Mississippi

Mississippi is a southern U.S. state that stretches from the banks of the Mississippi River to the Gulf Coast. The territory includes wide cotton fields, pine forests, and wetlands in the Delta, where the river forms broad floodplains.

The region joined the Union as the twentieth state in 1817, after previously being part of a larger territory. In the following decades, plantation agriculture shaped the land until the Civil War and its aftermath brought deep changes.

Across the Delta and along the coast, you can still hear blues music in small clubs and venues where local musicians keep the region's musical tradition alive. In towns and rural areas, people gather often in churches and community halls that serve as centers of social life, where gospel choirs sing regularly.

Several visitor centers along major highways provide travelers with free maps and information. Summer climate is hot and humid, so spring and fall are more comfortable for travel and exploration.

Pond-raised catfish farming across the Delta produces more fish than any other region in the country, an industry that began in the 1960s. Many of these farms sit close together and form one of the largest freshwater aquaculture operations in the world.

Location: United States

Inception: December 10, 1817

Capital city: Jackson

Elevation above the sea: 91 m

Reference: MS

Part of: contiguous United States

Shares border with: Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama

Website: https://ms.gov

GPS coordinates: 33.00000,-90.00000

Latest update: December 14, 2025 17:39