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State Facts and Symbols

Image of Michigan Map on the wall of the Michigan Historical Center.

State Facts and Symbols

Facts About Michigan

State Name: Michigan

Name Origin: Derived from the native American word Michigama, meaning great or large lake.

Nickname: Wolverine State

Statehood: Jan. 26, 1837 (26th)

Capital: Lansing, since 1847; prior to that, Detroit. The Michigan State Capitol in Lansing opened Jan. 1, 1879, to great acclaim. Designed by architect Elijah E. Myers, Michigan’s Capitol holds a special place in American history as one of the first state capitols to be topped by a lofty cast iron dome. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1992.

State Motto: Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice, which translates, "If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you."

Population: According to U.S. Census Bureau 2020 State Population Estimates, the population of Michigan is 10,077,331.  Michigan is the 10th most populous state in the nation. 

The Great Seal of Michigan

Great Seal

Michigan's Great Seal was designed by Lewis Cass, Michigan's second (non-acting) territorial governor. The seal was patterned after the seal of the Hudson Bay Fur Company. It was presented to the Constitutional Convention of 1835 and adopted June 2, 1835, as the official Great Seal of Michigan. The use of the Great Seal is regulated at some length by state law.
Learn About the Great Seal
Michigan Coat of Arms

Coat of Arms

The Michigan Coat of Arms was adopted at the Constitutional Convention of 1835. Michigan’s current coat of arms was adopted by the Legislature in 1911 and features the same imagery as the center of the Great Seal. Use of the coat of arms is less regulated than the use of the Great Seal. 
Learn About the Coat of Arms
Michigan's Flag Video

Michigan's Flag

In the 1830s, numerous flags bearing the Michigan Coat of Arms in various designs and emblems were in use. It was not until 1865, however, that an official Michigan flag was adopted. The design of the flag, recommended by Adjutant-General John Robertson and approved by Gov. Crapo, bore the coat of arms on a field of blue on one side. The reverse side featured the coat of arms for the U.S. Michigan's state flag was first unfurled at the laying of the corner stone at the monument of the Soldiers' National Cemetery at Gettysburg on the July 4, 1865.
View Flag Honor Updates
Photo of a Robin, the state bird.
Photo of a Brook Trout on a log.
Photo of state flower.
Photo of Mastadon bones at the Michigan History Center.
Photo of white tail deer in a field.
State Gem
Seeding wild rice, part of the Wild Rice Initiative restoration outreach and education efforts at the 2019 Wild Rice Camp, Alberta, MI. Photo credit: Todd Marsee, Michigan Sea Grant.
Photo of a painted turtle, the state reptile.
Photo of state sand.
Photo of a Petoskey Stone, courtesy of Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau.
Photo of Eastern White Pine. Close up of needle and cone.
Photo of Dwarf lake iris. Iris lacustris has a sky blue to deep blue to violet flower. The spreading sepals have a white signal bordered by a deep purple color. The inflorescence is one- to rarely two-flowered. The stiff upright leaves arise from narrow, creeping rhizomes that have an enlarged terminus with fibrous roots.
Song performed by Jeff Daniels. Produced by Randall Lee, RK Studios, LLC, Chelsea, MI.

My Michigan

My Michigan is the title of the state’s official state anthem. It was written by Giles Kavanagh (lyrics) and H. Clint O’Reilly (music) in 1933 and was published by Clint’s own music publishing company in Detroit. The Michigan Legislature formally adopted the anthem as the state’s official song on May 21, 1937, by concurrent resolution.
History on the Adoption of My Michigan

Archives of Michigan

The online collection at Michiganology includes Archives of Michigan research guides and indexes, as well as access to more than three million state and local government records and private manuscripts, maps, and photographs.
Online Archive Collections