Claim: Aaliyah was raised in America.

Michigan -LSB- ˈmɪʃᵻgən -RSB- is a state in the Great Lakes and Midwestern regions of the United States . The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa , meaning `` large water '' or `` large lake '' . Michigan is the tenth most populous of the 50 United States , with the 11th most extensive total area -LRB- the largest state by total area east of the Mississippi River -RRB- . I.e. , including water that is part of state territory . Georgia is the largest state by land area east of the Mississippi and Michigan the second-largest . Its capital is Lansing , and its largest city is Detroit .   Michigan is the only state to consist of two peninsulas . The Lower Peninsula , to which the name Michigan was originally applied , is often noted to be shaped like a mitten . The Upper Peninsula -LRB- often referred to as `` the U.P. '' -RRB- is separated from the Lower Peninsula by the Straits of Mackinac , a 5 mi channel that joins Lake Huron to Lake Michigan . The two peninsulas are connected by the Mackinac Bridge . The state 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 . As a result , it is one of the leading U.S. states for recreational boating . Michigan also has 64,980 inland lakes and ponds . A person in the state is never more than 6 mi from a natural water source or more than 85 mi from a Great Lakes shoreline .   What is now the state of Michigan was first settled by Native American tribes before being colonized by French explorers in the 17th century and becoming a part of New France . After France 's defeat in the French and Indian War in 1762 the region came under British rule , and was ceded to the newly independent United States after the British defeat in the American Revolutionary War . The area was organized as part of the larger Northwest Territory until 1800 , when western Michigan became part of the Indiana Territory . Eventually , in 1805 , the Michigan Territory was formed , which lasted until it was admitted into the Union on January 26 , 1837 , as the 26th state . The state of Michigan soon became an important center of industry and trade in the Great Lakes region and a popular immigrant destination .   Though Michigan has come to develop a diverse economy , it is widely known as the center of the U.S. automotive industry , being home to the country 's three major automobile companies -LRB- whose headquarters are all within the Detroit metropolitan area -RRB- . While sparsely populated , the Upper Peninsula is economically important due to its status as a tourist destination as well as its abundance of natural resources , while the Lower Peninsula is a center of manufacturing , services , and high-tech industry .