| Share

Michigan

Capital: Lansing

State abbreviation/Postal code: Mich./MI

Governor: Rick Snyder, R (to Jan. 2015)

Lieut. Governor: Brian Calley, R (to Jan. 2015)

Senators: Carl Levin, D (to Jan. 2015); Debbie A. Stabenow, D (to Jan. 2019)

U.S. Representatives: 14

Historical biographies of Congressional members

Secy. of State: Ruth Johnson, R (to Jan. 2015)

Atty. General: Bill Schuette, R (to Jan. 2015)

Treasurer: Andy Dillon (apptd. by governor)

Organized as territory: Jan. 11, 1805

Entered Union (rank): Jan. 26, 1837 (26)

Present constitution adopted: April 1, 1963 (effective Jan. 1, 1964)

Motto: Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice (If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look around you)

State symbols:

flower	apple blossom (1897)
bird	robin (1931)
mammal	white-tailed deer (1997)
fishes	trout (1965), brook trout (1988)
gem	isle royal greenstone (chlorastrolite) (1972)
stone	petoskey stone (1965)
tree	white pine (1955)
soil	kalkaska soil series (1990)
reptile	painted turtle (1995)
flag	“Blue charged with the arms of the state” (1911)
wildflower	Dwarf Lake iris (1998)

Nickname: Wolverine State

Origin of name: From Indian word “Michigana” meaning “great or large lake”

10 largest cities (2010): Detroit, 713,777; Grand Rapids, 188,040; Warren, 134,056; Sterling Heights, 129,699; Lansing, 114,297; Ann Arbor, 113,934; Flint, 102,434; Dearborn, 98,153; Livonia, 96,942; Clinton Township, 96,796

Land area: 56,804 sq mi. (147,122 sq km)

Geographic center: In Wexford Co., 5 mi. NNW of Cadillac

Number of counties: 83

Largest county by population and area: Wayne, 1,820,584 (2010); Marquette, 1,821 sq mi.

State parks and recreation areas: 97

Residents: Michigander, Michiganian, Michiganite

2010 resident population: 9,883,640

2010 resident census population (rank): 9,883,640 (8). Male: 4,848,114; Female: 5,035,526. White: 7,803,120 (78.9%); Black: 1,400,362 (14.2%); American Indian: 62,007 (0.6%); Asian: 238,199 (2.4%); Other race: 147,029 (1.5%); Two or more races: 230,319 (2.3%); Hispanic/Latino: 436,358 (4.4%). 2010 population 18 and over: 7,539,572; 65 and over: 1,361,530; median age: 38.5.

See additional census data

Area codes

Tourism office

Map of Michigan

Indian tribes were living in the Michigan region when the first European, Étienne Brulé of France, arrived in 1618. Other French explorers, including Jacques Marquette, Louis Joliet, and Sieur de la Salle, followed, and the first permanent settlement was established in 1668 at Sault Ste. Marie. France was ousted from the territory by Great Britain in 1763, following the French and Indian Wars.

After the Revolutionary War, the U.S. acquired most of the region, which remained the scene of constant conflict between the British and U.S. forces and their respective Indian allies through the War of 1812.

Bordering on four of the five Great Lakes, Michigan is divided into Upper and Lower peninsulas by the Straits of Mackinac, which link lakes Michigan and Huron. The two parts of the state are connected by the Mackinac Bridge, one of the world's longest suspension bridges. To the north, connecting lakes Superior and Huron, are the busy Sault Ste. Marie Canals.

While Michigan ranks first among the states in production of motor vehicles and parts, it is also a leader in many other manufacturing and processing lines, including prepared cereals, machine tools, airplane parts, refrigerators, hardware, and furniture.

The state produces important amounts of iron, copper, iodine, gypsum, bromine, salt, lime, gravel, and cement. Michigan's farms grow apples, cherries, beans, pears, grapes, potatoes, and sugar beets. Michigan's forests contribute significantly to the state's economy, supporting thousands of jobs in the wood-product, tourism, and recreation industries. With 10,083 inland lakes and 3,288 mi of Great Lakes shoreline, Michigan is a prime area for both commercial and sport fishing.

Points of interest are the automobile plants in Dearborn, Detroit, Flint, Lansing, and Pontiac; Mackinac Island; Pictured Rocks and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshores; Greenfield Village in Dearborn; and the many summer resorts along both the inland lakes and Great Lakes.

See more on Michigan:
Encyclopedia: Michigan
Encyclopedia: Geography
Encyclopedia: Economy
Encyclopedia: Government
Encyclopedia: History
Monthly Temperature Extremes

All U.S. States: Geography & Climate
Printable Outline Maps
Record Highest Temperatures
Record Lowest Temperatures
Highest, Lowest, and Mean Elevations
Land and Water Area

All U.S. States: Population & Economy
Historical Population Statistics, 1790–Present
Per Capita Personal Income
Minimum Wage Rates
State Taxes
Federal Government Expenditure
Percent of People in Poverty
Births and Birth Rates
Homeownership
Percentage of Uninsured by State

All U.S. States: Society & Culture:
Most Livable States
Healthiest States
Most Dangerous States
Smartest States
Crime Index
Residency Requirements for Voting
Compulsory School Attendance Laws
Driving Laws
National Public Radio Stations

Selected famous natives and residents:

Nelson Algren novelist;
Tim Allen actor and comedian;
Anita Baker singer;
William Boeing, Sr. airplane manufacturer;
Ralph J. Bunche statesman;
Ellen Burstyn actress;
Bruce Catton historian;
Roger Chaffee astronaut;
Francis Ford Coppola film director;
Thomas E. Dewey politician;
Edna Ferber novelist;
Gerald Ford former president;
Henry Ford industrialist;
Ali Haji-Sheikh football player;
Julie Harris actress;
Earvin “Magic” Johnson basketball player;
Casey Kasem radio personality;
John Harvey Kellogg surgeon and health reformer;
Ring Lardner writer;
Charles A. Lindbergh aviator;
Madonna singer;
Dick Martin comedian;
Terry McMillan author;
John N. Mitchell attorney general;
Ted Nugent singer;
Chief Pontiac Ottawa chief;
Iggy Pop musician;
Gilda Radner comedienne;
Della Reese singer;
Jason Robards, Sr. actor;
Diana Ross singer;
Steven Seagal actor;
Bob Seger singer;
Tom Selleck actor;
Thomas Schippers conductor;
Potter Stewart jurist;
Lily Tomlin actress;
Danny Thomas entertainer;
William E. Upjohn pharmaceuticals manufacturer;
Margaret Whiting singer;
Robin Williams comedian and actor;
Stevie Wonder singer.

Massachusetts

States

Minnesota

More on Michigan from Infoplease:

University of Michigan - Michigan, University of Michigan, University of, main campus at Ann Arbor; state supported; ...
Lake Michigan - Michigan, Lake Michigan, Lake, 22,178 sq mi (57,441 sq km), 307 mi (494 km) long and 30 to 120 mi ...
Central Michigan University - Central Michigan University Central Michigan University, at Mount Pleasant, Mich.; coeducational; ...
Western Michigan University - Western Michigan University Western Michigan University, at Kalamazoo, Mich.; coeducational; ...
Eastern Michigan University - Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University, mainly at Ypsilanti, Mich.; coeducational; ...