Michigan

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north-west winds, can fall as low as 47°F. Fully half the area of the state is forested, with mixed deciduous and, in the north, coniferous forests.

History From the early 17th c. French missionaries and fur traders began to move into the territory of Michigan, then inhabited by Algonquin Indians, and in 1686 founded the first European settlement at Sault Ste Marie. The French with their Indian allies were defeated by the British in 1763, and twenty years later, under the Peace of Paris in 1783, the area passed to the United States. In 1794, after repeated bloody clashes, the Indian tribes were finally defeated. Michigan was incorporated as an independent territory in 1805, was occupied by British forces in 1812-13 and was admitted to the Union as the 26th state on January 26th 1837.

Economy Michigan's agriculture produces mainly grain, root crops and soya beans, together with considerable quantities of cattle feed. The most important element in its economy is industry, lying as it does in the "manufacturing belt" of the United States. Thanks to its convenient situation the dominant automobile industry developed in Detroit, together with various associated supply industries. The state's tourist and holiday trade is increasing in importance, thanks to its facilities for winter sports, hiking and other leisure activities. Lakes Michigan and Superior have some of the most beautiful freshwater beaches in North America.