Michigan
Michigan became a U.S. state on January 26, 1837as the 26th state. The state name is derived from michi-gama, an Ojibwa word meaning large lake. Prior to the arrival of European settlers, Michigan was inhabited by several indigenous tribes, which most spoke Algonquian. Étienne Brulé was the first European to visit the area, in 1622. Michigan is the only one of the states to be split into two large land segments: the Upper Peninsula splits eastward from northern Wisconsin between Lakes Superior and Michigan, and the Lower Peninsula reaches northward from Indiana and Ohio.
The largest cities in Michigan are Detroit, Flint, Dearborn and Saginaw.
Notable
Michigan has the longest freshwater shoreline of any political subdivision in the world.
Michigan borders four of the five Great Lakes.
Location
Located in the eastern north-central US, Michigan is the 3rd-largest state E of the Mississippi River and ranks 23rd in size among the 50 states. The lower peninsula is bordered on the North by Lake Michigan, the Straits of Mackinac, and Lake Huron. On the East by Ontario, Canada on the South East by Ontario and Ohio,on the South by Ohio and Indiana and on the West by Illinois and Wisconsin.
Climate
The Great Lakes cools the hot winds of summer and warms the winds of winter, this gives Michigan a more moderate climate than other north-central states. January high temperatures are usually in the low 20s F (about 6 °C), while low temperatures hover near 5 °F ( 15 °C); in July temperatures rise into the mid-70s F (about 24 °C) and drop into the low 50s F (about 11 °C)
Capital
Lansing
Population as of 2009
9,969,727 Ranked number 8 in the U.S.
Seats in the House of Representatives
15
Electoral College
17
Nick name
Wolverine state, Great Lakes State.
Flower
Apple blossom
Bird
Robin
Animal
White-tailed Deer
