The state's name, Michigan, originates from the (Ojibwe word) mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake". Michigan is the tenth most populous of the 50 United States, with the 11th most extensive total area, and the largest state by total area east of the Mississippi River.

Michigan also has 64,980 inland lakes and ponds. A person in the state is never more than six miles (9.7 km) from a natural water source or more than 85 miles (137 km) from a Great Lakes shoreline.

The area was first settled by Native American tribes and later colonized by French explorers in the 17th century and became part of New France. After France's defeat in the French and Indian War in 1762, the region came under British rule, and was ceded to the newly independent United States after Britain's defeat in the American Revolutionary War. The area was part of the larger Northwest Territory until 1800, when western Michigan became part of the Indiana Territory. In 1805, the Michigan Territory was formed, and in 1837 was admitted into the Union as the 26th state. It soon became an important center of industry and trade in the Great Lakes region and a popular immigrant destination.

Although Michigan has come to develop a diverse economy, it is widely known as the center of the U.S. automotive industry, being home to the country's three major automobile companies (whose headquarters are all within the Detroit metropolitan area). While sparsely populated, the Upper Peninsula is important for tourism thanks to its abundance of natural resources, while the Lower Peninsula is a center of manufacturing, services, and high-tech and liquors industry.