Welcome to Michigan
"The Great Lakes State" Michigan is surrounded by four of the five great lakes, so it's no wonder the state's name is a French appropriation of the Objibwe term mishigama, meaning large water. The state also boasts almost 65,000 inland lakes and is a haven for boating and water-sports enthusiasts. But while Michiganders love their boats, their economy has been built on the car. Michigan's largest city, Detroit, is the auto-manufacturing epicenter of the U.S. But the industry is in such trouble that in 2008 the federal government had to bail it out for fear of massive corporate failures. By early 2009, Michigan's unemployment rate had risen to 14.1 percent, the highest in the country. Still, Michigan is about more than the Motor City. Many suburban companies specialize in emerging technologies like nanotechnology and hydrogen fuel cell production, and Michigan is second only to California in its diversity of agricultural production. Indeed, innovation and diversification will have to be part of Michigan's plan if the state wants to bounce back economically. Fortunately, tourists still flock to the Great Lakes State to enjoy its plentiful natural charms. As the state motto goes, when in Michigan, "If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you." State Name: Michigan State Nickname: "The Great Lakes State" State Motto: Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam Circumspice ("If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you") Name for Residents: Michigander, Michiganian  Abbreviation: MI Time Zone:    Most of state: Eastern, GMT/UTC -5 / -4 (Daylight Savings Time)    Four Upper Peninsula Counties: Central, GMT/UTC -6 / -5 (DST) Capital City: Lansing Date of Statehood: January 26, 1837  Statehood Rank: 26th State Area: 97,990 square miles (253,793 km²) Area Rank: 11 of 50 Number of Counties: 83 State Population: 10,003,422 (2008 estimate) Largest Cities:     Detroit - 916,952 (2007)     Grand Rapids - 193,627 (2007)     Warren - 134,223 (2007) Major Rivers:     St. Marys River - Length: 120 mi (74.5 km)     St. Clair River - Length: 39 mi (64 km)     Detroit River - Length: 32 mi (51 km) Highest Point: Mount Arvon, 1,979 ft (603 m) Lowest Point: Lake Erie, 574 ft (174 m) Bordering States and Countries:     Canada (North, Northeast, and East)     Ohio (South and Southeast)     Indiana (South and Southwest)     Illinois (Southwest)     Wisconsin (West)     Minnesota (Northwest) Record High Temperature:     112°F (44°C)     July 13, 1936 at Mio Record Low Temperature:     -51°F (-46°C)     February 9, 1934 at Vanderbilt
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	Author: World Trade Press