Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Upper Peninsula of Michigan

is the northern of the two major land masses that make up the US state of Michigan. It is commonly referred to as the Upper Peninsula (U.P.) and Upper Michigan. It is also known colloquially as the land “above the Bridge” linking the two peninsulas. The peninsula is bounded on the north by Lake Superior, on the east by the St. Marys River, on the southeast by Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, and on the southwest by Wisconsin.

The Upper Peninsula contains 29% of the land area of Michigan but just 3% of its total population. Residents are frequently called Yoopers (derived from “U.P.-ers”) and have a strong regional identity. Large numbers of Finnish,Swedish, Cornish, and Italian immigrants came to the Upper Peninsula, especially the Keweenaw Peninsula, to work in the area’s mines.

Ordered by size, the peninsula’s largest cities are Marquette, Sault Ste. Marie, Escanaba, Menominee, Houghton, and Iron Mountain. The land and climate are not very suitable for agriculture because of the long harsh winters. The economy has been based on logging, mining, and tourism. Most mines have closed since the “golden age” from 1890 to 1920. The land is heavily forested and logging remains a major industry.

by marquette_magazine