# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Tigers are a Major League Baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan.

People have lived in the land now called Michigan for at least 12,000 years. Many centuries after those first inhabitants arrived, Native American tribes lived on the land, including the Kickapoo, Miami, Ojibwe, Potawatomi, Menominee, and Fox and Sauk. Eleven Native American tribes still live in Michigan today.

French explorers reached the area around 1618. France controlled the land until the mid-1700s, when England defeated the country in the French and Indian War, which lasted between 1754 and 1763. (Many Native Americans fought with France against England.) In 1805, Michigan became a U.S. territory. Settlers began pouring in around 1825, once the newly built Erie Canal made traveling across the country much easier. Michigan joined the Union as a free state in 1837.

Just before 1900, automakers Ransom E. Olds (as in Oldsmobile) and Henry Ford built some of the first cars in Detroit. The city is still called "Motor City" because so many cars are made there.

WHY'S IT CALLED THAT?

Experts aren't sure, but Michigan might have been named after Lake Michigan, which got its name from a Native American word that roughly translates to "big lake."

Experts don't agree on why Michigan is called the Wolverine State ... especially since not many wolverines live there! One theory is that fur traders used to exchange animal pelts, including wolverines', in Michigan. Another idea involves an 1835 land skirmish with Ohio. At the time, people from Ohio called their Michigan neighbors "wolverines" as an insult.

GEOGRAPHY AND LANDFORMS

Four of the Great Lakes share borders with Michigan: Superior, Huron, Michigan, and Erie. No wonder it's sometimes called the Great Lakes State! It's bordered by Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin in the south, and the Great Lakes and Canada in the east, north, and west. It's also the only U.S. state that's split into two big pieces: the Upper Peninsula in the north and the Lower Peninsula-known as "the mitten"-in the south. They're connected by the five-mile Mackinac Bridge.

The Upper Peninsula is forested with low hills. It includes the state's highest point, Mount Arvon-but even that's a relatively short 1,979 feet.

The Lower Peninsula is mostly flat with some hills in the north. It's also home to thousands of miles of shoreline, including Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, where 400-foot dunes give a clear view of Lake Michigan.

Over 40 percent of the state is covered in water-that's more than any other state! Michigan even has islands, including Isle Royale, a national park in the middle of Lake Superior.

Michigan is home to many types of animals-especially the widespread white-tailed deer (the state animal). Once wiped out by hunters, native elk and moose have made comebacks after herds were relocated from Wyoming and Canada, respectively.

Michigan is also home to 360 bird species, including the rare Kirtland's warbler. Raptors such as osprey, short-eared owls, and peregrine falcons live in Michigan as well, as do many water birds such as trumpeter swans, great blue herons, and piping plovers.

Red-bellied snakes, spiny soft-shell turtles, and five-lined skinks are a few of the reptiles that slink and creep through the state. Marbled salamanders, bullfrogs, and green frogs are among Michigan's amphibians.

With more than half the state covered in forests, Michigan is filled with white pine (the state tree), American mountain ash, boxelder, sugar maple, and red mulberry. Michigan rose, orange coneflower, evening primrose (check it out blooming at night!), and yellow monkey flower are some of the wildflowers that grow in the Wolverine State.

NATURAL RESOURCES

Michigan is known for fishing, thanks to its 3,288-mile coastline, the longest freshwater coastline in the United States. Forestry is another important industry, as 90 percent of the Upper Peninsula is covered in trees. The state also produces iron oxide pigments, which are used for making red, orange, yellow, and black pigment-often for makeup.

-Who was born in Michigan? Just singers Madonna, Diana Ross, and Stevie Wonder; tennis player Serena Williams; and pilot Charles Lindbergh!

-Motown Records was founded in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 (the name came from a combination of "motor" and "town," since the city was a car manufacturing hub). The record company produced music by the Temptations, Diana Ross, the Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, and many others. The studio where much of this music was recorded is now the Motown Museum and is open to visitors.

-Corn Flakes were "born" in Battle Creek in 1898. The Kellogg brothers were trying to make granola but accidentally created flakes instead!

-The Henry Ford Museum is filled with examples of American genius. Thomas Edison's laboratory, a copy of the Declaration of Independence, and even the bus that Civil Rights activist Rosa Parks rode are all on display.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Get facts and photos about the 26th state.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The State of Michigan | Educational Facts for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about the history and timeline of the state of Michigan including early explorers, Native Americans, settlers, Pontiac's Rebellion, and the War of 1812.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Pure Michigan | Official Travel & Tourism Website for Michigan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A shoreline dotted with maritime museums and more than 129 picturesque lighthouses. A car-less island where historic sites recall Colonial America. Michigan has activities to keep families entertained, from speedways to roller coasters, water parks to zoos and aquariums.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
DNR Mission

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural and cultural resources for current and future generations.

Michigan DNR and Natural Resource Facts:

Approximately 1,400 permanent employees and more than 1,600 seasonal employees implement over 70 programs under the supervision of DNR Director Daniel Eichinger and his management team.

Lakes, Rivers and Fish

Michigan is home to 11,000 inland lakes.

Michigan has 3,300 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, the longest U.S. freshwater coastline.

Michigan has more total shoreline than any state except Alaska.

Michigan has tens of thousands of miles of rivers and streams.

In Michigan you're never more than 6 miles from a body of water or 85 miles from a Great Lake - which means you're never more than six miles from great fishing!

The DNR has six fish hatcheries, which produce more than 700,000 pounds of fish every year. Recreational fishing in Michigan is supported by stocked fish, with more than 50% of the Great Lakes trout and salmon fishery coming from stocked fish.

Wildlife

Michigan's two scenic peninsulas provide 8 million acres of public hunting land, including 4.5 million acres managed by DNR.

The DNR leases several thousand acres of farmland in southern Michigan for public hunting and 2.2 million acres of private forestland in northern Michigan, enrolled as commercial forests, provide even more hunting access.

The DNR manages 400,000 acres in more than 70 state wildlife areas, most in southern Michigan.

The DNR manages and protects 400 species of animals, including the birds and mammals that sustain our rich hunting heritage and nongame wildlife, including threatened and endangered species.

More than 60% of Michigan's residents are actively involved in viewing and photographing wildlife.

Parks and Recreation

In Michigan, you're never more than a half-hour away from a state park, state forest campground or state trail system.

Michigan is home to 82 state-sponsored harbors along the Great Lakes.

Michigan has more than 1,300 public boat launching sites.

Michigan has more than 900,000 registered watercraft (3rd in the nation) and nearly 300,000 registered snowmobiles (more than any other state).

There are 4 million boating enthusiasts in the Great Lakes State.

Michigan is a leader in rails-to-trails and maintains more than 6,200 miles of groomed snowmobile trails.

Michigan's 145 state forest campgrounds offer 3,000 rustic campsites.

Forest, Mineral and Fire Management

Widely differing forest cover and ownership patterns throughout Michigan provide unique management challenges and opportunities. For example, 90% of our population resides in southern Michigan, while 90% of the Upper Peninsula is forested.

In addition to managing 12% of the state's total land area, the DNR manages 6 million acres of mineral estate and leases rights to explore and develop state-owned mineral assets, including oil and gas, metallic minerals, and nonmetallic minerals.

Nearly 50,000 oil and gas wells have been drilled in Michigan-about 12,000 are active.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. Approximately 1,400 permanent employees and more than 1,600 seasonal employees implement over 70 programs under the supervision of DNR Director Daniel Eichinger and his management team.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Covering an area of 250,493 sq. km, the State of Michigan is located in the Great Lakes and Midwest region of the United States.

Michigan is the only U.S. state to be divided into two large separate land areas (peninsulas) and to be bordered by four of the five Great Lakes. It also has the longest shoreline, about 3,300 miles in the continental U.S.

As observed on the map, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan ("the U.P.") is hilly and rugged in the west, especially in the heavily-forested Porcupine Mountains. Situated, further east in the Huron Mountains, to the northwest of Marquette is, Mount Arvon - the state's highest point, at an elevation of 1,979ft (603m). Moving to the east, the Upper Peninsula's land becomes much flatter, with some inland swamps.

The two peninsulas are separated by an 8km long channel, known as the Straits of Mackinac - which in turn connects Lake Huron with Lake Michigan. The two peninsulas are connected by the Mackinac Bridge. Mackinac Island is positioned on the eastern edge of the Straits of Mackinac. Located in the far north-western corner of Lake Superior is the forested Isle Royale - the only (island) National Park in the United States.

There are numerous islands in Michigan, including Bois Blanc, Drummond, Grand, Isle Royale, Mackinac, Sugar, the Manitou Islands, and the Beaver Island archipelago. The significant rivers in the Upper Peninsula include the Ford, Escanaba, and Menominee rivers.

Michigan's Lower Peninsula is shaped like a mitten and is rather flat, especially along the eastern and southeastern shorelines. Gentle, rolling hills are found in the central and southern portions, while further north, to the east and southeast of Traverse City, the landscape becomes quite hilly. Located in the north-western part of the city of Cadillac is, Lower Peninsula's highest point, at 1,700ft (520m). Marked on the map by an inverted yellow triangle is Michigan's lowest point, which is situated along the shoreline of Lake Erie, at about 572ft.

The surrounding Great Lakes are Michigan's most striking landforms. Besides, the state is also covered by over 11,000 freshwater lakes (mostly small).

Lake St. Clair forms a vital commercial waterway, as it connects to Lake Erie through the Detroit River, and to Lake Huron through the St. Clair River.

Rivers of note in the Lower Peninsula include the Au Sable, Grand, Kalamazoo, Manistee, and Muskegon rivers.

Counties Map

Michigan is divided into 83 counties. In alphabetical order, the counties are: Alcona, Alger, Allegan, Alpena, Antrim, Arenac, Baraga, Barry, Bay, Benzie, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Chippewa, Clare, Clinton, Crawford, Delta, Dickinson, Eaton, Emmet, Genesee, Gladwin, Gogebic, Grand Traverse, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Houghton, Huron, Ingham, Ionia, Iosco, Iron, Isabella, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kalkaska, Kent, Keweenaw, Lake, Lapeer, Leelanau, Lenawee, Livingston, Luce, Mackinac, Macomb, Manistee, Marquette, Mason, Mecosta, Menominee, Midland, Missaukee, Monroe, Montcalm, Montmorency, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oakland, Oceana, Ogemaw, Ontonagon, Osceola, Oscoda, Otsego, Ottawa, Presque Isle, Roscommon, Saginaw, Saint Clair, Saint Joseph, Sanilac, Schoolcraft, Shiawassee, Tuscola, Van Buren, Washtenaw, Wayne, Wexford.

With an area of 250,493 sq. km, Michigan is the 11 th largest and the 10 th most populous state in the USA. Located in the south-central part of the state's Lower Peninsula, at the meeting point of the Grand and Red Cedar Rivers is, Lansing - the capital city of Michigan. It serves as an industrial hub for the production of automobiles and associated parts as well as other industries like textiles, glass, and metal products. It also hosts the headquarters of several insurance companies and offices of various technology firms. Situated in the southeastern part of the state along the Detroit River is Detroit - the largest and the most populous city in Michigan. It also serves as the state's major cultural center and its chief port.

Where is Michigan?

The State of Michigan is located in the Great Lakes and Midwest region of the United States. Michigan is bordered by the states of Ohio and Indiana in the south; by Illinois, Wisconsin, and Lake Michigan in the west; by Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Lake Superior in the northwest and by the Canadian province of Ontario, Lake Huron, and Lake Erie in the north and east.

Regional Maps: Map of North America

Outline Map of Michigan

Key Facts

Legal Name

State of Michigan

ISO 3166 Code

US-MI

Capital City

Lansing

Major Cities

1. Detroit (3,547,509)

2. Grand Rapids (599,003)

3. Flint (345,232)

4. Ann Arbor (327,984)

5. Lansing (325,668)

This page was last updated on February 25, 2021

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Covering an area of 250,493 sq. km, the State of Michigan is located in the Great Lakes and Midwest region of the United States. Michigan is the only U.S. state to be divided into two large separate land areas (peninsulas) and to be bordered by four of the five Great Lakes.