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Mississippi Facts

Mississippi Facts
The State of Mississippi is located in the southern United States. It shares state borders with Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, and it is directly across the Mississippi River from Arkansas. Mississippi is the 32nd largest U.S. state with 48,430 square miles. It is the31st most populated state with approximately 2,984,926 residents and it is ranked as the 32nd most densely populated state. Prior to European settlement Native American tribes including the Biloxi, Yazoo and Natchez inhabited area. Fort Maurepas (or Old Biloxi) was home to the first settlement by French colonists. Following the French and Indian Wars, Great Britain took over the region in 1763, eventually turning it over to the U.S. following the Revolution. Mississippi joined the Union in 1817, becoming the 20th U.S. state.
Interesting Mississippi Facts:
The name Mississippi is believed to be derived from an Indian word that means 'Father of Waters', 'great river' or 'gathering of waters'.
Mississippi's capital city is Jackson, which is also its largest city.
Mississippi residents are called Mississippians.
Mississippi's state nickname is the Magnolia State.
The state motto for Mississippi is 'Virtute et arms', which means 'By valor and arms'.
Mississippi's state song is 'Go Mis-sis-sip-pi'.
Mississippi's original flag was the Magnolia Flag which had been chosen in 1861. In 1894 the official state flag that still exists today was adopted.
Mississippi's state bird is the mockingbird and its state game bird is the wood duck.
The state mammal is the white-tailed deer and the state water mammal is the bottle-nosed dolphin.
Mississippi has a southern shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico.
The state fish for Mississippi is the largemouth bass and the state insect is the honeybee.
Mississippi's state flower is the bloom or flower of the magnolia and the state tree is also the magnolia.
Mississippi's major rivers include Yazoo River, Pearl River, Big Black River and the Mississippi River.
Mississippi's major lakes include Grenada Lake, Sardis Lake, Arkabutla Lake, and Ross Barnett Reservoir.
Mississippi's agriculture includes cotton, rice, corn and soybeans.
The major industry in Mississippi includes fishing, transportation equipment, electronic equipment, oil and textiles.
Mississippi is the leading producer in the world of pond-raised catfish. Of the 140,000 national acres of catfish ponds, Mississippi is home to 100,000 of them.
There are 82 counties in Mississippi, and 24 state parks.
The first human lung transplant in the world was performed at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi in 1935.
Liberty, Mississippi was the first U.S. town to build a Confederate monument.
The Norris Bookbinding Company in Greenwood is the largest plant in the U.S. binding Bibles.
The second largest cotton exchange in the U.S. called Cotton Row is located in Greenwood.
Greenwood, Mississippi is known as the cotton capital of the world.
Belzoni, Mississippi is known as the catfish capital of the world.
Greenville, Mississippi is known as the towboat capital of the world.
Vardaman, Mississippi is known as the sweet potato capital of the world.
Edward Adolf Barq, Sr. was the inventor of root beer. He developed the popular beverage in Biloxi, Mississippi in 1898.


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