Michigan (pronounced ) is a Midwestern state of the United States. It was named after Lake Michigan, the word 'Michigan' itself being a French derivative of the Ojibwe misshikama (read "mish-ih-GAH-muh"), meaning "big lake" (compare kitchikama, meaning "Great Lake" - pronounced "gitch-ih-GAH-ma," or "Gitchee-Gumee" as rendered by Longfellow).

Bounded by four of the five Great Lakes, plus Lake Saint Clair, Michigan has the longest freshwater shoreline in the United States, the longest total shoreline after Alaska (including island shorelines)"Does Michigan have the longest coast line in the United States?" Michigan.gov, and more recreational boats than any other state in the union. A person in Michigan is never more than 85 miles (137 km) from open Great Lakes water and is never more than 6 miles from a natural water source.

Michigan is the only bi-peninsular state. The Lower Peninsula of Michigan, to which the name Michigan was originally applied, is sometimes dubbed "the Mitten," owing to its shape. When asked where in Michigan one comes from, a resident of the Lower Peninsula may often point to the corresponding part of his or her hand. The Upper Peninsula (U.P.) is separated from the Lower Peninsula by the Straits of Mackinac, a five-mile channel that joins Lake Huron to Lake Michigan. The Upper Peninsula (whose residents are often called "Yoopers") is economically important for tourism and its natural resources.

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Bloomfield Hills Andover scored the first three goals — all in the first half — and cruised to a 3-1 victory over visiting North Farmington.
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Bill Davidson is ready to go. He sits behind his desk, holding his arms, and before I can fully sit down, he grins and says, "OK, let's start."
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Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick -- who once said God chose him to lead his hometown and pledged to Detroiters "I would never quit on you" -- resigned Thursday, bringing an ignominious end to what once seemed like a career without limits.
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Surrounded by his family and with a nod to his iconic father, Council President Ken Cockrel Jr. -- set to become Detroit's 61st mayor -- asked the city Thursday to put aside the bitterness of the last seven months created by the text message scandal and reunite.

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