• Chicago
  • Altay City

Chicago (/ʃɪˈkɑːɡoʊ/ (listen) shih-KAH-goh, locally also /ʃɪˈkɔːɡoʊ/ shih-KAW-goh) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and the third-most populous in the United States, after New York City and Los Angeles. With a population of 2,746,388 in the 2020 census, it is also the most populous city in the Midwest. As the seat of Cook County (the second-most populous U.S. county), the city is the center of the Chicago metropolitan area, one of the largest in the world.

On the shore of Lake Michigan, Chicago was incorporated as a city in 1837 near a portage between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River watershed. It grew rapidly in the mid-19th century; by 1860, Chicago was the youngest U.S. city to exceed a population of 100,000. The Great Chicago Fire in 1871 destroyed several square miles and left more than 100,000 homeless, but Chicago's population continued to grow to 503,000 by 1880 and then doubled to more than a million within the decade. The construction boom accelerated population growth throughout the following decades, and by 1900, less than 30 years after the fire, Chicago was the fifth-largest city in the world. Chicago made noted contributions to urban planning and zoning standards, including new construction styles (such as, Chicago School architecture, the development of the City Beautiful Movement, and the steel-framed skyscraper).

Chicago is an international hub for finance, culture, commerce, industry, education, technology, telecommunications, and transportation. It is the site of the creation of the first standardized futures contracts, issued by the Chicago Board of Trade, which today is part of the largest and most diverse derivatives market in the world, generating 20% of all volume in commodities and financial futures alone. O'Hare International Airport is routinely ranked among the world's top six busiest airports according to tracked data by the Airports Council International. The region also has the largest number of federal highways and is the nation's railroad hub. The Chicago area has one of the highest gross domestic products (GDP) in the world, generating $689 billion in 2018. The economy of Chicago is diverse, with no single industry employing more than 14% of the workforce. It is home to several Fortune 500 companies, including Archer Daniels Midland, Conagra Brands, Exelon, JLL, Kraft Heinz, McDonald's, Mondelez International, Motorola Solutions, Sears, and United Airlines Holdings.

Altay was the pastoral land of Chinese ethnic minorities in ancient times. According to historical records, the tribes who lived here in the Qin Dynasty were Sai people who moved from the Hexi Corridor in Gansu Province. Since the Western Han Dynasty, successive central governments have set up administrative organs here. "Altay" is Turkic, meaning "Jinshan". It gets its name because of the gold in the mountains. It is said that there are 72 ditches in the Altai Mountains. The Ertix River in Altay is the only river in China that flows into the Arctic Ocean. The Brento Sea, which is located in Fuhai County, covers an area of 100000 hectares and is rich in more than 10 kinds of fish, known as the "fishing hometown of the North". Altay mountains and rivers are magnificent and colorful, with unique natural scenery, the main scenic spots are Kanas Lake Nature Reserve, Burgen River Beaver Nature Reserve, Butterfly ditch and so on.
Travel Sights In Altay City
Travel Notes In Altay City