Entered Union January 26, 1837 (26th state)
Michigan (10,077,674), Lansing (112,657), Detroit (639,115)
The marble and limestone capitol was originally completed in 1878 using the designs of Elijah E. Myers. It is located on Capitol Avenue at Michigan Avenue. Interstate Highway 496 is five blocks south of the capitol. The Capitol is designed in Renaissance style. The only major supporting structure is the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals building in Lansing. The state was officially created as the 26th state on January 26, 1837 from Native American lands and the Michigan Territory. Detroit was the capital until 1847 when Lansing assumed the role. The state’s name comes from the Native American word meaning “large water.” Lansing is named for Lansing, New York. Detroit is named for the river which is French for the “strait of Lake Erie.” Mount Arvon in Baraga County is the highest point and the lowest point is at Lake Erie.
Michigan government, in the Executive, consists of a Governor, a Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and Secretary of State. There are 38 Senators and 110 Representatives in the Legislative. Seven Supreme Court Justices and 25 Court of Appeals Judges serve Michigan in the Judicial. Michigan is located in the north central part of the United States on the border with Canada. The geographic center is in Wexford County 7 miles west of Cadillac. The state is surrounded clockwise by Canada, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
The area is 96714 square miles. It is 11th largest state in the country. It is the 10th most populated state in the country. It has a density of 104.2 persons per square mile making it 24th in the country. In addition to four of the Great Lakes, its major rivers are the Saint Joseph, the Saint Clair, the Saginaw, the Cheboygan, the Elk, the Grand, the Menominee, and the Iron. Lansing is located in the southern third of the lower peninsula of the state. Detroit is located on the southeast quarter of the lower peninsula of the state.
Click here to link to the Michigan county slideshow
Click below to link to a Michigan county page