The Lower Peninsula of
Michigan is surrounded by water on all sides except its southern border, which it shares with
Ohio and
Indiana. Geographically, the Lower Peninsula has a recognizable shape that many people associate with a
mitten. This has led to several
folkloric creation myths for the area, one being that it is a hand print of
Paul Bunyan, a giant lumberjack and favorite folk character in Michigan. This has also led to the distinctive phenomenon of Lower Peninsula residents holding out their hand and pointing to a spot on it when asked where they are from.
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