Michigan
-
What is Michigan?
Michigan, the 26th state, was admitted to the Union on January 26, 1837. Lansing is the capital of Michigan, which is located in the south-central part of the state. The state gets its name from the Ojibwa (Chippewa) word michi-gama, which means "large lake".
Michigan is made up of two land segments: the mineral-rich Upper Peninsula and the mitten-shaped Lower Peninsula. Since 1957, the two landmasses have been connected by the 5-mile Mackinac Bridge.
Michigan has become a key player in the economic life of the United States and is a popular tourist destination. The automotive industry is centered in Detroit, the state's largest city.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Where is Michigan located in the United States?
Michigan is a constituent state of the United States of America. It is located in the north-central region of the country. The state is split into two large land segments: the Upper Peninsula, which slices eastward from northern Wisconsin, and the Lower Peninsula, which reaches northward from Indiana and Ohio. Michigan borders four of the five Great Lakes. Its capital is Lansing, in the south-central part of the state.
Michigan was admitted to the Union on January 26, 1837, as the 26th state. Its name comes from the Ojibwa (Chippewa) word "michi-gama," meaning "large lake".
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What are the two main parts of Michigan called?
Michigan is the only state divided into two large land segments: the Upper Peninsula (the U.P.) and the Lower Peninsula. The sparsely populated, mineral-rich Upper Peninsula extends eastward from northern Wisconsin, between Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. The mitten-shaped Lower Peninsula reaches northward from Indiana and Ohio. Since 1957, the two parts have been connected by the Mackinac Bridge.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Why is Michigan known as the Great Lakes State?
Michigan is called the "Great Lakes State" because it borders four of the five Great Lakes: Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, and Lake Erie. The state is split into two large land segments, the Upper and Lower Peninsulas, connected by the Mackinac Bridge. Michigan has jurisdiction over the Great Lakes waters, significantly increasing its total area and ranking it 11th among the states. Michigan has approximately 11,000 inland lakes and is virtually surrounded by water. The state's name comes from the Ojibwa (Chippewa) word "michi-gama," meaning "large lake". Besides the nickname "Great Lakes State," Michigan is also known as the "Wolverine State".
4 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What are some major cities in Michigan?
Michigan, the 26th state, is split into two main land segments: the Upper and Lower Peninsulas. Its economy shifted from agriculture to lumbering and mining in the 19th century, and by the 20th century, the automotive industry became dominant.
Michigan's major cities include Detroit, known as the heart of the American automotive industry, as well as Grand Rapids, Lansing, Flint, Saginaw, Kalamazoo, and Battle Creek. Mining is a key part of the economy of cities in the Upper Peninsula, such as Ironwood, Iron Mountain, Hancock, Houghton, and Marquette. Other important cities are Sault Sainte Marie, Petoskey, Ludington, Manistee, Cadillac, Alpena, Escanaba, and Traverse City.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How has the auto industry shaped Michigan's history and economy?
From the early 20th century, the automotive industry has shaped Michigan's economy, becoming the dominant sector despite contributions from tourism, agriculture, and forestry. Cities such as Detroit, Flint, and Lansing became hubs for auto plants, attracting thousands of workers and driving urban growth.
However, Michigan's reliance on the auto industry has also led to economic fluctuations. The oil embargo of the 1970s, increased foreign car imports, and economic recession caused a crisis, with the state's unemployment reaching the highest in the country. Despite a modest recovery, the industry suffered losses in the early 21st century due to rising gas prices and slowed economic growth.
In response, Michigan's leaders have initiated programs to diversify the manufacturing base and promote high-tech firms and the service sector to stabilize the economy.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
News •
Michigan, constituent state of the United States of America. Although by the size of its land Michigan ranks only 22nd of the 50 states, the inclusion of the Great Lakes waters over which it has jurisdiction increases its area considerably, placing it 11th in terms of total area. The capital is Lansing, in south-central Michigan. The state’s name is derived from michi-gama, an Ojibwa (Chippewa) word meaning “large lake.”
Michigan is the only one of the states to be split into two large land segments: the sparsely populated but mineral-rich Upper Peninsula (commonly called “the U.P.”) slices eastward from northern Wisconsin between Lakes Superior and Michigan, and the mitten-shaped Lower Peninsula reaches northward from Indiana and Ohio. Indeed, for most Michigan residents, an upturned right hand serves as a ready-made map for roughly locating towns, routes, regions, parks, or any other feature of the Lower Peninsula. The two landmasses have been connected since 1957 by “Big Mac,” the 5-mile (8-km) Mackinac Bridge across the Straits of Mackinac, which separate Lake Michigan on the west from Lake Huron on the east. Between Lake Huron and Lake Erie, in the southeast, the Lower Peninsula is separated from the Canadian province of Ontario by Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair and Detroit rivers. The St. Marys River, which flows from Lake Superior to Lake Huron, forms the international boundary between the Upper Peninsula and Ontario.
- Capital:
- Lansing
- Population1:
- (2020) 10,077,331; (2025 est.) 10,127,884
- Governor:
- Gretchen Whitmer (Democrat)
- Date Of Admission:
- Jan. 26, 1837
- U.S. Senators:
- Gary Peters (Democrat)
- Debbie Stabenow (Democrat)
- State Nickname:
- Wolverine State
- Great Lake State
- State Motto:
- "Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam Circumspice (If You Seek a Pleasant Peninsula, Look About You)"
- State Bird:
- American robin
- State Flower2:
- apple blossom
- dwarf lake iris
- State Song:
- “My Michigan”
- Seats In U.S. House Of Representatives:
- 13 (of 435)
- Time Zone:
- Central (GMT − 6 hours)
- Eastern (GMT − 5 hours)
- Total Area (Sq Km):
- 250,487
- Total Area (Sq Mi):
- 96,713
- Excluding military abroad.
- The dwarf lake iris is the state wildflower.
Since its admission on January 26, 1837, as the 26th state of the Union and the fourth to be carved from the Northwest Territory, Michigan has become a mainspring in the economic life of the United States; the name of its largest city, Detroit, has become a byword throughout the world for the American automotive industry. The state also has retained its prominence in agriculture and, to a lesser extent, forestry. In addition, because of its many inland lakes, its borders on four of the five Great Lakes, and its many wilderness tracts, Michigan has evolved into one of the country’s leading tourist destinations.
Michigan’s population is primarily urban, concentrated in the industrialized centers of the southern Lower Peninsula. Many have been attracted by the union-dominated labor pool, and the state’s urban populations reflect a broad spectrum of ethnic, economic, educational, and professional backgrounds. Such socioeconomic diversity has given rise to an environment in which affluence and poverty often exist side by side; nowhere is this better exemplified than in the Detroit metropolitan region. The state government coordinates a vast network of programs that aim to reduce such contrasts. Michigan’s system of public higher education has consistently remained among the strongest, most diverse, and most widely respected in the country. Area 96,713 square miles (250,487 square km). Population (2020) 10,077,331; (2025 est.) 10,127,884.
Land
Relief
The mildly rolling terrain and generally low elevations that characterize much of Michigan’s countryside appealed to the early agricultural settlers. The highest point in the Lower Peninsula, near Cadillac, rises only to about 1,700 feet (520 meters). Flat, nearly featureless plains also occur in many parts of the state; these are vestiges of the floors of large glacial lakes that existed some 10,000 to 14,000 years ago. In the mid-19th century, most of these flatlands were malarial swamps that deterred settlers and were the source of much angst for early farmers. Draining of the swamps, a tiring process, has yielded highly productive farmland since that time. Large sand dunes rim the shores of Lake Michigan. Much of the northern Lower Peninsula and the eastern part of the Upper Peninsula are wooded.
The western segment of the Upper Peninsula belongs to the Superior Upland (a region lying to the south of Lake Superior and stretching westward from the Upper Peninsula across northern Wisconsin and Minnesota). There, rock-cored hills, some so large as to be named the Huron and Porcupine mountains, provide more relief; the peaks of the Hurons rise above 1,900 feet (580 meters).
Drainage
In addition to being virtually surrounded by water, Michigan has an abundance of inland lakes, swamps, wetlands, and waterways. The state’s roughly 11,000 inland lakes, most of which are glacial in origin, range in size from less than an acre to the nearly 20,000 acres (8,100 hectares) of Houghton Lake in the north-central Lower Peninsula. Michigan’s rivers, which generally are shallow and narrow, drain the state’s high interior. Most of the larger rivers are found in the southern part of the Lower Peninsula, and they flow relatively evenly throughout the year. In the Upper Peninsula, where elevations are higher and snowfall is more plentiful, many rivers have a pronounced peak discharge in spring when the snow melts. Although several of the rivers, especially in the Upper Peninsula, have waterfalls, the navigability of the state’s waterways and the ease of portaging encouraged early settlement. Compared with those in nearby states, most of Michigan’s rivers are short; distances from the headwaters to the mouths of the major rivers (which usually empty into one of the Great Lakes) are usually less than 150 miles (240 km).
The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.
SUBSCRIBE
About 500 islands dot the lakes and rivers of Michigan; nearly 350 of them are named. Belle Isle, a public recreation center, and Grosse Ile, largely residential, are well-known features of the Detroit River. Mackinac Island, near the Straits of Mackinac, is a resort on which motor vehicles are prohibited. Isle Royale, a virgin wilderness of almost 900 square miles (2,300 square km), is a national park in western Lake Superior, near Canada.
How big is Michigan?
Soils
Michigan’s soils vary regionally, depending on a number of factors, including climate, landform, and vegetation, as well as wetness, which is mainly a function of texture (various combinations of sand, silt, and clay) and depth of the water table. Fertile clays and loams in the southern Lower Peninsula foster extensive agriculture, while less-productive dry sandy soils dominate in the northern Lower Peninsula. The Upper Peninsula has a few fertile areas, but most of the soil is either sandy and similar to that of the northern Lower Peninsula or wet and swampy. The soils of the western Upper Peninsula are acidic and rocky, rendering that region generally unsuitable for cultivation. Peat and muck soils, which formed from inland lakes and flat, wet plains that became filled with organic matter, are found throughout the state, especially in the eastern Upper Peninsula. Where they exist in the Lower Peninsula, these soils are particularly important for vegetable production and, more recently, for growing turfgrass (sod). Throughout much of the state, subsurface drainage has been necessary to make wet soils tillable and productive. In some of the sandier areas of the Lower Peninsula, overhead irrigation has become popular among farmers as a way to augment yields on dry and sandy but otherwise productive sites.