Michigan
| State of Michigan | |||||
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| Nickname(s): The Wolverine State, The Great Lakes State, The Automotives State, Water Wonderland (former) |
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Motto(s): Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice (If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you) |
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| Official language | None (English, de-facto) | ||||
| Capital | Lansing | ||||
| Largest city | Detroit | ||||
| Area | Ranked 11th | ||||
| - Total | 97,990 sq mi (253,793 km2) |
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| - 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 | ||||
| Number of people | Ranked 8th | ||||
| - Total | 9,883,640[1] | ||||
| - Density | 174.8/sq mi (38.9/km2) Ranked 19th |
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| - Average income | $44,627 (21st) | ||||
| Height above sea level | |||||
| - Highest point | Mount Arvon[2] 1,979 ft (603 m) |
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| - Average | 902 ft (275 m) | ||||
| - Lowest point | Lake Erie[2] 571 ft (174 m) |
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| Became part of the U.S. | January 26, 1837 (26th) | ||||
| Governor | Rick Snyder (R) | ||||
| U.S. Senators | Debbie Stabenow (D) Gary Peters (D) |
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| Time zones | |||||
| - most of state | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 | ||||
| - 4 U.P. counties | Central: UTC-6/-5 | ||||
| Abbreviations | MI, US-MI | ||||
| Website | www |
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Michigan is the 11th largest state in the United States. It is made up of two peninsulas (connected by the Mackinac Bridge). It borders the U.S. states of Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota, and Illinois. Its borders with Minnesota and Illinois are only by water. It also borders Canada by water. It was the 26th state to join the union on January 26, 1837. In 1847, Michigan became the first U.S. state to abolish the death penalty.[3]
Economy[change | change source]
Michigan is noted as the place where many automobiles were made, and it still shows today. Michigan is 50% forest, which makes it very useful to the lumber industry. It also borders four of the Great Lakes, which are some of the largest reservoirs of fresh water in the world. Lake Superior is the largest body of freshwater in the world.
Culture and weather[change | change source]
The state experiences four seasons, with the winter being predominant and severe in the north, while the south has more mild, equally long seasons. The northern areas are very popular for skiing in the winter. The National Ski Hall of Fame can be found in Ishpeming in the Upper Peninsula. It is surrounded by four of the five great lakes. It is also home to the largest mosque in North America, the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn.
Due to the large amount of water surrounding the state, boating is very popular in the warmer months. There are more private boats registered in Michigan than in any other state.
Famous Michiganders[change | change source]
Many famous people have come from Michigan. They include the singer Madonna, the comedian Andy Richter, singer Stevie Wonder, Anthony Kiedis, former president Gerald Ford, singer Kid Rock, rapper Eminem, the former Reverend Jim Bakker, basketball legend Magic Johnson, Diana Ross, and Aretha Franklin. Also it was the home of Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Company.
Cities[change | change source]
The capital city of Michigan is Lansing, and large cities include Detroit, Ann Arbor, Flint, Grand Rapids, and Saginaw. Marquette is the largest city in the Upper Peninsula.
Education[change | change source]
Michigan has several state universities including the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Grand Valley State University and Western Michigan University.[4] The state also has many private colleges.
Politics[change | change source]
The current governor is Rick Snyder, a Republican who took office in January 2011, and its two national senators are Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, both Democrats.
Related pages[change | change source]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ "Resident Population Data - 2010 Census". 2010.census.gov. 2011 [last update]. http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/apportionment-dens-text.php. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Elevations and Distances in the United States". U.S Geological Survey. 29 April 2005. http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html#Highest. Retrieved 2006-11-06.
- ↑ "The Abolition Movement: A Brief History". Amnesty International. http://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/event2/history.html. Retrieved 2009-09-03.
- ↑ "Michigan Public Colleges and Universities". Michigan Start Pages. http://mich.info/michigan/education/pubcollege.htm. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
Other websites[change | change source]
Media related to Michigan at Wikimedia Commons
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