southern Illinois
Below Springfield's latitude
Southern Illinois is the region comprising roughly the lower third of Illinois, culturally and geographically distinct from Chicago and the state's northern reaches.
The area has more in common with neighboring Kentucky and Missouri—rural, hilly, historically tied to coal mining and agriculture.
Residents sometimes call it Little Egypt, a nickname with disputed origins.
She grew up in southern Illinois, closer to Memphis than Chicago.
- Trail of Tears1830s forced indigenous relocation
- CairoEgyptian capital city
- wineriesGrape fermentation facilities
- agricultureCultivation of land, livestock
- Mississippi RiverLongest North American watercourse
caves · river bluffs · coal mining · Ohio River · Carbondale · Native American history · Civil War sites · Marion · wetlands · tourism · manufacturing · museums · wildlife refuges · renewable energy projects · fishing spots · historic architecture · local festivals · farmers' markets
southern, south, Illinois, southerner, southerly, southward, southwards, southbound, southernmost