PEOPLE

U. B. Phillips, Eugene Woldemar

Hilgard, James K. Vardaman,
Newton Knight, Ross R. Barnett

PL ACES
Western Hemisphere; Lower
South; Deep South; Jackson;
Mound Landing; New Orleans,
Louisiana; Free State of Jones;
Mississippi Riviera

TERMS
absolute location, longitude,
prime meridian, latitude, equator,
elevation, eon, growing season,
flora, fauna, tornado, hurricane,
antebellum period, geologist, maize,
sharecropper, farm tenancy, loess
soil, alluvial soil, natural resource,
tributary, drainage basin,
groundwater, surface water,
reservoir, aquaculture, lignite

2 A Place Called Mississippi

 he starting point in the study of any nation,
state, or region is its geographical and natural
environment. The United States is located in
the Northern Temperate Zone, which is a vast
belt of mild weather that encircles the globe
between the North Pole and the equator. There is also a
Southern Temperate Zone south of the equator.
Mississippi is located in the mildest region of the North-
ern Temperate Zone. Throughout our history, Mississippi-
ans have benefited from fair weather, fertile soil, and great
natural resources. One of the myths associated with Mis-
sissippi is “the long hot summer” that we must endure year
after year. Like some other myths about Mississippi, this one
is not correct. As you will learn in this chapter, the average
temperatures in our state are relatively mild.
There are occasions, however, when inclement (severe,
stormy) weather disrupts our lives and causes extensive
property damage and even death. In this chapter on the
geography of Mississippi, we will examine those dangerous
weather patterns.
You are about to enter upon a great journey back through
the history of our state. Although there are some parts of our
past that we may not be proud of, there is much to admire
and to keep. A wise man once said, “Those who cannot re-
member the past are condemned to repeat it.” The future of
your state will be determined by those of you who are taking
this class in Mississippi history.

Left: Beautiful fall coloring drapes the trees in J. P. Coleman State

Park, in the Tennessee-Tombigbee Hills region. Above: A Great
Egret flaps across a cypress swamp in the Delta-Yazoo Basin region.

Chapter 1: The Geography of Mississippi 3

 VITAL STATISTICS

TOTAL AREA:
48,434 square miles
LAND AREA:
46,914 square miles
WATER SURFACE:
1,520 square miles
COASTLINE:
44 miles
SHORELINE:
359 miles
LOCATION
EAST-WEST LENGTH:
180 miles
LATITUDE:
NORTH-SOUTH LENGTH:
Between 30°13' N and 35° N
350 miles
LONGITUDE:
NUMBER OF SOIL REGIONS:
Between 88°07' W and 91°41' W
12
LOCATION WITHIN
NUMBER OF COUNTIES:
UNITED STATES:
82
Southeast
HIGHEST POINT:
BORDERING STATES:
Woodall Mountain in
Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee,
Tishomingo County, 806 feet
Alabama
LOWEST POINT:
GEOGRAPHIC CENTER OF
Gulf Coast, sea level
THE STATE:
AVERAGE ELEVATION: In Leake County,
300 feet 9 miles northwest of Carthage

4 Chapter 1: The Geography of Mississippi

 As you read, look for
• Mississippi’s location in the world;
• the size and shape of our state;
• the growing and increasingly diverse population
of Mississippi;
• terms: absolute location, longitude, prime
meridian, latitude, equator, elevation.
Map Skill: Rank the five
states that border the Gulf
Although Mississippi may seem quite large, it is only a small part of Mexico according to the
of our global world. It is located in the Western Hemisphere, on the continent length of their coastline.
of North America, and is one of the fifty states that make up the United States

Section 1: Where in the World Is Mississippi? 5

 Map Skill: Which states were
part of the Cotton Kingdom?

Northern
Hemisphere
90N
North Pole
Pri
me

of America. The state of Mississippi

Mer
idian

is in the southern part of the United

0°

Equator 0
° States, in what is sometimes called
the Lower South or the Deep South.
Jackson is the capital city of the state
Southern of Mississippi, which has eighty-two
counties and many towns and cities. At the time of the
Hemisphere Eastern
American Civil War,
Hemisphere
Locating Mississippi the Deep South was
90N
North Pole

On a globe or a map, longitude also called the Cotton

and latitude coordinates indicate the Kingdom because its
economy was based
Pri

absolute location (precise location

me

almost exclusively on
Mer

on Earth’s surface) of a particular

idian

place. Longitude is the distance cotton production and

0°

° east or west of the prime meridian the plantation system.

Equator 0

(the imaginary line that runs from

North Pole to South Pole through
Western Greenwich, England). Latitude is the distance north or south of the equator
Hemisphere
(the imaginary line that goes around the globe halfway between the North
and South Poles). Mississippi is located approximately between latitudes
of 30 degrees 13 minutes north (30°13' N) and 35 degrees north (35° N)
and longitudes of 88 degrees 7 minutes west (88°07' W) and 91 degrees 41
minutes west (91°41' W).
In an age of technology unimagined by your grandparents, your family
car or truck may be equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS). This
new technology, with the aid of a network of GPS satellites, can determine
Map Skill: Through which the exact latitude, longitude, and elevation (height of the land above sea
continents does the prime level) of any place on Earth. We use GPS technology primarily to help us
meridian pass? find our way from town to town and get around in big cities. Its possibilities
and future use are wide-ranging.

6 Chapter 1: The Geography of Mississippi

Measuring Mississippi
Mississippi’s total area consists of
48,434 square miles. The land area is
46,914 square miles and the water sur-
face is 1,520 square miles. The state
is about 350 miles long from north to
south, and about 180 miles wide from
east to west. It is 32nd in size among the
50 states. According to the 2010 census,
Mississippi’s population was 2,967,297,
an increase of 122,639 from the 2000
census. The state’s population includes
15,030 Native Americans, or 0.5 percent
of its total population. Mississippi has
the highest percentage of African Amer-
icans of any state. There are 1,098,385
African Americans in Mississippi, which
is 37 percent of the state’s population.
The state’s Asian American population
is 25,742, an increase of 7,116 from 2000,
and is 0.9 percent of the total. Hispanics
and Latinos comprise 2.7 percent of the
state’s population and number 81,481,
an increase of 41,912 since 2000. Mis-
sissippi’s female population is 52 percent
of the total, and the male population is
48 percent.
As we will learn during the study of
our state, people from other states and
other parts of the country are intrigued
by Mississippi and are surprised to learn how many famous and prominent
people there are from our state. So before we begin our journey through
Mississippi’s long and interesting history, we will first examine the geography
and the natural resources of that special place we call Mississippi.
Map Skill: Can you estimate
the absolute location of the
city of Jackson?
Reviewing the Section
1. Define in sentence form: absolute location,
equator, elevation.
2. What technology can we use to determine
latitude, longitude, and elevation?
3. How does Mississippi rank in size among the
fifty states?

Section 1: Where in the World Is Mississippi? 7

 As you read, look for
• how the weather has influenced Mississippi’s
development as an agricultural state;
• the types of natural disasters that have caused
damage in our state;
Map Skill: Which city has a
• terms: eon, growing season, flora, fauna,
higher annual precipitation, tornado, hurricane.
Greenville or Biloxi?

History is the story of man, and geography is the stage on

which that story is performed. Rivers and woodlands, mountains
and deserts are the scenery that decorate the stage of history, and
weather patterns, it may be said, are the sound effects of history.
In the early eons of time, man roamed through the forests and
across the plains and meadows of the ancient world. An eon is a vast,
long period of time. In those early times, man had no awareness or
attachment to place and had little awareness of time. He measured
his days and nights by the rhythm of the solar system. In the slow
course of time, man eventually domesticated (adapted for human
use) plants and animals and ceased his roaming. He settled in a place,
gave that place a name, called it home, herded his livestock, farmed
the land, and measured his days by the rhythm of the seasons.
The famous historian U. B. Phillips began his book Life and
Labor in the Old South by saying, “Let us begin by discussing the
weather, for that has been the chief agency in making the South
distinctive.” Professor Phillips did not intend to exclude all the other
forces and circumstances that shape the course of history. He just
wanted to emphasize how important the southern climate—with
its mild temperatures, high rainfall, and fertile soil—was in shaping
southern history, especially in the Deep South.

Rainfall and Temperature

From its beginning, Mississippi seemed destined to be an agri-
cultural state. The growing season in Mississippi ranges from 210
days in the northern part of the state to as many as 270 days along the Gulf
Coast. A growing season is the number of days between the last killing frost

8 Chapter 1: The Geography of Mississippi

in the spring and the first killing
frost in the fall. An average rainfall
of over 59 inches per year and mild
temperatures produce nearly ideal
conditions for farming.
The average annual temperature
in Mississippi is approximately 62
degrees Fahrenheit (62°F). Only Map Skill: What is the
Florida (70°F), Louisiana (66°F), average January
and Texas (64°F) have higher an- temperature in Tupelo?
nual temperatures. The average July
temperature is a surprisingly mild
81°F. Winters in Mississippi are also mild with an average January
temperature of approximately 46°F.
These conditions produce a southern flora and fauna of incredible
variety. Flora refers to the natural vegetation of a region, and fauna
refers to the animal life of a particular area. Much of Mississippi’s
untamed wilderness was surrendered early on to the demands of
its extensive agricultural system and later to the demands of its
burgeoning (growing and expanding rapidly) urban development.
But Mississippians love the outdoors and have preserved as much
of its original habitat as possible.

Natural Disasters
Although Mississippi normal-
ly enjoys good weather, there are
times when natural hazards such
as droughts and floods, tornadoes,
hurricanes, and thunderstorms
cause widespread damage, destruc-
tion of property, and even death. Map Skill: Which section
Lightning is a serious danger during of the state has the
thunderstorms. According to Storm highest July temperatures?
Data, a National Weather Service
publication, over the last thirty years
the United States has averaged fifty-eight reported lightning fatalities
per year. Due to underreporting, the figures are more realistically
at least seventy deaths per year.

Floods
Several geographic factors make Mississippi especially vulner-
able to flooding. Mississippi’s many rivers wind slowly in great
loops and turns through soft soils. Springtime brings heavy rain
and high water, and some rivers overflow their banks into adjacent
floodplains and wetlands.
Before Hurricane Katrina, the worst and most costly natural disaster in
Mississippi’s history was the Great Flood of 1927. On April 21, 1927, at 7:45

Section 2: Fair Weather 9

Catastrophic flooding of the Mississippi
River (above) led the U.S. Congress to
pass legislation authorizing the
creation of the Waterways Experiment a.m., the levee broke at Mound Landing, near Scott, which is about 15 miles
Station at Vicksburg (right) to design north of Greenville. The Mississippi River rushed through the breach and
a flood control plan for the river. eventually flooded almost 3 million acres of land in our state. More than
41,000 Mississippi homes were flooded, 21,000 buildings were destroyed,
and an entire crop year was lost. In the 7 states affected by the flood, 246
people were killed.
As a direct result of the 1927 flood, the U.S. Congress passed legislation
to prevent or reduce the possibility of similar disasters in the future. That
legislation authorized the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to establish the
According to statistics Waterways Experiment Station at Vicksburg to study the Mississippi River
from the National and design a flood control plan.
Oceanic and Atmospheric In April and May of 2011, record rainfall and snow melt in the Midwest
Administration caused severe flooding in several states bordering the Mississippi River. The
(NOAA), Louisiana has 2011 spring floods set new records for high water at Vicksburg and Natchez
the highest annual and nearly matched the 1927 levels at Greenville and Memphis. Intentional
precipitation with flooding of some areas in South Louisiana by opening a spillway was neces-
over 60 inches. Nevada, sary to save parts of Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Approximately 24,500
with less than 10 inches, homes were evacuated in Louisiana and Mississippi. On May 5 and 7, the
has the lowest. U.S. government declared thirteen Mississippi counties, eleven of which
bordered the river, federal disaster areas. That classification made those
countries eligible for federal relief funds.

10 Chapter 1: The Geography of Mississippi

 Two of the four dead-
liest tornadoes ever
recorded in the U.S. took
place in Mississippi.
The Great Natchez
Tornadoes Tornado of May 1840
Mississippi is also subject to weather patterns that can produce tornadoes caused 317 deaths, and
(dark, funnel-shaped clouds with swirling winds that can measure over two the Tupelo Tornado
hundred miles an hour). Tornadoes normally develop in the spring and early of April 1936 caused
summer when warm, moist air from the Gulf Coast collides with cooler air 216 deaths. One of the
moving south from the interior parts of the country. In Mississippi, tornadoes survivors of the Tupelo
usually move across the state from the southwest to the northeast at twenty Tornado was a young
to forty miles per hour. Since the 1950s, Mississippi has averaged twenty-four Elvis Presley!
tornadoes and eight tornado-related deaths a year.

Category
C t Wi
Wind
i dSSpeeds
d ((mph)
h) Potential
P t tii l Damage
D
EF0 65–85 Minor damage
EF1 86–110 Moderate damage
EF2 111–135 Considerable damage
EF3 136–165 Severe damage
EF4 166–200 Devastating damage
EF5 Over 200 Incredible damage

Section 2: Fair Weather 11

Hurricane Katrina (above right) was Hurricanes
nes
b bl the
probably th greatest
t t natural
t l disaster
di t Hurricanes are violent
i l t weather
th patterns
tt th
thatt fform iin th
the Atl
Atlantic
ti Ocean
O
in American history. The Category 4 during the summer and fall. In fact, hurricane season in the Atlantic begins
hurricane struck the coast of the Gulf on June 1 and ends on November 30. A tropical storm is considered a hur-
of Mexico on August 29, 2005, causing ricane when its winds reach 74 miles per hour. Hurricane winds normally
almost $100 billion in damage from extend over several hundred miles and move counterclockwise around a
western Louisiana all the way to the calm center called the “eye” of the storm. As a hurricane approaches coastal
panhandle of Florida. The Mississippi areas, its winds force high walls of water onto the land that can cause mas-
coast took the brunt of the storm, and sive damage, sometimes even more damage than the wind that swept the
the accompanying flooding caused by floodwaters before it.
the storm surge devastated cities like Two of the most destructive hurricanes in Mississippi history were Ca-
Biloxi (above left). More than 1,800 mille and Katrina. Hurricane Camille, with winds that reached 200 miles
people died, mostly in Louisiana. per hour, struck the Mississippi Gulf Coast on August 17, 1969. It caused

Category 1 2 3 4 5
Sustained Winds (mph) 74–95 96–110 111–130 131–155 Over 155
Storm Surge (in Feet) 4–4.9 5.0-7.9 8.0-11.9 12.0-18.0 Over 18.0
Expected Damage Minimal Moderate Extensive Extreme Catastrophic

12 Chapter 1: The Geography of Mississippi

 Map Skill: Which hurricane,
Camille or Katrina, came
closest to your home?

Potential hurricanes are

given names when they
reach tropical storm
force. There are six
standard lists of names,
large-scale destruction of property, and more than 140 people died when which begin repeating
Camille came ashore. in the seventh year.
Hurricane Katrina, which slammed into the Gulf Coast on August 29, However, when a storm
2005, is considered the greatest natural disaster in American history. The has a major economic
number of deaths may have reached as high as 1,800, and property damage impact, its name
has been estimated at more than $90 billion. More than 80 percent of the (Katrina, for example)
city of New Orleans, Louisiana, was flooded after its levee system broke. is replaced on the list.
The Mississippi Gulf Coast suffered as much from the surging floodwaters
as it did from the high winds. Katrina caused significant damage across the
Gulf Coast from the Florida panhandle to western Louisiana. Typical of the
American spirit that has made this nation one of the marvels of human his-
tory, the residents of the Gulf Coast are recovering and rebuilding as they
have done so often in the past.

Reviewing the Section

1. Define in sentence form: eon, fauna, hurricane.
2. Why did Mississippi, from its beginning, seem
destined to be an agricultural state?
3. Why is Mississippi especially vulnerable to
flooding?

Section 2: Fair Weather 13

 As you read, look for
• the physical features of Mississippi’s twelve soil
regions;
• the modern social and political characteristics of
Before they were freed the twelve regions;
under President • terms: antebellum period, geologist, maize,
Abraham Lincoln’s sharecropper, farm tenancy, loess soil,
Emancipation alluvial soil.
Proclamation in 1863,
African American
slaves were considered In addition to a favorable climate, Mississippi has some of the richest
the personal property, and most fertile soil in America. During the 1830s, a great land rush brought
or chattel property, thousands of settlers from the Atlantic states into Mississippi. Those set-
of their owners. tlers brought with them the customs and traditions of the colonial South,
especially the traditions of land ownership and slavery.

Mississippi’s rich soil was a magnet for settlers in the early 1800s.
In the period leading up to the Civil War, cotton grown in this
soil made Mississppi one of the wealthiest places in the United States.

14 Chapter 1: The Geography of Mississippi

 Map Skill: Which soil regions
border the Mississippi River?

Alluvial soil,
Yazoo Basin region

Loam soil,
Brown Loam region

Loess soil,
Loess Hills region

During America’s colonial period (the period from the founding of the
English colony at Jamestown in 1607 to the Declaration of Independence
in 1776), landowners in the southern colonies had higher social status and
more political power than those who did not own land. In some colonies,
only landowners could vote or hold public office. Throughout the antebel-
lum period, these traditions were important in Mississippi. The antebellum
period of Mississippi history is the time from its establishment as an Ameri- The term antebellum
can territory in 1798 to the beginning of the Civil War in 1861. comes from the Latin
In the 1880 U.S. Census of Agriculture, Eugene Woldemar Hilgard, a words ante, which means
former state geologist, produced a detailed map of Mississippi’s varied “before,” and bellum,
agricultural regions. Hilgard divided the state into sixteen different soil re- which means “war.”
gions. More recent geologists (scientists who study the origin, history, and
composition of Earth’s crust) have modified Hilgard’s map by reducing the
number of soil regions to ten or twelve. Some geologists refer to soil regions as

Section 3: Fertile Soil 15

 physiographic (landform) regions. For our study, Mississippi is divided into
twelve soil regions. Because of the diversification of the state’s economy and
the decline in the prominence of agriculture during the twentieth century,
these twelve regions will be identified by their geographic features and also
by their modern social and political characteristics. Just as sectionalism has
played a major role in American life and politics, the various sections and re-
Comparatively gions within our state have also influenced the course of history in Mississippi.
speaking, Mississippi’s
highest point is not very Tennessee-Tombigbee
high, ranking 47th among Hills Region
the states. Alaska’s Mt. In the northeast corner of the state is a hill section
McKinley (also called known as the Tennessee-Tombigbee Hills. Some ge-
Denali) is the highest ologists identify this section as the Northeast Hills. The
high point at 20,320 feet. average elevation of these hills is about 650 feet above
Florida’s Britton Hill is sea level. It’s not surprising that the highest point in Mis-
the lowest at 345 feet. sissippi,
i i i Woodall
W d ll Mountain
M in Tishomingo County, is located in this region.
It has an elevation of 806 feet.
The soil in this region is sandy loam and reddish orange in color. During
Below: J. P. Coleman State Park is the antebellum period, farms in the Tennessee-Tombigbee Hills were located
located on Pickwick Lake, in the in the bottomlands along creeks and rivers. Few of these small farmers owned
northeast corner of Mississippi, on the slaves, and they had more in common with the mountaineers in east Tennes-
border with Alabama, in the Tennessee- see than they did with Mississippi’s large planters. When Mississippi seceded
Tombigbee Hills region. Often called from the Union in 1861, many people in this region opposed secession and
the Northeast Hills, it is the most rug- some even joined the Union army.
ged part of the state, with an average After the Civil War, “Northeast Hills” was used to describe a political sec-
elevation of 650 feet. tion of the state rather than a soil region. Northeast Hills referred to those

16 Chapter 1: The Geography of Mississippi

predominately white counties north and east of the Jackson Prairie. During
the 1880s, the white small farmers in the hill counties became dissatisfied
with the state’s political leaders, who were mostly from the Delta and the
counties along the Mississippi River that had large black majorities.
Eventually, the predominately white counties in the Piney Woods and
coastal section joined with northeast Mississippi to take control of state gov-
ernment. This takeover is called the Revolt of the Rednecks and culminated The term redneck
with the election of James K. Vardaman as governor in 1903. referred to white
farmers who usually
Tombigbee Prairie Region owned only a few acres
To the east of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Hills is a strip of land and did the
of highly fertile soil extending from the Tennessee border plowing and other field
southeastward into Alabama. It is usually identified as work themselves.
the Tombigbee Prairie. Some geographers also refer to Exposure to the south-
this region as the Black Prairie. The Tombigbee Prairie ern sun for long hours
is characterized by a gently rolling terrain averaging two had given these white
hundred
h d d to t three
th h hundred feet above sea level with rich, dark soil. farmers deeply tanned,
In the antebellum period, there were many large plantations in the rust-colored necks.
Black Prairie, and examples of Old South architecture appear throughout
this region, especially in the towns of Columbus, Macon, Aberdeen, and
Starkville. Old South architecture refers to large, two-story mansions with Below: The Tombigbee Prairie region,
ornate white pillars. Prosperous planters in the Tombigbee Prairie had much also known as the Black Prairie, is an
in common with wealthy planters in the Delta and the counties along the area of rich, dark soil that was an im-
Mississippi River south of Vicksburg. When political campaigns involved portant cotton-growing region during
social and economic issues, the prairie counties almost always voted with the antebellum era, with many plan-
the western part of the state. tations and a large number of slaves.

Section 3: Fertile Soil 17

 Pontotoc
Pontotoc R
Ridge
idge R
Region
egion
Extending southward from the Tennessee border
through Tippah, Union, Pontotoc, Chickasaw, Clay, and
Oktibbeha Counties, and ending near Starkville, is a land
formation called the Pontotoc Ridge. At its highest point,
Pontotoc is a Chickasaw the ridge is approximately six hundred feet above sea level.
word. Some say it Flanked on the east by the Tombigbee Prairie and on the
means “land of hanging west by
b theh Flatwoods,
Fl the Pontotoc Ridge can be clearly seen during the
grapes”; others say it fall of the year when foliage has disappeared. The red clay and sandy loam
means “weed prairie.” that form the soil along the ridge was fertile during the state’s early history. It
was along the Pontotoc Ridge that the Chickasaw Indians grew their maize,
which was the Indian name for corn. After the Chickasaw were removed to
the Indian Territory out west in the 1830s, white farmers plowed the same
furrows but planted mostly cotton where the Indians had planted corn.
After the Civil War, the Pontotoc Ridge lost much of its fertility, and most
of the small farmers became sharecroppers. A sharecropper farmed another
man’s land for a share of the crop.

Flatwoods Region
To the east of the Pontotoc Ridge is a long narrow strip
of land that extends from the northwestern corner of Tip-
pah County southeastward through Kemper County into
Alabama. The gray soil of the Flatwoods is not fertile and it
drains poorly; therefore, it is not conducive to cultivation.
Although this area can sustain several varieties of upland
hardwood,
h d d iit iis considered one of the least productive soil regions in the
state. The social and economic conditions in the Flatwoods were similar to
those in the Tennessee-Tombigbee Hills, and the residents of the Flatwoods
were politically allied with the hill section.

18 Chapter 1: The Geography of Mississippi

 North
North Central
Central Hills
Hills R
Region
egion Above:
Abov
Abbov
ove:
e The No
e: N
Nort
North
ort
rthh Central
Cent
Ce
Cent
ntra
tra
rall Hills
Hilllls
Hilllls re
regi
region
gion
gi
ion
The North Central Hills are west of the Flatwoods and is sometimes referred
f d to as a plateau l
extend from the Tennessee border southwestward into because of its elevation. Below: This
Rankin County and east into Clarke County. The region road runs through the Bienville National
includes a variety of soil types. Sands, clays, and loams, Forest, located in the Jackson Prairie.
varying in color from dark red to light orange, are found Opposite page, above: Farmers along
throughout the North Central Hills. Some geologists the Pontotoc Ridge still grow corn as
identify this region
id tif thi i as the Sand Clay Hills or the Red Clay Hills. This area is the Indians once did. Opposite page,
also known as the North Central Plateau because its elevation ranges from below: The soil of the Flatwoods makes
four hundred to six hundred feet. Through the years, rivers and streams it better for trees than for agriculture.
have cut broad and deep gullies in the region because the sandy loam soil is
especially susceptible to erosion. The prairie bottoms of silt and loam that
are found throughout the region are highly fertile and have been the scene
of productive farms. Like those in the Flatwoods, residents in the North
Central Hills identified with people in the Tennessee-Tombigbee Hills and
were allied with them politically.

JJackson Prairie Region

South of the North Central Hills is a soil formation
known as the Jackson Prairie. This area, which is similar to
the Tombigbee Prairie except that it has more woodland,
extends from Hinds through Rankin, Madison, Jasper,
Newton, Scott, Clarke, and Wayne counties and into
Alabama. The dark soil of the Jackson Prairie is fertile and
contains
t i abundant
b d quantities of limestone and the clay from which cement
is produced. The social and political customs of the people who lived in the
Jackson Prairie region were similar to those in the Tombigbee region.

Section 3: Fertile Soil 19

 Piney Woods Region
South of the Jackson Prairie and east of the Brown
Loam region is a vast expanse of woodlands called the
Piney Woods, or Pine Hills. This region, which is also
known as the Longleaf Pine Belt, was a spectacular forest
of uncut longleaf pine when the white settlers first came
to Mississippi. Although most of the region lies three
hundred
h d d tto eighti ht hundred feet above sea level, the loamy soil in the river
bottoms makes profitable agriculture possible.
Throughout most of the antebellum period, a thriving cattle industry
existed in the Piney Woods, and many people in the area farmed only to
supplement their herding. While their cattle grazed in the forests, the herds-
men grew small vegetable patches. To travelers passing through the Piney
Woods, it appeared that these vegetable patches were the only means of
livelihood for the local residents. The quaint and independent Piney Woods
folk were caricatured (mocked, misrepresented) as poor whites who were
idle, lazy, and unproductive. However, this was not an accurate picture of
these people who made their living raising cattle and sheep, and who once
a year drove their livestock and large flocks of turkeys to the markets in
Above: This aerial view of the Piney Mobile and Pascagoula.
Woods region was taken near Men- During the secession crisis in 1861, many people in the Piney Woods
denhall in Simpson County. Below: wanted to remain in the Union. After Mississippi seceded from the Union
The original longleaf pine forests of and the Confederate States of America was established, a group of citizens
the Piney Woods region have been in Jones County, led by Captain Newton Knight, seceded from the state of
largely
elyy replaced
laarggel repl
rep ac
placed byy pi
ed b pine
p nee tree
treee farms.
farm
farms.
rms. Mississippi and established the Free State of Jones.

20 Chapter 1: The Geography of Mississippi

 Since the Civil War, the term “Piney Woods,” like the term “Northeast Hills,”
has referred more often to the social and political customs of that section
rather than its geographic characteristics. In the early 1900s, the Piney Woods
united with the Northeast Hills in support of so-called redneck leaders.

Coastal Meadows Region

Extending fifteen to twenty miles inland from the Mis-
sissippi Gulf Coast are the Coastal Meadows. Although
the surface is generally flat, the yellow-gray soil is sandy
and not highly fertile. Throughout the nineteenth century The term “Mississippi
and into the early years of the twentieth century, the Gulf Riviera” is a reference
Coast was sparsely populated. to the French Riviera
During
D i the h GGreat Depression of the 1930s, Mississippi started a program on the northern shore
called Balance Agriculture with Industry (BAWI) to attract industry to the of the Mediterranean
state. Under the BAWI program, Ingalls Shipbuilding was established at Sea, which is one of the
Pascagoula in 1938 and built many military ships for the U.S. Navy during world’s most popular
World War II. In June 1941, the U.S. Army Air Corps established Keesler resort areas.
Field (now Keesler Air Force Base) at Biloxi. It soon became one of the largest
military installations in the country.
After World War II, Mississippi’s sandy beaches along the coastline, which Below: Although the Coastal Meadows
were man-made, became the state’s major tourist attraction. The Gulf Coast region is more heavily populated than
soon became the most heavily populated section of the state. The rapid in- it has been in the past, there are still
crease in population along the coast made it an important political area in places where you can see it as it was
Mississippi during the postwar years. Because of its beautiful beaches and its originally, with salt marshes, swampy
many tourist attractions, local residents sometimes call the Gulf Coast the lowlands, and coastal lagoons.
g
Mississippi Riviera.

Section 3: Fertile Soil 21

Above:
Abbov
o e: Th
Thee Brown
Brow
Brownn Lo
LLoam
oam
oam
m rregion
e iioon is
eg is a Brown Loam Region
large area that extends all the way To the west of the North Central Hills and the Piney
from the Tennessee to the Louisiana Woods, extending from Tennessee in the north to Loui-
border. Though the soil is rich, it has siana in the south, is a highly fertile soil belt called the
been subject to poor farming practices Brown Loam region, which is separated from the Delta
in past years. Below: The Loess Bluffs and the River Lowlands by a narrow strip of loess bluffs,
also extend the length of the state. or hills. This region’s history could serve as a case study
This cross section of the bluffs can be off soil
il abuse.
b In
I the
th antebellum era, many large and prosperous plantations
seen near Natchez. dotted the Brown Loam region. Because of its large slave population, this
region was also called the Black Belt. After the Civil War, the Brown Loam
region suffered from a high concentration of sharecropping and farm
tenancy (renting farmland from another farmer and paying rent in cash
or shares of produce). Years of abuse and misuse depleted the soil, and it
was badly eroded. However, sound conservation practices and good land
management have restored some of the region’s productivity, and cotton,
corn, and soybeans are grown in the region today.

Loess Bluffs Region

West of the Brown Loam region is a soil area called
the Loess Bluffs, which extends the length of the state
from Tennessee to Louisiana. These bluffs, which are
approximately five to fifteen miles wide, were formed by
prehistoric dust storms sweeping eastward across the
lower Mississippi valley. Loess soil (windblown dust that
accumulates
l t and d forms
f a ridge of bluffs as it approaches higher elevations)
is highly fertile but also susceptible to erosion. Farmers in the Loess Bluffs
grew cotton primarily and were similar in their social and political interests
to the planters in the Delta and the River Lowlands.

22 Chapter 1: The Geography of Mississippi

 Delta-Yazoo Basin Region
West of the Loess Bluffs and north of Vicksburg is the
Yazoo Basin, which includes some of the most fertile soil
in the world. The Yazoo Basin, which is better known as
the Mississippi Delta, is a wedge of land about two hun-
The Delta town of
dred miles long and eighty-five miles wide. The rich, dark,
Belzoni is known as
alluvial soil (soil that was deposited by running water)
the Catfish Capital of
is
i thirty-fi
thi t five ffeett ddeep in some parts of the Delta. It was deposited in this
the World and holds a
region during thousands of years of annual flooding of the Yazoo Basin. In
World Catfish Festival
the Delta’s swampy backwaters, the land drains poorly and the soil contains
every April.
a high clay content. This soil is black and sticky and is often referred to as
“buckshot” or “Mississippi mud.”
Although there were some plantations in the Delta before the Civil War,
the Delta planters did not achieve the prestige and prominence enjoyed
by their counterparts in the counties along the Mississippi River south of
Vicksburg. Before the Civil War, the lack of an effective flood control system
prevented the development of the Delta’s great agricultural potential. Levee
construction in the1880s reduced the dangers from annual flooding, and the
Delta population grew rapidly. Like the terms “Piney Woods” and “Northeast
Hills,” the word “Delta” has become more than a geographic term. The Delta
describes a political and socioeconomic section with a lifestyle and culture
that is different from other parts of Mississippi.
The Mississippi Delta has been called “the most southern place on earth.”
The history of the Delta is a microcosm (miniature representation) of southern
history. It has been the scene of enormous wealth and debilitating (devastating,
harmful) poverty. It has produced many famous writers, but it has one of the
highest rates of illiteracy in the nation. It is the ancestral home of thousands of Below: The rich, deep soil of the Delta-
African Americans now living in New York, Chicago, Detroit, and Oakland. Yazoo Basin grows a variety of crops
It is one of the most fascinating places in the place we call Mississippi. and is home to many catfish farms.

Section 3: Fertile Soil 23

 River Lowlands Region
R
From Vicksburg southward to where the Mississippi
River
R flows into Louisiana, between the Loess Bluffs and
the
t eastern bank of the Mississippi River, is a highly
fertile
f soil region called the River Lowlands. The soil in
this
t region, like the Delta, is composed largely of silt and
loam.
l During the antebellum period, this region was one
of the wealthiest se
sections in the state. Its large and highly profitable cotton
plantations produced many wealthy families. The heaviest concentration of
Mississippi’s slave population was also located in these counties along the
river. Natchez, the county seat of Adams County, was the largest town in
this region. With its large and gracious mansions, and its plantation heritage,
Natchez has become a symbol of the Old South.

Top: During the antebellum period,

cotton cultivation made the River
Lowlands region the wealthiest place
Reviewing the Section
in the state. The huge cotton planta-
tions are mostly gone, but many crops
1. Define in sentence form: antebellum period,
are stll grown there. Above: The geologist, loess soil.
River Lowlands region follows the 2. Into what twelve soil regions is Mississippi
banks of the Mississippi River from divided?
Vicksburg to Louisiana. 3. Why did the Delta-Yazoo Basin become a
more successful agricultural region beginning
in the 1880s?

24 Chapter 1: The Geography of Mississippi

Eugene Woldemar Hilgard’s 1860 the Missi
Mississippi to his new home in Belleville.
Report on the Geology and Agriculture ure In 1849,
1 Hilgard went to the University
of the State of Mississippi is a land-- of H
Heidelberg, where he studied chem-
mark in the history of American istry
ist under Professor Robert Bunsen,
agriculture. Hilgard was the state the
t inventor of the Bunsen burner.
geologist and only twenty-six years Hilgard was awarded a PhD in 1853
old when he published this report. when he was only nineteen years
The first sentence in the section on old. In 1855, Hilgard was appointed
agriculture was a question: “What assistant state geologist for Missis-
is a soil?” Hilgard spent the next sippi
s and moved to Oxford. He lived
fifty-seven years of his life trying to in Oxford until 1873, and all three of
answer that question. For his lifelong his children were born there.
devotion to the study of soil chemistry ry If you take chemistry and use a Bun-
and his remarkable achievements, Hilgardgard sen bur
burner, remember that a young man
was awarded honorary doctoral degrees who studied with Professor Bunsen at the Uni-
from The University of Mississippi, the University of versity of Heidelberg later became the state geolo-
Michigan, Columbia University, the University of Hei- gist and a professor at The University of Mississippi.
delberg in Germany, and the University of California. The threads of history wind and wind all around us,
After the Civil War, Hilgard was appointed Profes- and we are all connected in some way or another to
sor of Experimental and Agricultural Chemistry at important events in the past.
The University of Mississippi, a position he held until During his long tenure at the University of Califor-
1873. After teaching for one year at the University nia, Hilgard published several articles on how to make
of Michigan, Hilgard was appointed Professor of California’s alkaline (base; the opposite of acid) and
Agriculture at the recently established University of arid (dry) soils more fertile and productive. Some
California in Berkeley. consider this work to be among his most significant
Historians and scientists acclaim Eugene Woldemar contributions. California newspapers and land com-
Hilgard as the “Father of Soil Science.” Professor Hil- panies glorified his achievements. The San Francisco
gard was born in Bavaria (a part of Germany) in 1833. Examiner wrote that Professor Hilgard had “made the
Two years later, his mother and father with their nine deserts bloom and transformed the alkali plains into
children migrated to Belleville, Illinois. As a two-year- fields of waving grain.”
old, Hilgard took a fourteen-day wagon ride from his We all love those lines in “America the Beautiful”
family home in Bavaria to the French port of Le Havre about “amber waves of grain” and “the fruited plain.”
on the Atlantic Coast. After waiting four weeks for an Perhaps we owe those lines to Professor Eugene
ocean liner, he took a sixty-two-day voyage to New Hilgard. Professor Hilgard died in 1916 at the age of
Orleans, and finally a twelve-day steamboat trip up eighty-three.

Section 3: Fertile Soil 25

Below: A swamp is a forested wetland.
In the past, swamps were often As you read, look for
drained for agriculture. Now, they are • the state agencies that protect our environment
recognized as an important part of the and promote natural resource development;
environment, providing fresh water • Mississippi’s varied water resources;
and oxygen, and a place for aquatic • the importance of aquaculture to the state’s
life to breed. This swamp is located in
economy;
the Delta, near Greenwood.
• Mississippi’s timber and mineral resources;
• terms: natural resource, tributary, drainage
basin, groundwater, surface water, reservoir,
aquaculture, lignite.

26 Chapter 1: The Geography of Mississippi

The controversy about environmental issues and climate change
has been prompted by the nation’s increasing consumption of its natural
resources (those things found in nature that are useful to humans), especially
those that are not renewable. For example, a barrel of oil that is consumed
cannot be replaced. In contrast, a forest, even after it has been cleared, can
be renewed through a reforestation program.
Several state agencies protect Mississippi’s environment and promote
the development of its natural resources. One of the most important of
these agencies is the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality There are a number of state agencies,
(MDEQ), which includes the Office of Geology, the Office of Land and Water like the Mississippi Department of
Resources, and the Office of Pollution Control. The Mississippi Mineral Re- Environmental Quality and the
sources Institute (MMRI), which was established in 1972 at The University of Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and
Mississippi, promotes the development of economic minerals in Mississippi. Parks, whose job it is to protect Missis-
Another important state agency that promotes a healthy environment in sippi’s natural environment, both for
Mississippi is the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. the creatures that share the land with
Mississippi still has acres and acres of woodlands, clear creeks, and us, like this Great Blue Heron (below),
clean rivers.But it also has many urban communities like Corinth, Colum- and for the health and recreation of
bus, Greenville, Oxford-Lafayette County, Meridian, Tupelo-Lee County, all Mississippians (bottom).

Section 4: Natural Resources 27

 Natchez, Jackson, Vicksburg, Hattiesburg-Laurel, the Gulf Coast, and the
burgeoning Southaven area, which is the fastest-growing area in Mississippi.
Residents in towns and cities all across the state complain that the encroach-
ment (advancement beyond proper boundaries) of city limits and subdivi-
sions on the natural habitats of deer and other wildlife creates problems that
Some city officials have the state has never encountered before.
considered granting bow Few states have the opportunity that Mississippi has to plan strategically
hunters the right to hunt for its future economic and municipal development. If Mississippi leaves
deer within city limits. that growth to happenstance, it will repeat the mistakes of its sister states.
The state must find a way to meet the needs of an increasingly urban society
without unduly disturbing the delicate balance of nature. If we lived as simply
and as close to nature as did Mississippi’s first inhabitants, there would be
no problem at all. But our world is vastly different from theirs. Although we
may admire and even envy the lifestyle of the Native Americans who lived
in the scattered southern woodlands, few of us would trade the comfort
and convenience of the twenty-first century for the days when man lived in
a state of nature.

Water Resources
One of the most vital resources of Mother Nature is water. We drink it,
Below: The Pearl River, which forms bathe in it, irrigate our crops with it, transport goods on it, generate electrical
part of Mississippi’s western border power with it, and depend on it in our households and industries. We also
with Louisiana, is one of our state’s swim in it, fish in it, and water ski on it. If we are lucky enough to have a boat
most historic rivers. Mississippi is or a yacht, we can cruise on it. It is a resource for which there is no substitute,
blessed with an abundance of ground- and no synthetic water has yet been discovered or designed. Mississippi is
water and fresh water in the form of blessed with an abundant supply of clean and clear water, and we must take
streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. care not to pollute our streams, ponds, lakes, and rivers.

28 Chapter 1: The Geography of Mississippi

Mississippi River
The Mississippi River, from which our state takes its name, is almost
2,500 miles long. It begins at Lake Itasca in Minnesota and empties into the
Gulf of Mexico about 100 miles south of New Orleans. The location of New
Orleans near the mouth of the mighty Mississippi makes it one of the most
important seaports in the world. The Mississippi River basin extends from
the Appalachian Mountains in the east to the Rocky Mountains in the west.
A river system consists of a large river and several tributaries (smaller riv-
ers or streams that flow into the larger river). A drainage basin is the area
of land that drains into the tributaries and eventually into the larger rivers.
The Mississippi River’s 250 tributaries provide 14,000 miles of navigable
waterways and drain approximately 1,250,000 square miles, or one-third of
the continental United States. It is no wonder that some Native Mississip-
pians called the Mississippi River the “Father of Waters.”

Groundwater and Surface Water

One of our state’s most precious resources is its abundant supply of water,
both groundwater and surface water. Groundwater is moisture that seeps
into the subsurface and accumulates in rock formations called aquifers. From
these aquifers, much of the groundwater returns to the surface in springs and
Map Skill: Which states
wells. Groundwater is the primary source of the water consumed in most
border the Mississippi River?
Mississippi towns and cities. Surface water is the water in lakes, ponds,
rivers, and reservoirs.

Section 4: Natural Resources 29

 Freshwater
Storage

Gro
un
dw
ate
rR
un Water Storage
off
(in Oceans)

Reservoirs
There are six large reservoirs
(man-made lakes where water is
collected and kept in quantity for
use) in Mississippi. The oldest res-
ervoir is Pickwick Lake, located on
the Tennessee River in the extreme
northeastern corner of the state.
Pickwick was developed by the
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).
The TVA is a federal agency estab-
lished in 1933 to build flood control
projects and to generate electrical
power in rural areas of the South.
The water that flows over the res-
Above: Sardis Lake, on the Little ervoir’s dam powers the machines, called turbines, that generate electricity
Tallahatchie River, is one of the state’s at the power plant that is built near the reservoir.
six major reservoirs. Reservoirs serve Four Mississippi reservoirs—Grenada on the Yalobusha River, Arkabutla
several important functions, includ- on the Coldwater River, Sardis on the Little Tallahatchie River, and Enid on the
ing flood control, recreation, and Yocona River—were constructed to protect the Yazoo Basin from floodwaters
providing drinking water. Sardis was that drained down from the Northeast Hills. The Yocona River is the modern
the first lake to be built as part of the name for the river the Chickasaw Indians called the Yoknapatawpha River.
Yazoo Basin flood control plan. The sixth and largest reservoir in Mississippi is both a flood control proj-
ect and a popular recreational facility on the Pearl River at Jackson. It was

30 Chapter 1: The Geography of Mississippi

 Map Skill: Which two rivers
form the borders between
Mississippi and Louisiana?

named for Ross R. Barnett, Mississippi’s governor from 1960 to 1964. The
Barnett Reservoir was a state-funded project and was completed in 1964.
The lake covers approximately 37,000 acres, has a 105-mile shoreline, and
is bordered on the west by the Natchez Trace. The Barnett Reservoir is also
the primary water supply for the city of Jackson.

Catfish Ponds
In addition to rivers and reservoirs, hundreds of catfish ponds dot the
Mississippi landscape. Catfish production is the leading aquaculture industry
in the United States. Aquaculture—which is also called “water farming” or
“fish farming”—is the commercial production of freshwater animals, like
catfish, and aquatic plants. Catfish farming generates more than 46 percent Map Skill: Which drainage
of the total value of the nation’s aquaculture. Approximately 94 percent of the basins border Alabama?
acreage devoted to catfish farms is located in Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas,

Section 4: Natural Resources 31

 A cord of wood has a
volume of 128 cubic
feet, the equivalent of
a stack of wood 4 feet
high by 4 feet wide by
8 feet long.

and Louisiana. Mississippi has more

water surface acres in catfish farms
than the other three states com-
bined. In 2009, there were 70,000
water surface acres in catfish farms
scattered across the Mississippi
Delta and the Tombigbee Prairie.

Timber Resources
Even though Mississippi has fair weather and fertile soil, most of its land
surface is not used for crop production. More of the state’s land surface is
Map Skill: Which two forest devoted to forestry than to agriculture—or to shopping centers, football
types are most prevalent in fields, homesites, cow pastures, and all other land uses combined. Missis-
Mississippi? sippi has 19.8 million acres of forestland, which is 65 percent of the state’s
total land area.
As favorable as Mississippi’s climate is for agriculture, it is even more
favorable for timber production. In addition to good soil and high rainfall,
a critical growth factor for forests is annual temperature. Trees do not grow
when the temperature is below 43°F. Because Mississippi’s average January
temperature is approximately 46°F, the growing season in Mississippi is
virtually continuous and yields a cord of wood per acre per year.
As promising as its timber resources were during the antebellum period,
Mississippi’s plantation society and its dependence on the cotton economy

32 Chapter 1: The Geography of Mississippi

prevented the state from developing its timber resources. In the aftermath of
the Civil War, which devastated the cotton economy, Mississippi turned to
its vast stands of original timber and began harvesting this valuable resource.

Mineral Resources
Mississippi has not been a major player in the nation’s never-ending
search for mineral resources. It does, however, have commercial quantities
of sand, gravel, and clay, as well as oil and gas. The first production of natural
gas in Mississippi occurred in 1926 with the discovery of the Amory Field in
Monroe County. The discovery of the Tinsley Oil Field in Yazoo County in
1936 created a flurry of exploration that found many new oil fields, mostly
in the southern part of the state.
One of Mississippi’s most significant mineral resources is its abundant
supply of lignite (a low grade of coal). According to the latest estimates by
various geological agencies, Mississippi has about 13 percent of the nation’s
lignite reserves.
The Red Hills Power Plant near Ackerman in Choctaw County produces
electrical power for the Tennessee Valley Authority by burning lignite that is
supplied by the Mississippi Lignite Mining Company. Mississippi’s lignite is
a high-quality mineral, and the site that supplies the Red Hills Power Plant
covers more than ten thousand acres. A second lignite power plant has been
constructed in Kemper County and is scheduled to begin operation in 2014.

The Face of the Land

Although Mississippi’s beautiful landscape has been scarred over time, it Above: Oil was first discovered in
has not been defaced. Hunters and fishermen no longer enjoy the pristine Mississippi in 1936 in Yazoo County
(unspoiled) environment that once existed, but there are still large stretches and is still produced commercially.
of woodlands that abound in a variety of wild game. Most rivers, creeks, This early oil derrick is on display
and streams are not polluted. The state’s 6 reservoirs consist of 493 square at the Mississippi Agriculture and
miles of water surface and provide recreational attractions. Our state and Forestry Museum in Jackson.
national parks have also preserved thousands of acres in Mississippi from
commercial development. To preserve what remains, traditional conser-
vation practices must be supplemented by additional laws to protect our
land and waterways. We must all do our part to preserve our state’s natural
habitat as long as we can.

Reviewing the Section

1. Define in sentence form: tributary, aquaculture,
lignite.
2. What is the difference between groundwater
and surface water?
3. What are the three critical growth factors for
forests?

Section 4: Natural Resources 33

Chapter Summary • The Flatwoods is one of the state’s least produc-
tive soil regions.
Section 1 Where in the World Is • The North Central Hills region is also called the
Mississippi? Sand Clay Hills, Red Clay Hills, and North Central
• Mississippi is a state in the Lower South with 82 Plateau.
counties and a capital named Jackson. • Dark, fertile soil in the Jackson Prairie contains
• Mississippi’s latitude is between 30°13' N and limestone and clay for producing cement.
35° N; its longitude is between 88°07' W and • The first white settlers in the Piney Woods
91°41' W. developed a cattle industry.
• Mississippi’s total area is 48,434 square miles. • Shipbuilding and beaches have made the Coastal
It is the 32nd largest state. Meadows a heavily populated region.
• According to the 2010 census, Mississippi’s • Abuse and misuse depleted the Brown Loam
population was 2,967,297. region’s soil, but it is now being restored.
• The Loess Bluffs extend the length of the state
Section 2 Fair Weather and have fertile soil susceptible to erosion.
• Mississippi’s long growing season and high • The Delta-Yazoo Basin includes some of the most
average rainfall made it an agricultural state. fertile soil in the world.
• Our favorable weather conditions produce a • The River Lowlands region had profitable cotton
variety of flora and fauna. plantations during antebellum days.
• Mississippi suffers from natural hazards:
droughts, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, and Section 4 Natural Resources
thunderstorms. • The Mississippi River begins in Minnesota and
• Some of our costliest natural disasters were the empties into the Gulf of Mexico south of New
Great Flood of 1927 and Hurricanes Camille Orleans.
(1969) and Katrina (2005). • We have an abundant supply of both
groundwater and surface water.
Section 3 Fertile Soil • Mississippi has six large reservoirs and hundreds
• Rich, fertile soil brought many settlers into of catfish farms.
Mississippi during the 1830s; they brought with • More Mississippi land surface is devoted to
them traditions of land ownership and slavery. forestry than to all other land uses combined.
• Mississippi’s twelve soil regions can be identified • Our mineral resources include sand, gravel, clay,
by their soil characteristics, geographic features, oil and gas, and lignite.
and modern social and political characteristics. • Mississippians must all do our part to protect
• Mississippi’s highest point is in the Tennessee- our state’s natural habitat.
Tombigbee Hills.
• Rich, dark soil in the Tombigbee Prairie gave rise
to prosperous antebellum plantations.
• The Pontotoc Ridge was farmed by Chickasaw,
then white farmers, then sharecroppers.

34 Chapter 1: The Geography of Mississippi

Activities for Learning 2. Go to www.accuweather.com/en/weather-
video/weather-history-1936-tupelo-
Understanding the Facts g/888277817001 and watch the video about
the Tupelo Tornado of 1936. Now assume
1. In what region of the United States is
the role of a newspaper reporter and write
Mississippi located?
an article about the destruction caused by
2. What is the length of the state of Mississippi
this tornado. Be sure your article answers the
from north to south and east to west?
essential questions of reporting: Who? What?
3. What types of natural disasters have affected Where? When? How? and Why?
Mississippi?
4. Summarize the Great Flood of 1927’s impact
on Mississippi.
Exploring Mississippi on the Internet
5. What were the two major causes of Hurricane 1. Go to http://www.new.ms.gov/webcon-
Katrina’s destruction along the Mississippi tent/partnerSite.html. On the interactive
map of Mississippi state parks, choose three
Gulf Coast?
of the parks that you would like to visit. What
6. What is the highest point in Mississippi?
features does each park have that makes it
7. Identify a soil region in Mississippi where interesting to you? Can you determine in
alluvial soil can be found. which of Mississippi’s twelve soil categories
8. What did Native Mississippians call the each of your favorite parks is located?
Mississippi River?
2. Go to http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/
9. Identify Mississippi’s six reservoirs.
states/28000.html. According to the 2010
U.S. Census, what are the eight racial or ethnic
Developing Critical Thinking categories in Mississippi? What percentage
1. Using information from the opening of the state population does each group
paragraph of Section 1, write five sentences represent?
describing Mississippi’s location. Use this
example as your first sentence: “Mississippi Building 21st Century Skills:
is located in the Western Hemisphere.” Now Using Your Textbook
write four additional sentences making each Making effective use of your textbook is an
subsequent sentence more geographically important skill. Your textbook has two parts: the
precise than the previous one. narrative and visual information. The narrative tells
2. Mississippi’s population increased by 122,639 the story of Mississippi while the visual information
people from 2000 to 2010. If Mississippi’s (charts, illustrations, maps, and timelines) makes
population was 2,967,297 in 2010, what was the narrative come alive.
its population in 2000? The narrative is divided into sixteen chapters.
3. Mississippi’s total land area is 46,914. Now Each chapter contains several sections with each
calculate Mississippi’s population density by section identified by a major heading (white let-
using this formula: Total Population ÷ Land tering with a navy blue background). Lower-level
Area = Population Density. headings are set in bold orange and green letters.
Scan the headings before you begin to read to
Writing across the Curriculum better understand the plan of each chapter.
Try this activity with this chapter and the other
1. Create a flyer that advertises Barnett
chapters in the textbook: Prepare an outline of
Reservoir. Your flyer should include the
Chapter 1 using the headings in the chapter.
reservoir’s date of completion, location,
size, and recreational uses.

Chapter Review 35