Mississippi Facts for Kids

Mississippi facts: Magnolia, capitol, Mississippi river

Our Mississippi Facts for Kids provide interesting and fun facts about the Magnolia state of the United States of America.

Here we share facts about the state's people, attractions and geographical superlatives and all other important facts about Mississippi you really should know.

Mississippi Facts for Kids

Location of Mississippi in the USA

Top Mississippi Facts | USA

1. Mississippi is one of the southeastern states of the USA and one of the states that borders the Atlantic Ocean. Mississippi borders the Gulf of Mexico which is part of the Atlantic Ocean.

2. Mississippi is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, Louisiana and Arkansas to the west, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south.

3. Mississippi is located in the southeastern USA about 3,200 km/ 2,000 miles from Washington DC, the capital city of the USA.

4. Mississippi's state capital is called Jackson. The state capital's nickname is "City with Soul" to pay respect to the many famous musicians and artists that live or lived in the city.

Jackson also has an older nickname "Chimneyville", as the city was burned down the American Civil War in 1860.

Jackson is the state capital of Mississippi

5. Mississippi has a population of about three million people. Almost 20% of the people live in the capital city Jackson and the surrounding region.

6. The Mississippi River forms the western boundary of the state. The Mississippi River is prone to flooding, leading to the development of levees and flood control systems.

Mississippi River - Blue heron

7. Mississippi is slightly smaller in land area than neighbouring state Louisiana and roughly half the size of the United Kingdom or about the same size as North Korea.

Mississippi Facts for Kids
Mississippi Geography and Mississippi Superlatives

8. The highest point of Mississippi is on Woodall Mountain. This is also the highest elevation above sea level with 246 m/ 807 ft.

9. The Mississippi River is the second longest river in North America and the longest river in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The river has a total length of 3,766 km/ 2,340 miles.

Mississippi River near Natchez

10. The Mississippi River Basin covers about 41% of mainland United States and is the third largest drainage basin in the world after the Amazon and Congo river basins. River water from 31 states of the USA and two Canadian provinces drain into the Mississippi.

11. Mississippi is part of the Gulf Coastal Plains of the United States. Most of the land is below 150 m/ 500 ft. Thus much land is at risk of flooding as you can see the Pearl River flooding near Jackson in August 2022.

Flooding in 2022 - image by Chad Robertson Media/shutterstock.com

12. The four geographic regions of Mississippi are the Northern Hills, the Gulf Coast in the South, the Delta or Yazoo Basin and the Southern Pine Hills also referred to as Pine Belt.

13. The largest freshwater lake in Mississippi is Grenada Lake, which is a reservoir in the northern parts of the state.

14. The Mississippi Petrified Forest contains fossilised fir and maple trees that are over 36 million years old. This national park is located near Flora.

15. Mississippi has a humid subtropical climate, characterized by hot and humid summers and mild winters. Rainfall occurs throughout the year, however, hurricane season with heavy rainfall is usually between beginning of June and end of November.

Mississippi Facts | Name and Mississippi State Symbols

16. The name Mississippi originates for the Ojibwe people's indigenous language term which means "father of waves" or "great river"

17. The state has another nicknames: "Magnolia State", "Eagle State" and "Bayou State".

The first nickname refers to the state flower. The second name refers to the fact that the American eagle is often encountered in this state and also depicted on the coat of arms of the state. And lastly, Bayou is a geographic term that means marshland, creek or marshy stream and is typically used in the United States.

18. The motto of the state is "Virtute ed armis" which is Latin and means "By virtue and " and is also shown on the state's coat of arms.

19. Mississippi is the 20th state of the USA and gained statehood in 1871 under President James Monroe.

Mississippi flag

20. The state flag of Mississippi includes the Magnolia, the state flower, surrounded by twenty white stars and one golden star at the top as well as the words: "In God we trust" at the bottom. The flag shows a red and a thin golden strip on both sides around the wide blue centre strip.

Other state symbols of Mississippi include: Red and blue are the state colours. The official state song is "Go, Mississippi". The Magnolia flower is the state flower.

Mississippi Facts | Animals

21. The Mississippi River is home to diverse wildlife, including fish, birds, and mammals like otters and beavers or the fascinating paddlefish.

Mississippi paddlefish

The fish is called paddle fish as it has a long snout looking like a canoe paddle. Paddlefish don't have teeth and swim with their mouth wide open to feed on plankton.

The paddlefish is also referred to as spoon fish and is the oldest surviving animal species in North America. The species is said to be older than dinosaurs!

22. The state amphibian of Mississippi is the American Bullfrog. The state insect of Mississippi is the Honeybee. The state reptile of Mississippi is the American Alligator. The state bird of Mississippi is the Northern Mockingbird.

Mississippi Facts | People in Mississippi

23. The first Native American inhabitants of the area were the Chickasaw, Choctaw, Natchez, Yazoo and Biloxi people. The first non-native explorer to visit the Mississippi territory was Hernando de Soto in 1540.

24. About 83% of the people in Mississippi say they are Christians, the majority of these are Baptists.

25. The unemployment rate of Mississippi stands at 3% in 2024.

Statue of Elvis in Tupelo

26. Mississippi is known for its rich musical heritage and often is referred to as birthplace of America's music, particularly rock n'roll and blues music. The state houses the birthplace of singer Elvis Presley, who often is referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll". Elvis Aaron Presley was born in Tupelo/ Mississippi on 8 January 1935 and died in Memphis/ Tennessee on August 16, 1977.

Other famous people born in Mississippi were musicians "father of blues music", B.B. King and "father of country music" Jimmie Rogers. Famous writers were William Faulkner and Tennessee Williams and more recent media personality and producer Oprah Winfrey and musician Britney Spears.

Facts about Mississippi: Economy

27. Agriculture, fishing, timber and mining are the most important industries. The Mississippi Delta is a fertile region in the northwest part of the state known for its agriculture. Corn, soybean and cotton are among the main agricultural products.

Cotton ready to be harvested

28. Mississippi has been experiencing excessive droughts and heat waves in recent years and Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was the worst natural disaster the state ever has experienced.

Extreme weather events in Mississippi including severe thunderstorms, flooding, extreme heat, tornadoes, winter storms, and tropical storms have led to 29 emergency disaster declarations in between 2005 and 2020.

More Facts about Mississippi

29. Mississippi Facts for Kids | Time Zones: All regions of the state apply to one time zone: Central Time Zone (UTC-6:00) which also adheres to daylight time (UTC-5:00) which is shared in summer with 20 other U.S. states and three in Canada.

Mississippi's daylight saving time is between the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November.

30. Mississippi Facts | Mississippi Famous Landmarks:

Mississippi is home to several national forests, including the scenic De Soto National Forest.

De Soto National Park

Among the most visited tourist sites and landmarks in Mississippi are the national parks, such as Tishomingo State Park, located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains or the scenic Natchez Trace Parkway, a road that follows an ancient trail used by Native Americans and early settlers, spanning 444 miles from Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee.

Other famous places and landmarks include:

The Governor's Residence in Jackson is the second oldest governor's residence of the USA.

Governor's Residence

Longwood in Natchez is the largest octagonal house in the United States and is famous for its unique architecture and unfinished interior.

Longwood Mansion - image by Dietmar Rauscher/shutterstock.com

Vicksburg National Military Park and marble war memorial

Vicksburg War Memorial

Biloxi Lighthouse on the Gulf coast was built in 1848 and is one of the oldest lighthouses in the United States

Biloxi Lighthouse - image by Sea Pavone

Mississippi Civil Rights Museum: Located in Jackson, this museum chronicles the history of the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi and the struggles for equality and justice.These landmarks showcase the diverse history, cul
Elvis Presley's birthplace in Tupelo and B.B. King's birthplace in Itta Bena
Swinging bridge over Bear Creek in Tishomingo State Park

Delicious Mississippi Food

Mississippi mud pie

Last but not least...A popular Mississippi dish is the Mississippi mud pie. You simply must try this delicious chocolate cake!

States of the USA

Popular Pages

North America Facts for Kids by Kids World Travel Guide

North America Quiz for Kids by Kids World Travel Guide

Rome/Italy in Europe: Europe Facts for Kids

Continent Facts for Kids by Kids World Travel Guide

USA Facts

UK Facts

Useful Resources for Mississippi Facts:

This page was last updated on 22 October 2024.

Mississippi Development Authority. "Things to Do". VistiMississippi. Last accessed 22 October 2024
Visit Jackson Tourism. "Get your digital guide." VisitJackson. Last accessed 22 October 2024
MSPetrifiedForest. "Petrified Forest Attractions." mspetrifiedforest.com Last accessed 22 October 2024
National Parks Service. "Mississippi River Companion." nps.gov. Last accessed 22 October 2024
NOAA State Climate Summaries. "Mississippi" NOAA. Last accessed 22 October 2024