Welcome to Michigan

Michigan is a Midwestern state of the United States, located in the east north central portion of the country.  Bounded by four of the five Great Lakes, plus Lake Saint Clair, Michigan has the longest freshwater shoreline in the United States.   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. When asked where in Michigan one comes from, a resident of the Lower Peninsula may often point to the corresponding part of his or her hand. The Upper Peninsula is separated from the Lower Peninsula by the Straits of Mackinac, a five-mile channel that joins Lake Huron to Lake Michigan. The Upper and Lower Peninsulas are connected by the five-mile-long Mackinac Bridge, which is the third longest suspension bridge between anchorages in the world.   Michigan has a humid continental climate throughout the state, although the southern portion of the state is characterized 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. During the late fall through the middle of February the state is frequently subjected to heavy lake effect snow . The state receives a good amount of precipitation throughout the year, averaging from 30-40 inches annually. Typically, from December through March is slightly drier, while July through September is slightly wetter than the rest of the year, although this difference isn't extreme as in some other states.   The Michigan economy is involved in information technology, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing. Michigan ranks 4th nationally in high tech employment with 568,000 high tech workers, including 70,000 in the automotive industry. Michigan ranks 3rd in overall Research & 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.   Even though Michigan is known as the birthplace of the automobile industry, its diverse economy leads in many other areas. Michigan has a booming biotechnology and life sciences corridor. Pfizer makes Michigan one of its largest global employment locations; the company invests billions of dollars in Michigan-based research. As leading research institutions, the University of Michigan and Michigan State University are both important partners in the state's economy.  Michigan is a leading grower of fruit, including cherries, blueberries, apples, grapes, and peaches. It produces wines and a multitude of food products.   Michigan has a thriving tourist industry drawing vacationers, hunters, and nature enthusiasts from across the United States and Canada. Although it has an urban image to non-visitors, Michigan is actually fifty percent forest land, much of it quite remote. Both the forests and thousands of miles of beaches are top attractions. Tourists also flock to many of the museums, particularly those in Metro Detroit, including The Henry Ford, the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Arab American National Museum. The Metro Detroit area offers four major casinos, MGM Grand Detroit, Greektown, Motor City, and Casino Windsor; moreover, Detroit is the largest city to offer casino gambling.   Hunting is a major component of Michigan's economy. Michigan ranks first in the nation in licensed hunters (over one million) who contribute $2 billion annually to its economy. Over three-quarters of a million hunters participate in white-tailed deer season alone. Many K-12 school districts in rural areas of Michigan go so far as to cancel school on the opening day of rifle season, because of both safety and attendance concerns.

Fast Facts Population 2005 est. 10,120,860 Area     97,990 sq mi (11th) Capital  Lansing Largest cities: Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing Median income  $44,627 (21st)    - Highest point Mount Arvon 1,979 ft    - Lowest point Lake Erie  571 ft State sales tax - 6% State nicknames  - Wolverine State, Great Lakes State, Mitten State, Water Winter Wonderland State motto:    Si i quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice    If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you. Web site - www.michigan.gov