The state has two pieces, a peninsula between Lake Michigan on the west and Lakes Huron and Erie on the east, and Upper Michigan, a peninsula between Lake Superior on the north and Lakes Michigan and Huron to the south. The larger peninsula is separated from Ontario's peninsula by waterways, including Lake St. Clair, that are part of the St. Lawrence River system. Upper Michigan is separated from the lower state by the Strait of Mackinac.
The entire lower state and the eastern half of Upper Michigan lies within the Eastern Lake Section of the Central Lowland of the Interior Plains. Western Upper Michigan is part of the Superior Upland of the Lawrentian Upland or Canadian Shield.
This states is in the part of North America in which English-speakers and Christians are the majority.
Detroit, Michigan, sits on the west side of the waters connecting Lakes Huron and Erie, and is the continent's center for automobile manufacturing. Its metropolitan area extends across to the end of the Ontario Peninsula of Canada.
Except near Lake Erie, Michigan was previously populated by Algonquian speaking people, notably the Potawatomi. Pontiac, an Ottawa, led a resistance religion and war against European invaders, which spread through the Great Lakes area and the Ohio Valley.
The French were the first Europeans in the area, traveling by waterways. The English-speakers claimed the area after the United Kingdom defeated France, and subsequently violently displaced the indiginous inhabitants.
north
east
south of Lower Michigan
west of the southwest corner of Lower Michigan, across Lake Michigan
southwest of Upper Michigan and west, across Lake Michigan, from Lower Michigan
west of Isle Royale across Lake Superior