Michigan is the 26th state to be admitted in the Union on January 26, 1837. The name Michigan, which is also the name of a lake, comes from the native American Ojibwe tribe mishigama, which means large water or lake. It is bounded by four of the five Great Lakes, which includes Lake Saint Clair, making it home to longest freshwater shoreline in the US. It is also known to have 64,980 inland lakes allowing every person within 10 km from a natural water source. Michigan is the 8th most populated state in the US and is 3rd among the states with the most number of registered boats for recreation.

Michigan is composed of two peninsulas: Lower Peninsula called “the mitten” because of its shape and Upper Peninsula, referred as The U.P. The two peninsulas are separated by the Straits of Mackinac which is an 8 km wide channel that connects Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. The U.P is very important for the state’s thriving tourism industry. Tourists approximately spend $17.5 billion every year which support about 193,000 jobs. The tourism website of Michigan is one of the busiest in the country. Vacationers from all over the US and Canada enjoy the different destinations in the state. Hunters and nature lovers visit Michigan. Its vast forest as well as lakes and beaches are among the top attractions that draw tourists. In addition, big events like the National Cherry Festival and the Tulip Time Festival are good reasons to visit Michigan.