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Chicago is the largest city in Illinois, as well as the third-most populous city in the United States, with nearly 2.9 million people. Located along the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan with miles of green parks and lakefront property, it is the seat of Cook County.
Chicago is known as the "Second City," the "Windy City," the "City of Big Shoulders", and "Chi-town". When combined with its suburbs and nine surrounding counties in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana, the greater metropolitan area known as Chicagoland encompasses a population greater than 9.4 million, making it the third largest in the United States.
Since its 1833 founding as a frontier town of the Old Northwest, Chicago has grown into one of the ten most influential world cities. Chicago today is the financial, economic, and cultural capital of the Midwest, and is recognized as a major transportation, business, and architectural center. The city's diverse neighborhoods, skyscrapers, local cuisine, political traditions, and sports teams are some of its most recognized symbols.
Chicago has some of the best sports teams in the nation, Chicago Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, Bears, Blackhawks and Fire.
Chicago has some of the world’s greatest museums. The Art Institute has a world class collection of paintings. The Museum of Science and Industry along with the Field Museum of Natural History are among the leading scientific institutions in the world.
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