Michigan

• Population- 10,095,650
• Capital- Lansing
• Largest cities– Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren
• Time zone- Eastern, Central
• Date of Admission to the Union- January 26, 1837
• Slogan- Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice, or “If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you”
• State website URL- www.michigan.gov

Michigan presents a geographic anomaly, broken as it is into two distinct peninsular sections, known as the Upper Peninsula and the Lower Peninsula. No other state can claim such a characteristic. Mackinac Bridge is a suspension type bridge that connects the two peninsulas. The bridge rivals even the length of the Golden Gate Bridge, one of the world’s longest. Ironically, no one thought the UP would be utilized for inhabiting. Today it is one of the most sought after wilderness areas. The Porcupine Mountains are a small range of very old mountains located in the U.P. When settlers first broke ground in the U.P. they found the area to be rich in Copper and set up mining operations.

Because Michigan is situated on the Great Lakes and divided into two distinctly separate peninsulas, it makes sense that the miles in lakefront are perhaps some of the longest in the U.S. Licensed hunters are more plentiful in Michigan also. Combine lake frontage with hunters and other water enthusiasts and you have an overwhelming number of boat owners, in fact, maybe the largest.

Economically, Michigan, particularly Detroit (nicknamed “The Motor City”) and Grand Rapids, have become synonymous with auto manufacturing. Automakers Chrysler, Ford, and GMC all have large corporate headquarters and manufacturing plants in the Detroit area. Historically this area was also ripe for steel manufacture, a necessary component of auto making. But automakers also need well-educated engineers, so one of the largest concentrations of engineers is in Michigan. Top companies in Michigan include: Kellogg’s’ Cereals, Post, Pfizer, Quicken, and Google, to name a few.

Top academics may be found at Michigan State University and the University of Michigan. Both universities have large research facilities and hold enviable reputations among both state and out of states schools.