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The state of Michigan is surrounded by five "Great Lakes",
three of which are depicted in the above map. They are Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake
Huron, Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Michigan also has over 11,000 inland lankes. The name
of the state is derived from a Native American word (Chippewa) "Michigamme",
which translated into English means "land of big water." Michigan has also had
the nicknames of the Great Lake State and the Water Wonderland. Michigan has more pleasure
boat registrations than any other state. Michigan became a state on January 26, 1837. The
capitol of Michigan is Lansing and the largest city is Detroit. If you are seeking
historical information about Michigan, one of the best sites on the internet is
The Michigan Historical Center.
Probably the best site on the internet for Detroit history is The History of Detroit from 1701-2001.
And finally if you are interested in Michigan's political history the University of
Michigan's site at The
Bentley Historical Library is the best resource around.
LINKS TO MICHIGAN
SYMBOLS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Michigan State Motto
The Story of the Great Seal
of Michigan
All About the Robin - Michigan's State Bird
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
Michigan State
Flower - The Michigan state flower was thought to proliferate through the
efforts of Johnny Appleseed. He was born John Chapman in Leominster in 1775, at
the time of independence. Chapman gained fame and his nickname because of the
apple trees he planted in rural areas beyond Massachusetts. The apple blossom is
the state flower in Arkansas and Michigan,
two of the far flung states that received his apple seedlings.
 This White Pine became Michigan's State Tree on March
4, 1955. The 1970 painting by Michigan artist Liza Gubbins hung for awhile
in the State Capitol in memory of State Representative Holly F. Hubble of Saginaw, who
served in the legislature from 1951 to 1960. It was transferred to the Michigan Historical
Museum in 1996.
The Brook Trout is the Michigan
State Fish
The Michigan
State Gem - the "Greenstone" or "Isle Royale Greenstone"
The Michigan State Stone - the "Petoskey Stone"
In 1990, KALKASKA SAND was chosen as the state soil. First
identified asa soil type in 1927,Kalkaska sand ranges in color from black to
yellowish brown. It is one of more than 500 soils found in the state. Unique to Michigan,
Kalkaska sand covers nearly a million acres in 29 Upper and Lower Peninsula counties
In 1995, the PAINTED TURTLE(Chysemys picta)
was chosen asthe state reptile after a group of Niles fifth-graders discovered
that Michigan did not have a state reptile.
 
 In 1997, the WHITE-TAILED DEER(Odocoileus virginianus) was
designated the state game mammal after the successful lobbying efforts of agroup of
Zeeland fourth graders. Found in every Michigan county, the white-tailed deer is an
important natural and economic resource.
In 1998, the DWARF LAKE IRIS (Iris lacustris) was
designated as the state wildflower. Native to the state, the endangered flower grows along
the northern shorelines of Lakes Michigan and Huron.
In 2002, the MASTODON (Mammut americanum) became the state
fossil. Fossils of the prehistoric mammal have been found in more than 250 locations in
the state.
According to the 2000
Census, the population of Michigan is 9,938,444 (8th). The cities with the largest
population:
| 1 |
Detroit |
951,270 |
| 2 |
Grand Rapids |
197,800 |
| 3 |
Warren |
138,247 |
| 4 |
Flint |
124,943 |
| 5 |
Sterling Heights |
124,471 |
| 6 |
Lansing |
119,128 |
| 7 |
Ann Arbor |
114,024 |
| 8 |
Livonia |
100,545 |
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