ABSTRACT
The geography of the state of Michigan is constantly changing. The economy is rapidly entering a postindustrial era, which means that a higher and higher proportion of the population earning a living from the tertiary sector of the economy—retail and wholesale trade, government services, various professions, transportation and communication, recreation, and research and development. Population trends indicate that Michigan have stable or slow growth in the 1980s and early 1990s. The higher costs and changing forms of energy are going to have a major impact on the way Michiganians live in the coming decades. The regional organization of population distribution, energy resources, food production, and employment opportunities have to be taken much more into consideration in individual, group, and political decisions in the future. Michigan, as do all the states in the United States, faces a major challenge in maintaining its economy and way of life in the coming decades.
