Michigan
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| State nickname: Wolverine State | |||||
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Other U.S. States | |||||
| Capital | Lansing | ||||
| Largest City | Detroit | ||||
| Governor | Jennifer Granholm | ||||
| Area - Total - Land - Water - % water | Ranked 11th 250,941 km˛ 147,255 km˛ 103,687 km˛ 41.3% | ||||
| Population - Total (2000) - Density | Ranked 8th 9,938,444 40/km˛ | ||||
| Admittance into Union - Order - Date | 26th January 26, 1837 | ||||
| Time zone |
Eastern: UTC-5/-4 (Some Upper Peninsula counties bordering Wisconsin are Central time.) | ||||
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Latitude Longitude |
41°41'N to 47°30'N 82°26'W to 90°31'W | ||||
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Width Length Elevation -Highest -Mean -Lowest |
385 km 790 km 603 meters 275 meters 174 meters | ||||
| ISO 3166-2: | US-MI | ||||
Michigan is a state in the United States. Its U.S. postal abbreviation is MI (old style:Mich.). The name is derived from Lake Michigan, which in turn is believed to come from the Chippewa word meicigama, meaning "great water."
The state is known as the birthplace of the automotive industry. However, it also has a large tourist industry. Destinations like Traverse City, Mackinac Island, and the entire Upper Peninsula draw vacationers, hunters, and nature lovers from all over the U.S and Canada. Michigan has the longest coastline of any state except Alaska and more recreational boats than any other state.
USS Michigan was named in honor of this state.
A resident of Michigan is called either a "Michiganian" or a "Michigander". A resident of Michigan's Upper Peninsula is called a "Yooper"
| Table of contents |
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2 Law and Government 3 Geography 4 Economy 5 Demographics 6 Important cities 7 Education 8 Professional sports teams 9 Miscellaneous information 10 External links |
Once a thriving lumber capital and supplier of iron and copper minerals, Michigan's declining natural resources gave way at the turn of the twentieth century. The birth of the automotive industry with Henry Ford's first plant in the Highland Park suburb of Detroit, marked the beginning of a new era in personal transportation that permanently changed the socio-economic climate of America. Many automotive manufacturing plants remain, however, Detroit lost its grandeur after World War II, as automotive companies abandoned huge industrial parks in the area for the cheaper labor found in Southern U.S. and offshore plants.
History
Early European history
U.S. history
Major historical events
Law and Government
| Great Lakes State | |
| State Motto: | Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam Circumspice |
| State Song: | My Michigan |
| State Bird: | American Robin |
| State Mammal: | White-tailed Deer |
| State Fish: | Brook Trout |
| State Reptile: | Painted Turtle |
| State Fossil: | Mastodon |
| State Flower: | Apple Blossom |
| State Wildflower: | Dwarf Lake Iris |
| State Tree: | White Pine |
| State Stone: | Petoskey stone |
| State Gem: | Isle Royale greenstone |
| State Soil: | Kalkaska Sand |
See: List of Michigan Governors
''See: List of United States Senators from Michigan
- Capital: Lansing
- Law/Government of state
- governor -- current, previous governors
- Current: Jennifer Granholm
- legislature -- bicameral
- House of Representatives
- Senate
- structure of state judicary
- state constitution
- governor -- current, previous governors
- Referendum and Voter Initiative: Michigan's constitution provides for voter initiative and referendum (Article II, § 9 ), defined as "the power to propose laws and to enact and reject laws, called the initiative, and the power to approve or reject laws enacted by the legislature, called the referendum. The power of initiative extends only to laws which the legislature may enact under this constitution."
There are two types of townships in Michigan: general law and charter. Charter township status was created by the state legislature in 1947 and grants additional powers and stream-lined administration in order to provide greater protection against annexation by a city. As of April 2001, there were 127 charter townships in Michigan.
| See: | List of Michigan counties | Islands of Michigan | List of Michigan rivers |
Michigan borders Indiana and Ohio to the south, and Wisconsin to the southwest of the Upper Peninsula. Michigan also borders Minnesota, Illinois and Ontario, Canada but only on water boundaries in the Great Lakes system. The highest point is Mount Arvon at 1979 feet (603 m).
Michigan consists of two peninsulas:
- the Lower Peninsula and
- the Upper Peninsula
These two sections are connected only by the Mackinac Bridge -- the third longest suspension bridge in the world. The two peninsulas are surrounded by an extensive Great Lakes shoreline. Other than Alaska, Michigan has the longest shoreline of any state -- 2,242 miles (and another 879 miles if islands are included). This equals the length of the Atlantic Coast, from Maine to Florida. The Great Lakes which touch the two peninsulas of Michigan are Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. No point in Michigan is more than 6 miles from an inland lake or more than 85 miles from one of the Great Lakes, and the state has more than 11,000 inland lakes and more than 36,000 miles of rivers and streams.
National parks
See also Protected areas of Michigan, List of Michigan state parks
Economy
See also: List of companies based in Michigan
Demographics
Important cities
See: List of cities, villages, and townships in MichiganEducation
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Community Colleges and Technical Schools
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Michigan has 116 lighthouses. The first lighthouses in Michigan were built between 1818 and 1822. They were built to project light at night and to serve as a landmark during the day to safely guide the freighters traveling the Great Lakes. See Lighthouses in the United States.
Michigan has the most registered boats (over 1 million) of any state in the Union.
Although most famous for its automotive industry, over half of Michigan's land is forested, much of it quite remote.
Other notable sports teams
Miscellaneous information
Quick trivia
Related articles
External links
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