Michigan Featured Real Estate Market Areas and Agents
Michigan, located in the aptly named Great Lakes Region of the United States, derives its name from the original Ojibwa Indian word Michigama which means large lake. It is surrounded by the US states of Ohio, Indiana, and Wisconsin, and borders Canada. Sometimes known as the Wolverine State, Michigan ranks 10th amongst the largest states in the Union, in terms of combined area, both land and water. Michigan attained statehood in 1837, becoming the 26th state, with its capital at Detroit. The capital was then changed to Lansing in 1847.
The largest cities in Michigan, in terms of population, are Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren, Sterling Heights, Lansing, and Ann Arbor. Geographically, Michigan is the only American state that is made up entirely of a couple of peninsulas. The Upper and Lower Michigan Peninsulas are separated by the channel of water that the great lakes of Huron and Michigan, called the Straits of Mackinac. The climate of Michigan State is continental although the state is divided into two distinct climatic regions. Southern and Central Lower Peninsula is warmer with fairly hot summers and fairly cold winters. On the other hand, northern Lower Peninsula, and all of Upper Peninsula is more severe climatically. The state also experiences an average of about seventeen tornadoes every year, especially in the southern portion.
The major industries of Michigan State are manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism. The state is truly the automotive capital, being the birthplace of the Big Three of American automakers General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford. Even today, Michigan contributes 23% of the total U.S. production of vehicles. In addition, Michigan produces as much as 50% of the national production of office furniture systems, and ranks fourth in plastics shipments. The state is also the fourth in terms of the biggest high-tech employers in USA. In addition, there are oil and gas fields in as many as 64 of the 83 counties. As of 2008, the wellhead values of their production stood at over $2 billion. Tourism is also increasingly adding to the state economy. Once only a summer activity, supplemented by hunting during fall, tourism in modern Michigan State is a thriving, yearlong industry. From skiing, skating, and other snow activities in winter, to fishing in spring, to the traditional summer activities, not to mention historic and natural landmarks for sight seeing, Michigan has it all.
The state is well connected, with the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport being the busiest airport in the state, supplemented by the services out of the Gerald R. Ford International Airport located in Grand Rapids. Michigan is also home to a number of major league professional sports teams, such as the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, Detroit Red Wings, and Detroit Pistons. It is also renowned as the birthplace of Serena Williams, multiple Grand Slam champion.
