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City of Traditional Automotive

Detroit, MI located on the Detroit River, north of Windsor, Ontario and Midwest region is a major port city in the United States. With its strategic location, the early industries were mostly manufacturing but with the development of technology, the city became the birthplace of the automotive industry in United States.

The income of Detroit is highly dependent on the automotive industry having three of the most sought after car manufacturers in the world namely Chrysler, General Motors and Ford. Since the city is mainly dependent on an industry, Detroit is vulnerable to economy cycles. At the onset of such industry, the city benefited with the boost in income but the boon was cut short with the entry of foreign rivals. With stiff competition from other countries, imposition of higher taxes, advanced manufacturing technology and inexpensive labor, the industry suffered. But with the infusion of funds and government support, the automotive industries in recent years and the economy of the city of Detroit in particular, has become stabile. Other non-automotive industries in the city include health & medical, insurance, finance and real estate.

The city of Detroit was once one of the most populous cities in the United States. However in recent years a continuous decline has been observed with the increased relocation of its population to other cities with higher employment opportunities while retiree’s sought more temperate regions. As of 2006, population of the city reached 871,121 of which 80 percent are African American or Black and the rest are White, Native American, Asian, Pacific Islander and Hispanic or Latino. In terms of age, a huge percentage of the population comprise of children under the age of 18 and the working class between the ages of 25 and 44; more than 50 percent of the population are women. Protestant Christianity is professed by most of its residents but with the entry of other races, other religions such as Roman Catholic and Jewish are likewise practiced.

One of the must see attractions in Detroit is the downtown area that shows a variety of architectural styles as most enthusiasts call it, "the past meets the present designs" since the historic Art Deco skyscrapers blend with the postmodern neogothic spires. Another attraction is the Renaissance Center, also known as Ren Cen that symbolizes the rebirth of the city. It has a modern design with 39-storeys of 4 towers and a 73-storey hotel. Then there’s the Henry Ford Museum that exhibits a large collection of cars and adjacent is the Greenfield Village that displays historic structures dating back to the 17th century onwards.