Michigan gets its name from an Ojibwa (Chippewa) Indian word meaning "large lake." in 1837, Michigan became the 26th state in the Union. Michigan is one of the nation's leading manufacturing states and it leads in the production of automobiles. Detroit, Michigan's largest city, is called the Automobile Capital of the World or Motor City. Michigan touches four of the five Great Lakes - Erie, Huron, Michigan and Superior. It also has an additional 11,000 smaller lakes. The state's 5,000 kilometer shoreline is longer than that of any other state except Alaska. Michigan has year-round activities for people who enjoy sports and the outdoors. Michigan has an unusual geography, as it consists of two land masses - the sparsely populated Upper Peninsula and the mitten-shaped Lower Peninsula, home to most of the state's residents.

GOVERNMENT
Capital: Lansing
Governor: Jennifer Granholm, D (to Jan. 2007)
Senators: Carl Levin, D (to Jan. 2009); Debbie A. Stabenow, D (to Jan. 2007)
House of Representatives: 15 districts | Search by zip code

ECONOMY
Gross State Product 2001 (in chained 1996 Dollars, billions): 297; National rank: 9
Per Capita Personal Income 2001: $29,788; National Rank: 19 (97% of the national average)
State Exports 2001 (millions of dollars): 32,366; National Rank: 6
Agriculture: Dairy products, cattle, vegetables, hogs, corn, nursery stock, soybeans.
Industry: The largest industries in 2001 were services, durable goods manufacturing, and state and local government.