Michigan
The Great Lakes State
Climate
Cool, with warm summers and cold, very snowy winters. Average highs are about 82F (28C) in summer and 30F (-1C) in winter, with lots of snow near the Great Lakes.
Main industries
Famous for building cars, with Detroit as the car capital where Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler began. It also grows cherries and makes dairy products.
Top places for tourists
Mackinac Island, where cars are banned and people ride horses and bikes; the Henry Ford Museum near Detroit; and the tall Sleeping Bear Dunes.
Places of interest
Mackinac Island, with its horse carriages and no cars; the Henry Ford Museum; and the huge sand hills of Sleeping Bear Dunes on Lake Michigan.
A little history
Michigan became the 26th state in 1837. Detroit grew into the car-making capital of the world after Henry Ford built his moving assembly line there.
Fun fact
Michigan is shaped like a mitten and touches four of the five Great Lakes, so you are never more than 85 miles from a lake.