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Mississippi

Illustration: Fertile farms along the Mississippi River in Mississippi.

 What do talk-show star Oprah Winfrey; singer Elvis Presley, B.B. King, puppeteer Jim Henson, and novelist William Faulkner have in common? They were all born in Mississippi, a state that has produced many of America's most famous writers and performers.

As it's name indicates, Mississippi is dominated by the great river that winds in wide loops along most of the state's western boarder. The low, flat farmlands there have wonderfully fertile soil, although frequeny floods make living and farming precarious. The eastern part of the state is a land of plains, pine forests, and low-rolling hills. Native americans lived in the region for centuries before French settlers arrived in 1763, and Mississippi became a U.S. territory in 1795 and a state in 1817. Cotton, grown on huge plantations with slave labor, helped the state thrive. But the Civil War destroyed the economy and recovery was very slow. Although Mississippi's slaves were freed, it was 100 years before African-Americans won basic civil rights.

Today, mississippi farms produce a variety of crops, including cotton and soybeans. Oil production and manufacturing provide many jobs, but 70% of the people earn their living in service industries.

DID YOU KNOW....Jackson, the capitol, is the only city in Mississippi with a population that exceeds 100,000.

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A Special Thanks To Groiler Books.

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