Michigan

(mĭsh`ĭgən), upper midwestern state of the United States. It consists of two peninsulas thrusting into the Great LakesGreat Lakes,
group of five freshwater lakes, central North America, creating a natural border between the United States and Canada and forming the largest body of freshwater in the world, with a combined surface area of c.95,000 sq mi (246,050 sq km).
..... Click the link for more information. and has borders with Ohio and Indiana (S), Wisconsin (W), and the Canadian province of Ontario (N,E).

Facts and Figures

Area, 58,216 sq mi (150,779 sq km). Pop. (2010) 9,883,640, a .6% decrease since the 2000 census. Capital, Lansing. Largest city, Detroit. Statehood, Jan. 26, 1837 (26th state). Highest pt., Mt. Curwood, 1,980 ft (604 m); lowest pt., Lake Erie, 572 ft (174 m). Nickname, Wolverine State. Motto, Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam Circumspice [If You Seek a Pleasant Peninsula, Look about You]. State bird, robin. State flower, apple blossom. State tree, white pine. Abbr., Mich.; MI

Geography

The Lower Peninsula, shaped like a mitten, is separated from Ontario, Canada, on the east by Lake Erie and Lake Huron, and by the Detroit River and the St. Clair River, which together link these two Great Lakes. It is bordered by Lake Michigan on the west, across which lies Wisconsin. The Upper Peninsula lies northeast of Wisconsin between Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, and is separated from Ontario by the narrow St. Marys River.

The Upper Peninsula. known as the U.P. (its residents call themselves Yoopers), is separated from the Lower Peninsula by the Straits of Mackinac; a bridge connecting the two peninsulas was opened in 1957 and has spurred the development of the Upper Peninsula. The eastern portion of the Upper Peninsula has swampy flats and limestone hills on the Lake Michigan shore, while sandstone ridges rise abruptly from the rough waters of Lake Superior; in the west the land rises to forested mountains, still rich in copper and iron.

The northern Michigan wilds, numerous inland lakes, and some 3,000 mi (4,800 km) of shoreline, combined with a pleasantly cool summer climate, have long attracted vacationers. In the winter Michigan's snow-covered hills bring skiers from all over the Midwest. Places of interest in the state include Greenfield Village, a re-creation of a 19th-century American village, and the Henry Ford Museum, both at DearbornDearborn,
city (1990 pop. 89,286), Wayne co., SE Mich., on the River Rouge, adjoining Detroit; settled 1795, consolidated with the city of Fordson in 1928, inc. as a city 1929.
..... Click the link for more information. ; Pictured Rocks and Sleeping Bear Dunes national lakeshores; and Isle Royal National Park.

LansingLansing.
1 Village (1990 pop. 28,086), Cook co., NE Ill., a suburb of Chicago, near the Ind. line; inc. 1893. Among the city's industries are meatpacking, food processing, and the manufacture of metal products. 2 City (1990 pop.
..... Click the link for more information. is the capital, and DetroitDetroit
, city (1990 pop. 1,027,974), seat of Wayne co., SE Mich., on the Detroit River and between lakes St. Clair and Erie; inc. as a city 1815. Michigan's largest city and the tenth largest in the nation, Detroit is a major Great Lakes shipping and rail center.
..... Click the link for more information. is the largest city. Other major cities are Grand RapidsGrand Rapids,
city (1990 pop. 189,126), seat of Kent co., SW central Mich., on the Grand River; inc. 1850. The second largest city in the state, it is a distribution, wholesale, and industrial center for an area that yields fruit, dairy products, farm produce, gypsum, and gravel.
..... Click the link for more information. , Sterling HeightsSterling Heights,
city (1990 pop. 117,810), Macomb co., SE Mich., on the Clinton River; platted 1835 as Jefferson Township, renamed 1838, inc. 1968. Largely rural until the mid-20th cent., the city grew as a suburb of Detroit, 19 mi (31 km) to the northeast.
..... Click the link for more information. , WarrenWarren.
1 City (1990 pop. 144,864), Macomb co., SE Mich., a suburb of Detroit; est. 1837, inc. as a city 1957. It is an important metalworking center where steel is processed.
..... Click the link for more information. , FlintFlint,
city (1990 pop. 140,761), seat of Genesee co., SE Mich., on the Flint River; inc. 1855. Since 1902 it has been an automobile-manufacturing centers. The General Motors Corp.
..... Click the link for more information. , and Ann ArborAnn Arbor,
city (1990 pop. 109,592), seat of Washtenaw co., S Mich., on the Huron River; inc. 1851. It is a research and educational center, with a large number of government and industrial research and development firms, many in high-technology fields such as aerospace and
..... Click the link for more information. .

Economy

The Upper Peninsula is northern woods country, with what has been described as "ten months of winter and two months of poor sledding." The abundance of furred animals and forests early attracted fur traders and lumberjacks. Animals were trapped out, virgin forests were stripped, and, in addition, pure copper and high-grade iron ore were rapidly wrested from the earth, so that virtually all of the Upper Peninsula's mines have been closed. Deer, bear, and other game in the forests, as well as abundant fish in streams and lakes, keep the area a rich hunting and fishing ground. Selective cutting and replanting of trees are now employed in the second-growth forests.

The Lower Peninsula is less wild, but in parts no less beautiful, than the Upper. Its forests were also cut over in the lumber boom of the late 19th cent., when Michigan was briefly the world leader in lumber production. The soil of these cut-over lands, unlike the productive earth in other areas of the Lower Peninsula, proved generally unsuitable for agriculture, and reforestation has been undertaken.

The Lower Peninsula has its own mineral riches, including gypsum, sandstone, limestone, salt, cement, sand, and gravel, but its great wealth lies in the many farms and factories. The surrounding waters temper the climate, providing a long growing season. Fields of grain and corn cover much of the southern counties, and Michigan's noted fruit belt lines the shore of Lake Michigan (the state leads the nation in the production of cherries). Dairying is the most lucrative farm business. Corn is the chief crop, followed by greenhouse products, soybeans, apples, carrots, celery, cucumbers, and other vegetables.

Manufacturing accounts for 30% of Michigan's economic production, more than twice as much as any other sector. The manufacture of automobiles and transportation equipment is by far the state's chief industry, and Detroit, Dearborn, Flint, Pontiac, and Lansing are historic centers of automobile production, although the industry is now in dramatic decline throughout the state. The automobile industry's mass-production methods, developed here, were the core of the early-20th-century industrial revolution. Other Michigan manufactures include nonelectrical machinery, fabricated metal products, primary metals, chemicals, and food products. Among Michigan's most important industrial centers are SaginawSaginaw
, city (1990 pop. 69,512), seat of Saginaw co., S Mich., on the Saginaw River, 15 mi (24 km) from its mouth on Saginaw Bay (an inlet of Lake Huron); settled 1816, inc. 1857. Situated in an extensive agricultural area, Saginaw is also a port of entry.
..... Click the link for more information. , Bay CityBay City.
1 City (1990 pop. 38,936), seat of Bay co., S Mich., a port of entry on the Saginaw River at its mouth on Saginaw Bay (an inlet of Lake Huron); inc. 1859 with the consolidation of several settlements along the river.
..... Click the link for more information. , MuskegonMuskegon
, city (1990 pop. 40,283), seat of Muskegon co., W Mich., on Lake Michigan; inc. as a city 1869. A port of entry, the city is a car-ferry terminus and a shipping point for a farm, fruit, and industrial region.
..... Click the link for more information. , and JacksonJackson.
1 City (1990 pop. 37,446), seat of Jackson co., S Mich., on the Grand River; inc. 1857. It is an industrial and commercial center in a farm region. The city's chief manufactures are machinery, aerospace components, transportation and electronic equipment, food,
..... Click the link for more information. . The chemical industry in MidlandMidland.
1 City (1990 pop. 38,053), seat of Midland co., central Mich., in the Saginaw valley at the confluence of the Tittabawassee and Chippewa rivers; inc. 1887. Midland owes its development after 1890 to the Dow Chemical Company, whose corporate headquarters is there.
..... Click the link for more information. is one of the nation's largest; KalamazooKalamazoo
, city (1990 pop. 80,277), seat of Kalamazoo co., SW Mich., on the Kalamazoo River at its confluence with Portage Creek; inc. 1883. It is an industrial and commercial center in a fertile farm area that produces celery, peppermint, and fruit.
..... Click the link for more information. is an important paper-manufacturing and pharmaceuticals center; Grand Rapids is noted for its furniture, and Battle CreekBattle Creek,
city (1990 pop. 53,540), Calhoun co., S Mich., at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek rivers; settled 1831, inc. as a city 1859. It is an agricultural trade center known for its cereals.
..... Click the link for more information. for its breakfast foods.

Although mining contributes less to income in the state than either agriculture or manufacturing, Michigan still has important nonfuel mineral production, chiefly of iron ore, cement, sand, and gravel, and is a leading producer of peat, bromine, calcium-magnesium chloride, gypsum, and magnesium compounds. Abundant natural beauty and excellent fishing help to make tourism a major Michigan industry. Michigan's historic lack of manufacturing diversity has made it particularly susceptible to the fluctuations of the national economy, and in recent years it has tried to diversify, attracting high-technology industry and developing the service sector.

Government and Higher Education

Michigan's constitution, adopted in 1963, provides for a governor serving a term of four years, who may be reelected. The state legislature is made up of a senate with 38 members and a house of representatives with 110 members. Michigan sends 14 representatives and 2 senators to the U.S. Congress and has 16 electoral votes in presidential elections. John Engler, a Republican, was elected governor in 1990 and reelected in 1994 and 1998. In 2002, a Democrat, Jennifer Granholm, was elected to succeed him; she was reelected in 2006. Republican Rick Snyder was elected to the office in 2010 and reelected in 2014; Democrat Gretchen Whitmer was elected in 2018.

Institutions of higher education include the Univ. of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint; Michigan State Univ., at East Lansing; the Univ. of Detroit Mercy and Wayne State Univ., at Detroit; Western Michigan Univ. and Kalamazoo College, at Kalamazoo; Eastern Michigan Univ., at Ypsilanti; Northern Michigan Univ., at Marquette; Central Michigan Univ., at Mt. Pleasant; and many other private and state colleges.

History

Native Americans and French Explorers

The OjibwaOjibwa
or Chippewa
, group of Native North Americans whose language belongs to the Algonquian branch of the Algonquian-Wakashan linguistic stock (see Native American languages).
..... Click the link for more information. , the OttawaOttawa
or Odawa
, Native Americans whose language belongs to the Algonquian branch of the Algonquian-Wakashan linguistic stock (see Native American languages).
..... Click the link for more information. , the PotawatomiPotawatomi
, Native North Americans whose language belongs to the Algonquian branch of the Algonquian-Wakashan linguistic stock (see Native American languages). They are closely related to the Ojibwa and Ottawa; their traditions state that all three were originally one people.
..... Click the link for more information. , and other Algonquian-speaking Native American groups were living in Michigan when the French explorer Étienne Brulé landed at the narrows of Sault Ste. Marie in 1618, probably the first European to have reached present Michigan. Later French explorers, traders, and missionaries came, including Jean Nicolet, who was searching for the Northwest Passage; Jacques Marquette, who founded a mission in the Mackinac region; and the empire builder, Robert Cavelier, sieur de La Salle, who came on the Griffon, the first ship to sail the Great Lakes. French posts were scattered along the lakes and the rivers, and Mackinac Island (in the Straits of Mackinac) became a center of the fur trade. Fort Pontchartrain, later Detroit, was founded in 1701 by Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac. The vast region was weakly held by France until lost to Great Britain in the last conflict (1754–63) of the French and Indian WarsFrench and Indian Wars,
1689–1763, the name given by American historians to the North American colonial wars between Great Britain and France in the late 17th and the 18th cent.
..... Click the link for more information. .

Resistance to British Occupation

The Native Americans of Michigan, who had lived in peace with the French, resented the coming of the British, who were the allies of the much-hated Iroquois tribes. Under Pontiac they revolted (see Pontiac's RebellionPontiac's Rebellion,
Pontiac's Conspiracy,
or Pontiac's War,
1763–66, Native American uprising against the British just after the close of the French and Indian Wars, so called after one of its leaders, Pontiac.
..... Click the link for more information. ) against the British occupation. The rebellion, which began in 1763, was short-lived, ending in 1766, and the Native Americans subsequently supported the British during the American Revolution. Native American resistance to U.S. control was effectively ended at the Battle of Fallen TimbersFallen Timbers,
battle fought in 1794 between tribes of the Northwest Territory and the U.S. army commanded by Anthony Wayne; it took place in NW Ohio at the rapids of the Maumee River just southwest of present-day Toledo.
..... Click the link for more information. in 1794 with the victory of Gen. Anthony Wayne. Despite provisions of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the American Revolution (1783; see Paris, Treaty ofParis, Treaty of,
any of several important treaties, signed at or near Paris, France. The Treaty of 1763

The Treaty of Paris of Feb. 10, 1763, was signed by Great Britain, France, and Spain.
..... Click the link for more information. ), the British held stubbornly to Detroit and Mackinac until 1796.

After passage of the Northwest Ordinance in 1787, Michigan became part of the Northwest TerritoryNorthwest Territory,
first possession of the United States, comprising the region known as the Old Northwest, S and W of the Great Lakes, NW of the Ohio River, and E of the Mississippi River, including the present states of Ohio, Ind., Ill., Mich., Wis., and part of Minn.
..... Click the link for more information. . However, even after the Northwest Territory was broken up and Detroit was made (1805) capital of Michigan Territory, British agents still maintained great influence over the Native Americans, who fought on the British side in the War of 1812. In that war Mackinac and Detroit fell almost immediately to the British as a result of the ineffective control of U.S. Gen. William Hull and his troops. Michigan remained in British hands through most of the war until Gen. William Henry HarrisonHarrison, William Henry,
1773–1841, 9th President of the United States (Mar. 4–Apr. 4, 1841), b. "Berkeley," Charles City co., Va.; son of Benjamin Harrison (1726?–1791) and grandfather of Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901).
..... Click the link for more information. in the battle of Thames and Oliver Hazard Perry in the battle of Lake Erie restored U.S. control.

Settlement and Statehood

After peace came, pioneers moved into Michigan. The policy of pushing Native Americans westward and opening the lands for settlement was largely due to the efforts of Gen. Lewis Cass, who was governor of Michigan Territory (1813–31) and later a U.S. Senator. Steamboat navigation on the Great Lakes and sale of public lands in Detroit both began in 1818, and the Erie Canal was opened in 1825. Farmers came to the Michigan fields, and the first sawmills were built along the rivers.

The move toward statehood was slowed by the desire of Ohio and Indiana to absorb parts of present S Michigan, and by the opposition of southern states to the admission of another free state. The Michigan electorate organized a government without U.S. sanction and in 1836 operated as a state, although outside the Union. To resolve the boundary dispute Congress proposed that the Toledo strip be ceded to Ohio and Indiana with compensation to Michigan of land in the Upper Peninsula. Though the Michigan electorate rejected the offer, a group of Democratic leaders accepted it, and by their acceptance Michigan became a state in 1837. (The admission of Arkansas as a slaveholding state offset that of Michigan as a free state.) Detroit served as the capital until 1847, when it was replaced by Lansing.

After statehood, Michigan promptly adopted a program of internal improvement through the building of railroads, roads, and canals, including the Soo Locks Ship Canal at Sault Ste. Marie. At the same time lumbering was expanding, and the population grew as German, Irish, and Dutch immigrants arrived. In 1854 the Republican party was organized at Jackson, Mich. During the Civil War, Michigan fought on the side of the Union, contributing 90,000 troops to the cause.

Reform Movements

After the war the state remained firmly Republican until 1882. Then Michigan farmers, moved by the same financial difficulties and outrage at high transportation and storage rates that aroused other Western farmers, supported movements advocating agrarian interests, such as the Granger movementGranger movement,
American agrarian movement taking its name from the National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry, an organization founded in 1867 by Oliver H. Kelley and six associates. Its local units were called granges and its members grangers.
..... Click the link for more information. and the Greenback partyGreenback party,
in U.S. history, political organization formed in the years 1874–76 to promote currency expansion. The members were principally farmers of the West and the South; stricken by the Panic of 1873, they saw salvation in an inflated currency that would wipe out
..... Click the link for more information. . The farmers joined with the growing numbers of workers in the mines and lumber camps to elect a Greenback-Democratic governor in 1882 and succeeded in getting legislation passed for agrarian improvement and public welfare.

Reforms influenced by the labor movement were the creation of a state board of labor (1883), a law enforcing a 10-hr day (1885), and a moderate child-labor law (1887). The lumbering business, with its yield of wealth to the timber barons, declined to virtual inactivity. Some of the loggers joined the ranks of industrial workers, which were further swelled by many Polish and Norwegian immigrants.

Assembly Lines and Labor Strife

With the invention of the automobile and the construction of automotive plants, industry in Michigan was altered radically. Henry Ford established the Ford Motor Company in 1903 and introduced conveyor-belt assembly lines in 1918. General Motors and the Chrysler Corporation were established shortly after Ford. Along with the development of mass-production methods came the growth of the labor movement. In the 1930s, when the automobile industry was well established in the state, labor unions struggled for recognition. The conflict between labor and the automotive industry, which continued into the 1940s, included sit-down strikes and was sometimes violent. Walter ReutherReuther, Walter Philip
, 1907–70, American labor leader, b. Wheeling, W.Va. A tool- and diemaker, he became shop foreman in a Detroit automobile plant, meanwhile completing his high school work and attending college.
..... Click the link for more information. , a pioneer of the labor movement, was elected president of the United Automobile Workers (UAW) in 1946.

In World War II Michigan produced large numbers of tanks, airplanes, and other war matériel. Industrial production again expanded after the Korean War broke out in 1950, and the opening of the Saint Lawrence Seaway in 1959 increased export trade by bringing many oceangoing vessels to the port of Detroit. In the early 1960s, however, economic growth lagged and unemployment became a problem in the state.

Racial Tensions and Recession

Detroit was shaken by severe race riots in 1967 that left 43 persons dead and many injured, in addition to causing $200 million in damage. In the wake of the rioting, programs were undertaken to improve housing facilities and job opportunities in the city, but these failed as the city suffered massive outmigration. While Detroit deteriorated, the suburbs experienced dramatic growth, spreading throughout SE Michigan. Resistance to busing was a major political issue in the state in the early 1970s.

The state's dependence on the auto industry was exhibited during the recession of the early 1980s, when car sales slumped, many factories were closed and Michigan's unemployment rate at over 15% was the nation's highest. The federal government helped bail out the Chrysler Corporation in 1979, authorizing $1.5 billion in loan guarantees. After a brief period of recovery through limited diversification of the state economy, Michigan was again especially hard hit by national recession and continuing foreign competition in the early 1990s, and it continued to suffer large, mainly auto-related manufacturing job losses over the next two decades. The financial difficulties arising in large part from the effects of those job losses led Detroit to file for municipal bankruptcy in 2013.

Bibliography

See J. A. Door, Jr., and D. F. Eschman, Geology of Michigan (1970); A. R. Gilpin, Territory of Michigan, 1805–1887 (1971); R. A. Santer, Michigan: Heart of the Great Lakes (1977); L. M. Sommers, ed., Atlas of Michigan (1977) and et al., Michigan: A Geography (1984). B. Blenz, The Encyclopedia of Michigan (1981); B. Rubenstein and L. Ziewacz, Michigan (1981).

Michigan State Information

Phone: (517) 373-1837
www.michigan.gov

Area (sq mi):: 96716.11 (land 56803.82; water 39912.28) Population per square mile: 178.20
Population 2005: 10,120,860 State rank: 0 Population change: 2000-20005 1.80%; 1990-2000 6.90% Population 2000: 9,938,444 (White 78.60%; Black or African American 14.20%; Hispanic or Latino 3.30%; Asian 1.80%; Other 3.80%). Foreign born: 5.30%. Median age: 35.50
Income 2000: per capita $22,168; median household $44,667; Population below poverty level: 10.50% Personal per capita income (2000-2003): $29,552-$31,178
Unemployment (2004): 7.00% Unemployment change (from 2000): 3.30% Median travel time to work: 24.10 minutes Working outside county of residence: 29.10%

List of Michigan counties:

Alcona County

Alger County

Allegan County

Alpena County

Antrim County

Arenac County

Baraga County

Barry County

Bay County

Benzie County

Berrien County

Branch County

Calhoun County

Cass County

Charlevoix County

Cheboygan County

Chippewa County

Clare County

Clinton County

Crawford County

Delta County

Dickinson County

Eaton County

Emmet County

Genesee County

Gladwin County

Gogebic County

Grand Traverse County

Gratiot County

Hillsdale County

Houghton County

Huron County

Ingham County

Ionia County

Iosco County

Iron County

Isabella County

Jackson County

Kalamazoo County

Kalkaska County

Kent County

Keweenaw County

Lake County

Lapeer County

Leelanau County

Lenawee County

Livingston County

Luce County

Mackinac County

Macomb County

Manistee County

Marquette County

Mason County

Mecosta County

Menominee County

Midland County

Missaukee County

Monroe County

Montcalm County

Montmorency County

Muskegon County

Newaygo County

Oakland County

Oceana County

Ogemaw County

Ontonagon County

Osceola County

Oscoda County

Otsego County

Ottawa County

Presque Isle County

Roscommon County

Saginaw County

Saint Clair County

Saint Joseph County

Sanilac County

Schoolcraft County

Shiawassee County

Tuscola County

Van Buren County

Washtenaw County

Wayne County

Wexford County

Michigan Parks

US National Parks
Father Marquette National Memorial
Isle Royale National Park
Keweenaw National Historical Park
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Urban Parks
Belle Isle Park
Kensington Metropark
River Rouge Park

State Parks

Agate Falls Scenic Site
Albert E. Sleeper State Park
Algonac State Park
Aloha State Park
Bald Mountain Recreation Area
Baraga State Park
Bass River Recreation Area
Bay City Recreation Area
Bewabic State Park
Bond Falls Scenic Site
Brighton Recreation Area
Brimley State Park
Burt Lake State Park
Cambridge Junction Historic State Park
Charles Mears State Park
Cheboygan State Park
Clear Lake State Park
Coldwater Lake State Park
Colonial Michilimackinac State Park & Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse
Craig Lake State Park
Dodge #4 State Park
Duck Lake State Park
Father Marquette Memorial Scenic Site
Fayette Historic State Park
Fisherman's Island State Park
FJ McLain State Park
Fort Custer Recreation Area
Fort Wilkins State Park
Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park
Grand Haven State Park
Grand Mere State Park
Harrisville State Park
Hart-Montague Trail State Park
Hartwick Pines State Park
Highland Recreation Area

Historic Mill Creek State Park
Holland State Park
Holly Recreation Area
Indian Lake State Park
Interlochen State Park
Ionia Recreation Area
Island Lake Recreation Area
JW Wells State Park
Kal-Haven Trail State Park
Lake Gogebic State Park
Lake Hudson Recreation Area
Lakelands Trail State Park
Lakeport State Park
Laughing Whitefish Falls Scenic Site
Leelanau State Park
Ludington State Park
Mackinac Island State Park & Fort Mackinac
Maybury State Park
Meridian-Baseline State Park
Metamora-Hadley Recreation Area
Muskallonge Lake State Park
Muskegon State Park
Negwegon State Park
Newaygo State Park
North Higgins Lake State Park
Onaway State Park
Orchard Beach State Park
Ortonville Recreation Area
Otsego Lake State Park
Palms Book State Park
Petoskey State Park
PH Hoeft State Park
Pinckney Recreation Area
PJ Hoffmaster State Park
Pontiac Lake Recreation Area

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
Port Crescent State Park
Proud Lake Recreation Area
Rifle River Recreation Area
Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park
Saugatuck Dunes State Park
Seven Lakes State Park
Silver Lake State Park
Sleepy Hollow State Park
South Higgins Lake State Park
Sterling State Park
Straits State Park
Sturgeon Point Scenic Site
Tahquamenon Falls State Park
Tawas Point State Park
Thompson's Harbor State Park
Traverse City State Park
Tri-Centennial State Park & Harbor
Twin Lakes State Park
Van Buren State Park
Van Buren Trail State Park
Van Riper State Park
Wagner Falls Scenic Site
Warren Dunes State Park
Warren Woods State Park
Waterloo Recreation Area
WC Wetzel State Recreation Area
Wilderness State Park
William Mitchell State Park
Wilson State Park
WJ Hayes State Park
Yankee Springs Recreation Area
Young State Park

Parks and Conservation-Related Organizations - US
Environment Michigan
George Wright Society
Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC)
North Country Trail Association

National Wildlife Refuges

Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge
Harbor Island National Wildlife Refuge

Huron National Wildlife Refuge
Kirtlands Warbler National Wildlife Refuge

Seney National Wildlife Refuge
Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge

National Trails
North Country National Scenic Trail
National Scenic Byways
Copper Country Trail
River Road Scenic Byway
Woodward Avenue (M-1)
National Heritage Areas
Automobile National Heritage Area
National Forests
Hiawatha National Forest
Huron-Manistee National Forests
Ottawa National Forest
Marine Sanctuaries
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary & Underwater Preserve

Michigan

a state in the northern USA, near the Great Lakes; it borders on Canada. Area, 150,800 sq km; population, 8.9 million (1970), including an urban population of 73.8 percent. Its capital is the city of Lansing; the largest city and principal economic center is the port of Detroit.

Michigan consists of two peninsulas—the Lower Peninsula between lakes Huron and Michigan, where more than 95 percent of the state’s population is concentrated; and the Upper Peninsula between lakes Michigan and Superior, covered with coniferous forests and very sparsely populated. The surface is primarily a gently rolling plain; the northwestern section has mountain massifs with elevations reaching 604 m. Its climate is moderate, with colder winters in the Upper Peninsula.

Michigan is one of the leading industrial states in the USA. It ranks sixth in the USA in the number of persons employed in manufacturing (6 percent of all US employees); manufacturing enterprises employ 1.1 million persons (of whom more than half are in Detroit), or 35 percent of the work force in Michigan (1970). Approximately three-fourths of the industrial workers are employed in metallurgy, machine building, and metalworking. The most important branch is the automotive industry, with as many as 400,000 employees. Located in Detroit and its suburbs (Dearborn and elsewhere), as well as in Flint, Lansing, and other cities, are the administrative offices, laboratories, and most important plants of the automobile monopolies—General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler. Linked with the automobile industry is the production of special steels and sheet metal, the casting and processing of ferrous and nonferrous metals, and the production of machine tools, instruments, electrical equipment, paints and varnishes, and rubber. Industries also developed in Michigan are the defense industry and chemicals (Detroit and Midland), silicates and ceramics, food processing, lumbering and wood processing, furniture (Grand Rapids), and paper (Kalamazoo). There is mining, basically of iron ores (about 15 million tons annually), copper ores, and table salt. The rated capacity of electric power plants totals 13.2 gigawatts (1972).

Agriculture consists primarily of dairy farming and vegetable growing. Also cultivated are fruits, grapes (principally along the shores of Lake Michigan), sugar beets, and hay. The products of livestock raising account for approximately 55 percent of the value of commercial agricultural output. In 1972 there were 1.5 million head of cattle, including 500,000 milch cows and heifers, as well as 800,000 pigs. Shipping on the Great Lakes, through connecting waterways, amounts to more than 100 million tons of cargo annually. Lakes Michigan and Superior are tourist regions.

V. M. GOKHMAN

Michigan

a lake in North America in the USA, in the Great Lakes system. It is located at an elevation of 177 m. Area, 58,000 sq km. Maximum depth, 281 m. Linked with Lake Huron by the short Straits of Mackinac, with a width of approximately 3 km.

The shores of Lake Michigan are hilly and weakly dissected and are bordered by terraces; on the south and southeast shores there are dunes (usually 10–20 m high). Tides are semidiurnal, with a height of up to 4 cm. The northern section of the lake freezes. The average length of time the lake is open to navigation is approximately 250 days. Up to the 1950’s salmon, lampreys, whitefish, sturgeon, and pike abounded in Lake Michigan; as a result of catastrophic pollution in the lake, many species of living organisms (for example, salmon) have disappeared. Water vegetation has become widespread. The lake is linked with the Mississippi River system by the navigable Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. The lake’s large ports and industrial centers are Chicago and Milwaukee.

Michigan

Twenty-sixth state; admitted on January 26, 1837

The anniversary of Michigan’s statehood was previously observed as Michigan Day, but is no longer a holiday.

State capital: Lansing

Nicknames: The Great Lakes State; The Wolverine State; Winter Wonderland; the Upper Peninsula is often referred to as the Land of Hiawatha

State motto: Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam, circumspice (Latin “If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you”) State bird: Robin (Turdus migratorius) State fish: Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) State flower: Apple blossom (Malus sylvestris); wildflower: Dwarf lake iris (Iris lacustris) State fossil: Mastadon State game mammal: Whitetailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) State gem: Greenstone (chlorastrolite) State reptile: Painted turtle (Chysemys picta) State soil: Kalkaska sand State song: “My Michigan” (official); “Michigan, My Michigan” (unofficial) State stone: Petoskey stone (Hexagonaria pericarnata) State tree: White pine (Pinus strobus)

More about state symbols at:

www.michigan.gov

SOURCES:

AmerBkDays-2000, p. 90
AnnivHol-2000, p. 15

STATE OFFICES:

State web site:
www.michigan.gov
Office of the Governor PO Box 30013 Lansing, MI 48909 517-373-3400 fax: 517-335-6863 www.michigan.gov/gov

Secretary of State 430 W Allegan St 4th Fl Lansing, MI 48918 517-373-2510 fax: 517-241-3442 www.michigan.gov/sos

Library of Michigan 702 W Kalamazoo St PO Box 30007 Lansing, MI 48909 517-573-5504 fax: 517-373-1580 www.libofmich.lib.mi.us

Legal Holidays:

Christmas Eve	Dec 24
Day after Thanksgiving	Nov 25, 2011; Nov 23, 2012; Nov 29, 2013; Nov 28, 2014; Nov 27, 2015; Nov 25, 2016; Nov 24, 2017; Nov 23, 2018; Nov 29, 2019; Nov 27, 2020; Nov 26, 2021; Nov 25, 2022; Nov 24, 2023
New Year's Eve	Dec 31

Michigan

1. a state of the N central US, occupying two peninsulas between Lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan, and Erie: generally low-lying. Capital: Lansing. Pop.: 10 079 985 (2003 est.). Area: 147 156 sq. km (56 817 sq. miles) 2. Lake. a lake in the N central US between Wisconsin and Michigan: the third largest of the five Great Lakes and the only one wholly in the US; linked with Lake Huron by the Straits of Mackinac. Area: 58 000 sq. km (22 400 sq. miles)

Michigan

MICHIGAN. One of the new, states of the United States of America. This state was admitted into the Union by the Act, of Congress of January 26th, 1837, Sharsw. cont. of Story's L. U. S. 2531, which enacts "that the state of Michigan shall be one and is hereby declared to be one, of the United States of America, and admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original states, in all respects whatever."
2. The first constitution of this state was adopted by a convention of the people, begun and held at the capital in the city of Detroit, on Monday, the eleventh day of May, 1835. This was superseded by the present constitution, which was adopted 1850. It provides, article 3, Sec. 1; The powers of the government shall be divided into three distinct departments; the legislative, the executive, and the judicial; and one department shall never exercise the powers of another, except in such cases as are expressly provided for in this constitution.
3.-1. Art. 4, relates to the Legislative department, and provides that
Sec. 1. The legislative power shall be vested in a senate and house of representatives.
4.-Sec. 6. No person holding any office under the United States [or this state] or any county office, except notaries public, officers of the militia and officers elected by townships, shall be eligible to, or have a seat in either house of the legislature, and all votes given for any such person shall be void.
5.-Sec. 7. Senators and representatives shall, in all cases except treason, felony, or breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest, nor shall they be subject to any civil process, during the session of the legislature, nor for fifteen days next before the commencement and after the termination of each session. They shall not be questioned in any other place for any speech in either house.
6.-Sec. 8. A majority of each house shall constitute a quorum to do business; but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and may compel the attendance of absent members, in such manner and under such penalties as each house may provide.
7.-Sec. 9. Each house shall choose its own officers, determine the rules of its proceeding, and judge of the qualifications, elections, and return of its own members and may, with the concurrence of two-thirds of all the members elected, expel a member; no member shall be expelled a second time for the same cause, nor for any cause known to his constituents antecedent to his election. The reason for such expulsion shall be entered upon the journal, with the names of the members voting on the question.
8.-Sec. 10. Each house shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and publish the same, except such parts as may require secrecy; the yeas and nays of the members of either house, on any question, shall be entered on the journal at the request of one-fifth of the members present. Any member of either house may dissent from and protest against any act, proceeding or resolution which he may deem injurious to any person or the public, and have the reason of his dissent entered on the journal.
9.-Sec. 11. In all elections by either house, or in joint convention, the votes shall be given viva voce. All votes on nominations to the senate shall be taken by yeas and nays, and published with the journal of its proceedings.
10.-Sec. 12. The doors of each house shall be open, unless the public welfare require secrecy; neither house shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than where the legislature may then be in session.
11.-1st. In considering the house of representatives, it will be proper to take a view of the qualifications of members; the qualification of the electors; the number of members; the time for which they are elected.
12.-1. The representatives must be citizens of the United States, and qualified electors in the respective counties which they represent. Art. 4, S. 5. 2. In all elections, every white male citizen, every white male inhabitant residing in the state on the twenty-fourth day of June, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-five; every white male inhabitant residing in the first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and fifty, who has declared his intention to become a citizen of the United States pursuant to the laws thereof six months preceding an election, or who has resided in this state two years and six months and declared his intention as aforesaid and every civilized male inhabitant of Indian descent, a native of the United States, and not a member of any tribe, shall be an elector and entitled to vote; but no citizen or inhabitant shall be an elector or entitled to vote at any election, unless he shall be above the age of twenty-one years, and has resided in this state three months and in the township or ward in which he offers to vote ten days next preceding such election. Art. 7, Sec. 1. 3. The house of representatives shall consist of not less than sixty-five nor more than one hundred members. Art. 4, s. 3. 4. The election of representatives, pursuant to the provisions of this constitution, shall be held on the Tuesday succeeding the first Monday of November, in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, and on the Tuesday succeeding the first Monday of November of every second year thereafter. Art. 4, s. 34. Representatives shall be chosen for two years. Art. 4, s. 3.
13.-2d. The senate will be considered in the same order. 1. Senators must be citizens of the United States, and be qualified electors in the district which they represent. Art. 4, s. 5. 2. They are elected by the electors of representatives. Art. 7, s. 1. 3. The senate shall consist of thirty-two members. Art. 4, s. 2. 4. The senators shall be elected for two years, at the same time and in the same manner as the representatives are required to be chosen. Art. 4, section 2, 34.
14.-2. The executive department is regulated by the fifth article of the constitution as follows, namely:
Sec. 1. The executive power is vested in a governor, who shall hold his office for two years; a lieutenant governor shall be chosen for the same term.
15.-Sec. 2 No person shall be eligible to the office of governor or lieutenant governor, who has not been five years a citizen of the United States, and a resident of this state two years next preceding the election; nor shall any person be eligible to either office who has not attained the age of thirty years.
16.-Sec. 3. The governor and lieutenant governor shall be elected at the times and places of choosing members of the legislature. The Person having the highest number of votes for governor and lieutenant governor shall be elected; in case two or more persons have an equal and the highest number of votes for governor or lieutenant governor, the legislature shall by joint vote choose one of such persons.
17.-Sec. 4. The governor shall be commander-in-chief of the military and naval forces, and may call out such forces to execute the laws, to suppress insurrections and to repel invasions.
18.-Sec. 5. He shall transact all necessary; business with the officers of government; and may require information, in writing, from the officers of the executive department, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices.
19.-Sec. 6. He shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed.
20.-Sec. 7. He may convene the legislature on extraordinary occasions.
21.-Sec. 8. He shall give to the legislature, and at the close of his official term to the next legislature, information by message of the condition of the state, and recommend such measures to them as he shall deem expedient.
22.-Sec. 9. He may convene the legislature at some other place, when the seat of government becomes dangerous from disease or a common enemy.
23.-Sec. 10. He shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies as occur in the senate or house of representatives.
24.-Sec. 11. He may grant reprieves, commutations and pardons after convictions, for all offences except treason and cases of impeachment, upon such conditions, and with such restrictions and limitations, as he may think proper, subject to regulations provided by law, relative to the manner of applying for pardons. Upon conviction for treason, he may suspend the execution of the sentence until the case shall be reported to the legislature at its next session, when the legislature shall either pardon, or commute the sentence, direct the execution of the sentence, or grant a further reprieve. He shall communicate to the legislature at each session information of each case of reprieve, commutation or pardon granted, and the reasons therefor.
25.-Sec. 12. In case of the impeachment of the governor, his removal from office, death, inability, resignation, or absence from the state, the powers and duties of the office shall devolve upon the lieutenant governor for the residue of the term, or until the disability ceases. When the governor shall be out of the state in time of war, at the head of a military force thereof, he shall continue commander-in-chief of all the military force of the state.
26.-Sec. 13. During a vacancy in the office of governor, if the lieutenant governor die, resign, be impeached, displaced, be incapable of performing the duties of his office, or absent from the state, the president pro tempore of the senate shall act as governor until the vacancy be filled, or the disability cease.
27.-Sec. 14. The lieutenant governor shall, by virtue of his office, be president of the senate. In committee of the whole he may debate all questions; and when there is an equal division, he shall give the casting vote.
28.-Sec. 15. No member of congress, nor any person holding office under the United States, or this state, shall execute the office of governor.
29.-Sec. 16. No person elected governor or lieutenant governor shall be eligible to any office or appointment from the legislature, or either house thereof, during the time for which he was elected. All votes for either of them, for any such office, shall be void.
30.-Sec. 17. The lieutenant governor and president of the senate pro tempore, when performing the duties of governor, shall receive the same compensation as the governor.
31.-Sec. 18. All official acts of the governor, his approval of the laws excepted, shall be authenticated by the great seal of the state, which shall be kept by the secretary of state.
32.-Sec. 19. All commissions issued to persons holding office under the provisions of this constitution, shall be in the name and by the authority of the people of the state of Michigan, sealed with the great seal of the state, signed by the governor, and countersigned by the secretary of state.
32.-3. The judicial department is regulated by the sixth article as follows, namely:
33.-Sec. 1. The judicial power is vested in one supreme court, in circuit courts, in probate courts, and in justices of the peace. Municipal courts of civil and criminal jurisdiction may be established by the legislature in cities.
34.-Sec. 2. For the term of six years, and thereafter, until the legislature otherwise provide, the judges of the several circuit courts shall be judges of the supreme court, four of whom shall constitute a quorum. A concurrence of three shall be necessary to a final decision. After six years the legislature may provide by law for the organization of a supreme court, with the jurisdiction and powers prescribed in this constitution, to consist of one chief justice and three associate justices, to be chosen by the electors of the state. Such supreme court, when so organized, shall not be changed or discontinued by the legislature for eight years thereafter. The judges thereof shall be so classified that but one of them shall go out of office at the same time. Their term of office, shall be eight years.
35.-Sec. 3. The supreme court shall have a general superintending control over all inferior courts, and shall have power to issue writs of error, habeas corpus, mandamus, quo warrants, procedendo, and other original and remedial writs, and to hear and determine the same. In all other cases it shall have appellate jurisdiction only.
36.-Sec. 4. Four terms of the supreme court shall be held annually, at such times and places, as may be designated by law.
37.-Sec. 5. The supreme court shall, by general rules, establish, modify and amend the practice in such court and in the circuit courts, and, simplify the same. The legislature shall, as far as practicable, abolish distinctions between law and equity proceedings. The office of master in chancery is prohibited.
38.-Sec. 6. The state shall be divided, into eight judicial circuits; in each of which the electors thereof shall elect one circuit judge, who shall hold his office for the term of six years, and until his successor is elected and qualified.
39.-Sec. 7. The legislature may alter the limits of circuits, or increase the number of the same. No alteration or increase shall have the effect to remove a judge from office. In every additional circuit established the judge shall be elected by the electors of such circuit, and his term of office shall continue as provided in this constitution for judges of the circuit court.
40.-Sec. 8. The circuit courts shall have original jurisdiction in all matters civil and criminal, not excepted in this constitution, and not prohibited by law; and, appellate jurisdiction from all inferior courts and tribunals, and a supervisory control of the same. They shall also have power to issue writs of habeas corpus, mandamus, injunction, quo warranto, certiorari, and other writs necessary to carry into effect their orders, judgments and decrees, and give there a general control over inferior courts and tribunals within their respective jurisdictions.
41.-Sec. 9. Each of the judges of the circuit courts shall receive a salary payable quarterly. They shall be ineligible to any other than a judicial office during the term for which they are elected, and for one year thereafter. All votes for any person elected such judge for any office other than judicial, given either by the legislature or the people, shall be void.
42.-Sec. 10. The supreme court may appoint a reporter of its decisions. The decisions of the supreme court shall be in writing, and signed by the judges concurring therein. Any judge dissenting there from, shall give the reasons of such dissent in writing, under his signature. All such opinions shall be filed in the office of the clerk of the supreme court. The judges of the circuit court, within their respective jurisdictions, may fill vacancies in the office of county clerk and of prosecuting, attorney; but no judge of the supreme court, or, circuit court, shall exercise any other power of appointment to public office.
43.-Sec. 11. A circuit court shall be held at least twice in each year, in every county organized for judicial purposes, and four times in each year in counties containing ten thousand inhabitants. Judges of the circuit court may hold courts for each other, and shall do so when required by law.
44.-Sec. 12. The clerk of each county organized for judicial purposes shall be the clerk of the circuit court of such county, and of the supreme court when held within the same.
45.-Sec. 13. In each of the counties organized for judicial purposes, there shall be a court of probate. The judge of such court shall be elected by the electors of the county in which he resides, and shall hold his office for four years, and until his successor is elected and qualified. The jurisdiction, powers, and duties of such court, shall be prescribed by law.
46.-Sec. 14. When a vacancy occurs in the office of judge of the supreme, circuit or probate court, it shall be filled by appointment of the governor, which shall continue until a successor is elected and qualified. When elected, such successor shall hold his office the residue of the unexpired term.
47.-Sec. 15. The supreme court, the circuit and probate court of each county, shall be courts of record, and shall each have a common seal.
48.-Sec. 16. The legislature may provide by law for the election of one or more persons in each organized county, who may be vested with judicial powers, not exceeding those of a judge of the circuit court at chambers.
49.-Sec. 17. There shall be not exceeding four justices of the peace in each organized township. They shall be elected by the electors of the townships, and shall hold their offices for four years, and until their successors are elected and qualified. At the first election in any township, they shall be classified as shall be prescribed by law. A justice elected to fill a vacancy shall hold his office for the residue of the unexpired term. The legislature may increase the number of justices in cities.
50.-Sec. 18. In civil cases justices of the peace shall have exclusive jurisdiction to the amount of one hundred dollars, and concurrent jurisdiction to the amount of three hundred dollars, which may be increased to five hundred dollars, with such exceptions and restrictions as may be provided by law. They shall also have such criminal jurisdiction and perform such duties as shall be prescribed by the legislature.
51.-Sec. 19. Judges of the supreme court, circuit judges, and justices of the peace, shall be conservators of the peace within their respective jurisdictions.
52.-Sec. 20. The first election of judges of the circuit courts shall be held on the first Monday in April, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-one, and every sixth year thereafter. Whenever an additional circuit is created, provision. shall be made to hold the subsequent election of such additional judges at the regular elections herein provided.
53.-Sec. 21. The first election of judges of the probate courts shall be held on the Tuesday succeeding the first Monday of November, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, and every fourth year thereafter.
54.-Sec. 22. Whenever a judge shall remove beyond the limits of the jurisdiction for which he was elected or a justice of the peace from the township in which he was elected, or by a change in the boundaries of such township shall be placed without the same, they shall be deemed to have vacated their respective offices.
55.-Sec. 23. The legislature may establish courts of conciliation, with such powers and duties as shall be prescribed by law.
56.-Sec. 24. Any suitor in any court of this state shall have the right to prosecute or defend his suit, either in his own proper person, or by an attorney or agent, of his choice.
57.-Sec. 25. In all prosecutions for libels, the truth may be given in evidence to the jury; and if it shall appear to the jury that the matter charged as libelous is true, and was published with good motives and for justifiable ends, the party shall be acquitted. The jury shall have the right to determine the law and the fact.
58.-Sec. 26. The person, houses, papers, and possessions of every person shall be secure from unreasonable searches and seizure. No warrant to search any place, or to seize any person or things shall issue without describing them, nor without probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation.
59.-Sec. 27. The right of trial by jury shall remain, but shall be deemed to be waived in all civil cases unless demanded by one of the parties, in such manner as shall be prescribed by law.
60.-Sec. 28. In every criminal prosecution, the accused shall have the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury, which may consist of less than twelve, men in all courts not of record; to be informed of the nature of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and have the assistance of counsel for his defence.
61.-Sec. 29. No person, after acquittal upon the merits, shall be tried for the same offence; all persons shall, before conviction, be bailable by sufficient sureties, except for murder and treason, when the proof is evident or the presumption great.
62.-Sec. 30. Treason against the state shall consist only in levying war against, or in adhering to its enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless upon the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.
63.-Sec. 31. Excessive bail shall not be required; excessive fines shall not be imposed; cruel or unusual punishment shall not be inflicted, nor, shall witnesses be unreasonably detained.
64.-Sec. 32. No person shall be compelled, in any criminal case, to be a witness against himself; nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.
65.-Sec. 33. No person shall be imprisoned for debt arising out of, or founded on a contract, express or implied, except in cases of fraud or breach of trust, or of moneys collected by public officers, or in any professional employment. No person shall be imprisoned for a militia fine in time of peace.
66.-Sec. 34. No person shall be rendered incompetent to be a witness, on account of his opinions on matters of religious belief.
67.-Sec. 35. The style of all process shall be, "In the name of the people of the State of Michigan."

Michigan

Mich·i·gan

michigan

Michigan

Mich•i•gan

Michigan

Michigan

Facts and Figures

Geography

Economy

Government and Higher Education

History

Native Americans and French Explorers

Resistance to British Occupation

Settlement and Statehood

Reform Movements

Assembly Lines and Labor Strife

Racial Tensions and Recession

Bibliography

Michigan State Information

List of Michigan counties:

Michigan Parks

Michigan

Michigan

Michigan

Legal Holidays:

Michigan

Michigan

Michigan

Synonyms for Michigan

noun a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

Synonyms

Related Words

noun the 3rd largest of the Great Lakes

Synonyms

Related Words

noun a gambling card game in which chips are placed on the ace and king and queen and jack of separate suits (taken from a separate deck)

Synonyms

Related Words