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Michigan is located in the Midwestern region of the United States and ranks as the 11th largest state in total area by covering 96,810 square miles (250,736.7 square kilometers or 25,073,675 hectares). Land areas of Michigan cover 56,809 square miles (147,135 square kilometers or 14,713,463 hectares), whereas 40,001 square miles (103,602 square kilometers or 10,360,211 hectares) of Michigan are covered by water, ranking the Great Lakes State 2nd only to Alaska for being the wettest state in the country.
The state is split into the Upper and Lower Peninsulas, which are separated by the Straits of Mackinac. To the north, the upper peninsula is bordered by Lake Superior, to the south by Lakes Huron and Michigan, and to the west by Wisconsin. The lower peninsula is surrounded by Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Erie, and is bordered to the east by Lakes Huron and Erie, to the west by Lake Michigan, and to the south by states Indiana and Ohio.
The Great Lakes state contains over 11,000 lakes and boasts 3,288 miles (5,291.5 kilometers) of shoreline. Its highest point is Mount Arvon, at 1,979 feet (603 meters) above sea level. The state’s lowest point is along the shore of Lake Erie, at 572 feet (174 meters) above sea level.
Geographically, the state is divided into the Great Lakes Plains of the Lower Peninsula, which is comprised of low hills, and the Superior Upland, in the Upper Peninsula, which contains more rugged terrain and higher elevation.
Michigan’s climate is represented by four distinct seasons. The climate varies north to south and in relation to the Great Lakes, which moderate the climate. The northern part of the state is coldest and receives the greatest amount of snowfall, whereas the southern part of the state is warmest and enjoys the longest frost-free period. Summers can be quite warm, with average highs around 83.1 degrees F (28.4 degrees C), whereas the average low for winter is 14 degrees F (-10 degrees C). Precipitation varies across the state. One peculiar phenomenon in the state is "lake effect snow", which occurs mostly in late autumn and early winter; it occurs as cold, dry air moves across the Great Lakes and absorbs moisture, then releases that moisture in the form of snow once the air reaches land again. This creates snow belts that can produce substantial amounts of snowfall.
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