Picturesque routes, rugged cliffs, breathtaking landscapes, views of the starry sky and a rich culture. The Great Lakes State, which consists of two peninsulas, is particularly popular with athletes and nature lovers and offers numerous unique attractions and extensive recreational opportunities on the coastal areas of the Great Lakes. In the Indian language, the word Michigan means “great lake”. The European settlers and later the founding fathers of the USA adopted the term.
Popular travel destinations in the US state with the longest freshwater coast, also known as Wolverine State, Mitten State and Water Winter Wonderland, include Traverse City, Mackinac Island and of course Detroit. But there is also much else to discover in Michigan.
Geographical location and extent of the middle state
According to a2zcamerablog, Michigan is located in the northeast of the United States and, with Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Superior and Lake Erie, makes up four of the five Great Lakes, resulting in a total coastline of 5310 kilometers. The second longest coastline in the United States after Alaska. There are also more than 11,000 smaller lakes, of which Houghton Lake is the largest. The longest river is the Grand River. Other important rivers are the Kalamazoo, the Manistee, the Saint Clair, the Detroit and the Saint Joseph, waterways that allow goods to be shipped from Michigan all over the world, with access to the Atlantic via Lake Erie and St. Lawrence -Current is done.
The Water Winter Wonderland is the only state in the United States that is divided into two parts. Lake Michigan is located between these two parts. The upper part in turn is divided into a northern part with Lake Michigan in the south and Lake Superior in the east and a western part, the Superior Upland. This highland with granitic rock bedrock consists of several mountain ranges that run from the northeast to the southwest and to Wisconsin and Minnesota range in the west. There are greater elevation differences in the Porcupine Mountains, Gogebic Range, and Copper Range than in any other part of the state. The highest point of the Middle State is Mount Arvon in the Huron Mountains near Lake Superior. In the Upper Lake is also the Isle Royale, which despite its proximity to Canada also belongs to Michigan.
The southern part of the state is known as Lower Michigan and extends from Lake Michigan in the west to Lake Huron in the east. It is the larger part of Wolverine State in terms of area and, together with the eastern part of Upper Michigan, belongs to the Eastern Great Lakes Lowland. This flat to hilly lowland was created as a result of glaciers that covered the land during the Ice Ages. There are hardly any noticeable differences in altitude in Lower Michigan. The lowest point is Lake Erie. Most of the people live in the southern third of Lower Michigan.
Michigan borders Ohio and Indiana to the south and Wisconsin to the southwest. A border with Illinois (Chicago) and Lake Superior with Minnesota are also formed over Lake Michigan. There is also a border with the Canadian province of Ontario through Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and the respective connecting waters.
A climate unique in the USA
Michigan’s climate is very different from anywhere else in the United States due to its location on the Great Lakes and also different from its neighboring states. It is a humid, continental climate in a cool, temperate climate zone. The temperature differences are small for a continental country, which can be explained by the influence of the Great Lakes. However, Upper and Lower Michigan have different climates.
Upper Michigan has a cooler, Nordic climate with mild summers and severe winters. There is no frost there only on 60 to 120 days. The average temperatures in the north of Upper Michigan are 4.3 degrees. The warmest month is July with 18 degrees. It is coldest with an average of minus 10 degrees in January and February. The average annual precipitation in Upper Michigan is 869 mm and is spread over the entire year.
In contrast, lower Michigan has a mild climate with an average of 180 to 240 frost-free days. In Detroit, which is located in southeastern Lower Michigan, the average annual temperature is 10 degrees. The warmest month in Lower Michigan is July with 24 degrees, the coldest month is January with an average of minus 5 degrees. All in all, it is on average always around five degrees warmer in Lower Michigan than in Upper Michigan. Rainfall is also slightly lower in Lower Michigan, at 691 mm per year.
Michigan’s population
The Middle State had 9,883,640 residents in the 2010 national census. Of these, 76.6 percent were whites, 14.2 percent African American, 0.6 percent Native American, and 2.4 percent Asian. 4.4 percent of the population said they were Hispanic.
Most of Michigan’s religious residents are Catholics, followed by members of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, the second largest Lutheran church in the United States. The United Methodist Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America are also important.
Michigan is the only state in the United States with a population decline.
Hot spots for Democrats and Republicans
Both Democrats and Republicans have their place in Michigan. Each region has its own political culture and the election campaign is shaped by the tension between the industrial metropolitan areas around Detroit and Flint and the rural areas of Michigan to the north and west. Detroit is considered a democratic stronghold, but in the affluent suburbs of the metropolis, people tend to vote Republican. Michigan is seen as an essential swing state for the 2020 presidential election.
