The State of Michigan is made up of not one, but two peninsulas, neither of which is connected to the other. The Upper Peninsula and Lower Peninsula, as they are called, are separated by the Straits of Mackinac. The five-mile channel joins Lake Huron on Michigan’s northeast and Lake Michigan on the west. The Lower Peninsula is also bounded by Lake Erie, and the Upper Peninsula is also bounded by Lake Superior. This means that the State of Michigan is surrounded by four of the five Great Lakes, and it is also bordered by Lake St. Clair, giving it the longest freshwater coastline in the United States.

The Michigan economy seems to be dominated by its association with the American auto industry. Ford, General Motors and DaimlerChrysler are all headquartered in Michigan. These companies used to do almost all of their manufacturing in Michigan, providing a wealth of well-paying blue collar jobs to Michigan residents. In the last few decades, the manufacturing jobs have been moved to less expensive locales, but the industry seems to have retained the higher-paying research and development and corporate management jobs in Michigan. Indeed, what Michigan has lost in manufacturing, it has really made up for in research and development. Michigan has strong life sciences and high tech industries that also feed its research and development engine, and the state often ranks second or third nationally in overall research and development expenditures. In addition, Michigan has several deep water ports and a thriving shipping industry as well as robust tourist industry

Because of its association with the auto industry, Detroit, Michigan’s most populous city, came to be called Motown (Motor-Town contracted). However, most Americans more closely associate the word Motown with the eponymous genre of catchy pop-soul music than with the American cars. In 1959, Berry Gordy founded Motown Records (then called Tamala Records) to promote the unique R&B sounds he heard around the city. The company quickly took off on the wings of performers like the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, the Supremes, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Four Tops, Gladys Knight and the Pips, the Jackson Five and the Isley Brothers. During its heyday from 1959 to 1972, Motown Records turned out so many hits that Detroit became known as Hitsville, U.S.A. Even today, that smooth, popular R&B sound still emanates from Motown, producing such notable R&B artists as BoyzIIMen, Erykah Badu, Queen Latifah, India.Arie and Blu Cantrell.

Michigan is home to two icons of American culture, and it is also home to a little over 10 million people, all proud to be a part of America’s heartland. About 80% of Michigan’s population is white, many of whom still identify closely with their Dutch, German and Finnish ancestries. About 15% of the population is African American. About two percent of the population is Asian, mostly Hmong refugees who have relocated from Southeast Asia.

Michigan’s strong and diverse culture, population and economy make it a great place to live, work and play.