The name ''Michigan'' is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake". Michigan is a state in the Great Lakes region of the Midwestern United States, and the tenth most populous of the 50 United States, with the 11th most extensive total area (the largest state by total area east of the Mississippi River). Its capital is Lansing, and the largest city is Detroit. It is also the only state to consist of two peninsulas.

Michigan's tourism website ranks among the busiest in the nation. Destinations draw vacationers, hunters, and nature enthusiasts from across the United States and Canada. Michigan is fifty percent forest land, much of it quite remote. The forests, lakes and thousands of miles of beaches are top attractions. Event tourism draws large numbers to occasions like the Tulip Time Festival and the National Cherry Festival.