The oldest community in Illinois is Peoria.This state was the first one to ratify the Amendment abolishing slavery.The largest man-made lake, Carlyle, is located in Illinois.There are 102 counties.The motto of the state is 'State Sovereignty, National Union'.Square dancing is the state's danceWith over 2 million books, The Chicago Public Library happens to be the largest public library in the world.The largest bakery in the world is The Nabisco factory which is located in Chicago.Farmland can be found in abundance. Around 80% of the area in this state is farmland.There is only one river in the world that flows backward which is situated in this state.It provides the highest amount of nuclear power in the United States.