been found in Europe, Africa, Australia,
Asia, and North America.
Physical Features
Iguanodon reached a length of about 30
feet (9 meters) and stood up to 16 feet
(5 meters) tall. It weighed between 4
and 5 tons. The most distinctive feature
of Iguanodon was its front feet with five
fingers. The feet were something like
hands. The dinosaur’s back legs were
long and sturdy. The teeth of Iguanodon
were ridged inside its large cheek
pouches. A bony beak at the end of its
snout replaced the front teeth.
Behavior
Iguanodon was a plant eater. Most of the
time Iguanodon ate from plants that
grew along streams and rivers. To reach
At first scientists thought that Iguanodon rested on its hind legs with its tail on the ground.
Now scientists think that it usually stood on all four legs.
114 Iguanodon BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
leaves in trees, it stood up on its two
back legs, balancing itself with its tail.
The spiked thumb of Iguanodon remains
a mystery to scientists. It may have been
used to tear down plants, as a weapon
for self-defense, or against rival males
during the breeding season. Remains of
Iguanodon have been found in groups,
which suggests that they roamed prehistoric
Earth in herds.
#More to explore
Dinosaur
Illinois
The Illinois were a group of small
Native American tribes that shared the
same territory, language, and way of life.
The tribes included the Cahokia, the
Kaskaskia, the Michigamea, the Peoria,
and the Tamaroa.
These groups originally lived in a large
part of what is now Illinois. They also
lived in parts of what are nowWisconsin,
Missouri, Iowa, and Arkansas.
The Illinois built their villages along
rivers. Their bark-covered homes were
large enough to house many families.
The Illinois grew corn, beans, and
squash. After the planting season they
left their villages to hunt bison (buffalo)
on the prairies. They returned in late
summer to harvest their crops.
French explorers and traders came to
their lands in the 1670s. The Illinois
soon became trading partners of the
French.
The Illinois began to decline soon after
meeting the French. They suffered from
diseases that the Europeans carried with
them. The Illinois also fought with several
neighboring tribes. In 1769 an Illinois
killed Pontiac, a chief of the Ottawa
people. This brought more attacks. The
Illinois lost both land and people. In
1832 most of the remaining Illinois
moved to what is now Kansas.
In the 1860s the U.S. government
moved the Illinois from Kansas to a reservation
in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma).
They became known as the
Peoria Tribe of Oklahoma. At the end of
the 20th century there were about 1,400
Peoria living in the United States.
#More to explore
Native Americans • Pontiac
A member of the Peoria Tribe of
Oklahoma poses for a photographer
during the 1880s.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Illinois 115
Illinois
The state of Illinois lies in the
Midwestern heartland of the
United States. It presents a striking contrast
between city and small-town life.
Illinois is generally thought of in two
parts—Chicago and the rest of the state.
Chicago is the country’s third largest
city. The city and its surrounding counties
have a population of more than 8
million. Because Chicago is in the
northern part of the state, the rest of the
state is often referred to as Downstate. It
consists of a mix of cities, farmland, and
small towns. The Downstate population
is about 4 million. Springfield is the
state capital.
Illinois was named for the Illinois Indians.
The state is popularly called the
Land of Lincoln. Illinois was where
Abraham Lincoln became a lawyer,
entered politics, married, served as a
congressman, and was nominated for
the U.S. presidency in 1860.
Geography
Wisconsin borders Illinois on the north.
To the west the Mississippi River separates
Illinois from Iowa and Missouri.
On the south the Ohio River forms the
boundary with Kentucky. To the east is
Indiana, with theWabash River forming
part of the boundary. The northeastern
part of the state stretches along Lake
Michigan for 63 miles (101 kilometers).
Illinois was called the Prairie State by its
early explorers because of its vast grasslands.
It is one of the most level states,
with an average elevation of about 600
feet (180 meters). Gradually sloping hills
and shallow river valleys cover most of
the state. The Ozark Mountains extend
into Illinois from Missouri in the southwest
corner. Another area of low plateaus
enters Illinois from Indiana and
Kentucky in the southeast. Illinois has
warm summers and cold, sometimes
snowy, winters.
People
Whites of European heritage make up
the majority of the state’s population.
African Americans represent about 15
percent of Illinois’s population. Hispanics
make up 12 percent of the state’s
people.
116 Illinois BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Chicago is the leading metropolitan area
of the Midwest. It is a center of finance,
industry, and culture. Because of its
location in the middle part of the country,
it is also a center for air and rail
travel. Several suburbs of Chicago,
including Aurora, Naperville, and Joliet,
are also among Illinois’s largest cities.
