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Mississippi
Mississippi, state in the Southeastern United States, bordering on the Gulf of Mexico. Early explored by the Spanish and colonized by the French, Mississippi's warm climate and rich soil proved ideally suited to cotton, which became the main crop even before 1800 and remained the mainstay of its economy until the 20th century.
Anglo-Saxon settlers from the older seaboard states flocked to Mississippi's virgin lands, bringing black slaves to work their fields, and until 1940 blacks outnumbered whites. Even today Mississippi has a larger percentage of blacks than any other state. Relations between the races have tended to shape Mississippi's history and to foster a conservative political philosophy and an insistence on state's rights among its white majority. In recent years, however, blacks have begun to enter political and economic realms formerly virtually closed to them. At the same time, "king" cotton has made room for a more diversified agriculture, and Mississippi has undergone an industrial boom. Although Mississippians still cherish the columned mansions and hallowed traditions of their past, they can now boast a diversified industrial and agricultural economy.
Mississippi entered the Union on December 10, 1817, as the 20th state. Jackson, Mississippi's capital and largest city, was founded at about the same time. The state takes its name from the Mississippi River, the great waterway that forms the state's western boundary. The river's name was derived from an Algonquin term for "big river." Mississippi is commonly nicknamed the Magnolia State because of the great number of magnolia trees that grow within its borders. The blossom of the magnolia is the state flower.
Mississippi ranks 32nd among the states in size, with a total area of 125,433 sq km (48,430 sq mi), including 2,033 sq km (785 sq mi) of inland water and 1,528 sq km (590 sq mi) of coastal waters over which it has jurisdiction. It has a maximum length, from north to south, of about 530 km (about 330 mi) and a maximum width of about 290 km (about 180 mi). Its mean elevation is about 90 m (about 300 ft).
Other cities in Mississippi
Batesville
Biloxi
Gulfport
Hattiesburg
Jackson
Meridian
Moss Point
Pascagoula
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