Michigan in figures, data and facts
- Area: 250,494 km2 (of which 147,121 km2 land and 103,372 km2 water area)
- Population: 9,928,300 (2016, estimated)
- Member of the United States since: January 26, 1837
- Time zone: UTC -5 / -4
- Highest point: Mount Arvon (603 meters)
- Lowest point: Lake Erie (174 meters)
- Average height: 275 meters
- Capital: Lansing
- Flag: dark blue background with the seal of the state
- State motto: Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam, circumspice (If you are looking for a lovely peninsula, look around)
- Telephone code: 231, 248, 269, 313, 517, 586, 616, 679, 734, 810, 906, 947, 989
- Languages: US English
Michigan’s economy – more than just auto manufacturing
According to simplyyellowpages, Michigan’s economic output was $ 487 billion in 2016, making the Mitten State 13th among the US states in terms of economic output. Agriculture and mining are of paramount importance to Michigan’s economy, despite the fact that Upper Michigan’s soils are poorly or not fertile. They come from glacial deposits and are gray-brownish and acidic. The climate in Upper Michigan is also hardly suitable for growing crops.
Not so in Lower Michigan. The soils there are sometimes very fertile. Michigan is a leader in the production of cherries and apples, but dairy products, corn, soybeans, and cattle are also important agricultural products. In western Upper Michigan, in particular, the focus is on the timber industry for producing paper.
Michigan is rich in natural resources. There are abundant deposits of ores, natural gas, petroleum, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, cement and copper. Gravel, peat, silver and potash are also extracted. Salt is also mined in Wolverine State.
But anyone who talks about Michigan’s economy must of course also talk about cars. The Mitten State is a leader in the manufacture of passenger vehicles. Well-known companies such as Chrysler, General Motors and Ford have their headquarters there. Important centers of the automotive industry are Detroit, Flint, Lansing and Pontiac.
Engines and construction machinery, breweries, chemical and pharmaceutical products are also of economic importance. In the service sector, tourism comes first.
Again and again it comes up that a separate currency should be introduced for Michigan. However, it is unlikely that there will actually be a move away from the US dollar.
The Mitten State has a well-developed infrastructure
Michigan’s infrastructure is well developed, with a wide network of highways allowing the state to be explored over 189,000 kilometers by car. 1890 kilometers of this are on interstate highways.
Most goods are transported overland by rail over the approximately 4,000 kilometers long rail network, as many of the state’s rivers are not navigable by appropriate ships. The sea route plays a role on the coasts of the Great Lakes. Important port cities for import and export are Calcite and Escanaba. There is a connection to the Atlantic via the Sault-Saint-Marie canals and the Saint-Clair and Detroit rivers, which connect the Huron and Erie lakes. Michigan has a total of 38 deep water harbors.
Those traveling to Michigan by plane are expected to arrive at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, one of the largest international airports in the United States, in the Middle State.
Michigan’s story
It was probably 1622 when the first white man reached the area of today’s Michigan in the area of the Upper Lake. The French explorer and ranger Étienne Brûle and his companion Grenoble followed in 1668 the first permanent European establishment in Sault Ste. Marie founded by Jesuits. In 1701 the Fort Pontcartrain du Détroit outpost was built in what is now Detroit.
But around 60 years later, French rule ended. With the Peace of Paris in 1763, the area of today’s Michigan passed to the British and was administered as part of the province of Quebec. For at least twenty years until the lower peninsula was ceded to the United States in the Second Peace of Paris in 1783. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan became part of the United States only a short time later. In 1787, the entire area of what is now Michigan belonged to the Northwest Territory, from which the Indiana Territory was separated in 1800 and the Michigan Territory from this in 1805.
In the British-American War of 1812, parts of Michigan came under British occupation again, until they were finally forced to retreat by the Americans at the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813. At that time, the battle of the Thames River also broke the resistance of the Indians.
The 1830s were marked by an economic boom, albeit one financed by debt. In 1835 the Toledo War broke out between the Michigan Territory and the State of Ohio over the city of Toledo. And after Michigan held its first constituent assembly that year, it became the 26th state in the United States in 1837. Three years later, the national debt had risen further and the state was ultimately bankrupt. Lansing has been the capital of the Middle States since 1847.
The 10 largest cities in Michigan
- Detroit (713,777)
- Grand Rapids (188,040)
- Warren (134,056)
- Sterling Heights (129,699)
- Lansing (114,297)
- Ann Arbor (113,934)
- Flint (102,434)
- Dearborn (98,153)
- Livonia (96,942)
- Westland (84,094)
