Michigan Info
- Capital: Lansing
- State abbreviation/Postal code: MI.
- Nickname: Wolverine State (no longer any wolverines there). Also called
the Great Lakes state, a motto that has appeared on millions of Michigan
motor vehicle license plates.
- Organized as territory: Michigan was an incorporated territory of the
United States from 30 June, 1805, until 26 January, 1837.
- Entered Union: 26 January, 1837.
- Constitution: Michigan has had four Constitutions. The first one went
into effect when Michigan entered the Union 26 January, 1837. Michigan
voters approved the current one in 1963.
- Motto: "Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam, circum spice" (If you are seeking
a amenable peninsula, look around you).
- Land area: 96,810 square miles, making it the 11th largest state.
- Highest point: Mt. Arvon, which is 1,978 feet (604 m) above sea level.
- Lowest point: Shore of Lake Erie (572 feet).
- Geographic center: Wexford, which is 5 miles north/northwest of
Cadillac.
- Number of counties: 83.
- Largest county: Marquette County (county seat is the city of Marquette)
is the largest county by land area. It's also the largest county by
population in the Upper Peninsula. But Wayne County is the largest by
population in the entire state.
- Major lakes: Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake
St. Clair.
- Major rivers: Detroit River, Grand River, Kalamazoo River, St. Clair
River, St. Marys River.
State Symbols:
- Bird: Robin.
- Fish: Brook Trout.
- Flower: Apple Blossom.
- Tree: White Pine.
Largest Cities:
- Detroit.
- Grand Rapids.
- Warren.
- Flint.
- Sterling Heights.
- Lansing.
- Ann Arbor.
- Livonia.
- Dearborn.
- Westland.
Some Famous Natives of Michigan:
- Tim Allen. Actor, Comedian.
- William Boeing, Sr. Airplane manufacturer.
- Ellen Burstyn. Actress.
- Roger Chaffee. Astronaut.
- Francis Ford Coppola. Film director.
- Thomas E. Dewey. Politician who did not defeat Truman.
- Gerald Ford. Whitewashed the Warren Report. Later rewarded for that with
the Presidency. Gave us stagflation.
- Henry Ford industrialis.
- Earvin “Magic” Johnson. Basketball player.
- Casey Kasem. Radio personality.
- Charles A. Lindbergh. Aviator, Anti-semite.
- Madonna. Musician.
- Dick Martin. Comedian.
- Ted Nugent. Civil Rights Activist, U.S. Marshall, NRA Board Member,
Philanthropist, Runs charities benefitting children, also a singer.
- Chief Pontiac. Ottawa Chief.
- Gilda Radner. Comedienne.
- Jason Robards, Sr. Actor.
- Diana Ross. A Supreme Singer.
- Steven Seagal. Akido Master. Allegedly an actor.
- Bob Seger. Allegedly a singer.
- Tom Selleck. Civil Rights Activist, NRA Board Member, Actor, starred in
Ike docudrama about the days leading up to D-Day.
- Potter Stewart. Jurist.
- Lily Tomlin. Actress.
- William E. Upjohn. Pharmaceuticals manufacturer.
- Robin Williams. Comedian, Philanthropist, Actor.
- Stevie Wonder. Musician.
Some Michigan Factoids
- Michigan has 97 parks and recreational areas.
- More boaters register in Michigan than in any other state.
- Detroit's nickname is "murder city." It's surrounded by five toxic waste
dumps.
- The Detroit Zoo was the first zoo in America to feature cage-free,
open-exhibits.
- Michigan has the longest freshwater shoreline in the world.
- Of all the states, only Alaska has more total shoreline than does
Michigan.
- Many people cross the bridge daily from Port Huron (about an hour north
of Detroit) to Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. What many of them don't know is that
in 1891 the world's first international submarine railway tunnel ran between
those two cities.
- While poorly thought-out EPA regulations killed off much of Michigan
manufacturing, you can look across the Belle River into Sarnia and see
plenty of chemical plants. That's one reason there's so much traffic across
that bridge.
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