The Great Plains and Prairies

Irrigation and Water

Irrigation makes agriculture possible in areas that were previously not suitable for crop production.  Less than 15% of U.S. cropland is irrigated, although irrigation is essential for crop production in some of the most productive areas of the country such as Illinois. In Illinois, home to some of the highest corn yields in the country (152 bushel per acre average for the state), much of the crops are under constant irrigation from the time they are planted until they are harvested.

The Department of Water Management is responsible for delivering almost 1 billion gallons of water to Chicago and 125 suburban communities each day through a network of purification plants, tunnels, pumping stations, water mains and many other structures. Raw water enters the crib about 2-miles out in the lake and is sent to one of two purification plants where the water is treated and impurities are removed. The water then flows to 12 pumping stations located throughout the city of Chicago and ultimately delivered to homes and business.

References

http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/water.html

http://www.epa.gov/agriculture/ag101/cropirrigation.html

The Chicago Water Tower is the second-oldest water tower in the United States. Built in 1869 by architect William Boyington from limestone and is 154 feet tall.

The Agricultural Core

Chicago is located in the agricultural core. Good agricultural hinterlands and waterways contribute to the growth of large cities, such as Chicago.

Sufficient rainfall with little erraticism and many growing seasons make the region a perfect place for growing corn and other crops. Within the Agricultural Core, there are three main crops that are grown throughout the region: corn, soybeans, and wheat. Illinois is a leading producer of soybeans, corn and swine.  Agriculture benefits the economy of Illinois. Marketing of agricultural goods from Chicago and throughout Illinois generates more than $9 billion yearly. Corn comprises for almost 40 percent of that total and soybeans comprise about one-third.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture promotes items produced, processed or packaged in Illinois. Most of the processors are located in the Chicago metropolitan area, which has one of the largest concentrations of food-related businesses in the world.

References:

Regional Landscapes of the United States and Canada

Authors: Stephen S. Birdsall, Eugene J. Palka, Jon C. Malinowski, and Margo L. Price

http://www.agr.state.il.us/about/agfacts.html

http://www.indianagrain.com/media/images/blog_entries/2958.jpg

http://www.cityfarmer.info/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/cityfarm.jpg

The Southern Coastlands: On the Subtropical Margin

Neighborhoods and Communities

It's hard to imagine, but Chicago started out in the 1830s as simple village of settlers along Lake Michigan. It was a popular passageway for travelers and merchants crossing between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. After the introduction of major railroads to the city and the increasing traffic of ships through the city's waterways, the small port was becoming recognized as a central key link between the eastern and western coasts of the country.

Cartographers have distinguished over 200 neighborhoods and 77 community areas in Chicago. Chicago was built on a grid system that makes it one of the easiest big cities to navigate. Every half-mile, (equal to four city blocks) there is a major street. The starting point for the grid is at the intersection of State and Madison in the downtown Loop.  

Natural Disasters

One reason that helps make Chicago the place where web-based data is stored is the region’s lack of natural disasters. Chicago has become one of the nation’s top sites for an unrecognized but critical element of Internet and computing: data centers. Data centers are temperature-controlled, fortress-secured buildings that store the web servers, network services and storage equipment that companies need to transmit, store and back up data. The data centers also include additional locations that belong to companies such as Microsoft, Google, Level3, AT&T and other major high-tech and info-tech companies.

A Geophysics Professor at Purdue University stated that the closest area of earthquake activity is the Wabash Valley fault zone in southern Indiana and southern Illinois near Vincennes, Indiana. That is about 240 miles from Chicago. The area is not recognized as a quake-prone zone.

References

http://www.explorechicago.org/city/en/neighborhoods.html

http://www.chicagoneighborhoods.cc/

Regional Landscapes of the United States and Canada

Authors: Stephen S. Birdsall, Eugene J. Palka, Jon C. Malinowski, and Margo L. Price

http://www.suntimes.com/technology/guy/4373615-452/keeper-of--web-based-data.html

The Changing South

Poverty

According to City Data (2009), Chicago residents with income below the poverty level is 21.6 percent compared to the whole state at 13.3 percent. The number of children below poverty level in city of Chicago is 31.2 percent compared to the state of Illinois which is at 18.6 percent. The poverty rate among high school graduates who are not in families in Chicago is 18 percent while in the state of Illinois it is at 16.2 percent.

Employment

Chicago is one of the cities was suffering even before the mortgage crisis and the recession that followed. The Illinois Department of Employment Security says unemployment rates have fallen in 11 of the state's 12 metro areas. However, since 2006 the unemployment rate in Chicago has been climbing, and in January of 2010 reached the height of 11.1%. In Chicago people are more likely to find jobs in the high tech industries and health care. The high tech industry (professional services) accounts for 15 percent of jobs while health care accounts for 18 percent of jobs. Manufacturing and education account for a very small percentage of jobs.

http://www.progressillinois.com/sites/progressillinois.com/files/imagecache/content_scale/pi-images/chicago_poverty.jpg

http://www.horizonmapping.net/projects/tmc/tmc_gallery/poverty_maps/chicago_poverty_2k.jpg

Information Retrieved from: 

http://www.city-data.com/poverty/poverty-Chicago-Illinois.html

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20110922/NEWS02/110929938/chicagos-jobless-rate-rises-to-10-4-in-august

http://www.chicagoilzip.com/

Transportation and Political Geography

Transportation

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) operates the nation's second largest public transportation system and covers the City of Chicago and 40 surrounding suburbs. According to the CTA, on an average weekday, approximately 1.6 million rides are taken on the CTA. The CTA began operating on October 1, 1947. The CTA is convenient and is comprised of easy-to-use buses and elevated subway train lines – including the famous “L”. During warmer weather, people can also board one of the water taxis which run along the Chicago River or lake shore.

Political Geography

The city of Chicago and some of its older suburbs are very Democratic. The rural character of Central Illinois helps maintain a largely Republican voting pattern. The combination of poorer soil, coal mining and industrialization has caused the southern region to be inclined towards the Democratic party.

Information Retrieved from: 
http://www.choosechicago.com/transportation/

http://www.transitchicago.com/

Fuller, Jack (2005). "Chicagoland". The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. 

Information Retrieved from: 
http://www.metrowalkz.com/images/Chicago/ctamaptrain.gif

Information Retrieved from: 
http://www.limoenvy.com/images/im-airport-ohare.jpg