Michigan is primarily known as the birthplace of the automobile industry. However, it is also home to a thriving tourist industry, with destinations such as Traverse City, Mackinac Island, Saugatuck and the entire Upper Peninsula drawing vacationers, hunters, and nature enthusiasts from across the United States and Canada. Although it has an urban image to non-visitors, Michigan is actually 50 percent forested, much of it quite remote. Both the forests and thousands of miles of beaches are top attractions. Tourists also flock to many of the museums, particularly those in the Detroit area.

Hunting is a major component of Michigan's economy. Michigan ranks first in the nation in licensed hunters (over one million) who contribute $2 billion annually to its economy. Over three-quarters of a million hunters participate in white-tailed deer season alone. Some K-12 school districts in rural areas of Michigan go so far as to cancel school on the opening day of rifle season, due to safety and attendance concerns.

Michigan's Department of Natural Resources manages the largest dedicated state forest system in the nation. The forest products industry and recreational users contribute $12 billion and 200,000 associated jobs annually to the state's economy. Michigan has more than 90 native species of trees, more than all of Europe combined.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that Michigan's total state product in 2003 was $359 billion. Per capita personal income in 2003 was $31,178 and ranked twentieth in the nation.

Major industries/products include automobiles (General Motors, Ford, Daimler-Chrysler), Amway, cereal (Kellogg's), copper, furniture (Steelcase, Herman Miller, Haworth), and iron.

Michigan is a state in the United States. The name is derived from Lake Michigan, which in turn is believed to come from the Chippewa Indian word mishi-gami, meaning "great water." Bounded by four of the Great Lakes, Michigan has the longest freshwater shoreline in the continental United States, the longest total shoreline after Alaska (including island shorelines)[1], and more recreational boats than any other state in the union. A person in Michigan is never more than 85 miles (137 km) from a Great Lake.

Michigan is the only state composed of two separate peninsulas. The Lower Peninsula of Michigan is nicknamed "The Mitten" because it resembles the palm of a right-hand mitten. When asked where in Michigan they come from, residents of the Lower Peninsula often point to the corresponding part of their right hand. The Upper Peninsula (U.P.) is separated from the Lower Peninsula by a five-mile stretch of water known as the Straits of Mackinac, and is economically important in tourism and natural resources.

The Great Lakes – Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario – are known for their beauty and the wealth of resources within and around them. The combined lakes contain one-fifth of the world’s surface fresh water, and they are often referred to as the “sweetwater seas.” The Great Lakes could cover the entire continental United States with over 9.5 feet of water. They are large enough to influence the regional climate, cooling summers and tempering winters, as well as increasing amounts of rain and snow in the region.

A world-renowned fishery, thousands of acres of forests, major mineral and metal reserves and rich agricultural land provide a balance of economic opportunity within the basin. In addition, the lakes and their surroundings provide many recreational opportunities and an appealing place to live and work.