Michigan Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Michigan is a state in the United States. The name is derived from Lake Michigan, which in turn is believed to come from the Chippewa Indian word meicigama, meaning "great water." Bounded by four of the Great Lakes, Michigan has the longest state shoreline in the continental United States, and more recreational boats than any state in the union.The state is primarily known as the birthplace of the automobile industry. However, it is also home to a thriving tourist industry, with destinations such as Traverse City, Mackinac Island and the entire Upper Peninsula drawing vacationers, hunters and nature enthusiasts from across the United States and Canada.
When outsiders think "Michigan," they often conjure images of gritty, industrial Detroit. In reality, the state is a vast rural territory, graced with thousands of square miles of pristine wilderness. The clang and clamor of the Motor City's crowded freeways and labor-union battles stand in vivid counterpoint to the tranquility found in virtually every corner of the famously glove-shaped state.
An individual from Michigan is called a "Michigander" or "Michiganian." A resident of Michigan's Upper Peninsula ("the U.P.") is often called a "Yooper" (for "U-Per"). In turn, residents of the lower peninsula may be jokingly referred to as "trolls" -- because they "live below the Mackinac Bridge."
Its U.S. postal abbreviation is "MI" (old style: "Mich."). The U.S. Navy's USS Michigan was named in honor of the state.
Once a thriving lumber capital and supplier of iron and copper minerals, Michigan's economy underwent a massive shift at the turn of the 20th 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. It was a development that not only transformed Detroit and Michigan, but permanently altered the socio-economic climate of the United States.
Today, many automotive manufacturing plants remain. However, Detroit's industrial base steadily eroded after World War II, as auto companies abandoned some of the area's industrial parks in favor of less expensive labor found overseas and in the largely non-unionized southern United States.
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 Governors, List of United States Senators from Michigan, List of United States Representatives from MichiganHistory
Early European history
U.S. history
Major historical events
Law and Government
Michigan counties and townships are statutory units of government, meaning that they have only those powers expressly provided or fairly implied by state law. Cities and villages are vested with home rule powers, meaning that they can do almost anything not prohibited by law.
| 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 but only on water boundaries in the Great Lakes system. The highest point is Mount Arvon in the Upper Peninsula at 1979 feet (603 m). The highest point in the Lower Peninsula is Briar Hill at 1705 feet (520 meters).
Michigan consists of two peninsulas:
- the Lower Peninsula and
- the Upper Peninsula
These two sections are connected only by the five mile long 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.
Detroit, Michigan is the only city in the United States that is due north of Canada.
National parks
See also Protected areas of Michigan, List of Michigan state parks
See also
Economy
See also: List of companies based in Michigan
Demographics
The racial makeup of the state is:
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
State symbols
Miscellaneous information
Quick trivia
Related articles
External links
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This is an Article on Michigan. Page Contains Information, Facts Details or Explanation Guide About Michigan