Detroit

What it's known for

Detroit is the most populous city in Michigan and the heart of the American car industry, which gave it the nickname 'Motor City'. Henry Ford's moving assembly line of 1913 changed how cars were made, and General Motors, Ford and Stellantis (Chrysler) all have headquarters in Metro Detroit. The city also gave rise to Motown and techno music.

Fun facts

1. The name comes from the French word détroit, meaning 'strait', because the city stands on a narrow passage of water linking two lakes.
2. The French explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac began building a small fort here on 24 July 1701.
3. Detroit is one of only two places where a Canadian city lies directly south of an American one: Windsor is directly south of Detroit.