Mississippi – ipl Stately Knowledge: Facts about the United States

Mississippi

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AbbreviationMS
Source: United States Postal Service – Abbreviations
CapitalJackson
Population2,967,297
Source: Resident Population Data – 2010 Census
GovernorPhil Bryant (Republican, to January 2016)
Entered the UnionDecember 10, 1817
as the 20th state
MottoVirtute et armis (By valor and arms)
NicknameThe Magnolia State
FlowerFlower or bloom of the magnolia or evergreen magnolia
BirdMockingbird
SongGo, Mississippi
Professional Sports TeamsNo NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA, MLS, or NHL teams.
(sports listing policy)
Origin of NameNamed for the Mississippi river which forms the state’s western boundary. According to the State of Mississippi’s “About Mississippi” page, the name means “Father of Waters,” roughly translated from Native American folklore. The translation comes from the Chippewa (or Ojibwa) words “mici zibi” meaning “great river” or “gathering in of all the waters” and the Algonquin word “Messipi.”
Historical SitesPre-Civil War mansions, Vicksburg National Military Park, Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield, Tupelo National Battlefield, and part of Natchez Trace National Parkway
Points of InterestBienville, Delta, Desoto, Holly Springs, Homochitto, and Tombigbee Nation Forests; Gulf Coast
Bordering StatesMississippi borders Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee.
FlagMississippi's flag

Follow these links to read articles about Mississippi from Encyclopedias and Almanacs:

Official State Links

Other State Links

  • 50states.com: Mississippi
    http://www.50states.com/mississi.htm
    The site provides a wealth of information about Mississippi. It includes everything from the highest point to county profile to climate.
  • Things To Do in Mississippi
    http://www.thingstodo.com/states/MS/index.htm
    ThingsToDo.com is an online guide to information about Mississippi’s entertainment, recreation, and travel, and includes the state’s interesting facts, famous people, and special events.
  • Roadside America: Mississippi Attractions
    http://www.roadsideamerica.com/map/ms.html
    Roadside America describes itself as an online guide to offbeat attractions. This site offers reviews of “weird sites along the highway” in Mississippi.
  • FedStats: MapStat: United States: Mississippi
    http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/states/28000.html
    Fast access to statistics from more than 100 federal agencies on “economic and population trends, crime, education, health care, aviation safety, energy use, farm production and more” in Mississippi.
  • The Mississippi state tree is the Magnolia, state bird is the Mockingbird, state stone is Petrified wood, state fish is the Largemouth o r black bass, state insect is the Honeybee, state shell is the Oyster shell, state water mammal is the Bottlenosed dolphin or porpoise, state fossil is the Prehistoric whale, state land mammal is the White-tailed deer, state waterfowl is the Wood duck, and the state beverage is Milk.
  • Hernando de Soto, a Spanish explorer, discovered the Mississippi River in 1540. Spain did not relinquish its claims on the Mississippi region until 1798.
  • Although cotton is the most important crop in Mississippi, corn, peanuts, pecans, rice, sugar cane, sweet potatoes, soybeans, food grains, poultry, eggs, meat animals, dairy products, feed crops and horticultural crops are all important to the state’s economy.
  • Nearly 60% of Mississippi is covered by forests, and more than 100 species of trees are found in the state.

Some Famous People from this State

  • Elvis Presley (1935 – 1977), popular rock-and-roll singer.
  • Tennessee Williams (1911 – 1983), playwright, received Pulitzer prizes for A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
  • Hiram R. Revels (1822 – 1901), clergyman, first African American to sit in the U.S. Senate (1870 – 1871).