Michigan

Michigan is a state located in the Great Lakes region of the United States. Admitted to the Union on January 26, 1837, as the twenty-sixth state, Michigan is distinguished by its unique geography, extensive freshwater coastline, industrial heritage, natural resources, and significant contributions to American transportation, manufacturing, education, and culture. ¹⁾

Michigan consists of two peninsulas separated by the Straits of Mackinac and connected by the Mackinac Bridge. The state borders four of the five Great Lakes and possesses the longest freshwater coastline of any political subdivision in the world. ²⁾

Today, Michigan is home to approximately ten million residents and remains one of the most economically and culturally influential states in the Midwest.

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Attribute	Information
Capital	Lansing
Largest City	Detroit
Statehood	January 26, 1837
Population	Approximately 10 million
Nickname	Great Lakes State
Abbreviation	MI
Time Zones	Eastern, Central (western U.P.)
State Bird	American Robin
State Tree	Eastern White Pine
State Motto	`Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam Circumspice`

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Michigan is divided into:

* Upper Peninsula * Lower Peninsula

The state borders:

* Lake Superior * Lake Michigan * Lake Huron * Lake Erie

Major geographic features include:

* Straits of Mackinac * Au Sable River * Manistee River * Menominee River * Lake Gogebic

Michigan contains more than 11,000 inland lakes and over 36,000 miles of rivers and streams. ³⁾

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Indigenous History

For thousands of years before European settlement, Michigan was inhabited by Indigenous peoples including:

* Anishinaabe * Ojibwe * Odawa * Potawatomi

These nations developed extensive trade networks throughout the Great Lakes region and continue to maintain a significant presence within Michigan today.

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European exploration began during the seventeenth century.

Notable explorers and missionaries included:

* Jacques Marquette * Louis Jolliet * Étienne Brûlé * Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac

French settlements established the foundations of many modern Michigan communities.

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Michigan Territory was organized in 1805.

Following the resolution of the Toledo War boundary dispute with Ohio, Michigan entered the Union as the twenty-sixth state on January 26, 1837. ⁴⁾

The state capital was later moved from Detroit to:

* Lansing

in 1847.

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