Quick Facts: Michigan

Michigan is a state in the Great Lakes region of the Midwestern United States. Michigan is the only state to consist of two peninsulas. The Lower Peninsula, to which the name Michigan was originally applied, is often noted to be shaped like a mitten.

ABBREVIATION: MI
NICKNAME: The Wolverine State
POPULATION: 10,140,459 (2024 est.)
CAPITAL: Lansing
STATE BIRD: American Robin
STATE FLOWER: Apple Blossom
AREA: 96,716 sq. mi.
TIME ZONE: Most of state: Eastern, 4 U.P. counties: Central
ENTERED UNION: Jan. 26, 1837
ALTITUDE: High, 1,979 ft. Mount Arvon
CLIMATE: Cold snowy winters, mild summers; adequate rainfall.

The state the Algonquin Indian’s called “Michi Gama”, “land of the great water”, is divided by Lake Michigan into two great peninsulas which face each other across the narrow straits of Mackinac. The lower peninsula forms the “Michigan Mitten”-a land of wooded hills and resorts to the north, of fruit and dairy farms to the south, dotted with cities whose very names now evoke the industries there.

Detroit is, of course, automobiles, just as Battle Creek is breakfast cereals and Grand Rapids is furniture. Less well known are Fremont, the nations number one producer of baby foods (Gerber Foods); Grayling, which made archery equipment, and Muskegon for its billiard tables and bowling equipment (Brunswick).

The Upper Peninsula, once rich in copper and iron, is a lovely wooded land with boisterous rivers hastening to the Great Lakes. Its widely scattered towns are thinly populated, but its trout streams, its game, and scenic beauty lure thousands of sportsmen and tourists to the area each year.

The Upper Peninsula provided the locale for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s familiar poem, “The Song of Hiawatha”.

Mackinac Island, Michigan

Some 10,000 to 15,000 years ago, glaciers laid down the pattern of the Great Lakes and created the state’s 3,100 miles of coastline, over 11,000 inland lakes 5 acres in size or larger (one is never more than 6 miles from an inland lake), and 35,500 miles of streams and rivers. The Great Lakes contain nearly 20% of the earth’s fresh water.

Fun Facts:

Michigan’s unique location on the Great Lakes gives it a range of climates for growing a variety of farm products. It is second only to California in crop diversity.
The largest registered Holstein herd of dairy cows lives in a town called Elsie.
Isle Royale was designated an International Biosphere Reserve in 1980. The wolf/moose predator-prey study conducted there is the longest running such study in the world.
Although Michigan is sometimes known as the Wolverine State because of the many wolverine pelts traded by early trappers, none of these animals are left in the state.
The first tunnel that allowed motor vehicles to travel between two countries connects Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, in Canada.
James Vernor created the first soda pop made in the United States when he stored a beverage in an oak case. When he returned home from the Civil war, 4 years later, the drink had acquired a delicious gingery flavor. He created ginger ale.

History:

Michigan’s history is a story shaped by water, industry, and resilience. Surrounded by four of the five Great Lakes—Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Erie—the state has long served as a crossroads for transportation, trade, and cultural exchange.

Long before European settlers arrived, the region was home to Native American tribes such as the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi. These groups formed the Three Fires Confederacy and developed thriving societies that relied on fishing, hunting, and trade.

In the early 1600s, French explorers, including Étienne Brûlé and later Father Jacques Marquette, were the first Europeans to reach Michigan. The French established fur trading posts and missions, with key settlements such as Sault Ste. Marie (1668) and Detroit (1701) becoming vital centers of commerce and diplomacy.

Under both French and later British control, Michigan remained a frontier region focused on trade with Native tribes.

After the American Revolution, the U.S. claimed Michigan as part of the Northwest Territory, though British influence remained strong until the War of 1812. During that war, Michigan was a key battleground. Detroit was briefly captured by the British, but American forces reclaimed it, and the war helped secure the region for the United States.

Michigan became a territory in 1805 and achieved statehood on January 26, 1837, becoming the 26th state. Early statehood was marked by the “Toledo War,” a boundary dispute with Ohio that resulted in Michigan gaining the Upper Peninsula as compensation. This seemingly remote area would later prove valuable due to its rich copper and iron deposits.

Throughout the 19th century, Michigan’s economy expanded rapidly. Lumber was one of its first major industries, with vast forests fueling the growth of towns and cities. Shipping and trade along the Great Lakes flourished, and agriculture also thrived on the fertile southern plains.

The completion of the Soo Locks in 1855 allowed ships to bypass the rapids at Sault Ste. Marie, connecting Lake Superior with the lower Great Lakes and transforming Michigan into a transportation hub.

The early 20th century brought a new era of prosperity with the rise of the automobile industry. Detroit became the epicenter of car manufacturing thanks to pioneers like Henry Ford, whose assembly line revolutionized production.

The “Big Three”—Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler—made Michigan the heart of America’s industrial power and attracted millions of workers, including many African Americans from the South during the Great Migration.

While Michigan thrived through much of the 20th century, the decline of the auto industry in the late 20th and early 21st centuries brought economic challenges. Cities like Detroit faced population loss, unemployment, and urban decay. However, the state has shown resilience, with recent efforts focused on economic diversification, education, and innovation.

Today, Michigan remains a vital part of America’s economic and cultural landscape. Its natural beauty, industrial heritage, and spirit of reinvention continue to define its role in the nation’s ongoing story.