Mississippi

The State of Mississippi is located in the South East region of the United States with a 2008 estimated population of about 2,900,000 with a 60% European-American and 37% African-American mix. Mississippi is 48,430 square miles and arranged with a western border running along the Mississippi River and a narrow southern coast on the Gulf of Mexico. Most of the land has a low elevation, which has led to some flooding issues; the highest point is Woodall Mountain at 806 feet.

Native-American tribes including the Chickasaw and Choctaw tribes populated Mississippi before the Spanish and French gained ascendancy in this area they called "Greater Louisiana." Through treaties, purchases and annexations, the United States assembled control of the territory that it turned into the State of Mississippi on December 10, 1817, making Mississippi the 20th state.

Throughout its history, agriculture has been the dominant industry in Mississippi due to the humid, subtropical climate and waterways. Cotton growers used the rich soil and African slave labor to produce wealth for the state. Mississippi was the second state to secede from the Union and joined the Confederacy during the Civil War. The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s won some key victories in Mississippi. Agriculture remains the number one industry employing nearly one-third of the workforce directly or indirectly.

The state flower of Mississippi is the Magnolia, which also gives it the nickname of the Magnolia State. Jackson, located on the Pearl River, is the capitol and most populous city in Mississippi. The University of Mississippi has numerous competitive sports teams that go by the nickname of the "Ole Miss Rebels."

The main population centers are located along the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico waterways. Numerous 24-hour casinos await tourists interested in gaming fun. There are also many new golf courses, such as Fallen Oak, that have been praised by experts like "Golf Digest" as being among the best new courses built in the last five years. Other famous attractions include the Natchez National Historical Park, Delta Blues Museum and the birthplace of Elvis Presley in Tupelo.

Famous Mississippians Include B.B. King, Brett Favre, Elvis Presley, Le Ann Rimes, Oprah Winfrey, Sela Ward and Shepard Smith. Movies that are associated with the state include the Adventures of Huck Finn, Mississippi Burning and Showboat.