CUBS CITY

Chicago is the third largest city in the United States of America. Chicago is located in the state of Illinois, on the western shore of Lake Michigan. The city is the county seat of Cook County. The Chicago metropolitan area is known colloquially as Chicagoland, after a term promoted by the Chicago Tribune in the early 20th century. Chicago is been recognized around the world for its magnificent skyline, unique cuisine and an urban style all its own. As of the 2000 US census the population of Chicago was 2,896,016. If combined with its suburbs, it has a metro area population rapidly approaching 10 million. Professional Sports franchises based in Chicago are; Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox, Major League Baseball, Chicago Bears, National Football League, Chicago Bulls, National Basketball Association, Chicago Blackhawk's, National Hockey League, Chicago Fire, Major League Soccer. When Chicago is combined with its surrounding suburbs and with Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Chicago is part of a megalopolis. During the mid 1700s, the Chicago area was inhabited primarily by Potawatomis, who took the place of the Miami and Sauk and Fox who had controlled the area previously. The name Chicago originates from "Checagou" (Chick-Ah-Goo-Ah) or "Checaguar" which in the Potawatomi language means 'wild onions' or 'skunk'. The area was so named because of the smell of rotting marshland onions that used to cover. Chicago is the center of a large metropolitan area, often called Chicagoland. It's the focal point for suburban communities in seven surrounding counties in Illinois and at least one county in Indiana and one in Wisconsin. The 2000 U.S. census estimates Chicagoland's population at 9,157,540. With such a wide area of flat land, the suburbs have been expanding at a tremendous rate since around 1960. Settlement patterns in Chicagoland mirror those in the city itself to some extent: northern suburbs along the lake shore tend to be more affluent, while Southern suburbs tend to be less so, with lower median incomes and a lower cost of living. In the 20th century Chicago held on to its status as a transportation hub with the building of three major airports: O'Hare International Airport Airport, Midway Airport, and Meigs Field. The United States has the largest healthcare system in the world and Chicago is arguably the capital of that system. The city is home to the sprawling Illinois Medical District on the Near West Side as well as the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, the American Dental Association, the American College of Surgeons. In addition, the University of Illinois is the largest medical school in North America as well as many other health-related organizations, schools and institutions. Chicago is considered the transportation hub of America. When it comes to skyscrapers, Chicago is on top, being the first US city to reach new heights, shortly joined by New York City. Chicago, along with New York City and Hong Kong, makes up the "big three" when it comes to city skylines. Chicago was first settled by Europeans when Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, an African American from Haiti, settled on the banks of the Chicago River. In 1795, the area of Chicago was ceded by the Native Americans in the Treaty of Greenville to the United States for use as a military post. In 1803, Fort Dearborn was built. It was destroyed in the Fort Dearborn Massacre during the War of 1812, but was rebuilt in 1816 and remained in use until 1837.