pop (2000e) 9 938 400; area 151 579 km²/58 527 sq mi. State in NC USA, divided into 83 counties; split into two peninsulas by L Michigan and L Huron; the Great Lake State or the Wolverine State; 26th state admitted to the Union, 1837; settled by the French, 1668; ceded to the British, 1763; handed over to the USA in 1783 and became part of Indiana Territory; Territory of Michigan established, 1805; boundaries greatly extended in 1818 and 1834; capital, Lansing; other chief cities, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren, Flint; the Montreal, Brule, and Menominee Rivers mark the Wisconsin border; the border with Canada is formed by the St Clair R (between L Huron and L St Clair) and the Detroit R (between L St Clair and L Erie); 99 909 km²/38 565 sq mi of the Great Lakes lie within the state boundary; highest point Mt Curwood (604 m/1982 ft); the upper peninsula and N part of the lower peninsula are mainly forested, containing several state parks; a major tourist area; the S part of the state is highly industrialized; motor vehicles and parts, machinery, cement, iron and steel (second in the country for iron ore production); corn and dairy products.
background: none;">| Flag of Michigan | Seal of Michigan |
|
Nickname(s): The Wolverine State, The Great Lakes State, The Automotives State, Water Wonderland (former) |
|
|
Motto(s): Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice
(If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you) |
|
| Official language(s) | None (English, de-facto) |
| Capital | Lansing |
| Largest city | Detroit |
| Area | Ranked 11th |
| - Total |
97,990 sq mi (253,793 km²) |
| - Width | 239 miles (385 km) |
| - Length | 491 miles (790 km) |
| - % water | 41.5 |
| - Latitude | 41°41'N to 47°30'N |
| - Longitude | 82°26'W to 90°31'W |
| Population | Ranked 8th |
| - Total (2000) | 9,938,444 |
| - Density |
179/sq mi 67.55/km² (15th) |
| - Median income | $44,627 (21st) |
| Elevation | |
| - Highest point |
Mount Arvon 1,979 ft (603 m) |
| - Mean | 902 ft (275 m) |
| - Lowest point |
Lake Erie 571 ft (174 m) |
| Admission to Union | January 26, 1837 (26th) |
| Governor | Jennifer Granholm (D) |
| U.S. Senators |
Carl Levin (D) Debbie Stabenow (D) |
| Time zones | |
| - most of state | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| - 4 U.P. counties | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| Abbreviations | MI US-MI |
| Web site | www.michigan.gov |
Michigan (pronounced [ˈmɪʃɪɡən]) is a Midwestern state of the United States, located in the east north central portion of the country. It was named after Lake Michigan, the word 'Michigan' itself being a French derivative of the Ojibwe misshikama (read "mish-ih-GAH-muh"), meaning "big lake" (compare kitchikama, meaning "Great Lake" - pronounced "gitch-ih-GAH-ma," or "Gitchee-Gumee" as rendered by Longfellow).
Bounded by four of the five Great Lakes, plus Lake Saint Clair, Michigan has the longest freshwater shoreline in the United States, the longest total shoreline after Alaska (including island shorelines), and more recreational boats than any other state in the union.
Michigan is the only bi-peninsular state. The Lower Peninsula of Michigan, to which the name Michigan was originally applied, is sometimes dubbed "the mitten," owing to its shape. The Upper Peninsula (U.P.) is separated from the Lower Peninsula by the Straits of Mackinac, a five-mile channel that joins Lake Huron to Lake Michigan. The Great Lakes that border Michigan are Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan and Lake Superior.
History
See also: Timeline of Michigan historyMichigan was home to various Native Americans centuries before colonization by Europeans.
From 1660 to the end of French rule, Michigan (along with Wisconsin, eastern Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, two-thirds of Georgia, and small parts of West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, and Maine) was part of the Royal Province of New France, administered from the capital city of Québec.
1800s
During the War of 1812, Michigan Territory (effectively consisting of Detroit and the surrounding area) was captured by the British and nominally returned to Upper Canada until the Treaty of Ghent, which implemented the policy of "Status Quo Ante Bellum" or "Just as Things Were Before the War." A state government was formed in 1836, although Congressional recognition of the state languished because of a boundary dispute with Ohio, with both sides claiming a 468 square mile (1,210 km²) strip of land that included the newly incorporated city of Toledo on Lake Erie and an area to the west then known as the "Great Black Swamp." It was a development that not only transformed Detroit and Michigan, but permanently altered the socio-economic climate of the United States and much of the world.
1900s to the present
Since the 1970's, Michigan's industrial base has eroded as the auto industry began to abandon the state's industrial parks in favor of less expensive labor found overseas and in the southern U.S. states. Nevertheless, with more than 10 million residents, Michigan continues to grow and remains a large and influential state, ranking eighth in population among the 50 states.
The Detroit metropolitan area in the southeast corner of the state remains the largest metropolitan area in Michigan (roughly 50% of the population resides there) and one of the 10 largest metro areas in the country. The Grand Rapids/Holland/Muskegon metro area on the west side of the state is the fastest growing metro area in the state presently, with over 1.3 million residents as of 2006.
Law and government
See also: List of Michigan Governors, List of United States Senators from Michigan, and List of United States Representatives from MichiganLansing is the state capital and is home to all three branches of state government. The Michigan State Capitol building hosts the executive and legislative branches.
Michigan's state universities are immune from control by the legislature, the governor and most aspects of the executive branch, and the cities in or near which they are located; only the trustees of the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Wayne State University are chosen in general elections.
Michigan was the first state in the Union to abolish the death penalty, in 1846. Chardavoyne has suggested that the abolitionist movement in Michigan grew as a result of enmity towards the state's neighbor, Canada, which under British rule made public executions a regular practice.
Politics
As with other Rust Belt states, the Republican Party dominated Michigan until the Great Depression. In 1912, Michigan was one of the few states to support progressive third party candidate Theodore Roosevelt for President.
County government
See also: List of Michigan county seatsState government is decentralized among three tiers — statewide, county and township. Both of them exercise state government authority, localized to meet the particular needs of their jurisdictions, as provided by state law.
Geography
Michigan consists of two peninsulas that lie between 82°30' to about 90º30' west longitude, and are separated by the Straits of Mackinac.
The state is bounded on the south by the states of Ohio and Indiana, sharing both land and water boundaries with both. Michigan's western boundaries are almost entirely water boundaries, from south to north, with Illinois and Wisconsin in Lake Michigan;
Michigan encompasses 58,110 square miles (150,504 km²) of land, 38,575 square miles (99,909 km²) of Great Lakes waters and 1,305 square miles (3,380 km²) of inland waters. Only the state of Alaska has more territorial water and Michigan is well ahead of third ranked Florida which has 11,827.77 square miles (30,633.8 km²).
The Lower Peninsula, shaped like a mitten, is 277 miles (446 km) long from north to south and 195 miles (314 km) from east to west and occupies nearly two-thirds of the state's land area. The larger portion of the state is on the west of this and gradually slopes toward Lake Michigan.
The geographic orientation of Michigan's peninsulas make for a long distance between the ends of the state. has led to occasional calls for secession from Michigan and admission as a new state called "Superior." The state has numerous large islands, the principal ones being the Manitou, Beaver, and Fox groups in Lake Michigan;
Detroit is the only major city in the United States from which one must travel southward to cross the border into Canada.
See also: Protected areas of Michigan and List of Michigan state parksClimate
Michigan has a Humid continental climate throughout the state, although the southern portion of the state is characteried by warm summers, while the area north of about Grand Rapids has relatively cool summers, especially at night. Generally, the state has cold, snowy winters, with most of the state averaging high temperatures below freezing from December through February, and possibly early March.
The entire state averages around 30 days of thunderstorm activity per year, and these can be severe, especially the further south in the state one goes. The state averages 17 tornadoes a year, and these are much more common in the extreme southern portion of the state with portions of the southern border nearly as vulnerable historically as parts of Tornado alley.
Demographics
As of 2005, Michigan has an estimated population of 10,120,860, which is an increase of 16,654, or 0.2%, from the prior year and an increase of 182,380, or 1.8%, since the year 2000.
| Demographics of Michigan (csv) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| By race | White | Black | AIAN | Asian | NHPI |
| AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native NHPI is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | |||||
| 2000 (total population) | 83.05% | 14.92% | 1.26% | 2.10% | 0.08% |
| 2000 (hispanic only) | 2.98% | 0.22% | 0.11% | 0.03% | 0.01% |
| 2005 (total population) | 82.65% | 15.05% | 1.21% | 2.57% | 0.08% |
| 2005 (hispanic only) | 3.51% | 0.23% | 0.11% | 0.05% | 0.02% |
| Growth 2000-2005 (total population) | 1.35% | 2.77% | -2.51% | 24.24% | 12.50% |
| Growth 2000-2005 (non-hispanic only) | 0.66% | 2.67% | -2.71% | 24.04% | 10.70% |
| Growth 2000-2005 (hispanic only) | 19.89% | 9.70% | -0.48% | 36.87% | 20.51% |
As of 2006, the state had a foreign-born population of 688,413. Western Michigan is known for the Dutch heritage of many residents (the highest concentration of any state), especially in the Grand Rapids-Holland area.
Religion
The religious affiliations of the people of Michigan are:
Christian – 82% Protestant – 58% Baptist – 15% Methodist – 10% Pentecostal – 7% Lutheran – 5% Reformed United Church of Christ – 3% Church of Christ – 2% Other Protestant – 12% Roman Catholic- 23% Other Christian – 1% Muslim – 2% Jewish – 1% Other Religions – <1% Non-Religious – 15%Michigan has a higher percentage of Muslims (who live mainly in the Detroit area) and a higher percentage of Reformed Christians (concentrated in the western part of the state) than any other American state. Development investment expenditures in the U.S. The domestic Auto Industry accounts directly and indirectly for one of every ten jobs in the U.S.
Michigan has been able to manage recent economic hardships brought on by the severe stock market decline following the September 11, 2001 attacks which caused a pension and benefit fund crisis for many American companies including General Motors, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler. From 1997 to 2004, Michigan was listed as the only state to top the 10,000 mark for the number of major new developments, led by Metro Detroit. As leading research institutions, the University of Michigan and Michigan State University are both important partners in the State's economy. Michigan's infrastructure gives it a competitive edge, Michigan has 38 deep water ports.
Michigan has a thriving tourist industry, with destinations such as Traverse City, Mackinac Island, Ludington, Muskegon, Saugatuck, the Upper Peninsula, Frankenmuth, Grand Haven, and Detroit, drawing vacationers, hunters, and nature enthusiasts from across the United States and Canada.
Michigan's Department of Natural Resources manages the largest dedicated state forest system in the nation.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that Michigan's gross state product in 2004 was $372 billion. Michigan's state sales tax is 6 percent.
However, based on Bureau of Economic Analysis, recent growth in Michigan is 0.1%, the lowest quintile across United States.
Important cities and towns
The following are the largest metropolitan areas in Michigan, along with their 2000 population and 2000 national ranking (according to the 2000 census and the census bureau's 2003 definitions of "Metropolitan Statistical Area" and "Micropolitan Statistical Area"):
Detroit-Warren-Livonia, population 4,452,557 (9th) Grand Rapids-Wyoming, population 740,482 (63rd) Lansing-East Lansing, population 447,728 (99th) Flint, population 436,141 (104th) Ann Arbor, population 322,895 (140th) Kalamazoo-Portage, population 314,866 (146th) Holland-Grand Haven, population 238,314 (172nd) Saginaw-Saginaw Township North, population 210,039 (188th) Muskegon-Norton Shores, population 170,200 (219th) Niles-Benton Harbor, population 162,453 (231st)The census bureau also consolidates some of the above metro areas into "Combined Statistical Areas". These areas are listed below along with their 2000 population and 2000 national ranking (according to the 2000 census and the census bureau's definition of "Combined Statistical Area"):
Detroit-Warren-Flint, population 5,357,538 (8th) Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland, population 1,254,661 (34th) Lansing-East Lansing-Owosso, population 519,415 (60th) Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North, population 320,196 (79th)The largest municipalities in Michigan are (according to the 2000 census):
Detroit, population 951,270 (also known as "Motor City", Motown, "Hockeytown", and "The D") Grand Rapids, population 197,800 ("The Furniture City") Warren, population 138,247 Flint, population 124,943 (The birthplace of General Motors, also known as "The Vehicle City") Sterling Heights, population 124,471 Lansing population 119,128, (the state capital) Ann Arbor population 114,024, (the home of the University of Michigan, also known as "A²", "A-squared", "Tree Town", "Ace Deuce") Livonia, population 100,545 Dearborn, population 98,000 (headquarters of the Ford Motor Company; birthplace of Henry Ford) Clinton Township, population 95,648Other important cities include:
Battle Creek ("Cereal City U.S.A.") Bay City (major port on the Saginaw River) East Lansing (home of Michigan State University) Grand Haven (Coast Guard City, USA) Holland (Home of the Michigan Dutch) Kalamazoo ("Celery City") Marquette (largest city in the Upper Peninsula with 19,661 people).Education
Colleges and universities
| Adrian College Albion College Alma College Andrews University Aquinas College Ave Maria College Ave Maria School of Law Baker College Calvin College Calvin Theological Seminary Center for Humanistic Studies Central Bible College Central Michigan University Cleary University College for Creative Studies Concordia University | Cornerstone University Cranbrook Academy of Art Davenport University Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary Eastern Michigan University Ecumenical Theological Seminary Ferris State University Finlandia University Grace Bible College Grand Rapids Theological Seminary Grand Valley State University Great Lakes Christian College Hillsdale College Hope College Kalamazoo College Kendall College of Art and Design | Kettering University Kuyper College Lake Superior State University Lawrence Technological University Lewis College of Business Madonna University Marygrove College Michigan Jewish Institute Michigan State University Michigan Technological University Michigan Theological Seminary Northern Michigan University Northwood University Oakland University Olivet College Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary Rochester College Sacred Heart Major Seminary | SS. Cooley Law School University of Detroit Mercy University of Michigan System University of Michigan-Ann Arbor University of Michigan-Dearborn University of Michigan-Flint Walsh College of Accountancy and Business Wayne State University Western Michigan University Western Theological Seminary William Tyndale College Yeshiva Beth Yehudah Gedolah |
Community colleges and technical schools
| American College of Computer and Information Sciences Alpena Community College Bay de Noc Community College Bay Mills Community College Delta College Ellis College of NYIT Glen Oaks Community College Gogebic Community College Grand Rapids Community College Henry Ford Community College ITT Technical Institute - Canton, Grand Rapids, and Troy Jackson Community College | Kalamazoo Valley Community College Kellogg Community College Kirtland Community College Lake Michigan College Lansing Community College Macomb Community College Mid-Michigan Community College Monroe County Community College Montcalm Community College Mott Community College Muskegon Community College National Institute of Technology - Southfield and Wyoming |
North Central Michigan College Northwestern Michigan College Oakland Community College Olympia Career Training Institute - Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo
Ross Medical Education Center - Saginaw, Flint, Grand Rapids, Brighton, Muskegon, Redford, Warren, Port Huron, Lansing, Ann Arbor Saint Clair County Community College Schoolcraft College Southwestern Michigan College University of Phoenix - Detroit and Grand Rapids Washtenaw Community College Wayne County Community College West Shore Community College |
Professional sports teams
Most major league sports teams in Michigan are located in Metro Detroit, with the Detroit Tigers baseball team (MLB), Detroit Lions football team (NFL), and Detroit Red Wings ice hockey team (NHL) located within the city of Detroit.
Other notable sports teams include:
| Club | Sport | League |
|---|---|---|
| Alpena IceDiggers | Ice hockey | North American Hockey League |
| Flint Generals | Ice hockey | United Hockey League |
| Grand Rapids Griffins | Ice hockey | American Hockey League |
| Kalamazoo Wings | Ice Hockey | United Hockey League |
| Marquette Rangers | Ice Hockey | North American Hockey League |
| Muskegon Fury | Ice hockey | United Hockey League |
| Plymouth Whalers | Ice hockey | Ontario Hockey League |
| Port Huron Flags | Ice hockey | United Hockey League |
| Saginaw Spirit | Ice hockey | Ontario Hockey League |
| Traverse City North Stars | Ice hockey | North American Hockey League |
| Lansing Lugnuts | Baseball | Minor League Baseball, Midwest League |
| Great Lakes Loons | Baseball | Minor League Baseball, Midwest League |
| Kalamazoo Kings | Baseball | Minor League Baseball |
| Traverse City Beach Bums | Baseball | Minor League Baseball |
| West Michigan Whitecaps | Baseball | Minor League Baseball, Midwest League |
| Michigan Mayhem | Basketball | Continental Basketball Association |
| Grand Rapids Rampage | Arena football | Arena Football League |
| Battle Creek Crunch | Indoor football | Great Lakes Indoor Football League |
| Motor City Reapers | Indoor football | Great Lakes Indoor Football League |
| Muskegon Thunder | Indoor football | Great Lakes Indoor Football League |
| Port Huron Pirates | Indoor football | Great Lakes Indoor Football League |
| Detroit Demolition | Football | Independent Women's Football League |
| Detroit Ignition | Soccer | Major Indoor Soccer League |
| Kalamazoo Kingdom | Soccer | USL Premier Development League |
| Michigan Bucks | Soccer | USL Premier Development League |
| Michigan Hawks | Soccer | W-League |
| Michigan Phoenix | Soccer | Women's Premier Soccer League |
| West Michigan Edge | Soccer | USL Premier Development League |
| West Michigan Firewomen | Soccer | W-League |
Trivia
Michigan is simultaneously known for its cities, supported by heavy industry, and its pristine wilderness, home to more than 11,000 lakes.
An individual from Michigan is called a "Michiganian" or "Michigander". Michigan is nicknamed the "Great Lakes State", and also the "Wolverine State", from a nickname earned during the Toledo War.
Michigan has over 130 lighthouses, the most of any U.S. state.
Michigan has the most registered boats (over 1 million) of any state in the Union.
Michigan's 2004 commemorative quarter featured the outline of the state and the surrounding lakes.
Michigan is home to more public golf courses than any other state.
User Comments Add a comment…