Introduction to Geography of Mississippi
Mississippi, one of the Southern states of the United States. It is bounded on the north by Tennessee, on the east by Alabama, on the south by the Gulf of Mexico and Louisiana, and on the west by Louisiana and Arkansas. The western boundary follows roughly the course of the Mississippi River.
Mississippi ranks 32nd among states with an area of 48,434 square miles (125,443 km 2). There are 44 miles (71 km) of general coastline along the Gulf Coast; counting all bays and inlets, the coastline is 359 miles (578 km) long.
Mississippi's state bird is the mockingbird.Physical Geography
Mississippi is one of the Southern States of the United States.LandMississippi lies in part of the Gulf Coastal Plain region of the United States. It is a low-lying, flat to rolling state, averaging 300 feet (91 m) above sea level. The Yazoo Basin, running northward from Vicksburg between the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers, is a delta region formed long ago by Mississippi River sediments and is commonly called the Delta. It is fertile, productive, and the largest tract of flat land in the state.
Places to visit in MississippiFollowing are brief descriptions of some of Mississippi's most interesting places to visit:Capitols, in Jackson, offer many reminders of the state's rich history. The Old Capitol, now the state historical museum, was built chiefly by slave labor between 1833 and 1842. Here, Mississippi voted in January 1861 to secede from the Union. The New Capitol, which was built in 1903, houses the Legislature and the governor's offices.Churches. The Church of the Holy Trinity in Vicksburg, completed in 1880, has a memorial honoring the Union and Confederate soldiers who fought in the siege of Vicksburg during the American Civil War. St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Woodville dates from 1824, and the First Presbyterian Church in Port Gibson from 1829.Delta Blues Museum, in Clarksdale, includes videotaped presentations, photographs, sound-and-slide shows, and memorabilia of blues artists and their music.Elvis Presley's Birthplace, at Tupelo in northeastern Mississippi, is the site where the famous singer was born and spent his early years. The house is now part of Elvis Presley Park.Fort Massachusetts, on Ship Island, was a Union stronghold during the American Civil War. Union forces captured the fort from the Confederates in 1861.Natchez Trace Parkway follows the route of the Natchez Trace, an important Indian and pioneer trail between Natchez and Nashville, Tennessee. Sites along the route include Mount Locust, a restored inn built near Fayette in 1777, and Cypress Swamp, north of Jackson.Old Spanish Fort, in Pascagoula, is one of the Gulf Coast’s oldest buildings, though it is neither Spanish nor a fort. The structure was part of a settlement and fort built in 1718.Petrified Forest, near Flora, contains giant stone trees dating back 30 million years. Facilities there include a nature trail, a geological museum, a rock and gem shop, and picnic areas.Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center, in Jackson, has exhibits that depict the experience and heritage of black Mississippians from their African roots to the present. The museum is housed in the former Smith Robertson School, the first public school for blacks in Jackson.Stately old homes in or near Natchez are reminders of the way of life of wealthy Mississippians before the American Civil War. These mansions include Auburn (built in 1812), D'Evereux (1840), Dunleith (1856), Edgewood (1860), Gloucester (1803), Linden (1800), Melrose (1845), Monteigne (1855), Longwood (1860), Rosalie (1820), and Stanton Hall (1857). Cedar Grove (1840) and Duff Green (1856) are in Vicksburg. Other homes include Temple Heights (1837) in Columbus, Waverley (1852) near Columbus, and Grey Gables (1849) in Holly Springs. Confederate President Jefferson Davis spent his boyhood at Rosemont, near Woodville.Vicksburg National Military Park is the site of the siege of Vicksburg, which lasted from May 19 to July 4, 1863. The siege, which ended in a Union victory, was a major turning point of the American Civil War. Monuments in the park honor the states represented in the battle. Each state's monument is located at the site where that state's troops drew their battle lines.National forests. Mississippi has six national forests. The largest of these is De Soto in southeastern Mississippi. The state's other five national forests are Homochitto in the southwest; Bienville, Delta, and Tombigbee in central Mississippi; and Holly Springs in the northern part of the state.State parks. Mississippi has 23 state parks. For information on these state parks, write to Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, P.O. Box 451, Jackson, MS 39205.Elsewhere the terrain consists mainly of rolling hills and occasional areas of relatively level prairie land. Chief among the hilly tracts are the Bluff Hills, which overlook the Yazoo Basin; the Red Hills in east-central Mississippi; the Pine Hills in the south; and Pontotoc Ridge in the northeast. Mississippi's highest point is Woodall Mountain, rising 806 feet (246 m) in the northeastern corner. The Gulf coast is marked by sandy beaches, offshore bars, and small, elongated islands, including Cat, Ship, Horn, and Petit Bois islands, which form most of Gulf Islands National Seashore.
WaterFringing the coast is Mississippi Sound, an arm of the Gulf of Mexico between the offshore islands and the mainland. There are three small bays: St. Louis, Biloxi, and Pascagoula.
Many rivers drain the state. The western half is drained by the broad, meandering Mississippi. Levees in many places line its course to protect against floods and maintain navigational channels. Principal tributaries include the Yazoo-Tallahatchie and Big Rock rivers. Flowing into Mississippi Sound are the two major rivers of the southeast—the Pearl and the Pascagoula. Except for a small area that is part of the Tennessee River Basin, northeastern Mississippi is drained by the Tombigbee.
There are few natural lakes other than oxbow lakes along the Mississippi River and in the Yazoo Basin. The largest inland bodies of water are man-made reservoirs created by dams, mainly for flood-control and recreational purposes. Among them are Ross Barnett Reservoir and Arkabutla, Sardis, Enid, and Grenada lakes. Pickwick Lake, a reservoir of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) on the Tennessee River, lies partly in Mississippi.
Mississippi's state flower is the magnoliaClimateLike most of the South from eastern Texas to the Atlantic coast, Mississippi has the humid subtropical type of climate. Summers are long, hot, and humid; winters are short and relatively mild.
July temperatures average between 80° and 84° F. (27° and 29° C.), the hottest areas being inland. Average January temperatures range between 43° F. (6° C.) in the north and 54° F. (12° C.) in the south. There are many summer days when temperatures rise to 90° F. (32° C.) or more. Winter temperatures occasionally fall below freezing. Cold weather, snow, and sleet occur primarily in the northern part.
Precipitation is heavy throughout the state. It ranges from 50 to 65 inches (1,270–1,650 mm) annually, the increase being from north to south. Much of it is brought by thunderstorms. Tornadoes and hurricanes occasionally strike the state.
Interesting facts about MississippiThe world's first heart transplant into a human being was performed by surgeon James D. Hardy at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson in 1964. Hardy replaced a human heart with the heart of a chimpanzee. The operation introduced important techniques used in later successful human-to-human heart transplants.The Pascagoula River is known as the Singing River. The sound it makes, best heard in warm months toward evening, resembles the sound of a swarm of bees in flight. According to an Indian legend, a young chieftain of the Pascagoula tribe wooed and won a princess of the rival Biloxi tribe who was already engaged. The furious Biloxi attacked the Pascagoula, demanding the surrender of the offending chieftain. The Pascagoula refused. Realizing they could not escape, they joined hands with the ill-fated couple and walked, singing, into the river.Coca-Cola was first bottled in 1894 by Joseph A. Biedenharn, a candy store owner in Vicksburg.Grenada was formed in 1836 by the union of two rival towns, Pittsburg and Tullahoma. The union was symbolized by an actual wedding ceremony in which the groom came from Pittsburg and the bride from Tullahoma.The last world heavyweight bare-knuckle boxing championship was fought in Richburg, near Hattiesburg, in 1889. John L. Sullivan defeated Jake Kilrain in 75 rounds.Mississippi's state tree is the magnolia.Economy
The Mississippi quarter features the state nickname and an image of the state tree and flower, the magnolia.Mississippi entered the ranks of industrial states in the 1960's, when employment in manufacturing first exceeded that in agriculture. Large-scale manufacturing enterprises are mainly in and and around the cities of Pascagoula, Jackson, Biloxi, and Gulfport. Small-scale activities are widely scattered and many workers commute to factories from homes in the country; thus, the state has a predominantly rural character. Agriculture remains a significant part of the economy. Mississippi, for many decades a state of tenant farmers dependent on cotton as the only cash crop, now has diversified and modern farms.
Despite substantial gains in the past several decades, Mississippi continues to be the nation's poorest state—ranking lowest in median family income and highest in the percentage of residents living below the poverty level, as defined by the federal government.
ManufacturingMississippi's first manufacturing industries were those based on farm and forest products. These industries continue to be important and include the making of textiles and garments; lumber, paper, and other wood-derived items; feed and fertilizer; and various processed foods. By the 1980's manufacturing industries had become more diversified, producing, in addition to the state's traditional products, transportation equipment, pesticides and other chemicals, machinery, and electric and electronic equipment. Petroleum refining is a chief industry along the Gulf coast. Pascagoula is a major shipbuilding center.
AgricultureSoybeans and cotton are the leading sources of farm income. Mississippi ranks among the leading producers of cotton in the United States. Many other agricultural products contribute to the state's income, especially beef and dairy cattle and broilers. Milk, eggs, hogs, and sheep are also significant. Among the state's other major cash crops are rice, wheat, hay, corn, grain sorghum, and various vegetables. The state is also a producer of peaches, pecans, beans, sweet potatoes, cowpeas, watermelons, and muscadine grapes.
Mining, Forestry, and FishingMississippi is a fairly large producer of crude petroleum and natural gas, which account for almost all of the state's income, about 85 per cent, from mineral production. Other mineral products include sand and gravel, clays, crushed stone, and a kind of coal called lignite.
Mississippi is a leading forest industry state, with forests covering about 60 per cent of the state's land. Mississippi has the most tree farms in the United States.
Shrimp and menhaden are the most valuable catches landed at Mississippi's Gulf coast ports. Mississippi leads the nation in the production of farm-raised catfish. Large amounts of catfish are raised commercially in inland ponds in the Alluvial Plain, or Delta. Other valuable catches include oysters, crabs, finfishes, red snapper, shellfish, and seatrout. The fishing industry is a major source of income all along the coast.
TransportationFour Interstate highways and numerous other highways cross the state. Railways are mainly north-south lines. Of the several commercial airports that serve the state, Jackson's is the busiest. Gulfport and Pascagoula are major deepwater ports; Natchez, Vicksburg, and Greenville are the chief Mississippi River ports. The Tennessee-Tombigbee (Tenn-Tom) Waterway crosses the northeastern part of the state.
The People
Mississippi ranked 31st in population. The density was 60.6 persons per square mile (23.4 per km 2), roughly three-fourths that of the United States as a whole. Mississippi had the highest percentage of black residents among the states, slightly more than 36 per cent; other nonwhites accounted for less than 3 per cent.
Annual events in MississippiJanuary-FebruaryDixie National Livestock Show and Rodeo in Jackson (February); Mardi Gras festivities in various cities on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and in Natchez (February).March-JuneGarden Club Pilgrimages of Antebellum Homes in Aberdeen, Columbus, Holly Springs, Natchez, Port Gibson, Vicksburg, and other communities (March-April); D'Iberville Landing and Historical Ball in Ocean Springs (April); Natchez Trace Festival in Kosciusko (April); Railroad Festival in Amory (April); World Catfish Festival in Belzoni (April); Atwood Music Festival in Monticello (May); Blessing of the Fleet and Shrimp Festival in Biloxi (May); Flea Market in Canton (May); Jimmie Rodgers Memorial Festival in Meridian (May); Jubilee Jam Art and Music Festival in Jackson (May); Landing of d’Iberville Celebration in Ocean Springs (May); Balloon Fest in Greenwood (June).July-SeptemberChoctaw Indian Fair in Choctaw (July); Mississippi Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo in Gulfport (July); Watermelon Festival in Mize (July); Neshoba County Fair in Philadelphia (July); Art Walk in Ocean Springs (August); Delta Blues Festival in Greenville (September); Seafood Festival in Jackson (September).October-DecemberFlea Market in Canton (October); Mississippi State Fair in Jackson (October); Natchez Fall Pilgrimage in Natchez (October); Scottish Highland Games in Biloxi (November); Christmas in Natchez (December); Trees of Christmas Festival in Meridian (December).Education
School attendance is compulsory from age 6 to 16. The state department of education is administered by the superintendent of public education, who is appointed by the state board of education. The board consists of nine appointed members.
The first school established in Mississippi was a private school for girls founded at Natchez in 1801. Jefferson College, at Washington, was chartered in 1802. The first free school was Franklin Academy, established at Columbus in 1821. The first public school laws, passed in 1846, provided for a county school system.
In 1870 a new public school system was created; the law required at least a fourmonth school year and the setting up of school districts. In 1953 county boards of education were given more authority and the Educational Finance Commission was set up to reorganize school districts by consolidation and to improve allocation of school funds.
The University of Mississippi's main campus is at University, near Oxford. It was opened in 1848, closed during the Civil War, and reopened in 1865. The Lyceum is the only original building still standing. The university has a liberal arts college and several professional schools. The Medical Center is at Jackson.
Government
Mississippi's State Capitol is in Jackson, the capital since 1822.Mississippi is governed under its 1890 constitution, its fourth. The head of state is the governor, who is elected to a four-year term. Other state officials, elected to four-year terms, include the lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer, auditor, commissioner of insurance, and commissioner of agriculture and commerce. The Mississippi Legislature consists of a 52-member Senate and a 122-member House of Representatives. All state legislators serve four-year terms.
The judiciary is headed by the state Supreme Court of nine justices elected by the people. Other courts include chancery courts, circuit courts, county courts, and municipal courts.
Mississippi has 82 counties. The state is represented in Congress by two senators and four representatives.
Governors of MississippiNamePartyTermDavid Holmes Democratic-Republican1817-1820George Poindexter Democratic-Republican1820-1822Walter Leake Democratic-Republican1822-1825Gerard C. Brandon Democratic-Republican1825-1826David Holmes Democratic-Republican1826Gerard C. Brandon Democratic-Republican1826-1832Abram M. Scott Democratic1832-1833Charles Lynch Democratic1833Hiram G. Runnels Democratic1833-1835John A. Quitman Whig1835-1836Charles Lynch Democratic1836-1838Alexander G. McNutt Democratic1838-1842Tilghman M. Tucker Democratic1842-1844Albert G. Brown Democratic1844-1848Joseph W. Matthews Democratic1848-1850John A. Quitman Democratic1850-1851John I. Guion Democratic1851James Whitfield Democratic1851-1852Henry S. Foote Union Democratic1852-1854John J. Pettus Democratic1854John J. McRae Democratic1854-1857William McWillie Democratic1857-1859John J. Pettus Democratic1859-1863Charles Clark Democratic1863-1865William L. Sharkey Whig-Democratic1865Benjamin G. Humphreys Whig1865-1868Adelbert Ames U.S. Military Governor1868-1870James L. Alcorn Republican1870-1871Ridgley C. Powers Republican1871-1874Adelbert Ames Republican1874-1876John M. Stone Democratic1876-1882Robert Lowry Democratic1882-1890John M. Stone Democratic1890-1896Anselm J. McLaurin Democratic1896-1900Andrew H. Longino Democratic1900-1904James Kimble Vardaman Democratic1904-1908Edmond F. Noel Democratic1908-1912Earl L. Brewer Democratic1912-1916Theodore G. Bilbo Democratic1916-1920Lee M. Russell Democratic1920-1924Henry L. Whitfield Democratic1924-1927Dennis Murphree Democratic1927-1928Theodore G. Bilbo Democratic1928-1932Martin Sennett Conner Democratic1932-1936Hugh L. White Democratic1936-1940Paul B. Johnson Democratic1940-1943Dennis Murphree Democratic1943-1944Thomas L. Bailey Democratic1944-1946Fielding L. Wright Democratic1946-1952Hugh L. White Democratic1952-1956James P. Coleman Democratic1956-1960Ross R. Barnett Democratic1960-1964Paul B. Johnson Democratic1964-1968John Bell Williams Democratic1968-1972William Waller Democratic1972-1976Cliff Finch Democratic1976-1980William F. Winter Democratic1980-1984William A. Allain Democratic1984-1988Ray Mabus Democratic1988-1992Kirk Fordice Republican1992-2000Ronnie Musgrove Democratic2000-2004Haley Barbour Republican2004-