Geography And Climate Of Michigan
Separated by the Straits of Mackinac, Michigan is made up of two peninsulas that are bounded by Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Lake Superior, as well as various water and Canadian boundaries. Most of the state is drained by the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence watershed.
While Michigan has 58,110 square miles of land, the Great Lakes waters span 38,575 square miles and inland waters cover 1,305 square miles for a total of 97,990 square miles. Mount Arvon is the highest point in the state at 1,979 feet.
The Upper Peninsula is mostly mountainous, with the oldest North American mountains, the Porcupine Mountains, rising nearly 2,000 feet above sea level. Since the Upper Peninsula is more isolated, its population is economically and culturally separate from the rest of the state. The Lower Peninsula comprises almost two-thirds of the state’s land area, with the larger part of the state sloping gradually to Lake Michigan. Its mitten-like shape is why the smaller peninsula that juts into Lake Huron and the Saginaw Bay is referred to as the Thumb.
Both peninsulas are characterized by numerous lakes, streams, rivers, marshes and bays. There are also several large islands, including Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior. Michigan boasts 150 lighthouses, the most of any state in addition to the largest state park and forest system.
Michigan’s climate is different depending on the peninsula. The southern areas of the Lower Peninsula are warmer, with hotter summer and cold winter. From the northern part of the Lower Peninsula to the rest of the Upper Peninsula, winters are extremely cold and summers are short and warm. Temperatures can reach below freezing from December to February, with heavy lake-effect snow.
History Of Michigan
Various Native American tribes, including the Algonquin, Anishnabe, Huron, Ottawa and Potawatomi, inhabited the area before French explorers settled in the area in 1641. Jacques Marquette established Sault Sainte-Marie, Michigan’s oldest city, in 1668.
Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac convinced King Louis XIV’s chief minister that a permanent community, or Le Fort Ponchartrain du Detroit, between Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie would bolster French control over the area, boost the fur trading business and deter the British. From 1660 to the end of the French and Indian War, when France gave up the area to the British, France maintained power.
The opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 brought an influx of settlers to Michigan and became an official state in 1837. Wealth was generated by the abundance of iron, copper and lumber in the Upper Peninsula, becoming a leader in lumber production from the 1850s to the 1880s. At the beginning of the 20th Century, Michigan’s economy shifted dramatically to the automotive industry. Henry Ford’s first plant in Highland Park became the biggest industry of Detroit and Grand Rapids. It is still the largest auto producing state in the U.S.
Michigan’s rapid growth from the automotive manufacturing led to the building of some notable skyscrapers and art deco architecture, such as the Fisher Building and Cadillac Place. Business boomed after World War II and suburban sprawl altered the population, resulting in racial tensions and high crime rates from the 1960s to the 1980s.
Demographics Of Michigan
As of 2007, Michigan’s estimated population is 10,071,822, making it one of the most populated states in the nation.
Michigan’s foreign-born population has grown, although over 80 percent of the population is white. German ancestry makes up a fifth of the population, followed by Irish, English and Polish. Other European groups include the French and Norwegians, who live primarily in the Upper Peninsula. The state is home to the largest Dutch-American, Macedonian-American and Finnish-American populations in the U.S.
African-Americans from the Great Migration are largely present in Detroit, Flint and Benton Harbor. Michigan also has a large Arab-American community in Dearborn, especially Lebanese Muslims, who came for jobs in the auto industry.
Muslims make up two percent of the population, residing mainly in the Detroit metro area, but Christian faiths dominate, with 58 percent claiming a branch of Protestantism and 23 percent Catholic.
Economy Of Michigan
The estimated gross state product (GSP) of Michigan as of 2004 was $372 billion. In 2003, per capita income was $31,178.
Michigan is the capital of the auto industry, with the headquarters for Ford, Chrysler and General Motors all based in the state. However, the economy has diversified since the 1970s, with Michigan now ranking fourth in high-tech employment and third in research and development expenditures. Agricultural production in Michigan is high, as the state is a leading grower of fruits such as cherries, grapes, blueberries, apples and peaches, along with sugar beets, potatoes, corn, navy beans and soybeans.
Engineering, aerospace, information technology and biotechnology are all growing industries. Others include cereal products, namely Kellogg’s, copper, iron and furniture, a longstanding tradition from Michigan’s lumber production days. Tourists spend $17.5 billion per year in Michigan, attracting nature enthusiasts and hunters alike to visit the state’s 50 percent forested land and miles of beaches.
Michigan Law And Government
There are 83 counties in the state of Michigan, with Lansing as the state capital. Democrat Jennifer Granholm currently acts as Michigan’s governor. There are 15 congressional representatives from Michigan in the U.S. House of Representatives, while Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, both Democrats, represent Michigan in the U.S. Senate.
Until the Great Depression, the Republic Party was the prominent political force. In the past four presidential elections, however, Michigan has supported Democrats. Republicans are the strongest in rural, northern and western regions of the state, including Grand Rapids, whereas Detroit, Flint, Saginaw and Ann Arbor lean towards Democrats.
Michigan Transportation
Given its close proximity, there are nine international crossings, by bridge and ferry, connecting Ontario, Canada with Michigan. Canadian National Railway, Amtrak and other rails connect Michigan residents to Canada and Chicago.
I-75 is the main highway connecting Detroit to Flint and providing access to Sault Saint Marie, Ontario, as well as crossing the Mackinac Bridge between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas. I-94 comes from Indiana at the western end of the state and goes through Detroit, while I-69 enters through the Ohio-Indiana border and goes to Port Huron, providing access to the Blue Water Bridge.
The Detroit Metropolitan Airport serves as the area’s main airport. Bishop International Airport is in Flint, while the Coleman A. Young International Airport is on the northeast side of Detroit and only has charter service.
Find out more at the Michigan Department of Transportation.
Major Cities And Towns Of Michigan
Detroit is Michigan’s largest city, where the Big Three automakers have headquarters. The city’s skyline is peppered with Art Deco skyscrapers from the early 20th Century. You can get your cultural fix at the Detroit Institute of Arts or the Detroit Theatre District. There are plenty of jazz and blues clubs in the area, as Detroit is the home of Motown. Not surprisingly, Detroit hosts the North American International Auto Show, along with the Electronic Music Festival, which draws over a million visitors.
Grand Rapids, which used to be a major lumbering center and furniture manufacturing area, holds an annual Festival of the Arts and Celebration on the Grand. Vandenberg Plaza hosts other festivals throughout the summer months, while the Gerald R. Ford Museum honors the late President of the U.S.
Other cities in Michigan worth mentioning include Flint, a highly populated area that is currently suffering the fallout of deindustrialization from the closure of GM plants, and Ann Arbor, where the University of Michigan is located. Oakland County and Grosse Pointe, outside of Detroit, have some of the wealthiest communities in the state.
Michigan Educational System
The University of Michigan system consists of the main campus in Ann Arbor and two satellite campuses in Dearborn and Flint. Often referred to as simply Michigan, the university is known for its rigorous academic standards. Other notable colleges in the state include Wayne State University, Michigan State University, Calvin College and Kalamazoo College.
For more information, go to the Michigan Department of Education website.
Michigan Sports Teams And Recreational Activities
Michigan’s major sport franchises are all located in Detroit. The Detroit Lions play for the NFL, the Detroit Tigers play for MLB, the Detroit Pistons play basketball for the NBA and the Detroit Red Wings play for the NHL. The Grand Rapids Rampage plays in the Arena Football League, while the other Michigan-based sports teams include minor league baseball, indoor football and soccer. Naturally, Michigan has a whopping 10 ice hockey teams representing various cities.
|
Del.icio.us
Digg
