Portal:Michigan
The Michigan Portal
Michigan (
/ˈmɪʃɨgən/ (help·info)) is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Ojibwe term mishigami, meaning "large water" or "large lake". Michigan is the eighth most populous state in the United States. It has the longest freshwater shoreline in the world, bounded by four of the five Great Lakes, plus Lake Saint Clair. In 2005, Michigan ranked third for the number of registered recreational boats, behind California and Florida. Michigan has 12,000 inland lakes. A person is never more than six miles (9.7 km) from a natural water source, or more than 85 miles (137 km) from Great Lakes coastline.
The state is the only state to consist entirely of two peninsulas. The Lower Peninsula of Michigan, to which the name Michigan was originally applied, is sometimes dubbed "the mitten," owing to its shape. When asked where in Michigan one comes from, a resident of the Lower Peninsula may often point to the corresponding part of his or her hand. The Upper Peninsula (often referred to as The U.P.) is separated from the Lower Peninsula by the Straits of Mackinac, a five-mile-wide (8.0 km) channel that joins Lake Huron to Lake Michigan. The Upper Peninsula (whose residents are often called "Yoopers") is economically important for tourism and natural resources. The Upper and Lower Peninsulas are connected by the five-mile-wide (8.0 km) Mackinac Bridge, which is the third longest suspension bridge between anchorages in the world. The bridge has given rise to the nickname of "trolls" for residents of the Lower Peninsula, because they live "under" (south of) the bridge.
Selected article
/ˈmækɨnɔː/ MAK-i-naw) is an island covering 3.8 square miles (10 km2) in land area, belonging to the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in Lake Huron, at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, between the state's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The island was home to a Native American settlement before European exploration began in the 17th century. It served a strategic position amidst the commerce of the Great Lakes fur trade. This led to the establishment of Fort Mackinac on the island by the British during the American Revolutionary War. It was the scene of two battles during the War of 1812. In the late 19th century, Mackinac Island became a popular tourist attraction and summer colony. Much of the island has undergone extensive historical preservation and restoration; as a result, the entire island is listed as a National Historic Landmark. It is well known for its numerous cultural events; its wide variety of architectural styles, including the famous Victorian Grand Hotel; and its ban on almost all motor vehicles. More than 80 percent of the island is preserved as Mackinac Island State Park.
Selected biography
Henry Benjamin "Hank" Greenberg (January 1, 1911, New York, New York – September 4, 1986), nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank," was an American professional baseball player in the 1930s and 1940s. A first baseman primarily for the Detroit Tigers, Greenberg was one of the premier power hitters of his generation. He hit 58 home runs in 1938, equalling Jimmie Foxx's 1932 mark, as the most in one season by any player between 1927--when Babe Ruth set a record of 60--and 1961--when Roger Maris surpassed it. He was a five-time All-Star, was twice named the American League's Most Valuable Player, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1956. Greenberg was also one of the first Jewish superstars in American professional sports. He garnered national attention in 1934 when he refused to play baseball on Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement, even though the Tigers were in the middle of a pennant race.
Categories
Selected picture
Grand Circus Park Historic District contains the five acre Grand Circus Park in downtown Detroit, Michigan that connects the theatre district with its financial center. It is bisected by Woodward Avenue, four blocks north of Campus Martius Park, and is roughly bounded by Clifford, John R. and Adams Streets.
Spotlight city
Traverse City is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 14,532. In 2005, the Traverse City Micropolitan Statistical Area was the 13th largest in the United States, with a population estimate of 141,011. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion lies in Leelanau County. Despite its modest population, Traverse City, especially its downtown, functions as the major commercial center for a seven-county area totaling over 7,000 km² and, along with cross-peninsula counterpart Alpena, is one of Northern Lower Michigan's two anchor cities.
Traverse City is the self-proclaimed Cherry Capital of the World, holding an annual week-long Cherry Festival the first full week in July to celebrate. Besides cherries, the surrounding countryside produces grapes, and is one of the centers of wine production in the Midwest. Tourism, both summer and winter, is another key industry. Freshwater beaches, a mild summer climate, upscale golf resorts, vineyards, a nearby National Lakeshore, nearby ski resorts and thousands of square miles of surrounding forests make Traverse City (based on AAA's 2005 TripTik® requests) the second most popular tourist city in the state behind Mackinaw City.
Symbols
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| The Flag of Michigan | |
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| The Seal of Michigan | |
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| Animate insignia | |
| Bird | American Robin (Turdus migratorius) |
| Fish | Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) |
| Flower | Apple blossom (Malus domestica) |
| Game animal | White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) |
| Mammal | Wolverine (Gulo gulo luscus) (unofficial) |
| Reptile | Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) |
| Tree | Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) |
| Wildflower | Dwarf Lake Iris (Iris lacustris) |
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| Fossil | Mastodon (Mammut americanum) |
| Gemstone | Isle Royale greenstone or Chlorastrolite |
| Motto | "Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice" Latin for "If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you" |
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| Soil | Kalkaska Sand |
| Songs | My Michigan |
| Stone | Petoskey stone |
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| State Quarter | |
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| Released in 2004 | |
Lists
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- U.S. Senators
- Mayors of Detroit
- Mayors of Grand Rapids
- Mayors of Lansing
- Mayors of Saginaw
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- People
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- Transportation
- Other
Topics
Things you can do
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- De-redlink: List of Michigan rivers, Islands of Michigan
- Photographs: Requested photographs in Michigan
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Related pages
Wikimedia
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Michigan on Wikinews News |
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Michigan on Commons Images |
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Michigan on Wiktionary Dictionary |
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