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Chicago is a major city in the state of Illinois. The City is the largest city in the Midwest and the third-most populous city in the United States, with approximately 2.9 million people. The Chicago Metropolitan area, sometimes informally called Chicagoland, has a population of 9.4 million in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana making it the third largest in the United States. Chicago is located along the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan and is a center of transportation, industry, politics, finance, medicine and higher education. Chicago is informally called the "Second City," the "Windy City," the "City of Big Shoulders", and "Chi-town."

Today, Chicago is the financial, cultural, transportation, and business capital of the Midwest. Chicago was founded 1833 as a town to link the Great Lakes with the Mississippi River system. It soon became a transportation hub of the Old Northwest, with major connections by steamboats, canals and (by 1855), railroads. By 1890 it was one of the ten most influential world cities.

Chicago has 15 sports teams. Chicago is one of only a few cities to have its major sports teams play within its city limits. It is one of three U.S. cities that has two Major League Baseball teams, and the only city to have always had more than one baseball team since the forming of the American League in 1900. The Chicago Cubs of the National League play at Wrigley Field, which is located in the North Side neighborhood of Lakeview, commonly referred to as "Wrigleyville." The Chicago White Sox of the American League, who recently won the World Series in 2005, play at U.S. Cellular Field, located in the city's South Side Bridgeport neighborhood.

Wrigley Field on the North Side. Home of the Chicago Cubs

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Wrigley Field on the North Side. Home of the Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association are one of the world's most recognized basketball teams, thanks to their enormous success during the Michael Jordan era, when they won six NBA titles in the 1990s. The Bulls play at the United Center on Chicago's Near West side. They share the "UC" with the Chicago Blackhawks, of the National Hockey League. The Hawks are an Original Six franchise, founded in 1926, and last won the Stanley Cup in 1961.

The Chicago Bears of the National Football League play at Soldier Field. The Chicago Bears have won nine American Football championships (eight NFL Championships and Super Bowl XX) trailing only the Green Bay Packers, who have twelve.

The Chicago Fire, members of Major League Soccer, won one league and four US Open Cups since 1997. After eight years at Soldier Field, they recently moved to the new Toyota Park in Bridgeview at 71st and Harlem Avenue during the summer of 2006.

The Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League and Chicago Rush of the Arena football League both play at the Allstate Arena in nearby Rosemont. The Rush are the defending Arenabowl champions. The Wolves have won league champonships in 1998, 2000, and 2002. Their first season was 1994-95.

Chicago United, USAFL members, are the Australian Rules football club in the city, competing in the MAAFL.

The city has offered an official bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Chicago also hosted the 1959 Pan American Games, and Gay Games VII in 2006.