Mississippi (MS)

homethodologyGeography
MISSISSIPPI STATE FLAG

Mississippi joined the Union in 1817 as the 20th state and takes its name from the Mississippi River, which forms its western border. Early inhabitants of the area that became Mississippi were the Choctaw, Natchez, and Chickasaw.

Spanish explorers arrived in the region in 1540, but it was the French who established the first permanent settlement in present-day Mississippi in 1699.

During the first half of the 19th century, Mississippi was the largest producer of cotton in the United States, and owners of large plantations depended on the labor of black slaves. Mississippi seceded from the Union in 1861 and suffered greatly during the American Civil War.

Despite the abolition of slavery, racial discrimination persisted in Mississippi, and the state was a battlefield of the civil rights movement in the mid-20th century. In the early 21st century, Mississippi was among the poorest states in America.

Geography

Mississippi is a state located in the Southern United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Arkansas and the Mississippi River to the west. The state has a total area of 48,430 square miles, making it the 32nd largest state in terms of size. Mississippi is divided into two distinct geographic regions: The Gulf Coastal Plain and The Mississippi Alluvial Plain.

The Gulf Coastal Plain covers about one-third of the state’s total land area and includes much of its coastline along the Gulf of Mexico. This region is largely characterized by low-lying land with numerous swamps, marshes, and other wetlands. Many of these areas are part of the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area which includes some of the most productive agricultural land in North America as well as unique wildlife habitats. In addition to its agricultural importance, this region also contains many oil and gas reserves beneath its surface which have made it an important source for energy production for many decades.

The Mississippi Alluvial Plain covers most of the remaining two-thirds of Mississippi’s land area and extends from Vicksburg in central western Mississippi up through Memphis in northern Tennessee. This region consists mostly flat terrain with occasional hills along rivers such as the Yazoo River which runs through parts of northwest Mississippi before emptying into Arkansas’ White River. This region was once part of an ancient ocean floor millions of years ago which created its rich soil composition that is ideal for farming today. In addition to being home to much agricultural activity, this region also contains some small mountain ranges such as Black Prairie Mountains near Oxford which are home to a variety of wildlife species including black bears and white-tailed deer.

Mississippi also has several major rivers running through it including The Big Black River which runs through central western parts of Mississippi before flowing into Louisiana’s Red River; The Pearl River which forms part of both states’ border between them; The Pascagoula River which forms part eastern border between Alabama; And finally The Tombigbee River which forms part southern border between Alabama before flowing into Mobile Bay at Mobile Point on Alabama’s coast line.

In conclusion, Mississippi’s geography can be divided into two distinct regions: The Gulf Coastal Plain located along its coast line with much swampland and wetlands interspersed throughout; And then The Alluvial Plain located further inland featuring mostly flat terrain with several small mountain ranges dotting its landscape here and there throughout its expanse. These two regions are then further linked together by several major rivers that run through them creating a unique landscape that makes up this great southern state.

Cities in Mississippi

Below are the top 15 cities by population in Mississippi. For all cities and towns in the state, please see Mississippi cities list.

Rank City Population
1 Jackson 156,803
2 Gulfport 72,468
3 Southaven 54,141
4 Biloxi 49,061
5 Hattiesburg 47,074
6 Olive Branch 39,136
7 Tupelo 37,872
8 Meridian 35,625
9 Greenville 30,175
10 Clinton 27,830
11 Madison 27,459
12 Pearl 27,017
13 Horn Lake 26,623
14 Oxford 25,859
15 Brandon 24,887

Counties in Mississippi

The State of Mississippi consists of 82 counties. They are:

  1. Adams County, Mississippi
  2. Alcorn County, Mississippi
  3. Amite County, Mississippi
  4. Attala County, Mississippi
  5. Benton County, Mississippi
  6. Bolivar County, Mississippi
  7. Calhoun County, Mississippi
  8. Carroll County, Mississippi
  9. Chickasaw County, Mississippi
  10. Choctaw County, Mississippi
  11. Claiborne County, Mississippi
  12. Clarke County, Mississippi
  13. Clay County, Mississippi
  14. Coahoma County, Mississippi
  15. Copiah County, Mississippi
  16. Covington County, Mississippi
  17. DeSoto County, Mississippi
  18. Forrest County, Mississippi
  19. Franklin County, Mississippi
  20. George County, Mississippi
  21. Greene County, Mississippi
  22. Grenada County, Mississippi
  23. Hancock County, Mississippi
  24. Harrison County, Mississippi
  25. Hinds County, Mississippi
  26. Holmes County, Mississippi
  27. Humphreys County, Mississippi
  28. Issaquena County, Mississippi
  29. Itawamba County, Mississippi
  30. Jackson County, Mississippi
  31. Jasper County, Mississippi
  32. Jefferson County, Mississippi
  33. Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi
  34. Jones County, Mississippi
  35. Kemper County, Mississippi
  36. Lafayette County, Mississippi
  37. Lamar County, Mississippi
  38. Lauderdale County, Mississippi
  39. Lawrence County, Mississippi
  40. Leake County, Mississippi
  41. Lee County, Mississippi
  42. Leflore County, Mississippi
  43. Lincoln County, Mississippi
  44. Lowndes County, Mississippi
  45. Madison County, Mississippi
  46. Marion County, Mississippi
  47. Marshall County, Mississippi
  48. Monroe County, Mississippi
  49. Montgomery County, Mississippi
  50. Neshoba County, Mississippi
  51. Newton County, Mississippi
  52. Noxubee County, Mississippi
  53. Oktibbeha County, Mississippi
  54. Panola County, Mississippi
  55. Pearl River County, Mississippi
  56. Perry County, Mississippi
  57. Pike County, Mississippi
  58. Pontotoc County, Mississippi
  59. Prentiss County, Mississippi
  60. Quitman County, Mississippi
  61. Rankin County, Mississippi
  62. Scott County, Mississippi
  63. Sharkey County, Mississippi
  64. Simpson County, Mississippi
  65. Smith County, Mississippi
  66. Stone County, Mississippi
  67. Sunflower County, Mississippi
  68. Tallahatchie County, Mississippi
  69. Tate County, Mississippi
  70. Tippah County, Mississippi
  71. Tishomingo County, Mississippi
  72. Tunica County, Mississippi
  73. Union County, Mississippi
  74. Walthall County, Mississippi
  75. Warren County, Mississippi
  76. Washington County, Mississippi
  77. Wayne County, Mississippi
  78. Webster County, Mississippi
  79. Wilkinson County, Mississippi
  80. Winston County, Mississippi
  81. Yalobusha County, Mississippi
  82. Yazoo County, Mississippi

MISSISSIPPI STATE FLAG