Mississippi

Mississippi is located in the deep south of the United States and is bordered by Louisiana and Arkansas to the west, Tennessee to the north and Alabama to the east. A small southern portion of Mississippi is connected to the Gulf of Mexico. Mississippi gets its name from the Mississippi river which runs along the western border of the state.

In the early morning hours of March 26, 2009, a tornado touched down near Simpson County, Mississippi, injuring at least 20 people and damaging as many as 60 buildings. The storm's winds reached up to 150 miles an hour. A state of emergency was called for Simpson and other surrounding counties affected by the storm.The New York Times: 20 Injured as Tornado Rakes Mississippi

The Paleo Indians were the first settlers in Mississippi. Hernando de Soto was the first European explorer to pass through Mississippi in 1540. French explorers made the first settlement called Fort Maurepas in 1699. Natchez, also founded by the French in 1716, became a trading post for the area. After the French and Indian WarMississippi was deeded to the United States in the Treaty of Paris. Mississippi seceded from the Union in 1861 and joined the Confederacy during the Civil War.

Mississippi has an estimated 39,000 farms which cover half of the state. Cotton and soybeans are the states most valuable crops. Cattle farms are also common in Mississippi except for the Delta region.

Most of Mississippi's rivers belong to either the Mississippi or Alabama river systems. Mississippi is made up of all lowlands with its highest point being only 806 feet. The climate in Mississippi is subtropical in the southern part of the state and temperate in the north. Mississippi is the home of many species of birds and popular for quail and duck hunting. Fishing is popular along the Gulf coast.