According to ebizdir, Michigan is one of the states in the USA that is particularly interesting for nature lovers and sporty people. Here you meet a beautiful and natural environment. There are also numerous large lakes and a long freshwater coast, which makes swimming and water sports possible. The Isle Royal National Park and a natural monument are some of the most interesting sights in Michigan and offer a great insight into the landscape and nature.

The great Lake Michigan is of course particularly well-known among the lakes, but there are also a few others that are worth a visit. In addition, there are the numerous small forests and the sometimes very old trees that can be admired in this state. Nevertheless, you don’t have to do without the advantages of cities in Michigan, there are big cities like Detroit where you can go shopping and see great skyscrapers. The sights of the individual cities and some museums round off the cultural and scenic offer and ensure that you can spend a pleasant time in Michigan.

Michigan – key data

Land area: 253,794 sq km (11th place of all US states)

Share of water surface: 40.6%

Population: 10.0 million (2008 estimate, ranked 8th of all states in the United States)

Population density: 39 residents per square kilometer (16th place of all states in the USA)

Member of the United States since: January 26, 1837

Capital: Lansing (114,947 residents, 2008, metropolitan region 454,044 residents)

Largest city: Detroit (916,952 residents, 2008, metropolitan area 4.43 million residents)

Highest point: 603 m, Mount Arvon

Lowest point: 174 m, Lake Erie

Governor: Jennifer Granholm (Democrat)

Lieut. Governor: John D. Cherry (Democrat)

Local time: CET -6 h. From the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November: CET -5 h.
The time difference to Central Europe is -6 h in both winter and summer.

Postal abbreviation: MI

Michigan geography and map

Michigan – State of the Great Lakes

Michigan, located in the American Midwest, has some special features from a geographical point of view. On the one hand, this concerns its division: Michigan is the only US state whose mainland territory is divided into two parts ; in Upper and Lower Michigan.

Another special feature of Michigan is that the state borders four of the five Great Lakes : Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Lake Huron and Lake Erie, and has a total coastline of around 5,310 kilometers. This makes Michigan the state with the longest freshwater coast in the United States and also the state with the most recreational craft. Because of this property, Michigan is also known as the Great Lakes State. Michigan also has a connection to the Atlantic
via Lake Erie and the St. Lawrence River. Also otherwise a water-rich state, Michigan has around 11,000 smaller lakes and numerous rivers. The largest lake is the Houghton in northern Lower Michigan. Major rivers include the Grand River

with a length of about 420 kilometers and the Kalamazoo (267 kilometers). Other rivers are the Saint Clair (64 kilometers) – the border river between the USA and Canada and part of the approximately 3,776 kilometers long St. Lawrence River – and the Detroit River (51 kilometers). This river also forms part of the border between the United States and Canada and supplies drinking water to more than five million people. In Michigan there is also the Saint Joseph River and, last but not least, the Manistee.
One of the impressive waterfalls in the state, which can be found mainly on the upper peninsula, is the Tahquamenon.

The northern part of Michigan, located between Lake Upper and Lake Michigan, is only partially fertile and is made possible by the Superior Upland shaped. The highlands have predominantly granitic bedrock and extend in several mountain ranges running from northeast to southwest to Wisconsin and Minnesota. The upland includes, for example, the Porcupine Mountains and the Gogebic Range and Copper Range.
The lower part of the state and eastern northern Michigan, on the other hand, are dominated by the Great Plains of the Eastern Great Lakes Lowlands. In this predominantly flat to slightly hilly region there are numerous lakes and swamps. Most of the southern peninsula has fertile soils and is used for agriculture.

A few more facts and figures : Michigan covers a total area of ​​approximately 253,794 square kilometers and ranks eleventh in size compared to the other US states. The country’s share covers around 150,505 square kilometers, the water share around 103,289 square kilometers. About 10 percent of the state’s territory is owned by the federal government. Almost half of Michigan’s land is forested. At its greatest extent, Lower Michigan extends approximately 460 kilometers from north to south and 315 kilometers from east to west. Upper Michigan’s largest extension is 525 kilometers in an east-west orientation and about 280 kilometers from north to south.
At its lowest point along Lake Erie, Michigan, which averages 275 meters above sea level, reaches a height of 173 meters. The highest point in the state is Mount Arvon at 603 meters.
Michigan borders Ohio and Indiana to the south and Wisconsin to the southwest. The border with Illinois runs through Lake Michigan and a border with Minnesota runs through Lake Superior. Michigan borders the Canadian province of Ontario in Lake Superior, Lake Huron and Lake Erie – along with connecting waters.

Michigan Landmarks

There are few attractions in Michigan. Tourists come to Michigan mainly for the many thousands of small lakes that offer excellent opportunities for various water sports.
Nevertheless, there are some sights to visit in the direction of culture. So you shouldn’t miss the Mariner’s Church in Detroit. The foundation stone for the Anglican Church was laid in 1842. The church was built in the neo-Gothic style.

Michigan has a number of universities with historical histories. A visit to the Capitol in Lansing is certainly interesting. The building was built between the years 1873 and 1879.

Museum lovers should definitely not miss out on Michigan, as there are a number of museums here.
One of the most interesting would be the African World Museum in Lansing. Also worth a visit is the RE Olds Transportation Museum in the same town. In the museum you can see the first automobile from 1897, manufactured by the automobile factory of Ramson Eli Olds and Frank G. Clark.
The WJ Beal Botanical Garden in Lansing is also not to be missed. This is the oldest botanical garden in all of the United States. It was created in 1873.

The Greenfield Village in Dearborn is an absolute must. Famous buildings in the country were copied here. In Greenfield Village, for example, you can visit the Wright brothers’ bicycle workshop or the first Ford building. You can even see Thomas Alva Edison’s laboratories here.
Anyone interested in the history of the Ford factory should make a detour to the Henry Ford Museum and Green Village.

But nature lovers don’t miss out in Michigan either. The Isle-Royale National Park should not be missed. The Isle Royal is over 80 kilometers long and nine kilometers wide. It is the largest in Lake Superior and one of the smallest national parks in the United States