Michigan is an Indian state.
Michigan [ ˈmɪʃᵻgən ] is a state in the Great Lakes and Midwestern regions of the United States . Michigan is 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 ) . Michigan is the only state to consist of two peninsulas . As a result , it is one of the leading U.S. states for recreational boating . What is now the state of Michigan was first settled by Native American tribes before being colonized by French explorers in the 17th century and becoming a part of New France .