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Mississippi, one of the East South Central states of the United States, bordered 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 Mississippi River forms almost all of the western boundary, and the Pearl River forms part of the southern boundary.

Mississippi entered the Union on December 10, 1817, as the 20th state. Its economy was mainly agricultural until the middle third of the 20th century, when manufacturing became the dominant economic sector; service industries have become increasingly important in recent decades. Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, resided here. The name of the state is taken from that of the Mississippi River, the name of which is derived from an Algonquian Indian term for “big river.” Mississippi is called the Magnolia State.

Land And Resources

Mississippi, with an area of 125,443 sq km (48,434 sq mi), is the 32d largest state in the U.S.; 5.5% of its land area is owned by the federal government. The state is roughly rectangular in shape, and its extreme dimensions are about 530 km (about 330 mi) from north to south and about 290 km (about 180 mi) from east to west. Elevations range from sea level, along the Gulf of Mexico, to 246 m (806 ft), atop Woodall Mountain in the northeast. The approximate mean elevation is 91 m (300 ft). The state's coastline is 71 km (44 mi) long.

Physical Geography

Most of Mississippi is part of the East Gulf Coastal Plain, and the rest of the state is made up of a section of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. The East Gulf Coastal Plain is generally composed of low hills, such as the Pine Hills in the south and the North Central Hills. Somewhat higher elevations are in the Pontotoc Ridge and the Fall Line Hills in the northeast. Yellow-brown loess soil is in the west, and a region of fertile black earth, part of the Black Belt, is in the northeast. The coastline, which includes large bays at Bay Saint Louis, Biloxi, and Pascagoula, is separated from the Gulf of Mexico proper by the shallow Mississippi Sound, which is partially enclosed by Petit Bois, Horn, Ship, and Cat islands. The Mississippi Alluvial Plain, known also as the Delta, is narrow in the south and widens north of Vicksburg. The region has rich soil, partly made up of silt deposited by floodwaters of the Mississippi River.

Rivers and Lakes

The most important river of the state is the Mississippi; its chief tributaries in the state are the Yazoo and Big Black rivers. Much of central and eastern Mississippi is drained by streams flowing south to the Gulf of Mexico. These include the Pearl, Pascagoula, and Tombigbee rivers.

Mississippi has many lakes, the largest of which have been created by dams on rivers. Among such bodies of water are Ross Barnett Reservoir, on the Pearl River.; Arkabutla Lake, on the Coldwater River.; Grenada Lake, on the Yalobusha River; and Pickwick Lake, on the Tennessee River. In addition, changes in the course of the Mississippi have resulted in the formation of numerous oxbow lakes, so named because of their shape. (Oxbow lakes are formed when a river cuts through the neck of one of its loops, or meanders, thus establishing a shorter course and leaving the former loop as a lake separate from the river.)

Climate

Mississippi has a warm, humid climate, with long summers and short, mild winters. Temperatures average about 28‹ C (about 82‹ F) in July and about 9‹ C (about 48‹ F) in January. The temperature varies little across the state in summer, but in winter the region near Mississippi Sound is significantly warmer than most of the rest of the state. The recorded temperature in Mississippi has ranged from -28.3‹ C (-19‹ F), in 1966 at Corinth in the northeast, to 46.1‹C (115‹ F), in 1930 at Holly Springs in the north. Yearly precipitation generally increases from north to south. Thus, Clarksdale, in the northwest, gets about 1270 mm (about 50 in) of moisture annually and Biloxi, in the south, about 1550 mm (about 61 in). Small amounts of snow fall in northern and central Mississippi. In the late summer and the fall, the state is occasionally struck by hurricanes moving north from the Gulf of Mexico. Mississippi is also struck by tornadoes, especially from February to May.

Plants and Animals

About 55% of the land area of Mississippi is covered with forests. In the north are such hardwoods as elm, hickory, and oak, as well as cedar, shortleaf pine, and tupelo. In the south are loblolly, longleaf, and slash pines. Other trees include live oak, magnolia, pecan, and sweet gum. Flowering plants in Mississippi include azalea, black-eyed Susan, camellia, dogwood, iris, Cherokee rose, trillium, and violet.

The white-tailed deer is the principal large animal of Mississippi. Other mammals found in abundance include beaver, fox, opossum, rabbit, skunk, and squirrel. Among the state's game birds are duck, quail, and wild turkey. In the winter, migrating duck, egret, heron, and tern nest on Horn and Petit Bois islands. Freshwater fish include black bass, bream, catfish, croaker, and perch; crabs, oysters, shrimp, Spanish mackerel, menhaden, and tarpon inhabit marine waters. Mineral Resources Mississippi has considerable deposits of petroleum and natural gas. Other mineral resources include clay, sand and gravel, lignite, iron ore, limestone, and salt. Population

According to the 1990 census, Mississippi had 2,573,216 inhabitants, an increase of 2.1% over 1980. The average population density was 21 persons per sq km (53 per sq mi) in 1990. Whites made up 63.5% of the population; blacks represented 35.6%, a higher proportion than in any other state. Other groups included 8435 American Indians, 3815 persons of Vietnamese ancestry, 2518 persons of Chinese origin, and 1872 Asian Indians. Some 15,900 Mississippians claimed Hispanic ancestry. Baptists formed by far the largest religious group in the state (55%), followed by Methodists (11.4%), Roman Catholics (7%), and Pentecostals (3.9%). Mississippi is one of the least urbanized states in the nation; in 1990 about 47% of all Mississippians lived in areas defined as urban, and the rest lived in rural areas. The largest cities were Jackson, the capital; Biloxi; Greenville; Hattiesburg; Meridian; and Gulfport.

Education

Until the Civil War era, Mississippi had only a small number of schools and no educational institutions for blacks. The first school for blacks was established in 1862, and a system of public education was started in 1870, but as late as the early 20th century there were few schools in rural areas. Blacks and whites attended separate public schools in Mississippi until the 1960s, when they began to be integrated following a 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that racially segregated public schools were unconstitutional. In the late 1980s the state had 954 public elementary and secondary schools, with a total yearly enrollment of about 369,500 elementary pupils and about 132,500 secondary students. Some 45,700 students attended private schools.

In the same period Mississippi had 47 institutions of higher learning, with a total annual enrollment of some 116,400 students. The state's oldest college or university is Mississippi College, at Clinton, founded in 1826. Others include the University of Mississippi, at University; Mississippi State University (1878), at Mississippi State; Mississippi University for Women (1884), at Columbus; Jackson State University (1877) and Millsaps College (1890), at Jackson; the University of Southern Mississippi (1910) and William Carey College (1906), at Hattiesburg; Delta State University (1924), at Cleveland; and Tougaloo College (1869), at Tougaloo.

Cultural Institutions Some of Mississippi's leading museums are in Jackson. These include the Mississippi State Historical Museum, housed in the Old Capitol; the Mississippi Museum of Art; the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science; and the Mississippi Crafts Center. Among the other museums in the state are the Delta Blues Museum, at Clarksdale, with diverse holdings on the noted blues music of the Delta region; the Lauren Rogers Library and Museum of Art, at Laurel; the Meridian Museum of Art; the Cobb Institute of Archaeology, at Mississippi State; and the Old Spanish Fort and Museum, in Pascagoula, with displays on Indian cultures, military history, and other topics. Among the major research libraries in Mississippi are the library of the State Department of Archives and History and the State Law Library, both at Jackson, and the University of Mississippi Library. Mississippi's performing-arts organizations include the Jackson Symphony Orchestra, Opera South, and the Mississippi Opera, all based in Jackson.

Historical Sites

Several historical landmarks in Mississippi commemorate the Civil War period. These include homes of the Confederate president Jefferson Davis near Biloxi and near Woodville; Fort Massachusetts, on Ship Island, used by Union forces as a prison during the war; and Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site, Tupelo National Battlefield, and Vicksburg National Military Park, all encompassing battle sites. Other landmarks are the Old Capitol, at Jackson, and fine antebellum houses in and near Natchez, Vicksburg, Columbus, Holly Springs, West Point, Oxford, and other communities. William Faulkner's house, Rowan Oak, is in Oxford.

Sports and Recreation

Mississippi's coast and its inland rivers and lakes provide ample opportunities for fishing, swimming, and boating. Hunting also is a popular outdoor activity. Football is a favorite sport, and the University of Mississippi often fields excellent teams.

Communications

In the early 1990s, Mississippi had 112 AM radio stations, 123 FM radiobroadcasters, and 27 television stations. The state's first radio station was WFOR in Hattiesburg, which began broadcasting in 1925, and its first television station was WJTV in Jackson, which commenced operations in 1953. In the early 1990s, the state had 22 daily newspapers with a combined daily circulation of about 403,200. Influential dailies included the Hattiesburg American, the Clarion-Ledger of Jackson, the Meridian Star, the Mississippi Press of Pascagoula, and the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal of Tupelo. Mississippi's first newspaper, the Mississippi Gazette, was established at Natchez in 1799.

Government and Politics

Mississippi is governed under a constitution of 1890, as amended. Previous constitutions had been adopted in 1817, 1832, and 1869. Constitutional amendments may be proposed by a two-thirds majority of the legislature. To become effective, an amendment must be approved by a majority of persons voting on the issue in a general election.

Executive

The chief executive of Mississippi is the governor, who is elected to a 4-year term and may not serve two successive terms. In case of death, removal from office, or incapacity to serve, the governor is succeeded by the lieutenant governor, who is also elected to a 4-year term. Other elected executive officials include the secretary of state, the treasurer, the auditor of public accounts, the attorney general, the commissioner of agriculture and commerce, and the commissioner of insurance.

Legislature

The Mississippi legislature consists of a 52-member senate and a 122-member house of representatives. All legislators are elected to 4-year terms.

Judiciary

Mississippi's highest court, the supreme court, has nine justices popularly elected to 8-year terms. The justice with seniority of service becomes chief justice for the remainder of his or her term. The major trial courts are chancery and circuit courts, with a total of 79 judges popularly elected to 4-year terms. Chancery courts hear civil cases, and circuit courts try both civil and criminal cases. Other tribunals include county, municipal, justice, and family courts.

Local Government

Mississippi is divided into 82 counties, each of which is administered by an elected five-member board of supervisors. The state also has a total of more than 290 cities and towns.

National Representation

Mississippi elects five representatives and two senators to the U.S. Congress. The state has seven electoral votes in presidential elections.

Politics

In presidential contests Mississippi cast its electoral votes for the Democratic nominee in all elections from 1876 to 1944. Third-party candidates were successful in 1948, 1960, and 1968 in elections in which racial issues were predominant; since then, the state has usually voted for the Republican presidential nominee. The Democratic party virtually dominated state and local politics in Mississippi for more than a century; in 1978, however, Thad Cochran (1937- ) became the first Mississippi Republican since the Reconstruction period to win election to the U.S. Senate.

Economy

For many years cotton dominated the Mississippi economy. Beginning in the 1930s, however, various federal programs, and damage to the cotton crop by insects called boll weevils, encouraged farmers to diversify. They began to produce large amounts of commodities, such as soybeans, and crops utilized for livestock feed. Major growth in manufacturing began with the introduction of the state's Balance Agriculture with Industry program during the mid-1930s. In the early 1990s, services and manufacturing provided more jobs and income than any other economic activity in Mississippi.

Agriculture

Farm income is about $2.4 billion annually, representing about 3% of the annual gross state product in Mississippi. The state has approximately 38,000 farms, which average 136 hectares (337 acres) in size.

Crops provide about 33% of Mississippi's annual farm income. Mississippi typically ranks third among the 50 states in producing cotton, the state's most valuable crop. The second most valuable crop is soybeans. Most of the soybeans and cotton are produced in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain region. Other major crops include rice, hay, wheat, corn, sweet potatoes, and pecans. Livestock and livestock products provide about 54% of Mississippi's yearly farm income. Chickens and beef cattle are the state's most valuable livestock. Mississippi usually ranks among the top five states in marketing broilers, and it also produces large numbers of hogs and chicken eggs as well as substantial amounts of dairy products.

Forestry

Forests cover more than half of Mississippi; the heaviest concentration of forest is in the pinelands of the southeast. Mississippi typically ranks among the ten leading U.S. states in the value of forestry production. Forest products include pine and hardwood lumber as well as pulpwood for use in paper mills.

Fishing

Mississippi's annual commercial fish catch is valued at about $44 million. Menhaden and shrimp dominate the yearly marine harvest. Most of the saltwater catch is landed at Pascagoula-Moss Point, which ranks among the nation's leading fishing ports by volume and by value of the catch. Biloxi is the state's chief shrimp port. Mississippi leads all states in the production of freshwater catfish on farms, which yield an annual income of more than $45 million. Catfish farming is centered in Humphreys County.

Mining

Mining in Mississippi contributes about 2% of the annual gross state product in Mississippi. Petroleum and natural gas, which come mainly from the southern half of the state, account for more than 85% of the value of mineral products. Other minerals produced include sand and gravel, clay, and cement.

Manufacturing

Some 243,000 people in Mississippi are employed in manufacturing, which accounts for about 28% of the annual gross state product. The annual value added by manufacture exceeds $10 billion. Pascagoula is the state's principal industrial center. Among Mississippi's leading manufactures are transportation equipment; clothing and textiles; lumber, furniture, and other wood products; electronic goods; and processed foods. Shipbuilding at Pascagoula is the most important branch of the transportation-equipment industry. Aerospace equipment and motor-vehicle parts also are manufactured. Wood products, including household furniture, are manufactured in many cities, including Tupelo, Columbus, Jackson, and Natchez. Corinth and Jackson are the chief centers for producing electronic equipment. Meat packing, poultry processing, the manufacture of cheese, and the canning and freezing of fish are important food industries. Other major manufactures include industrial machinery, chemicals, fabricated metal products, and refined petroleum.

Tourism

Each year several million travelers come to Mississippi; the annual economic benefit to the state exceeds $1.6 billion. Many visitors motor along the Natchez Trace Parkway, encompassing a historic route connecting Natchez and Nashville, Tennessee. Other National Park Service areas in the state are Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site (near Tupelo), Gulf Islands National Seashore, Tupelo National Battlefield, and Vicksburg National Military Park. The state maintains a system of 27 parks and recreation areas, including several on major reservoirs.

Transportation

Jackson is the hub of a network of about 116,710 km (about 72,520 mi) of roads that serves all sections of Mississippi. Some 1100 km (some 685 mi) of interstate highways connect the major cities of the state, which also has about 2400 km (about 1490 mi) of Class I railroad track. Jackson is the main rail junction. Pascagoula, Gulfport, and Biloxi are important seaports on the Gulf of Mexico. Greenville and Vicksburg, on the Mississippi River, are the state's leading river ports. Mississippi has 29 heliports and 178 airports, of which the busiest is Jackson International Airport.

Energy

Electricity generating plants in Mississippi have a total installed capacity of about 7 million kw and produce some 22.9 billion kwh of electricity each year. In the early 1990s conventional thermal plants, powered mainly by coal and natural gas, produced about 65% of the electricity consumed in the state; the state's first nuclear plant began commercial operations in 1985. The Tennessee Valley Authority is the supplier of power for areas in the northeastern region of Mississippi.

History In 1539, Hernando De Soto, with a band of Spanish adventurers, crossed the northeastern part of the present state; in the early part of 1541 he reached the Mississippi River. In 1673 the French explorers Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette, passing down the Mississippi, sailed as far as the mouth of the Arkansas River. In 1681-82, Robert Cavelier, sieur de La Salle, sailed down the Mississippi to its mouth and, taking possession of the entire valley for Louis XIV, king of France, named the country Louisiana.

Early Settlements

The first attempt to found a colony was made in 1699 by Pierre Le Moyne, sieur d'Iberville, who brought 200 French immigrants to the site of present-day Biloxi. In 1716, Fort Rosalie was built on the present site of Natchez. Indian outbreaks, notably by the Natchez and Chickasaw tribes, made the frontier unsafe for white settlers. In 1763, after the British victory in the French and Indian War, France ceded to Great Britain its territories east of the Mississippi, except New Orleans; Great Britain also received Florida from Spain. The British divided these possessions into East Florida and West Florida, in the latter of which was included a portion of the present state of Mississippi. In 1781, however, during the American Revolution, Spain took military possession of the Floridas; two years later, by the Treaty of Paris, ending the war, Great Britain formally ceded the area to Spain. By the Treaty of 1795 between the United States and Spain, that part of the present state of Mississippi north of the 31st parallel was ceded to the United States. In 1798 the Territory of Mississippi was formed. Between 1810 and 1813 the district south of the 31st parallel (West Florida) was taken from Spain by the U.S., on the ground that the area had originally been part of the Louisiana Purchase; it was annexed to the territory in 1813, and Mississippi was admitted to the Union as a state on December 10, 1817.

Mississippi as a State

The first serious conflict in the state over the slavery question occurred in 1851, when a party advocating secession was defeated in an election by the Union party. Ten years later, on January 9, 1861, Mississippi seceded from the Union. Early in 1870, Mississippi was readmitted to the Union. During the American Civil War much of the state was devastated. The 20 years following the war were a period of depression, but industrial advances of the late 19th century aided economic recovery.

Mississippi's lumber industry reached a peak in the early 1900s, while drainage programs converted vast swampy areas to agricultural use. Major steps were taken to reduce adult illiteracy and to regulate child labor. In 1936, Mississippi's legislature passed special tax-incentive laws to help the state's Balancing Agriculture with Industry (BAWI) program, designed to attract new industries. A few years later, petroleum was discovered at Tinsley and Vaughan. Industrial development continued during World War II with the opening of war plants and increased activity at the port of Pascagoula. By 1963 an oil refinery had been completed there.

Mississippi resisted desegregation, and, although its incidence of crime is traditionally low, the state experienced violent racial unrest in the 1960s. Nevertheless, progress was made in several civil rights areas. In 1962 the University of Mississippi was integrated by federal marshals, and in 1967 the first black was elected to the state legislature. During the next decade several blacks ran successfully in local elections; by 1990 they held about two dozen seats in the state legislature.

During the 1980s the state government sought to stimulate economic growth and improve education and other social services.