Mississippi Homesites for Sale

Mississippi is located in the southern region of the U.S. Part of its border is formed by the Gulf of Mexico and the western border is formed by the Mississippi River. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east and Louisiana to the south, as well as the Gulf Coast, and across the Mississippi to the west by Louisiana and Arkansas. It is the 32nd in both population and land area in the United States. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, named after a Chippewa Native American word meaning "great river." Its nickname is the Magnolia State, due to the beautiful magnolia trees found throughout Mississippi. Jackson is the capital and the largest city. Gulfport, on the coast, is the second largest. Outside of the Mississippi Delta region, between the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers, more than half of the state is covered in wild trees, mostly pine, but also some other species such as cottonwood, elm, hickory, oak, pecan, sweetgum, and tupelo. The coast has several large bays at Bay St. Louis, Biloxi, and Pascagoula. Natural highlights include Gulf Islands National Seashore and Natchez Trace Parkway and Scenic Trail, but there are several other state parks and wildlife preserves throughout the state. Other major rivers, in addition to the Mississippi, include Big Black River, Pearl River, Yazoo River, Pascagoula River, and Tombigbee River. The largest lake is Sardis Lake, and other major lakes include Ross Barnett Reservoir, Arkabutla Lake, and Grenada Lake. There are also many historical landmarks and sites throughout Mississippi.

Casino gambling was legalized along the Mississippi River and Gulf Coast in 1990, leading to increased revenue and economic gains for the state. Gulf Coast resort towns of Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, and Biloxi, and Mississippi River towns of Tunica, Greenville, Vicksburg, and Natchez have become popular entertainment destinations. Mississippi has some manufacturing, primarily automotive factories. Agriculture is still a large part of Mississippi's economy. It is second in the nation in cotton production, and it is the world's leading producer of pond-raised catfish. Other products include corn, peanuts, pecans, rice, sugar cane, sweet potatoes, poultry, eggs, meat animals, dairy products, feed crops, and horticultural crops.