Located in the Midwest of the United States, Michigan is the eighth most populous state in the country with a total population of ten million residents and growing. Surrounded by four out of five great lakes, it has the longest freshwater shoreline in the world. With a staggering total of 12,000 inland lakes, Michigan is the only state to consist entirely of two peninsulas. The two peninsulas are separated by the Straits of Mackinac, a five-mile-wide canal that joins Lake Huron to Lake Michigan.
At the turn of the 20th century the birth of the automotive industry sent Michigan’s economy through a massive change. Henry Ford marked the beginning of a new era in transportation when he opened the first plant in Highland Park. Similar to the steamship and railroad, it was an important development. Transforming citizens’ lives, the automobile industry became the center of economic growth for Detroit and Michigan. Not just having an affect on Michigan, it altered the socio-economic status of the United States and the rest of the world. The second-largest city in Michigan, Grand Rapids is also a center of automotive manufacturing.
When it come to tourism, Michigan has destinations that draw vacationers, hunters, and nature enthusiasts from across the United States and Canada. Tourists spend a total of $17.5 billion per year in the state, supporting 193,000 tourism jobs. Half of the large state is composed of forest land, some of which is quite remote. Thousands of miles of beaches, and beautiful forest areas are top attractions. Another main attraction includes scuba diving. Michigan became a world-class scuba diving destination with its position in relation to the Great Lakes and the many ships that have been used for transportation of goods and services. The Michigan Underwater Preserves are 11 underwater areas where wrecks are protected for the benefit of sport divers. Interested in learning more cool facts about Michigan? Visit our yellowpages online.