From the Ojibwe meaning "great river", Mississippi experiences long summers and short, mild winters. Since over half the state is covered by forest, lumber is one of its main exports.
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Mississippi’s population didn’t start to grow until 1763, when France ceded all its possessions east of the Mississippi River to England. The immigrants came from Virginia, Georgia, and the Carolinas.
By 1840, the indigenous Indians had ceded their lands and the state began a period of prosperity based on cotton, slave labor and river commerce. It was the second southern state to secede from the Union. One of most famous Civil War battles raged for 47 days when Ulysses S. Grant finally conquered Vicksburg in 1863.
The end of the Civil War did not bring peace or stability. Only one fourth of the soldiers returned from the war and the destruction brought on by fierce battles marked the reconstruction with political turmoil and economic havoc.
Although the River bearing the state’s name is the most recognizable aspect of the state, it has produced very famous writers and musicians. These include William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Tennessee Williams, B. B. King, Leontyne Price and Elvis Presley.
Its industries produce clothing, textiles, furniture lumber, automobile parts and food processing. Another major economic contributor is agriculture. Cotton, soybeans, rice, peaches, apples, plums, pears, strawberries and sugarcane are the largest of the cash crops.
Dairy and poultry farming account for a good portion of the total farming income. The Gulf Coast is ripe with oysters and shrimp, accounting for nearly half of all U.S. oysters and one quarter of the shrimp.
Mississippi is one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of furniture and it also plays an important role in the Space Age. All Space Shuttle main engines are tested at the John C. Stennis Space Center near Picayune.
The statewide sales tax is 7 percent. Localities may impose taxes on lodgings and restaurants.
The most popular recreational activities are swimming, boating, sailing, fishing and golf. One of the longest manmade beaches extends 26 miles along the seawall from Biloxi to Pass Christian. On the Gulf Coast, salt water fishing is a big lure for fisherman worldwide. Fowl hunting ranks high as Mississippi is home to millions of migrating bird annually.
