Mississippi: The Magnolia State

Mississippi: The Magnolia State — page 1
4 MISSISSIPPI INTRODUCTION Mississippi is located in the Deep South of the United States It is named after the Mississippi River which forms most of its western border The name Mississippi comes from Algonquian Indian words meaning great river or father of waters The Mississippi River is the largest river in the United States It runs through most of the central United States and empties into the Gulf of Mexico This great river is responsible for much of Mississippi’s rich soil and fertile land Mississippi’s rivers history and music attract visitors from all over the world Its nickname is the Magnolia State Beautiful magnolia trees grow throughout the region Huge and sweet-smelling flowers blossom on these trees The magnolia is both the state tree and the state flower The blossoms of the magnolia tree come in a variety of colors from white to pink yellow and purple Most blossoms are 7 to 10 inches in diameter Mississippi was the 20th state to enter the Union It was admitted into the United States on Dec 10 1817 Canoeists have much to explore when paddling down the Mississippi River The river drains 31 states Mississippians are sometimes called Mudcats after the freshwater catfish that live in the state The largest city in Mississippi is its capital Jackson Jackson is in the central part of the state Mississippi’s state waterfowl is the wood duck