Regions of Mississippi
The state has several popular land regions, including the Mississippi Black Belt, Mississippi Delta, Mississippi Pine Belt, and Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Agriculture in Mississippi
Agriculture continues to be Mississippi’s top industry for revenue generated in the Magnolia State. Agriculture is in the state is an 8.83 billion-dollar industry. There are approximately 34,700 farms in the state, covering 10.4 million acres of Mississippi. The average size farm comprises 300 acres. Agriculture makes a significant contribution to all 82 counties.
Mississippi’s most valuable crops are cotton and soybean. The state also grows substantial quantities of corn for grain, rice, and sweet potatoes. Most of the cropland is found in the Mississippi Delta area of the state.
Historically known for its cotton harvest, the products that now account for the state’s main agricultural output are broiler chickens, soybeans, and corn. Fun fact, Mississippi is a top 5 producer of broiler chickens along with Georgia, Arkansas, Alabama, and North Carolina. Poultry is Mississippi’s largest agricultural commodity, leading as the most valuable livestock product, including eggs-layers, with sales valued at $3.1 billion.
Mississippi leads the country in catfish production. Catfish is an important commodity for the state. Mississippi’s aquaculture has risen back to the top, ranking first in the U.S. with $230.7 million in sales. Known for farm-raised catfish, Mississippi boasts 205 catfish farms with sales valued at $219.7 million (USDA, June 2021).
Wildlife
Mississippi wildlife is abundant within the state on both land and water. The dense vegetation, ample rainfall, and forage make it a wildlife mecca for land animals and fisheries alike.
Its primary wildlife includes whitetail deer, turkey, dove, ducks, and hog.
The combination of both freshwater and saltwater creates a diverse ecosystem for many fish species, including largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, perch, and bluegill. The primary saltwater species include redfish, speckled trout, blacktip shark, and cobia. With over 100 public lakes, 123,000 stream miles, and 255,000 freshwater acres, and, Gulf Coast access makes for diverse fishing opportunities across the state.
Main Rivers & Largest Lakes
Mississippi River, Pearl River, Pascagoula River, Tombigbee River, and their main tributaries: the Tallahatchie River, Yazoo River, Big Black River, Leaf River, and the Chickasawhay River.
The largest lake is Sardis Lake, and other significant lakes include Ross Barnett Reservoir, Arkabutla Lake, and Grenada Lake.
National and State Parks
Mississippi has 24 state parks and nine national parks.
National Parks
- Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site
- Gulf Island National Seashore
- Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument
- Natchez National Historical Park
- Natchez Trace Parkway
- Natchez Trace National Trail
- Shiloh Military Park
- Tupelo National Battlefield
- Vicksburg National Military Park
Major Lakes
Lake Sardis, the largest lake in Mississippi, is located in North Mississippi on the Little Tallahatchie River 50 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee. The surface area of this lake is approximately 98,520 acres (154 square miles).
Other large lakes include Grenada Lake and Ross Barnett Reservoir, which exceed 30,000 surface area acres.
| State Summary | |
| Nickname | Magnolia State |
| Neighboring States | Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee |
| Regions | Mississippi Black Belt, Mississippi Delta, Mississippi Pine Belt, Mississippi Gulf Coast |
| State Flower | Magnolia |
| State Bird | Mockingbird |
| Big Game | Whitetail deer, alligator, wild hogs, coyotes, fox, bobcats |
| Small Game | Turkey, ducks, dove, rabbits, squirrels, quail |
| Freshwater Fish | Largemouth bass, Crappie, Catfish, White bass, Perch, Bluegill |
| Saltwater Fish | Redfish, speckled trout, blacktip shark, cobia, red snapper |
| Hunting Information | https://www.mdwfp.com/ |
| Total acreage | 30.9 million |
| Total public land acreage | 600,000 acres |
| Average annual rainfall | 55.9 inches |
| Farmland by acreage | 10.4 million acres |
| Woodlands by acreage | 19.2 million acres |
| Coastline | 44 miles |
| Conservation program | Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks |
| Primary Crops | Cotton, Soybeans |
| Main Rivers | Mississippi River, Mississippi River, Pearl River, Pascagoula River and the Tombigbee River |
| Largest Lake | Lake Sardis |
| Other Lakes | Grenada Lake and Ross Barnett Reservoir |
| Major Rivers | Mississippi River, Pearl River, Pascagoula River, Tombigbee River |
| Other Tributaries | Tallahatchie River, Yazoo River, Big Black River, Leaf River, and the Chickasawhay River |
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