【Name】State of Michigan, MI, also called as the “Great Lakes State” and the “Wolverine State”. The name “Michigan” was originated from the Ojibwe word mishigamaa, meaning “great lake” or “large body of water”.

【Geography】The state has a total area of approximately 250,493 square kilometers, ranking the 11th-largest by area in the United States. It is located in the Great Lakes region of the Midwestern United States and borders the Canadian province of Ontario to the east and north. The state consists of two peninsulas and has the longest freshwater shoreline in the United States.

【Population】The population is approximately 10.128 million (2025 data), ranking 10th in the United States. Racial and ethnic composition: White 73.0%, Black or African American 14.1%, Hispanic or Latino 6.2%, Asian 4.0%, Native American 0.8%, and other 1.9%.

【History】The Michigan Territory was formed in 1805, and the state of Michigan was admitted to the Union on January 26, 1837, as the 26th state of the United States. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, large numbers of immigrants from various European countries settled in the state, helping it develop into an important industrial and commercial center in the Great Lakes region.

【Politics】The current governor is Gretchen Whitmer. The capital is Lansing, and its mayor is Andy Schor. The largest city is Detroit, and its mayor is Mary Sheffield.

【Economy】Michigan is one of the leading manufacturing states in the United States, with strong industries in automobile production, machinery manufacturing, chemicals, medical devices, and information technology. Detroit is known as the “Motor City” and serves as the headquarters of General Motors and Ford Motor Company. Benefiting from its strategic location in the Great Lakes region, shipping, trade, and tourism are also important sectors of the state economy.

In 2025, its nominal GDP was approximately $730.1 billion, ranking 14th in the United States, with real GDP growth of 1.2%; per capita GDP was approximately $72,085, ranking 41st in the United States; and total exports of goods amounted to $58.3 billion. The total trade volume with China reached USD 9.110 billion, including USD 7.562 billion in imports from China and USD 1.548 billion in exports to China.

【Sister Cities with China】Michigan and China’s Sichuan Province established a sister state relationship in 1982, while Michigan and Guangdong Province established a sister state relationship in 2016. Sister city relationships were established between Midland and Zigong (1990), Lansing and Sanming (1997), and Lansing and Hohhot (2024).