A Little About Michigan
How Michigan became known as "the Wolverine State" is unclear. It is not even known if wolverines were ever present in Michigan, and if they were, there are not many of them (aside from the Wolverines sports teams at the University of Ann Arbor, Michigan). Known for being vicious and destructive, the wolverine was an animal the Indians had traditionally disliked intensely. Some believe that when settlers moved into Michigan in the 1830s and started taking the Indians' land, the Indians began calling these settlers "wolverines" because it made them think of how the gluttonous wolverine went after its food.
Other people believe that Ohioans gave Michigan the nickname "The Wolverine State" during the Toledo War of 1835-1836. It was a largely bloodless dispute over the Toledo strip, a piece of land along the border between Ohio and Michigan. Ohioans described Michiganites as being as vicious and bloodthirsty as wolverines.
Rest assured, the residents of Michigan are not wild and savage animals. Nor is the state just an automobile factory. Rather, the people are down to earth with both city and outdoor activity at their disposal. Colleges and universities in Michigan offer a great education while offering plenty of fun in an affordable Winter Water Wonderland.
Michigan is a state with vast forests, extensive stretches of farmland, large cities and small towns. Also, in addition to being surrounded by the Great Lakes, Michigan has 11,000 inland lakes as well. There are fewer places in the country better for boating, fishing, swimming, or simply taking in beautiful shoreline scenery than Michigan. Also, as the home of the tenth largest city in the United States, and the eight largest metropolitan area, Michigan is also the birthplace of automobile industry, assembly line production, and of music genres like Motown and techno. Michigan and its larger cities such as Detroit boomed and expanded into a major industrial region in the twentieth century, and has become a hub of big business and culture, contrast and diversity, making Michigan a destination for students.
Michigan's name is derived from Lake Michigan, which in turn is believed to come from the Chippewa Indian word meicigama, meaning "great water." The great water surrounding Michigan shapes and defines it. Bounded by four of the Great Lakes (Erie, Huron, Michigan, and Superior) Michigan has the longest freshwater shoreline in the continental United States. In addition, The Great Lakes divide the state into two peninsulas: the Upper Peninsula ("The U.P.") and the Lower Peninsula. The five-mile-long Mackinac Bridge connects the two peninsulas, making it the third longest suspension bridge in the world.
Endless miles of the Great Lake shoreline offer countless boating and fishing possibilities, not to mention plenty of summertime beaches. The state has a thriving tourist industry, drawing hunters and nature enthusiasts from across the United States and Canada.
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