To me Chicago is much more than another big city in the United States; it is in my blood. My family moved from their native land of Ireland to Chicago during the great famine. So of course I would want to apply the 5 themes of Geography to the best city in the world, Chicago. Chicago is the third largest city in the United States, and one of the country’s leading industrial, commercial, transportation, and financial centers. This city combines several different cultures and, there is truly no place like it.

Location- The absolute location for Chicago is 41n51 and 87w39. The relative location for the city of Chicago will vary from person to

person. It is located in the Midwest region of the United States. Chicago rests in the in the far northeastern portion of the state. Wisconsin borders Illinois to the north, Iowa to the Northwest, Missouri in the Southwest, Kentucky to the South, and Indiana to the East. Chicago is also bordered by Lake Michigan. Chicago is identified by its North, South, East and West sides. State Street forms the border between east and west while Madison Street divides north and south. Chicago sits on the continental divide between the Great Lakes—St. Lawrence system and the Mississippi River basin.

Place- Chicago is one of the most diverse cities in the world. There are so many traditions and trademarks that go with the wonderful city of Chicago. Part of what makes

Movement- Now to the area in which has made Chicago the place it is today. The area of Chicago was the home of the Native American tribes the Sauk, Mesquakie, and Potawatomi. These tribes called the area “Checagou” which refereed to the wild onions that grew along Lake Michigan. In the late 1700’s a man by the name of Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, he was the first non Native American to settle here. By 1837 the harbors around the lake had improved and this sparked a rapid growth to the area. More industries developed because of the ability to import and export goods with other parts of the world. Growth also occurred with the development of canals and that railroads in the 1850’s. the meat packing industry was huge in Chicago because cattle, pigs, and sheep could be shipped by rail to Chicago for slaughter and packing. All of this economic opportunity brought immigrants from Ireland, Germany, and Scandinavia. Many other immigrants came to the area too. In 37 years its population grew to 300,000 people. After World War II the population grew to 3.6 million. Chicago experienced a growth in its black and Hispanic population which has moved the whites out of the city into the suburbs of Chicago. So you can see how this City has thrived on movement of imports and exports and movement of people to the City. Another aspect of movement we can talk about is the public transportation system. The downtown area has what is called by the locals as “the loop” this is because the elevated railway tracks or “EL” train encircle it. This is the major way used to get around. Remember when I talked about the harsh winters in Chicago? Well the city has an underground system of pedestrian walkways that makes getting around the city a lot easier. When I visited a few the city a few years back I rode on the El train and it can get scary

Some topics in this essay:
Lake Michigan, Chicago City, Chicago Chicago, Windy City”, Michigan Canals, Native American, Place- Chicago, Interactions- Chicago, Illinois Mississippi, Lakes Region, lake michigan, chicago city, city chicago, themes geography, 5 themes, mississippi river, 5 themes geography, people city, chicago chicago, apply 5 themes, east west, north south, “the windy city”, lake michigan chicago,