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Michigan was the 26th
state in the USA;
it became a state on January 26, 1837.
State
Abbreviation - MI
State Capital - Lansing
Largest City - Detroit
Area - 96,810 square miles [Michigan is the
11th biggest
state in the USA]
Population -
9,938,444
(as of 2000) [Michigan is the eighth most populous state in the USA, after
California,
New York,
Texas,
Florida,
Illinois,
Pennsylvania
and Ohio]
Major Industries - car manufacturing,
farming (corn, soybeans, wheat), timber, fishing
Major Rivers - Detroit River, Grand River,
Kalamazoo River, St. Clair River, St. Marys River
Major Lakes - Lake Michigan, Lake Superior,
Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake St. Clair
Highest Point - Mt. Arvon - 1,978 feet (604
m) above sea level
Bordering States -
Wisconsin,
Ohio,
Indiana,
Minnesota
(across Lake Superior)
Bordering Country -
Canada
Origin of the Name Michigan - Michigan is
from an Algonquian Chippewa Indian word "meicigama" that means "big sea wate"
(referring to the Great Lakes). State Nickname
- Wolverine State
State Motto - "Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam,
circum spice" [If you are seeking a amenable (pleasant) peninsula, look around
you]
State Song - Michigan, My Michigan
Michigan State Symbols and Emblems:
| State Flag
 Michigan's official
flag was adopted in 1911. The flag has a deep blue background and pictures
an elk and
moose around a blue shield labeled "TUEBOR," meaning "I will defend."
The shield pictures a man with a raised hand and a gun, a rising sun, a
peninsula and lakes (representing
Michigan's geography). Over the shield is a
bald eagle (holding an olive branch and a sheaf of three arrows) and a
red ribbon reading "E PLURIBUS UNUM" (which is the motto of the U.S.A. and
means "Out of Many, One" - this refers to the states of the United States
being united into one country). Under everything lie two white ribbons that
read "SI QUAERIS PENINSULAM AMOENAM" and "CIRCUM SPICE," which means, "If
you are seeking a amenable (pleasant) peninsula, look around you." |
Animal Symbols:
Plant Symbols:
| State Flower
Apple blossom
|
State Wildflower
Dwarf Lake Iris
|
State Tree
White pine |
Earth Symbols:
| State Stone
Petoskey Stone |
State Gem
Chlorastrolite
("green star stone") |
State Soil
Kalkaska sand
Unique to Michigan, this black to yellowish brown sand is found on both
peninsulas. |
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