Cairo, Illinois

Cairo is a special city because it sits right where the Ohio River and the Mississippi River, two of the biggest rivers in North America, come together! It's like they're giving the city a big hug. Because it's so close to the water, Cairo is the lowest place in all of Illinois.

It's so low that the whole city is surrounded by tall walls called levees to keep the water out, like a bathtub with a giant plug!

Did you know Cairo is named after the capital city of Egypt, which is also called Cairo? It's like naming your pet dog 'Tiger' even if it's a fluffy cat! This part of Illinois is even called 'Little Egypt' because of this name. It's a fun little mystery why they picked that name so far away from the real Egypt.

A long, long time ago, Cairo was super busy with boats! Big steamboats would travel up and down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, carrying people and goods. Soldiers even built a fort there during a big war called the Civil War to control the rivers. It was a very important place for boats!

Sometimes, the rivers get really, really full and can flood. When this happens, the water can get very high, even higher than a two-story building! The people in Cairo have to be ready to leave their homes to stay safe. They even have special walls, called levees, all around the city to try and stop the water from coming in.