General Introduction of Michigan

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 [...]

Population Composition In Michigan

Prior to the arrival of European settlers, Michigan was inhabited by several groups of indigenous peoples, most of whom were speakers of Algonquian languages. The majority of the native peoples lived near the lakeshores and traveled by water. Those in the south, the Potawatomi and Ottawa, were primarily farmers, who raised corn (maize), tobacco, sunflowers, and squash and also harvested products from the surrounding forests. These southern peoples were relatively sedentary and settled. By [...]

Michigan's Manufacturing Status

Reflective of a national trend, manufacturing has weakened in Michigan since the late 20th century. Nevertheless, the sector remains an important contributor to the state's gross product, and it employs a significant segment of the population. The state's leading manufactures include motor vehicles and parts, machinery, fabricated metal products, chemical products, furniture, and processed foods.

Michigan's automotive industry is based in and near Detroit, and many reasons have been advanced to account for its establishment in that location. The city long had been noted for the manufacture of carriages, wagons, buggies, bicycles, and marine engines, and it had a large number of skilled and semiskilled labourers and an available supply of investment capital. Other cities, however, offered inducements equal to those of [...]