Mississippi is known for:
- Catfish
- Cotton
- Abundance of wildlife, including turkey, deer, and alligators
- Bluegrass music
- Southern Charm
Geography & Demographics
| State Abbreviation |
MS |
| State Capital |
Jackson |
| State Size |
Total (Land + Water): 48,430 sq miles; Land Only: 46,907 sq miles |
| Number of Counties |
82 |
| Time Zone |
Central Time Zone |
| Bordering States |
Alabama, Arkanssas, Louisiana, Tennessee |
| Highest Point | Woodall Mountain, 807 feet |
| Tallest Building | Beau Rivage Casino Hotel in Biloxi, 347 feet |
| Largest Stadium | Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, capacity 64,038 |
| National Parks | None |
| State Population (2020) | 2,961,279 |
| State Population Density | 63.1 people / square mile |
| Area Codes |
228, 601, 662, 769 |
| Top 5 Cities (2020 population) |
Jackson (157,821)
Gulfport (71,438)
Southaven (56,644)
Biloxi (46,127)
Hattiesburg (45,806)
|
Government & Legislature
State Symbols
| State Beverage | Milk |
| State Bird |
Mockingbird |
| State Fish | Largemouth (black bass) |
| State Flower |
Bloom of the magnolia or evergreen magnolia |
| State Fossil | Prehistoric whale |
| State Insect | Honeybee |
| State Motto |
Virtute et armis (By valor and arms) |
| State Nickname |
Magnolia State |
| State Shell | Oyster shell |
| State Stone | Petrified wood |
| State Water Mammal | Bottlenosed dolphin (porpoise) |
| State Tree |
Magnolia |
| State Waterfowl | Wood duck |
Sports Teams
Popular Tourist Attractions
- B. B. King Museum: Museum dedicated to preserve and share the legacy and values of B. B. King, located in Indianola, Mississippi.
- Buccaneer State Park: State park in Waveland, Mississippi.
- Deer Island: Island off the coast of Biloxi, Mississippi.
- Elvis Presley Birthplace: Historic museum site in Tupelo, Mississippi.
- Geyser Falls Water Theme Park: Water park in Pearl River, Mississippi.
- Gulf Islands National Seashore: National seashore in southern Mississippi.
- Hattiesburg Zoo: Zoo in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
- The Jackson Zoo: Zoo in Jackson, Mississippi.
- Mississippi Museum of Natural Science: Natural science museum in Jackson, Mississippi.
- Natchez Trace Parkway: National parkway along Ross R Barnett Reservoir in central Mississippi.
- Rowan Oak: William Faulkner's former home in Oxford, Mississippi.
- Ship Island: Islands off the Gulf Coast of Mississippi.
- USS Cairo: Historic warship in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
- Vicksburg National Military Park: Military park preserving the site of the American Civil War Battle of Vicksburg, located in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Festivals and Events
Top festivals and events in Mississippi. They are listed in approximate order of when they take place during the year.
Popular Iconic Mississippi Foods
Mississippi is famous for the following foods:
- Biscuits
- Fried Chicken
- Po'Boys
- Barbecue
- Gulf Shrimp
- Fried Okra
- Comeback Sauce
- Mississippi Mud Pie
- Hot Tamales
- Crawfish
- Corn Bread
- Fried Catfish
Famous People Born In Mississippi
Nobel Prize Winners
Pro Football Hall Of Fame Members
- Frank "Bruiser" Kinard (Tackle. Inducted in 1971)
- Willie Brown (Cornerback. Inducted in 1984)
- Lem Barney (Cornerback. Inducted in 1992)
- Walter Payton (Running Back. Inducted in 1993)
- Jackie Smith (Tight End. Inducted in 1994)
- Billy Shaw (Guard. Inducted in 1999)
- Jackie Slater (Offensive Tackle. Inducted in 2001)
- Jerry Rice (Wide Receiver. Inducted in 2010)
- Brett Favre (Quarterback. Inducted in 2016)
Baseball Hall Of Fame Players
- Cool Papa Bell (Center Fielder. Inducted in 1974)
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame Players
- Lusia Harris-Stewart (Center. Inducted in 1992)
- Chet Walker (Forward. Inducted in 2012)
- Spencer Haywood (Center-Forward. Inducted in 2015)
- sonny boswell (Guard. Inducted in 2022)
Famous Actors And Actresses
- Lacey Chabert
- James Earl Jones
- Eric Roberts
Famous Singers
- Jimmy Buffett
- Sam Cooke
- Faith Hill
- Elvis Presley
- Leann Rimes
- Britney Spears
Mississippi Fun Facts
- The state of Mississippi was named for the Mississippi River, whose name comes from the Ojibwa (Chippewa) Indian word "misi-ziibi," meaning "great river."
- On April 25, 1866, women in Columbus decorated the graves of both the Confederate and Union soldiers in Friendship Cemetery. This gesture became known as Decoration Day, the beginning of what we observe today as Memorial Day.
- The Mississippi city of Greenwood is commonly called the Cotton Capital of the World.
- While on a hunting expedition near Onward in November of 1902, President Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear that had been surrounded. This event inspired a Brooklyn candy shop owner to create a stuffed "Teddy's Bear." Teddy bears soon became a favorite toy all over the world.
- On June 11, 1963, Dr. James Hardy of the University of Mississippi performed the world's first human lung transplant.
- The Mississippi city of Vardaman is called the Sweet Potato Capital of the World.
- Greenville is called the Towboat Capital of the World.
- The world's only cactus plantation is in Edwards, Mississippi.
- In 1894, Coca-Cola was first bottled by Joseph A. Biedenharn in Vicksburg.
- In Mississippi, it is illegal for a man to seduce a woman by pretending that he will marry her.
This page was last updated on October 12, 2024.
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