Southeast Michigan

Southeast Michigan, also called Southeastern Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan that is home to a majority of the state's businesses and industries as well as slightly over half of the state's population, most of whom are concentrated in Metro Detroit. The United States Post Office refers the entire region as the Michigan Metroplex.

Geography

It is bordered in the north-east by Lake St. Clair, to the south-east Lake Erie, and the Detroit River which connects these two lakes. The region is home to Detroit, the state's largest city (and the nation's eleventh largest), and the numerous communities that make up the larger Metro Detroit area. Other important cities in Southeastern Michigan include:
*Adrian, county seat of Lenawee County and home of Adrian College, Siena Heights University and Jackson Community College.
*Ann Arbor, home of the University of Michigan's main campus.
*Dearborn
*Livonia
*Monroe, county seat of Monroe County
*Mount Clemens, Michigan, county seat of Macomb County
*Pontiac, county seat of Oakland County
*Port Huron, county seat of St. Clair County (although it is sometimes also considered to be part of the Thumb)
*Royal Oak
*Birmingham
*Southfield
*Sterling Heights, the fourth largest city (by population) in Michigan.
*Troy
*Warren, third largest city (by population) in Michigan, location of General Motors Technical Center, the United States Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM), the Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC), the National Automotive Center (NAC).

With 4,488,335 people, Metro Detroit is the tenth largest metropolitan area in the United States, while Ann Arbor's MSA ranks 141st with 341,847. Metropolitan areas of Southeast Michigan, and parts of the Thumb and Flint/Tri-Cities, are grouped together by the U.S. Census Bureau with Detroit-Warren-Livonia MSA in a wider nine county region designated the Detroit–Ann Arbor–Flint Combined Statistical Area (CSA) with a population of 5,428,000.

Combined Statistical Area

*Genesee County
*Lapeer County
*Livingston County*
*Macomb County*
*Monroe County*
*Oakland County*
*Saint Clair County*
*Washtenaw County*
*Wayne County*

Denotes member counties of the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG)*

Economy

The main economic activity is manufacturing cars. Major manufacturing cities are Warren, Sterling Heights, Dearborn (Henry Ford's childhood home) and Detroit, also called "Motor City" or "Motown". Other economic activities include banking and other service industries. Mostly all of Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Washtenaw, and Wayne Counties is all urbanized. In the recent years, urban sprawl has affected the areas of Canton, Commerce, Chesterfield, and Clinton townships. The metropolitan area is also home to some of the highest ranked hospitals and medical centers, Such as the Detroit Medical Center(DMC), Henry Ford Hospital, Beaumont Hospital, and the University of Michigan hospital in Ann Arbor.

SEMCOG Commuter Rail is a proposed regional rail link between Ann Arbor and Detroit.

The Detroit Metro Airport is the busiest in the area with the opening of the McNamara terminal and the soon-to-be completed North Terminal. The airport is located in Romulus.

Manufacturing and service industries have replaced agriculture for the most part. In rural areas of Saint Clair County, Monroe, and Livingston Counties still grow crops such as corn, sugar beets, soy beans, other types of beans, and fruits. Romeo and northern Macomb County is well known for its apple and peach orchards.

Two indian casinos are proposed to be built in Port Huron and Romulus. If allowed, the casinos will serve as competition for Detroit Casinos. The motion to give Indian Tribes in the Upper Peninsula land to build casinos in Port Huron and Romulus was voted down by the state government. The casinos would have added more jobs and an economic boost to Port Huron, a despreat city. Detroit Democrats opposed the two casinos due to competition to the three in Detroit.

Media

Major radio stations include WJR, "The great voice of the great lakes" home of the Paul W. Smith morinig show, Frank Beckkman, and the Mitch Albom show. And WWJ a 24 hour news station in Southfield.

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Major television stations include WXYZ 7 Action News, and WDIV Local 4. WBKD CW 50 of Detroit serves as a CW affiliate for portions of Michigan and Northern Ohio.

Newspaper

Daily editions of the "Detroit Free Press" and "The Detroit News" are available throughout the area.

Further reading

*Cite book | author=Ballard, Charles L. | year=2006 | title=Michigan's Economic Future: Challenges and Opportunities | publisher= Michigan State University Press| id=ISBN 0870137964
*Cite book | author=Ballard, Charles L., Paul N. Courant, and Douglas C. Drake | year=2003 | title=Michigan at the Millennium | publisher= Michigan State University Press| id=ISBN 0870136682; ISBN 978-0870136689
*Cite book|author=Cantor, George|title=Detroit: An Insiders Guide to Michigan|year=2005|publisher=University of Michigan Press|id=ISBN 0472030922
*Cite book|author=Fisher, Dale|title=Southeast Michigan: Horizons of Growth|year=2005|publisher=Grass Lake, MI: Eyry of the Eagle Publishing|id=ISBN 1891143255
*Cite book | author=Gavrilovich, Peter and Bill McGraw | title=The Detroit Almanac | year=2000 | publisher=Detroit Free Press | id=ISBN 0-937247-34-0

External links

* [http://clarke.cmich.edu/ Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University, Bibliography on Michigan (arranged by counties and regions)]
* [http://www.infomi.com/city/ Info Michigan, detailed information on 630 cities]
* [http://www.michigan.gov/dnr Michigan Department of Natural Resources website, harbors, hunting, resources and more.]
* [http://www.michigan.org Michigan's Official Economic Development and Travel Site, including interactive map, information on attractions, museums, etc.]