In the south of the United States of America lies the federal state of Mississippi, which borders the states of Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas and Louisiana. It is washed by the waters of the Gulf of Mexico from the south. With an area of 125,443 km², Mississippi is the 32nd largest state in the USA. On February 23, 1870, it was annexed to the Union and became a valid member state of the USA.
The state got its name from the river of the same name flowing through its western border. Mississippi means something like “Great Waters” in the language of the original Chipewa Indian tribe. The delta of this river is one of the most fertile areas in the world. The first settlers from Europe were the Spanish, who carried out extensive explorations here in the 16th century. In the 17th century, French expeditions came and subjugated this territory and it became part of French Louisiana. Over time, the territory came under British rule and was named West Florida. During the American Revolution, it was occupied by the Spanish, but in 1795 Spain surrendered part of this territory, and the state thus fell to the United States of America in 1817. But not for long, complications followed during the civil war. Mississippi was permanently annexed to the US in 1870.
- LIUXERS: Offers a list of schools with federal school code in Mississippi, including contact information, graduation rate, retention rate and transfer rate for each college located within Mississippi.
The surface of the state is mostly flat, there are swamps in places and almost half of the territory is forested. The highest mountain is Woodall, which reaches an altitude of 806 meters. The short coast of the Gulf of Mexico is especially attractive for tourists. Mississippi has a humid subtropical climate. In the past, the country has been damaged several times by devastating hurricanes, which claimed hundreds of human lives. The greatest damage was caused by hurricane Camille in 1969, which was marked with a scale of 5, i.e. the most devastating. In addition to the Mississippi River, a number of other important streams flow through the state, such as the Big Black River, Pearl River, Yazoo River. Numerous and beautiful lakes have formed here, including Ross Barnett Reservoir, Arkabutla Lake, Sardis Lake, Grenada Lake.
The state of Mississippi today has a population of around 3 million, of which about 60% are white and 36% black. By 1940, the majority of the population was of black origin. The remaining 4% are equally divided between the native Indian population, which lives mainly in the eastern part of the country, between Asians and other races. In 1870, a large Chinese population came here to engage in agriculture in the river delta. Also nowadays, more and more immigrants from Southeast Asia are coming to Mississippi, mainly attracted by the fishing and shipping industries. The inhabitants are mostly Christians, Protestants and Methodists predominate. The Roman Catholic Church is more represented in larger cities. We also find many Jews here.
The main branch of the state’s economy is agriculture, mainly grain, cotton, soy, potatoes and corn are grown. People also raise cattle, pigs, poultry, and fishing is also important. Of the industrial sectors, oil and natural gas extraction plays an important role today. Petrochemical, chemical, electrotechnical, woodworking and textile industries are also known.
The capital of Mississippi is Jackson with less than 200 thousand inhabitants. The city was named after the seventh president of the United States of America, Andrew Jackson. Jackson is on the Pearl River. According to COUNTRYAAH, other larger cities are Gulfport, Biloxi, Hattiesburg, Greenville, Meridian, Tupelo, Southhaven, Vicksburg, and Pascagoula.
Biloxi
After Jackson and Gulfport, Biloxi is the third largest city in the US state of Mississippi and, together with Gulfport, also the county seat of Harrison County. It falls under the Gulfport – Biloxi – Pascagoula metropolitan statistical area, but about 45,000 people live in Biloxi itself. Biloxi is a popular seaside resort and home to Kessler Air Force Base.
On August 29, 2005, Biloxi, as well as New Orleans and Gulfport, was hit by a powerful hurricane Katrina, which caused considerable damage – most of the city was flooded and leveled. Strong winds here destroyed roofs, carried away parts of houses and broke windows of high-rise buildings. The tidal wave here reached a height of up to six meters. The hurricane also washed a number of boats onto inland roads and flooded popular coastal casinos. Several prominent buildings were destroyed and the streets were littered with sheet metal, fallen trees and debris from houses. Local residents thus remembered a similar tragedy that took place here on August 17, 1969, when Hurricane Camille invaded the city. The Gulfport-Biloxi area of Mississippi is facing unemployment in excess of 23 percent after the hurricanes.
Near Biloxi is the Gulfport – Biloxi International Airport, which also suffered major damage during the ravages of Hurricane Katrina, but after numerous reconstructions it was restored to its original condition. Currently, commercial air traffic has also been restored. The city’s attractions include the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum, St. Michael’s Church, Biloxi Lighthouse and around 20 casinos, of which the Isle of Capri casino is probably the most interesting.
