 seat ballpark began on March 14, 1914. The $250,000 Ballpark was completed by April 23, 1914. Wrigley Field was the first ballpark to have Permanent concession stands. Today, Wrigley Field is the last Federal League ballpark standing.

6. John Hancock Center The John Hancock Center is known as 'Big John’. The 100 story building, completed in 1969, has a remarkable design, with the huge X-braces serving both a structural and a visual purpose. The X-braces gives the impression of stability and it moves the eye away from the human-sized windows. The observation deck at the top of the John Hancock Center gives one of the best views you can have of the Loop, Chicago’s downtown area.

7. Brookfield Zoo Brookfield Zoo is formally known as Chicago Zoological Park. Brookfield Zoo is located in Brookfield, Illinois. Brookfield Zoo opened in 1934 and is owned by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County. The 216 acre zoo features Italian local buildings and formal malls. It has more than 2,500 specimens comprising some 425 different species. Special attractions include the dolphin shows in the Seven Seas exhibit, a children’s zoo, and Tropic World, and a vast enclosed exhibit of mixed species from the three main rainforest habitats of the world.

8. Navy Pier Navy Pier is a large pier on LakeMichigan which is close to Chicago's downtown. Construction for the pier started May 1914 and in 1916 it was opened to the public. At the time it was the world's largest pier, 292 ft wide and 3000ft long. In 1927 the pier was renamed Navy Pier in honor of World War I veterans. The Navy Pier is home to many attractions.

9. Chicago's Main Language English

10. Chicago’s Government City government is divided into executive and legislative branches. The mayor is the chief executive while the City Council, elected from 50 wards, is the legislative body. Government priorities and activities are established in a budget ordinance usually adopted in November of each year. Chicago’s two other city-wide elected officials are the City Clerk and the City Treasurer. Stephanie Neely, City Treasurer Susana Mendoza, City Clerk Rahm Emanuel, Mayor

11. Chicago’s Economy According to a new report, Chicago's had the largest decline in unemployment in the last year among the top ten metro areas in the nation. Improvements in the manufacturing sector could be one source of new jobs, and that foreign investment in U.S. companies is also increasing. Thebiggest priority to ensure Chicago's economic success is investment in education and development of workers.

12. Chicago’s National Holiday • January 1, 2012: New Year's Day • January 16, 2012: Martin Luther King Day • February 20, 2012: Presidents Day • May 28, 2012: Memorial Day • July 4, 2012: Independence Day • September 3, 2012: Labor Day • October 8, 2012: Columbus Day • November 11, 2012: Veterans' Day • November 22, 2012: Thanksgiving • December 25, 2012: Christmas Day

13. Interesting Facts • Chicago was built-in as a city in 1837. • Chicago’s nicknames include: The Windy City, the City of Big Shoulders, the Second City, and The City That Works. • The first Ferris wheel made its debut in Chicago at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. Today, Navy Pier is home to a 15-story Ferris wheel, modeled after the original one. • In 1900, Chicago successfully completed a massive and highly innovative engineering project – reversing the flow of the Chicago River so that it emptied into the Mississippi River instead of Lake Michigan. Each year, the Chicago River is dyed green to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

14. Interesting Facts • The Lincoln Park Zoo, one of only three major free zoos in the country, is the country’s oldest public zoo with an estimated annual attendance of three million. • The Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) elevators are among the fastest in the world operating as fast as 1,600 feet per minute. • Four states are visible from the Sky deck Chicago (formerly the Sears Tower Sky deck). Indiana, Illinois, Michigan & Wisconsin. • The first drive-in bank opened in 1946. • The remote control was invented in 1950. 

15. Sources • http://www.willistower.com/ • http://www.willis.com/About_Willis/Willis_Tower/ • http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/nl/WrigleyField.htm • http://www.aviewoncities.com/chicago/johnhancockcenter.htm • http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/81229/Brookfield-Zoo • http://www.madmanmike.com/us_holidays_dates.html • http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en.html