Detroit, Michigan

Detroit has been an industrial city right from the beginning. It has seen the growth and the decline of the automobile industry. There has been resurgence with various service and other industries finding their way to the city. The information technology industry has come to stay in Detroit in a big way. The recent outflow of population from the city has made the city a very interesting place to settle down.

The presence of many educational institutions including private and public schools have made the city provide good education. There are medical, Nursing, Dental and law schools. The presence of Wayne state university has taken education in Detroit to higher strata.

There are also some of the best hospitals in Detroit. This includes the 2000 bedded Detroit medical center. The presence of this and many other good hospitals makes it easy to seek healthcare. The bus service in Detroit is excellent and is maintained by the Detroit department of Transportation. This service is available even to the edges of the city. The rail network in the city is also excellent and the Woodward Avenue light rail will also make the rail network increase its reach.

Detroit is probably the most wholesome city in the country. This is a lovely city for people of all ages. There is something for every person in Detroit. You may be a wild life conservationist or you may be a businessman. You may be young or old, Detroit is the city where you will find peace and prosperity in your life.

Detroit History

Detroit Michigan was discovered in 1701 by Frenchman Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac. He was trying to find a suitable location to launch a trade post. He established a French fort which also served as a missionary outpost. This fort would change hands three times over the next hundred years. Detroit has been under three different governments: France, Great Britain and finally the United States. In the days preceding the Civil War it was designated as the final stop for many who traveled the Underground Railroad.

The growing city experienced a very large fire in 1805 which almost destroyed the entire city. After the fire, Justice Augustus B. Woodward redesigned the city which has a layout very similar to Washington D.C. It contains a circle in the middle with streets fanning out in a radial design. The main streets and avenues radiate out from the center of the city like wheel spokes.

Henry Ford built the first car in 1896. His creation evolved into an assembly line and completely revolutionized the automobile industry. This is why Detroit is nicknamed "Motor City." At this time the city began to grow until it became a major center of industry and commerce. The city began to spread out until Jefferson Avenue contained many various manufacturing companies. These were able to thrive because of the resources for transportation provided by the river and the railroad.

As the city continued to grow the end of the 19th century and into the 20th century buildings and mansions increased. Detroit received a new nickname, "Paris of the West" because of its elaborate architecture.

After WWII Detroit evolved into a global business hub and the metropolitan area became one of the biggest in the United States. Detroit comes in second as one of the largest United States metropolitan areas which server to link in the Great Lakes system. Over the years immigration has been a significant contributing factor to Detroit's culture and economic development.

Urban renewal began to rise in the 1990's and on into the new millennium. Berry Gordy, Jr who formerly worked in the automobile industry established a record company. It was the beginnings of Motown and totally redefined the music industry. It was instrumental in the fame of music icons such as Marvin Gaye, the Jackson's, Stevie Wonder and Danna Ross.

The city of Detroit has been on the cutting edge of technological advancements and industry development. It was the first city to ever install a traffic light, to have the first paved road, establish a freeway, and have a traffic tunnel that connects two nations. The Detroit-Windsor Tunnel connects the United States and Canada. Because of its rich history, there are many areas of Detroit that are included in the National Register of Historic Places. There are many national historic landmarks.

About Detroit, Michigan

The metropolitan area of Detroit is located in the Southeastern part of the state of Michigan. The city borders the Canadian city of Windsor, Ontario. Metro Detroit is the second largest of the metropolitan areas which are linked with the Great Lakes system. It is a popular US city that is known for its history in the automotive industry, sports heroes, entertainment, support of the arts and popular music. The coastline runs along the Great Lakes giving it a beautiful, natural beach area.

The urban area of Detroit ranks 9th in population among US cities. As of the last census, taken in 2000, the population came in at just under 4 million at 3,903,377. The land area is 1,261.4 square miles. The metropolitan area including Detroit-Warren-Livonia lies in a six county region and has a population of 4,296,250 according to the US Office of Management and Budget. This is an area covering 3,913 square miles. In all, the region which includes 9 counties has a population of 5.4 million.

Economy

With a population of almost 5.5 million the metropolitan areas of Detroit has a workforce of around 2.6 million people. This includes almost 250,000 businesses. The economy of Michigan is at the forefront in advanced manufacturing, information technology and biotechnology due to the Metro Detroit area. The state of Michigan employs over 500,000 tech workers. This figure includes those working in the automotive industry. The large number of high tech employees puts Michigan at the fourth overall ranking in the nation. The metro area of Detroit has a multitude of job opportunities in the area of engineering. The three largest American Automobile manufacturers are located in Detroit. This has a huge impact on the economy of the entire U.S.

Demographics

The Detroit suburbs of Macomb and Oakland Counties and the northern portions of Wayne County are a mostly Caucasian population. Dearborn, Michigan has a large amount of Arab American residents. The largest percent of this populace are Lebanese. In recent years there has been an influx of Hispanic, Albanian and Asian populations. In Metro Detroit's the townships were predominately white. About 44 percent of the African American population lived in Southfield, Oak Park, Pontiac and Oak Park.

Transportation

Detroit is home to 8 major airports. One fourth of these airports are used commercially and one is used for only general aviation. One is an International airport and is situated on the Canadian and US borders.

The metropolitan area is provided with bus services which are a joint operation of two transportation companies. The area has many freeways as well as interstate highways.

Area Codes

There are 8 area codes used in Detroit area. The zip code used for the city of Detroit is 313 and some of the very close suburbs. 248 and 947 are the codes used for Oakland County. The area code for Macomb Country is 586. In the northern sections of Oakland Count 810 is used and both 519 and 226 are used in the Windsor area.

Sports

Detroit has a total of 6 professional teams in four of the major sports. The Michigan Stadium is the largest American stadium for football in the entire world. There are many annual sporting events hosted by Metro Detroit.

About Wayne County, Michigan

Wayne County is one of the largest in the United States, in terms of the population. The county is the 15th in line of the most populous counties. Detroit is the county seat and this is also the largest city in the county. The county is spread over an area of about 672 square miles. Oakland and Macomb counties are to the North and Washtenaw County is present in the West. The South is bordered by the Monroe County.

2,061,162 people live here and 51.7% of the population is White while 42.16% is African American population. There are many people from other races who live in the county too. One important aspect of the governance of the county is that many of the government agencies function according to the state law and do not have their own local chapter. The county governments and other agencies are structured in such a way that they are in accordance with the various laws of the state and function according to them.

Wayne County came into existence when the organization of the Northwest Territory was done. The name of the county is after an American General by name Mad Anthony Wayne. Though it encompassed a large area, in 1796, the boundaries were reduced. The area was again reorganized in 1803. This was done by Willaim Henry Harrrison who was the Governor of Indiana. This was the time when a large area from Wayne County became a part of the other counties and states.

Other than Detroit, which is the largest city in Wayne County, there are many other cities townships and villages. Each of these cities have seen some rapid development in the past few years. Wayne county maintains the roads in the rural area and also maintains the various records. Public health activities, policing, street maintenance, building and also tax assessment are some of the major functions of the local County government.