Upper Peninsula MI

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. – is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula by the Straits of Mackinac. It is bounded primarily by Lake Superior to the north, separated from the Canadian province of Ontario at the east end by the St. Marys River, and flanked by Lake Huron and Lake Michigan along much of its south. Although the peninsula extends as a geographic feature into the state of Wisconsin, the state boundary follows the Montreal and Menominee rivers and a line connecting them.

The Upper Peninsula contains 29% of the land area of Michigan but only 3% of its total population. Residents are nicknamed Yoopers (derived from “UP-ers”) and have a strong regional identity, enhanced by the perception that the rest of the state neglects them. Proposals have been made to establish the UP as a separate state, but have failed to gain traction. Its largest cities are Marquette, Sault Ste. Marie, Escanaba, Menominee, Houghton, and Iron Mountain. Because of the surrounding waters and northern latitude, it receives more snow than most of the eastern U.S. The heavily forested land, soil types, short growing season, and logistical factors (e.g. long distance to market, lack of infrastructure) make the Upper Peninsula poorly suited for agriculture. The region is home to a variety of wildlife, including moose, wolves, coyotes, deer, foxes, bears, bobcats, eagles, hawks, owls, and smaller animals.

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North of Nelson
North of Nelson
North of Nelson
Stories of Michigan's Upper Peninsula - Volume 1
$14.95
Cady and the Birchbark Box [PB]
Cady and the Birchbark Box [PB]
Cady and the Birchbark Box [PB]
Cady Whirlwind Thunder Mystery #2
$16.95
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Summers at the Lake
Summers at the Lake
Summers at the Lake
Upper Michigan Moments and Memories
was $19.95
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$17.95
NEW!
U.P. Reader -- Volume #6 [PB]
U.P. Reader -- Volume #6 [PB]
U.P. Reader -- Volume #6 [PB]
: Bringing Upper Michigan Literature to the World
$19.95
True Tales
True Tales
True Tales
The Forgotten History of Michigan's Upper Peninsula
$18.95
Cady and the Bear Necklace
Cady and the Bear Necklace
Cady and the Bear Necklace
A Cady Whirlwind Thunder Mystery, 2nd Ed
$15.95
Superior Tapestry
Superior Tapestry
Superior Tapestry
Weaving the Threads of Upper Michigan History
$24.95
U.P. Colony
U.P. Colony
U.P. Colony
The Story of Resource Exploitation in Upper Michigan -- Focus on Sault Sainte Marie Industries
$12.95
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The SideRoad Kids
The SideRoad Kids
The SideRoad Kids
Tales from Chippewa County
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$16.95
U.P. Reader -- Volume #5 [PB]
U.P. Reader -- Volume #5 [PB]
U.P. Reader -- Volume #5 [PB]
: Bringing Upper Michigan Literature to the World
$17.95
On Sale
Points North
Points North
Points North
Discover Hidden Campgrounds, Natural Wonders, and Waterways of the Upper Peninsula
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$25.95

First inhabited by Algonquian-speaking native American tribes, the area was explored by French colonists, then occupied by British forces, before being ceded to the newly established United States in the late 18th century. After being assigned to various territorial jurisdictions, it was granted to the newly formed state of Michigan as part of the settlement of a dispute with Ohio over the city of Toledo. The region’s exploitable timber resources and the discovery of iron and copper deposits in the 19th century brought immigrants, especially French Canadian, Finnish, Swedish, Cornish, and Italian. (The peninsula includes the only counties in the United States where a plurality of residents claim Finnish ancestry.[1]) With the exhaustion of readily available minerals, the area’s economy declined in the 20th century, largely becoming dependent on logging and tourism.

 

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