one of the United States of North America, is bounded on the N. by Lake Superior; E. by Lake Huron, the Strait and Lake of St Clair, the Strait of Detroit, and Lake Erie, all of which separate it from Canada; S. by the states of Ohio and Indiana; and W. by Lake Michigan and the state of Wisconsin. It lies between 41° 40' and 47° 30' N. Lat., and between 82° 12' and 90° 30' W. Long., and has a total land area of 56,243 square miles. This state consists of two large peninsulas, separated from each other by the Straits of Mackinaw, and known respectively as the Northern and Southern; the former, formed by Lakes Superior and Michigan, is about 320 miles in length and 130 in extreme breadth; while the latter, formed by Lakes Michigan and Huron, has a length of 283 miles and an extreme breadth of 210 miles. These two peninsulas are very different from each other both in aspect and nature. The Northern is mountainous in its western part, some of the heights having an elevation of 2000 feet. The Wisconsin or Porcupine Mountains, which form the watershed between Lakes Michigan and Superior, attain an elevation of about 2000 feet in the N.W. portion of this peninsula. Towards the centre of this division there is a high table-land, broken by numerous hills, and extending E. as far as the Pictured Rocks, on the coast of Lake Superior. These rocks consist of masses of sandstone, formed by the continued action of the wind and waves into fantastic shapes, resembling ruined temples, castles, &c. The E. part of the peninsula from this point to its extremity consists of an undulating tract of country, sloping gradually down to the coasts on either side, which consist on the N. of sandstone rocks, and on the S. of limestone. The rivers of this part of the state are not of great size or importance; and those that flow to the N. have generally a rapid descent, and abound in picturesque falls and rapids. The principal of those which flow N. are,—the Montreal, the Ontagona, the Huron, the St John's, and the Chocolate; and of those flowing S., the Monomonee and the Manistee. The Montreal and the Monomonee partly form the boundary between this state and that of Wisconsin. The southern peninsula consists of a varied surface of hill and dale, not rising in any part to a great elevation, but everywhere considerably above the level of the lakes, and having in many places steep coasts, from 100 to 300 feet in height. A ridge of hills traverses the country from S. to N., somewhat to the E. of the centre, and separates the waters of the rivers flowing E. to Lake Huron from those flowing W. to Lake Michigan.

In the southern part of this peninsula there are extensive plains or openings, as they are generally called by the inhabitants, covered more or less thickly with scattered oaks of different kinds, with here and there clusters of hickory. The numerous knolls which rise in all directions, the rivers, which are fringed with belts of wood, and the extensive and luxuriant meadows which occur in many places, combine to render this country one of the richest and most beautiful in scenery of any in the United States. Further to the N. there are dense forests, interrupted now and then by small prairies occupied by farms. Across the middle of the peninsula, from Saginaw Bay westward, a stripe of land extends, which is entirely covered with pine forests. This region is about 25 miles in breadth; and the unbroken forests of pines give to the country a dark and gloomy appearance. To the N. of this region beech and maple trees again become predominant, and the pines are only scattered here and there among them. The principal rivers of this peninsula are,—the St Joseph's, the Kalamazoo, the Grand, the Muskegon, and the Manistee, which flow into Lake Michigan; the Au Sable, and the Saginaw, flowing into Lake Huron; and the Raisin, flowing into Lake Erie. The geological character of the rocks of the northern peninsula of Michigan is principally primitive; those parts, however, near Lake Michigan exhibit a more recent formation; and the southern peninsula is chiefly secondary, being similar in its nature to the western part of the state of New York; while there are numerous boulders of primitive rock scattered over every part of this state. The northern peninsula is very rich in minerals, and possesses copper mines, which are in all probability among the richest and most extensive deposits of that mineral in the world. It is chiefly found in the Kewenaw peninsula, a piece of land jutting out into Lake Superior, from which the state of Michigan sent to Washington a block of copper several tons in weight, and nearly pure. This block is now to be seen built into the wall of the National Monument, bearing the arms of Michigan and this inscription,—"From Michigan: an emblem of her trust in the Union." Iron is also found in great abundance to the S.W. of the copper region; and the state has also lead, gypsum, peat, limestone, marl, and coal; but these have not yet been worked to any great extent. The soil of the southern peninsula is rich and fertile; and although the northern peninsula is in general barren, yet even here there are some tracts of great fertility. The climate of the northern part is severe, and the cold in winter intense; while in the S., it is much milder and more temperate than those parts of the eastern states which lie in the same degree of latitude. Cultivation, however, has not extended beyond the southern part of the lower peninsula, since the tide of emigration has rather passed through Michigan on its way to the countries farther W. than made any permanent settlements there. The quantity of cultivated land in the state amounted in 1850 to 1,929,110 acres; and the produce in the same year consisted of 5,641,420 bushels of Indian corn, 4,925,889 of wheat, 2,886,056 of oats, 2,359,897 of potatoes, and 472,917 of buckwheat; besides 2,043,233 lbs. of wool, 7,065,878 of butter, 1,011,492 of cheese, 2,439,794 of maple sugar, 404,934 tons of hay; live stock worth L.1,668,485; market produce, L.3,070; fruit, L.27,635; and butcher meat, L.276,735. The manufactures of the state of Michigan have not as yet made much progress, owing to the recent period at which this country has been settled; but in 1850 there were in Michigan 1979 establishments of various sorts. Among these there were 15 woollen factories, employing 129 hands and L.19,583 capital, and producing annually 141,570 yards, valued at L.18,800; 64 forges, furnaces, &c., employing 362 hands, and producing 5430 tons, to the value of L.62,645; several breweries and distilleries, employing 98 hands and L.29,047 capital, and producing 901,220 gallons; 6 tanneries, with L.59,583 capital, and producing leather to the worth of L.75,828; besides many other establishments.

The state of Michigan has been considerably improved by railways, two of which were begun by the state, but afterwards sold to private companies. The Michigan Central Railway extends from Detroit westward through the centre of the state to New Buffalo, and has a total length of 284 miles; the Michigan Southern, which, in connection with the Indiana Northern, extends from Monroe to Chicago, Michigan, a distance of 243 miles. There are, besides, several smaller lines and branches. The position of Michigan, nearly surrounded by the largest fresh-water lakes in the world, is extremely favourable for its commercial prosperity; and this is further increased by the number and excellence of its harbours all along the coast, which surpass in both of these respects those of any other lake state. The number of vessels built in the state in the year ending June 30, 1855, was 27; and their tonnage, 7844. The value of the exports from Michigan in the same year was L118,436; and that of the imports was L58,620. The government of the state is elected by general suffrage every second year; and consists of a governor, with a salary of L208 a-year, and a lieutenant-governor, who presides in the Senate, and receives 12s. 6d. a-day during the sitting of the legislative body. This body consists of a Senate and House of Representatives; the former containing 32, and the latter 66 members; and both popularly elected for two years. Michigan sends four members to the National House of Representatives; and has six votes in the election of a president of the United States. The judiciary consists of a supreme court, circuit courts, probate courts, and justices' courts. The franchise extends to every white man or civilized Indian, not a member of a tribe, above the age of twenty-one, and who has resided for a certain time in the state. The present constitution received the sanction of the people in 1850. The question of a general revision of the constitution is to be submitted to the people every sixteen years; but any change may be made on receiving the approval of two-thirds of each branch of the legislature, and being afterwards ratified by a majority of the electors.

The public debt of the state, November 30, 1855, was L497,908; and on the 1st November 1856 it was L489,056. The receipts for the year ending November 30, 1855, amounted to L122,583, which, together with a balance of L115,178, makes up a total of L237,761; and the expenditure for the same year was L130,162; leaving a balance of L107,599. The state contained in December 1855, 4 banks, with an aggregate capital of L152,174, and a circulation of L119,638. According to the census of 1850 there were in the state 362 places of worship, of which 103 belong to the Methodists, 67 to the Presbyterians, 58 to the Baptists, 42 to the Roman Catholics, 29 to the Congregationalists, 25 to the Episcopalians, 12 to the Lutherans, 7 to the Quakers, 6 each to the Dutch Reformed Church and the Universalists, and 7 to minor sects. The total amount of church accommodation was 118,892 sittings, and the value of the whole church property, L150,067. The government of Michigan pays considerable attention to the subject of education; and there is a fund set apart for the support of the schools in the state, which amounted in 1852 to L119,935, and in 1854 to L288,393. Besides this fund, which is obtained by the sale of public lands, there was raised by taxation in 1854 for the schools of the state L73,296. The number of schools supported by these means was, in 1850, 2714, with 3231 teachers and 110,455 scholars. Besides these, Michigan had 37 schools, with 71 teachers and 1619 scholars, not supported by the state.

The university fund belonging to the state amounted in 1854 to L94,255; and L14,508 was raised by taxation in that year for the support of the school and township libraries, which then contained in all 121,201 volumes. The state contains 3 colleges, with 22 professors and 308 students; and a normal school opened in 1853. The principal of the other institutions are—the asylum for the deaf, dumb, and blind, opened in 1854; the asylum for the insane, opened in the same year; the house of correction for juvenile offenders, opened in 1856; and the state prison at Jackson, which contained, November 30, 1854, 246 convicts. Capital punishment has been abolished in this state since 1848; and criminals convicted of murder are now imprisoned for life, with hard labour, in the state prison. Michigan is divided into 64 organized and 21 unorganized counties; and the capital of the state is Lansing.

The country now occupied by the state of Michigan received its first European settlement from the hands of the French soon after the middle of the seventeenth century. At the peace of 1768 it came, with the other French possessions in North America, into the hands of the British. On the expulsion of the French, the celebrated Indian chief Pontiac seized the opportunity to rid the country of the whites, and accordingly instigated a simultaneous rising among the Indians, who surprised and took all the forts in the country, massacring the inhabitants, with the exception of Detroit, which held out until relieved by British troops, who subdued the Indians, and freed the colonists from farther danger. The American revolution followed soon after; and the country now forming the state of Michigan came into the possession of the Union in 1796, and was made a territorial government in 1805, with Detroit for its capital. In 1812 it became the theatre of the war between Britain and the United States. Detroit was surrendered to the British in that year by General Hull, and the whole country was overrun by the British and Indians; but not long after they were finally expelled by General Harrison. Previous to 1830 the inhabitants of this country were chiefly Canadian French, but at that time it began to be occupied by emigrants from the other states, especially those of New England. Thus, while formerly little had been done to improve the culture or products of the land,—the French being contented idly and ignorantly to follow the customs of their fathers,—now that a more enterprising and energetic race of settlers had succeeded them, the country made rapid advancement in wealth and prosperity. In 1837 Michigan was admitted as one of the United States, having then a population of nearly 100,000. According to the census of 1850, the state contained,—whites, 395,071; free persons of colour, 2583; total, 397,654.

Michigan, Lake, one of the five great lakes of North America, is situated between 41, 30, and 46° N. Lat., and between 85, 50, and 88° W. Long.; having a length of 330, and a breadth of 90 miles, with an area of 20,000 square miles. The lake is fed by a number of rivers from the adjoining country, the principal of which are,—the Grand, Muskegon, St Joseph, and Kalamazoo, from Michigan; the Calumet from Indiana; the Chicago from Illinois; and the Milwaukee and Sheboygan from Wisconsin; and it discharges its waters through the Straits of Mackinaw into Lake Huron. Michigan has not many large bays, the largest being Green Bay, on the W. shore, chiefly in Wisconsin, more than 100 miles in length, and varying in breadth from 15 to 35 miles. On the E. coast the principal indentations are Little Traverse Bay and Grand Haven. Lake Michigan has few islands, and these are situated chiefly near the N.E. extremity. The shores are generally low; and the water seems to be gradually retiring from the eastern shore, and making encroachments on the western. The depth of the lake is between 900 and 1000 feet; and the surface is about 600 feet above the level of the sea. Though inferior in size to Lake Superior, this lake is in some respects second to none of the great American lakes. It extends farther to the S. than Lake Superior, and its shores thus enjoy a climate more mild and a soil more fertile than is found farther north. Its position is also highly favourable for commerce, being connected at once with the Mississippi and with the eastern coast of America; with the former by the Fox River, Lake Winnebago, and the Wisconsin River, as well as by a railway from Chicago to Galena; and with the latter by the railways through the state of Michigan and along the coast of the lakes. The commerce of the lake is accordingly very great, and continually increasing. The principal harbours on its shores are.—Green Bay, whose imports in 1851 amounted in value to L400,000, and exports to L200,000: Two Rivers, imports in the same year, L23,958; exports, L23,500: Grand River, imports, L45,822; exports, L55,233: St Joseph's, imports, L111,720; exports, L173,816: Manitowoc, imports, L22,234; exports, L16,067: Port Washington, imports, L188,417; exports, L29,052: Sheboygan, imports, L271,855; exports, L25,355: Milwaukee, imports estimated at L3,035,702; exports at L542,880: Racine, imports, L306,884; exports, L215,530: Kenosha, imports, L272,262; exports, L137,756: Waukegan, imports, L129,132; exports, L40,587: Chicago, imports, L5,085,500; exports, L1,168,056.