Chicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States. Located on the southwestern shores of Lake Michigan, Chicago is the third-most densely populated major city in the U.S. and anchor to the world's 26th largest metropolitan area with over 9.5 million people across three states. In 2007, the city attracted 32.8 million domestic visitors and about 1.15 million foreign visitors. Making use of its’ abundant resources, Chicago has a heritage for hosting major international, national, regional and local events that include commerce, culture, entertainment, politics and sports. Globally recognized, Chicago has numerous nicknames, which reflect the impressions and opinions about historical and contemporary Chicago. The best known include: "Chi-town"; "Chi-city"; the "Windy City" with reference to Chicago politicians and residents boasting about their city.