How well do you know Michigan?
Michigan is a state of two peninsulas surrounded by the Great Lakes. Six questions, from easy to hard, with explanations.
Did you know?
- Michigan's state stone, the Petoskey stone, is fossilized coral about 350 million years old. When wet or polished, it shows a pattern of six-sided shapes, and beachcombers search for it along northern Lake Michigan.
- Battle Creek, Michigan, became known as the Cereal Capital of the World after breakfast cereal companies grew there in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The city still hosts a big breakfast festival.
- Detroit is one of the few US cities where Canada lies to the south. Because the Detroit River bends, Windsor, Ontario, sits directly south of downtown Detroit, so drivers crossing the Ambassador Bridge actually head south into Canada.
The Great Lakes State
Michigan is the only US state made up of two large peninsulas. The mitten-shaped Lower Peninsula holds most of the population, including Detroit, Grand Rapids and Lansing, while the rugged Upper Peninsula is known for forests, waterfalls and long winters. Surrounded by four Great Lakes, Michigan has the longest freshwater coastline of any US state.
A state shaped by water
Glaciers carved Michigan's landscape and left behind thousands of inland lakes. It is often said that no one in Michigan is more than about six miles from a lake or pond, and water shapes everything from its weather to its tourism and industry.
The Upper Peninsula
The U.P. covers nearly a third of Michigan's land but is home to only a small share of its people. Highlights include Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, with colorful sandstone cliffs along Lake Superior, and the wide, amber-colored Tahquamenon Falls.
The Soo Locks
At Sault Ste. Marie, the Soo Locks lift and lower ships about 21 feet between Lake Superior and the lower lakes. They allow huge freighters carrying iron ore and grain to travel through the Great Lakes system.
Fruit country
Lake Michigan's waters keep nearby land cooler in spring and warmer in fall, protecting fruit trees from frost. This 'lake effect' helps western Michigan grow cherries, apples, blueberries and grapes.
Dunes and shorelines
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore features sand bluffs rising hundreds of feet above Lake Michigan. According to an Anishinaabe legend, the dunes and two nearby islands tell the story of a mother bear and her two cubs.
Island wilderness
Isle Royale is one of the most remote national parks in the contiguous US, reachable only by boat or seaplane. It closes in winter, and its isolation makes it an ideal natural laboratory for scientists.
Four seasons outdoors
Michigan's lakes and forests draw visitors all year. Summer brings swimming and boating, fall brings bright autumn colors across the northern forests, and winter is popular for snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and ice fishing on frozen inland lakes.