Chiang Kai-shek
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Chiang Kai-shek 91
Communists continued to oppose him,
however.
When Japan invaded China in 1937,
Chiang formed a temporary alliance
with the Communists to fight the invaders.
Their fight became part of the larger
conflict ofWorldWar II. After the Japanese
surrendered in 1945 the Communists
moved against Chiang again. By
1949 they had defeated him and established
the People’s Republic of China.
Chiang moved his Nationalist government
to the island of Taiwan. He died
on April 5, 1975.
..More to explore
China • Sun Yat-sen • Taiwan
Chicago
Population
(2000 census),
city, 2,896,016;
(2007 estimate)
2,836,658
Chicago, Illinois, is the third largest city
in the United States. Only New York
City and Los Angeles, California, have
more residents. Chicago is a center of
industry, transportation, culture, and
education. The modern skyscraper was
born in Chicago. The city has some of
the world’s tallest buildings, including
theWillis Tower (formerly called the
Sears Tower) and the John Hancock
Building.
Chicago is in the Midwest region of the
United States. The city lies on Lake
Michigan, one of the five Great Lakes.
Beaches and parks line the lakefront.
Culture
The arts are a significant part of life in
Chicago. The city has many museums
and theater companies. The Chicago
Symphony Orchestra and the Art Institute
of Chicago are world famous. Outdoor
concerts, including large blues and
jazz festivals, are held at Grant Park and
Millennium Park.
Sports are also important to city life.
Chicago’s devoted fans cheer on the
Cubs and White Sox (baseball), the
Bulls (basketball), the Blackhawks
(hockey), and the Bears (football).
Visitors to Chicago’s Millennium Park can
see a giant reflecting sculpture by Anish
Kapoor. The pieces of curled metal in the
background are part of a music pavilion
designed by the architect Frank Gehry.
92 Chicago BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Economy
Chicago’s economy is based on many
different industries and services. Many
people in the city work for the government
or in banking, trade, or tourism.
The major industries include food processing,
publishing, and making paper
products, electronics, and chemicals.
History
Native Americans were the first people
to live in the Chicago area. A black
trader named Jean-Baptist-Point du
Sable settled in the area in the 1770s. A
U.S. fort and a settlement were later
established there.
Chicago’s industries and population
grew rapidly in the 1800s. Its location
on Lake Michigan and in the middle of
the country helped it become a center of
trade and transportation.
In 1871 a terrible fire destroyed about a
third of Chicago. The city rebuilt
quickly, however. Many skyscrapers soon
sprang up downtown. In 1893 Chicago
hosted a huge fair called theWorld’s
Columbian Exposition. More than 21
million people visited the fair.
In the 1900s many Chicago residents
moved to the suburbs. Starting in the
1990s, however, building projects
brought new life to the city.
#More to explore
Du Sable, Jean-Baptist-Point
• Michigan, Lake • Skyscraper
Chickasaw
The Chickasaw are a Native American
tribe that originally lived in what is
now the southeastern United States.
Their traditional homeland was
centered in what is now northern
Mississippi, but it also included parts of
what are now Alabama, Tennessee, and
Kentucky.
Chicago has some of the world’s tallest buildings. They are close to the shoreline of Lake
Michigan.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Chickasaw 93
The Chickasaw built their houses by
covering a pole frame with grass, bark,
or hides. They spread the houses out
along riverbanks instead of clustering
them in villages. They got their food by
farming and hunting.
In the 1540s the Spanish explorer
Hernando de Soto and his men met the
Chickasaw. The Chickasaw drove the
explorers from their territory. The tribe
was more welcoming to English traders
who arrived in the 1700s. The
Chickasaw often sided with the English
in their battles with French traders and
settlers.
The relationship between the Chickasaw
and the United States became strained
when Americans began moving into
their territory. In the 1830s the U.S.
government forced the Chickasaw to
move to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma)
along with the Creek, the Cherokee,
the Choctaw, and the Seminole.
Because they adopted certain European
customs, these tribes came to be known
as the Five Civilized Tribes. In 1855 the
Chickasaw established a separate nation.
In 1907 the Chickasaw Nation became
part of Oklahoma. There are now about
20,000 Chickasaw in the United States.
About half still live in Oklahoma.
#More to explore
Cherokee • Choctaw • Creek • Native
Americans • Seminole
Chicken
The chicken is a bird that people all
over the world raise for its meat, eggs,
and feathers. It belongs to the group of
domesticated, or tame, birds called
poultry.
Chickens have short wings and a heavy
body. This makes it hard for them to fly
very far. Male chickens are called roosters.
Roosters often have brightly colored
feathers. They can be red, green, brown,
The Chickasaw made rattles for religious
purposes. They used such natural materials
