Chicago is metropolitan city and the third largest city in the United States . The city is located in the state of Illinois on the shores of Lake Michigan . According to the 2000 census the city had a total population of 2,896,016. The Chicago metropolitan area is known as Chicagoland named after a term supported by the Chicago Tribune in the early 20th century. Chicago is known around the world for its wonderful skyline and has many different nicknames. The Globalization and World Cities Study Group & Network grade the city as one of ten “alpha” world cities. The adjacent suburbs of Chicago are Milwaukee and Wisconsin . The U.S. Navy also names four ships called the USS Chicago after the city. On August 12, 1833 , Chicago was became a town with a population of 350. In 1857 Chicago became the largest city in the Northwest and its population increased to more than 90,000 people. According to the United States Census Bureau, Chicago has a total area of 606.1 km². The city is alienated into two different branches, the executive and the legislative. The mayor is the chief executive of the area and is elected by general election for tenure of four years. The mayor appoints commissioners who take care of the various departments. The current mayor is Richard M. Daley. Other than the mayor, Chicago has two other elected officials, the clerk and the treasurer. Chicago is also sorted as one of the largest Democratic strongholds in the United States . Chicago is also known for its pop-culture specially the Chicago Blues. It is the place where the House style of music was developed and the techno electronic style of music was promoted in nearby Detroit . Chicago being famous for theatre is a center for improvisational comedy. It is home to The Second City and ImprovOlympic, two of the largest comedy troupes in the country. Chicago has developed schools in different areas of studies like the famed Chicago school of architecture and the Chicago schools of economic theory.