- **Date of Independence:** July 4, 1776 (not applicable - part of Northwest Territory) - **Date of Annexation to [[United States of America (USA)]]:** January 26, 1837 (26th state to join the Union) - **Population (2025):** 10.20 million - **GDP (2025):** $566 billion - **Largest City:** Detroit (646,000) - **State Capital:** Lansing (115,000) - **Historical Note:** Known as the "Wolverine State" and "Great Lakes State." Home to President [[Gerald Ford]] (though born in Nebraska, raised in Grand Rapids from infancy). Birthplace of the automobile industry with Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler. Major industries include automotive manufacturing, technology, agriculture, and tourism. Famous for Mackinac Bridge, Sleeping Bear Dunes, and the Great Lakes. Detroit known as "Motor City" and "Motown." Home to University of Michigan. Republican Party founded in Jackson (1854). Only state with two peninsulas connected by the Mackinac Bridge.