government
Mayor Richard Richard Michael Daley (American Democratic Party, 1989 till now). Chicago is divided into 50 districts, and each district elects a senator to form a city council. Mayors and municipal councils participate in urban management. The term of office of the mayor and city senator is four years.
zone
The urban area is 606.2 square kilometers. The land area is 588.3 square kilometers and the water area is 17.9 square kilometers. The urban area is 5498. 1 km2. The downtown area of Chicago is 28 163 square kilometers.
altitude
Average elevation 179 m (586 ft). The highest altitude is the southern suburb landfill, with an altitude of 224 meters.
Human population
The urban population is 2,833,300 (ranking third among American cities in 2006, only next to new york and Los Angeles). The population density is 48 16 people/km2. The urban population is 87 1. 1 10,000, and the metropolitan population is 9,505,800.
race
Chicago is a multi-ethnic city. Early immigrants included Irish, Swedes, Poles, Italians, Germans and China. Among them, blacks accounted for 38.6%, whites for 37.9%, Spanish speakers for 19.6%, and Asians for 3.5%. The total number of Chinese in Greater Chicago is about 60,000.
Chicago is located in the center of the North American continent, in Illinois, USA. It is the largest city in the Midwest of the United States, with nearly 3 million people living here. Chicago is the third largest city in America. Chicago and its suburbs make up the Greater Chicago area, with a population of over 9.7 million, which is the third largest metropolitan area in the United States after new york City and Los Angeles.
Chicago is the most important railway and aviation hub in the United States. Chicago is also one of the major financial, cultural, manufacturing, futures and commodity trading centers in the United States. After more than 100 years of development, Chicago has gradually become one of the most influential metropolises in the world since 1833 was founded. This charming metropolis is called the most Americanized city in the United States, which integrates the cultural and food landscapes left by the Midwest to the world.
Norman mailer once wrote, "Chicago is a great American city, and it may be the last great city in America." . Chicago is also known as the top ten richest cities in the world, and its skyline is one of the top ten skylines in the world. Chicago was rebuilt after the 187 1 fire, and there are many local skyscrapers, second only to new york. Three of the five tallest skyscrapers in the world today are in Chicago, and the Sears Tower in the city center is the tallest building in the United States, with a height of 443 meters.
Chicago today
The current mayor Richard M Daley is the son of the former mayor Richard J. Daley. His policy focuses on improving the environmental quality of Chicago, and he has implemented some projects to revive declining neighborhoods and improve urban infrastructure and urban landscape along lakes and rivers. At present, Chicago is preparing to bid for the 20 16 Olympic Games.
geographical environment
Prosperous Chicago —— Geographical Orientation of Chicago River
Chicago is located in the northeast of Illinois, USA, on the southwest bank of Lake Michigan, one of the Great Lakes in the United States. Traditionally, it is divided into three parts: north, west and south, with a length of 40.23km from north to south and a width of 24. 14km from east to west. According to the data of the US Bureau of Investigation, the total area of Chicago is 606. 1 km2, of which 588.3 km2 is land and 17.8 km2 is water. The water area accounts for about 2.94% of the total area.
Climate environment
The climate in Chicago is different all year round. In the hottest July of the year, the average maximum temperature is 29℃, and the average minimum temperature is17℃; ; In the coldest January, the average maximum temperature was 2℃, the average minimum temperature was-1 1℃, the highest temperature recorded in history was 40℃ (1July 24th, 934), and the lowest temperature was? 32 C (1985 65438+1October 20th).
Because of the influence of Lake Michigan, Chicago is windy in winter, so it is called "windy city". The temperature in Chicago is suitable. The average temperature in June 65438+ 10 is 6℃, in April 9℃, in July 22.8℃ and in June 65438+ 10/.4℃.
There is plenty of rain in Chicago, with an average annual precipitation of 965mm. Summer is the season with the most precipitation, usually in the form of thunderstorms or showers, and there is little continuous precipitation. In winter, the precipitation is the least, usually in the form of snow. The maximum daily precipitation is165438+ 164 mm recorded on August 4, 987.
"windy city"
Visitors to Chicago had better take more clothes to adapt to the climate here. This city is famous for its windy weather and is called "windy city". If January happens to encounter a biting cold wind from Lake Michigan in Ma Lukou, you can appreciate the weight of this nickname. Wind is not the only climate feature in Chicago, and its temperature difference is also well known. It is recorded that the temperature in winter will be lower than MINUS 30 degrees Celsius and the temperature in summer will be higher than 40 degrees Celsius. If you happen to encounter particularly warm weather when you come to Chicago in winter, don't mistake it for a spring-like winter in Chicago. The weather here is changeable. You often see bulletin board system on the road. It shows the time above and the temperature below, which changes every minute. I'm afraid it has something to do with this unpredictable weather.
administrative division
Chicago's urban area is very large, which can be roughly divided into four regions: central, north, west and south (the Great Lakes are in the east). There are two business districts in the city center, one is called Lupu District, and the other is Michigan Avenue. The north is a high-grade residential area of the rich white class, and the blacks who account for 40% of the population are mainly distributed in the west and south. The city center is called Loop, which means circular road area. It is named because it is located on the rectangular circular road surrounded by the elevated railway (the part of the subway on the ground). Its range, about one kilometer long, spans seven blocks; It is less than a kilometer wide and spans five blocks. Although it is a tiny place, Chicago people are known as "the richest area in the world" and "the busiest area in the world".
[Edit this paragraph] 4. civic landscape
Overlooking Aon Center and Sears Tower from John Hancock Center, British writers Kipling189/Kloc-0 came to Chicago in. Everywhere he went, he was deeply attracted by the city's architecture, traffic, livestock farms and the pure sound of streets. "I met a city-a real city," he said. "People call it Chicago." Chicago in 2 1 century is still so real-just far from the places Kipling visited here. This city is no longer the pork shop in the world, but the smog and gloom of the past. This is the best public garden in the world since the Babylonians built the Hanging Garden. However, the noise and commotion filled with citizens continue to shape the city. Chicago is still a city that produces athletes (referring to Chicago Bulls), full of bear market and bull market (referring to Chicago Futures Exchange), and also has its emotional side. To experience this side of Chicago, you must go to the brand-new Millennium Park and experience the shell-shaped outdoor concert hall designed by architect Frank O. Gehry, which is full of elegance of stainless steel. Or feel the warmth of the beach on the shore of Lake Michigan with your toes. These are just the "first course" of a big meal, through those who know Chicago best-friendly and opinionated Chicago citizens. Danny Bostel, a local book reviewer, said, "In California, people want to hug you; In Chicago, people want to talk to you. " It is not surprising that the precious heritage of the third largest city in the United States is far ahead, which is beyond the reach of the "city". Just a few examples: the Art Institute in Chicago, where grant wood's famous painting "American Gothic" is collected, the Navy Pier, from which you can board a ferry for sightseeing, or enjoy a performance at Shakespeare Opera House in Chicago, and Hyde Park, where Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece "Robbie's House" is located.
"city of conferences"
Chicago not only has a moderate geographical location and convenient transportation, but also has many hotels and good conference facilities. Known as "the world's major conference city", it is often chosen as the venue for the nomination meeting by the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. More than a dozen American presidents have been nominated here, such as Lincoln, two-time Roosevelt, Eisenhower and Clinton. In the south of the city lies McCormick Square, the largest conference center in the world. Don Maxwell Hall here can hold a meeting for 40,000 people, with 8 restaurants, and can also serve 20,000 guests. In addition, there are 28 small and medium-sized conference rooms, which can accommodate 50 to 4,000 people, and have an exhibition area of 6,543,800 square meters. Chicago has also hosted two world expositions. One was the Columbus Expo held by 1893 in Jackson Park, and the other was the Progressive Century Expo held by 1933 to 1934 in Wenhan Park.
A glimpse of the city
"Magnificent Mile" To the west of La Salle is Chicago's "Wall Street", where banks gather and the Midwest Stock Exchange is also located. Not far from the north, stands Picasso's giant steel sculpture, which is about five stories high. It is a master's ingenious work, but its shape is strange and difficult to understand. The area near State Street in the east is the most prosperous. The city is open all night here, as are cinemas and restaurants. Several big department stores are world-class. The most famous is marshall field, whose American flag is hung outside the store every celebration festival, from the seventh floor to the ground floor, with a width of1.2m, and is considered as "the largest flag in the world". Although Lupu is the busiest area in Chicago, the most beautiful area in Chicago is Michigan Avenue, which is as spacious and luxurious as the Champs Elysé es in Paris. As the name implies, it is called "magnificent mile", which is the most advanced area in the city, where luxurious hotels, fashionable shops and splendid buildings are all gathered together. There is a steady stream of traffic on the avenue. At night, skyscrapers are brightly lit, and the figure of buildings outlines a magnificent skyline in the sky. On the pointed roofs of several tall buildings, searchlights also flashed, as if giants were blinking. In Lake Michigan, sailboats and yachts drag their tails and roll up the waves, leisurely and far away. The night scene of this city is really unforgettable today. At the northern end of Michigan Avenue stands the old Chicago Water Tower. Among skyscrapers, this 42-meter-high water tower is small, but it is a symbol of Chicago's history. Built in 1869, the whole water tower is made of yellow stone. Opposite the water tower, a tall building stands out from the crowd, named Watet Tower Place. In fact, it has nothing to do with the water tower, just a name of the water tower. This building is 74 stories high, with serviced apartments on the top floor and the most luxurious high-rise shopping center in the United States on the eighth floor, with a pavement of 200,000 square meters, including two large-area department stores, 125 store,1/restaurant and 7 cinemas. The biggest feature of this shopping center is the outstanding vertical design, and the indoor plants are clean and comfortable. In the combination of color, lighting and green leaves, customers will be involuntarily attracted by the shopping malls on all floors, some will go up and down along the elevator parallel to the artificial waterfall, and some will take the transparent glass elevator with steel frame instead of walking. Chicago has vast green spaces and many parks. The largest is Linkin Park, which is seven or eight kilometers long along the lake and covers an area of nearly 500 hectares, which is bigger than the Central Park in new york. The nearest to the city center is Grant Paek, which was built by the lake from the rubble cleared after the Chicago fire. Brckingham Fountin in the garden is the largest light fountain in the world, which is twice as big as the Grand Fountain in Versailles, France. Its base is made of pink marble, and the pool is 85 meters in diameter. There are hundreds of splashes around the center, and a water column in the center is forty or fifty meters high. At night, colorful lanterns shine from the bottom of the spring, and the lights are like water, such as high-altitude fireworks and underwater corals. Visitors to Chicago will inevitably visit the south of China. The main street in Chinatown is called Wentworth Street. As soon as I arrived at the entrance, I saw a big archway, which read "The world is for the public" and "Courtesy, Justice, Integrity and Shame" inward. Restaurants are still the most popular shops in this street, followed by gift shops and southern commodity shops. The place near the archway is called Anliang CCBA, where the Chamber of Commerce is located. This is a beautiful building in China. The sightseeing buses in Chicago are all sightseeing projects in China City. Besides having a meal in China, Anliang Guild Hall is a must-see. The Chinese Guild Hall here is also very imposing. 1990, a new library was built in Chinatown, with an area exceeding 1000 square meters. There are many Chinese and English books, including 200 magazines and several CDs, which are displayed in the library. In recent years, Chinatown has developed to Archer Avenue north of Hou Yong Street, and many new shops have been built, including the World Bookstore.
Cycle (cycle)
Before starting a day's life, have breakfast in Wishbone (1001W. Washington St.), a new restaurant in Lupu West. This place is not only the base camp of southern flavor food (all kinds of diced cheese are the most popular food here), but also a good place to enjoy passers-by. Then, go to the majestic Art Institute in Chicago (11South Michigan Avenue) to visit the masterpieces and special exhibitions permanently collected there. Don't miss the rich handicraft shop in the museum (on the right side of the gate). There are two special shops on Michigan Avenue. Hikers should visit Savvy Traveler (310s. Michigan Ave.), which provides various travel guides and maps. The Chicago Building Foundation Store (224 Michigan Avenue South) is full of exquisite handicrafts to show the great buildings in Chicago.
Speaking of great buildings, let's go to marshall field's walnut room (11n.state st.) for lunch. The interior decoration of the building is dazzling. The glass dome of 557 square meters designed by Louis Cornford Tiffany and other designs remind people of the elegance of old commercial times. Then, climb the 233 S. Wacker Dr on foot and overlook the whole city from the tallest building in the country. Back to the ground, have a cocktail in Berghoff (17 W. Adams St.) where the atmosphere and menu are full of German flavor, or go to Trader Vic's (17 E. Monroe St.) located in the basement of the famous Palmer House Hilton to taste the resurgent bamboo-based flavor. At dinner, if you are going to Chicago Symphony Orchestra (220. Michigan Avenue), try Rhapsody (65 Adams Street), an elegant bar restaurant near the symphony center. Another option is to go to Atwood Cafe (1 Washington Street; 368 1900) to taste the American dishes in the Burt Gingham Hotel.
Finance and money
Chicago Board of Trade Chicago is a leading region in steel industry, machinery manufacturing, agricultural technology, trade, culture and education. Chicago's industries mainly include steel, metal, food processing, electronics, petroleum processing, printing and transportation machinery and equipment. The steel industry ranks first in the United States, with famous American steel companies and Calais Steel Works. Meat processing also ranks first in the country. Among the 500 largest companies in the United States, 33 companies are headquartered in Chicago and its vicinity, and the more important ones are Motorola, Amoco and Inland Steel Company.
Chicago is an important financial center in the midwest of the United States and one of the financial centers in the world. "Chicago Stock Exchange" is the largest stock exchange in the United States after new york City. Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Chicago Board of Trade and Chicago Board of Trade are world-famous. "Chicago Mercantile Exchange" is the world's largest fragile goods trading market, ranking second to none among the global financial trading places. The transaction volume of the Chicago Board of Trade exceeds that of any exchange in the United States. Chicago Board of Trade is the largest and earliest futures and options trading market in the world, and its stock turnover ranks among the best in the United States. Chicago is the headquarters and branches of some big banks and financial institutions in the United States. It has more than 300 American banks, 40 branches of foreign banks and 16 insurance companies. The commercial loans of these banks and financial institutions rank in the top three in the United States, and the total amount of various financial assets ranks third in the Federal Reserve. There are 33 Fortune 500 companies in the world and 47 Forbes 500 companies in the United States.
The Chicago Chamber of Commerce plays an important role in the national grain and livestock prices. Wholesalers and retailers account for a quarter of the employees in this city. Grain and livestock trade is an important economic base.
Lupu District, located at the mouth of the Chicago River, is the center of Chicago and the most prosperous business district. Its area only accounts for 1% of the city, but it concentrates about 1/6 employees in the city. The streets of Chicago are distributed in a grid, and modern high-rise buildings with different styles are dense. Sears Tower is 443 meters high and has a floor of 1 10. It is the tallest building in the United States and the location of Sears Robock Company. Followed by the 346-meter-high, 80-story Standard Petroleum Building and the 343.5-meter-high, 100-story Hancock Center Building, as well as the Water Tower Plaza Building and the First National Bank Building. At the western end of Lupu District, the Chicago River is divided into a south branch and a north branch. The north area between the North Branch and Lake Michigan has a beautiful environment and is a high-grade residential area with complete cultural and entertainment facilities. The southern district between the South Branch and Lake Michigan and the western district between the South Branch and the North Branch are mainly industrial areas, inhabited by blacks and many low-standard houses. There are many parks and green spaces in Chicago, covering an area of nearly 5,000 hectares. The lakeside "green belt" is the main leisure place for citizens, and there are also large forest reserves in the suburbs of Chicago.
transport
Terminal 5 of Chicago O 'Hare International Airport has a developed transportation industry, extending in all directions, and is known as "the artery of America". It is the largest air transportation center and railway hub in the United States and the largest inland port in the world. 1848, after the completion of the Illinois-Michigan Canal connecting the Great Lakes region and the Mississippi River system and the railway running through the east and west, Chicago became a land and water transportation hub. There are three airports, and there are two international airports in the suburbs, O 'Hare International Airport and Midway International Airport. O 'Hare International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world. Its aircraft flow, passengers and cargo tonnage rank among the top in the United States and even the world, and it receives 69 million passengers every year. There are 37 railway trunk lines, and about 35,000 trucks come and go every day. There are also 200 truck stops, 4 freight ports, 8 suburban railways, and 1, 013.8km expressway leads to the city center, with convenient transportation. Chicago Port is one of the largest ports in the United States. It can reach Europe directly through the inland waterway of St. Lawrence, and can also provide barge transportation to the Gulf of Mexico through the Mississippi River.
airport
Chicago o 'hare international airport. One of the largest and busiest airports in the United States, with an annual passenger flow of 30-40 million.
Chicago Midway International Airport (Midway International Airport)
Meggers Airport (Meggers Airport, closed)
railway
Chicago is the largest railway hub in the United States, where more than 30 railway lines gather in the north-central United States. The total length of urban railway lines exceeds 1.24 million kilometers, and the annual freight volume is 51.20 million tons, ranking first among major cities in the world. Highway traffic is developed, and 12 highway trunk line passes through the territory, which is the center of the state highway system.
marine transport
Chicago is an important lake port in the Great Lakes region. Ships can go to sea through the Erie Canal-Hudson River or St. Lawrence River.
"Candy Capital" and "No.1 in the World"
Chicago is the candy capital of the world, as well as the largest catering company (McDonald's) and the largest food processing company (Kraft) in the United States. Chicago has produced many world firsts, such as 1884 roller skates, 1892 elevated railway, 1893 popcorn, 1896 zipper, 1902 transparent window envelope, 1955.
"International Labor Day" and "International Women's Day"
1 886 in may1day, hundreds of thousands of workers in Chicago held a strike demonstration for the eight-hour working system. "May 1st" International Labor Day and "March 8th" International Women's Day both originated from this city with a glorious tradition of workers' movement.
build
In addition, the construction industry is also very developed. The Trade Center, built in 1930, is the largest building in the world, with an area of about 370,000 square meters. There are more than 60 foreign consulates general in Chicago.
sensitive
The status of food in Chicago has also steadily increased. In terms of food, Chicago is famous for its heavy weight and strong factional disputes. A "Mr. Beef" (Mr. Beef; 666 N. Orleans St, a supporter of a restaurant specializing in Italian roast beef sandwiches, said, "My God, you should see how popular this restaurant is!" But this does not mean that Chicago lacks exquisite and gorgeous restaurants. Think about the table layout in Japonais (600 Chicago Avenue West). In this restaurant, which used to be the warehouse of Montgomary Ward (the world's first daily necessities mail-order catalog business was founded in Chicago), well-dressed diners gnawed sushi, and the breeze blowing from the Chicago River brushed the thin window screens.
Natural science education
Harper House of the University of Chicago is the center of higher education in Central America, with developed education, culture, science and technology, news and entertainment. Chicago has 680 public schools, 394 private schools, 83 colleges and 88 libraries. Among them, there are 559 junior high schools and senior high schools (including private junior high schools 147 and missionary high schools 29), 9 four-year junior colleges 19 and 7 two-year junior colleges. Colleges and universities have a full range of disciplines, from basic vocational training to advanced science, business, technology, culture and professional preparatory courses. Among them, the University of Chicago, Illinois Institute of Technology and Northwestern University are the most famous. Founded in 189 1, the University of Chicago is one of the famous universities in the United States, and many Nobel Prize winners (such as physicists Fermi and Li Zhengdao) have studied here. In addition, there are two universities founded by the Catholic Church.
The University of Chicago is known as the cradle of Nobel Prize winners and has trained more than 30 Nobel Prize winners. The scientific research achievements of Argonne National Institute, Bell Laboratories and Fermilab in the western suburbs have attracted worldwide attention, and a considerable number of China scholars and engineers work in these institutes.
Chicago also has famous universities, such as the University of Illinois. Other important cultural facilities include the Art Institute, Art Museum, Science and Industry Museum, Shede Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, Historical Society, etc. The ancient water tower standing in the center of the city is a historical relic that survived the Chicago fire in 187 1.
geography
Spanish capital, the largest city in China, the national economic and transportation center, the capital of madrid province. The urban area is 607 square kilometers, with a population of about 3 10. 1 10,000, including suburbs and satellite towns, with an area of 1020 square kilometers and a population of about 4.687 million. Located in the middle of Meseta Plateau in Iberian Peninsula, in the intermountain plateau basin at the southeast foot of Gua Dalama Mountains, it is 670 meters above sea level and is the highest capital in Europe. The southern part can be connected with the Gibraltar Strait defined by the African continent, and the northern Pyrenees can reach the hinterland of Europe directly. Historically, it has been called the "Gate of Europe" because of its strategic position.
It is snowy in winter and the climate is cold. Since the summer, the temperature has risen, it seldom rains, and the sky is often blue. Locals often use "March is like ice, September is like baking" to describe this distinctive seasonal feature.
The terrain is blocked, the climate is continental, the precipitation is less, and the annual temperature difference is larger. 5438+ 10 The average temperature in June is 4.8℃, and in July it is 25℃, with an annual precipitation of 425mm.
The comprehensive economic center of Spain's central economic zone. The textile and food industries are developed on the basis of local agricultural raw materials. After the 1960s, departments such as airplanes, automobiles, mechanical equipment, optical instruments, electronics, electrical equipment, chemistry, plastics and arms industry emerged. Due to the lack of raw materials and fuel in plateau areas, industry is developing in the direction of high precision and comprehensive utilization. The nearby intermountain basin is rich in cotton, grapes, olives, oranges and other fruits, and the natural grassland is used to develop animal husbandry. China's main land transportation hub. Radial railways connect Madrid with other cities and coastal areas in China, and there are many international railways connecting French and Portuguese. Ba Laha Airport is the largest international airport in China. Madrid is also an important financial and commercial center. One of the famous cultural cities in southern Europe has a profound cultural tradition, but its position as a modern Spanish cultural center has been replaced by Barcelona. Many museums in the city, the famous Prado Museum, mainly collect Spanish and Italian paintings from 15 to 19, especially works by Goya and velazquez. Four of many libraries are famous for collecting manuscripts and treasures. There are also ancient buildings such as palaces. There are more than 300 squares, including the Mayor Square (built during the Habsburg Dynasty, which is one of the most entertaining city squares in Europe) and Lavila Square. There are many green spaces in the park with a green area of 28 million square meters. The city is divided into two parts: the new city and the old city. The old one was built in15 ~18th century with narrow streets. The new town is a newly-built urban area in the 20th century, with wide and clean streets. Modern high-rise buildings are in sharp contrast with the ancient pattern of the ancient city. The northern and southern parts of the city are mainly industrial areas and residential areas.