State in the Midwestern United States - Michigan

Michigan

Michigan

 

• State in the Midwestern United States, part of a group of states of Northeast Center. The 26th state in the Union. Capital - Lansing. Largest city - Detroit, other major cities - Grand Rapids, Warren, Flint, Sterling Heights, Ann Arbor, Wayne.
• Population - 9,876,187 people (8th place in the U.S., 2011 data).

Flower symbol since 1897 - apple blossoms.

 

Official nickname:

 

• • The Great Lakes State (State of the Great Lakes);
• • The Wolverine State (Wolverine State);
• • The Automotive State (State Road);
• • Water-Winter Wonderland (Country Water-Winter Wonderland)

History

 

• For several centuries the territory of Michigan was inhabited by Indian tribes . By the time the Europeans arrived here inhabited by Indian tribes Ojibwa ( Chippewa ) , Ottawa, Potawatomi, and Huron . The first European who visited the Upper Peninsula , was Etienne Brule ( 1622 ) . In 1668, Jesuit missionary Jacques Marquette founded the first settlement of Sault Ste Marie. In 1679 , Robert La Salle realized yes building the first European sailing vessel on Lake Superior .
• In 1701, the French officer and explorer Antoine Cadillac founded Fort Pontchartrain around Fort Detroit (named after the then French Prime Minister , Felipe Louis , Comte de Pontchartrain ) .
• In the middle of the XVIII century, the province has moved from the French to the British in the War of the French and Indian . Posleamerikanskoy War of Independence, Michigan became part of the Northwest Territories . In 1794, American troops defeated the Indians at the Battle of fallen trees and under the contract Jay had gained control of several forts .
• In 1805, the Michigan Territory was created . During the Anglo -American War of 1812-1815 years she was temporarily in the hands of the British. In the 1830s there was a massive influx of immigrants , coupled with the creation of the Erie Canal , road infrastructure , and the development of agriculture and mining .

 

 

• In 1835 was signed by the state constitution , but because of a territorial dispute with Ohio Michigan has joined the Union lish26 January 1837 . Became the first governor of the state in 1835, Stevens Mason.
• In the Civil War on the side of northerners involved 23% of the male population of Michigan ( more than 90 thousand people), about 14 thousand of them died .
• In 1903, the factory was founded by Henry Ford's assembly-line production of cars. In 1926 , General Motorspostavila record industry , bringing annual sales to $ 1 billion

  
 
Geography  

 

• Michigan is surrounded by four of the five Great Lakes , 41.3 % of its area is occupied by a body of water , and the territory itself consists of two peninsulas - the Lower and Upper , connected by a bridge Mackinaw (Mackinac Bridge), as well as many islands . Because shapes, Lower Peninsula is sometimes called " mitten ."
• The north and east borders with Michigan Canadian province of Ontario waters of Lakes Superior and Huron, joined St. Mary's River . Land plot Ontario border runs along the Huron River flowing from the St. Clair flows into Lake St. Clair , and flowing from St. Clair Detroit River , which flows into Lake Erie . In the south - the border with the states of Ohio and Indiana. West - Lower Peninsula is bordered by the waters of Lake Michigan Illinois and Wisconsin and Upper - land and water with the Wisconsin Lake Superior - with Minnesota .

• The total coastline State has a length of 5.2 sq km (the highest figure among the continental states). Michigan is located on the territory of more than 11,000 inland lakes, which significantly affects the climate of the state.

The racial makeup

 

• White - 78.9%
• • German origin - 22.3%
• • Irish descent - 11.9%
• • English origin - 10.1%
• • Polish origin - 9%
• • French and French Canadian descent - 6.7%
• • Dutch origin - 5.1%
• • Italian origin - 4.7%
• • African Americans - 14.2%
• • Indians - 0.6%
• • Asians - 2.4%
• • Other races: 1.5%
• • Mixed race: 2.3%

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