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'''Michigan''' is a [[U.S. state]] located in the [[Great Lakes region (North America)|Great Lakes Region]] of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the [[Anishinaabe language|Ojibwa]] word ''mishigamaa'', meaning "large water" or "large lake".<ref name="MiB-pdf">{{cite web|url=http://www.michigan.gov/documents/hal_lm_MiB_156795_7.pdf |title=Michigan in Brief: Information About the State of Michigan |accessdate=2006-11-28 |format=PDF |publisher=Michigan.gov}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freelang.net/online/ojibwe.php?lg=gb|title=Freelang Ojibwe Dictionary |publisher=Freelang.net}}</ref>  Michigan is the [[List of U.S. states and territories by area|11th most extensive]] and the [[List of U.S. states and territories by population|8th most populous]] of the [[50 United States]].

Michigan has the longest freshwater coastline of any political subdivision in the world, being bounded by four of the five [[Great Lakes]], plus [[Lake Saint Clair (North America)|Lake Saint Clair]].<ref name="NOAA-CRM">{{cite web|url=http://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/mystate/mi.html |title=NOAA Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management: My State: Michigan |publisher=Coastalmanagement.noaa.gov |date= |accessdate=2010-07-25}}</ref> Michigan is one of the leading U.S. states for [[recreational boat]]ing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.insurancesalesman.com/life/michigan-life-insurance.htm |title=Michigan Life Insurance |publisher=InsuranceSalesman.com |date= |accessdate=2011-03-18}}</ref>  The state has 64,980 inland lakes and ponds.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.michigandnr.com/PUBLICATIONS/PDFS/ifr/ifrlibra/technical/reports/2004-2tr.pdf |title=Compilation of Databases on Michigan Lakes |accessdate=2009-04-18 |format=PDF |publisher=MichiganDNR.com}}</ref>  A person in the state is never more than {{convert/spell|6|mi|km}} from a natural water source or more than {{convert|85|mi|km}} from a Great Lakes shoreline.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.michigan.gov/som/0,1607,7-192-29938_30245-67959--,00.html |title=Michigan's State Facts |accessdate=1 January 2010  |publisher=State of Michigan}}</ref> It is the largest state by total area<ref>''I.e.'', including water that is part of state territory.  [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] is the largest state by land area east of the Mississippi.</ref> east of the [[Mississippi River]].

Michigan is the only state to consist of two [[peninsulas]]. The [[Lower Peninsula of Michigan|Lower Peninsula]], to which the name Michigan was originally applied, is often noted to be shaped like a mitten. The [[Upper Peninsula of Michigan|Upper Peninsula]] (often referred to as "The U.P.") is separated from the Lower Peninsula by the [[Straits of Mackinac]], a {{convert/spell|5|mi|km|0|adj=on}} channel that joins [[Lake Huron]] to [[Lake Michigan]]. The two peninsulas are connected by the [[Mackinac Bridge]]. The Upper Peninsula is economically important due to its status as a tourist destination. There is also a variety of natural resources to be found there, including a sizable amount of iron ore.

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