Do you like to hike in the woods? Perhaps you prefer to fish in a river. Maybe you enjoy time in the city.
In Mississippi, you can do all of that. After all, the southern state has many areas. Experts separate Mississippi into 10 geographical regions. Each has different features and resources.
Mississippi’s most famous region is the Yazoo Delta. This is between the Mississippi River and the Yazoo River in the northwestern part of the state. Some call it the “Yazoo–Mississippi Delta,” the “Yazoo Basin,” — or even just “The Delta.” The rivers here used to flood often, which caused the soil to be . So, farmers use most of the land to grow crops, such as soybeans, rice, sugar cane, hay, and cotton.
To the east of the Yazoo Delta is Loess Hills. The region formed during the Ice Age. It’s covered with windblown soil. (The word “loess” means a layer of windblown dust and silt.) Like the Yazoo Delta, the soil here is rich with minerals — making it suited for farming. People often dig in the ground for geodes, as well as from ancient creatures.
Mississippi has several central regions. Piney Woods covers a large part. This area once had huge pine forests. People used the trees until the 1930s. North is Jackson Prairie with its low hills of clay and sand. It once provided space for early settlements, but today has crops and livestock. North of this is the North Central Hills. This region has red clay soil, but it is poor quality for farming. It’s more common to use the land for livestock or factories than for farms.
In the northeast area of the state there are four regions. The Tennessee River Hills is the home to Woodall Mountain — the highest point in Mississippi. This region is full of steep hills and narrow valleys, which only allows for small farms. The Pontotoc Ridge provides a fertile sandy soil that’s perfect for orchards. The Black Belt has rich, black soil. Farmers there have grown various crops, including corn, wheat, hay, tobacco, and fruit. Today, the area is popular for dairy farming.
At the southern end of Mississippi is the Gulf Coast. This region has marshes, dunes, beaches, and barrier islands. Many natural resources come from the land and the water. Trees help produce lumber and wood products. In the water are fish, shrimp, crabs, and oysters. The farming land provides poultry, crops, and dairy. And the Gulf Coast sits at the Gulf of Mexico.
Mississippi has gas, oil, and petroleum pipelines. There are large ports on the Gulf of Mexico. From there, products ship to areas around the world.
By Elizabeth Nuzzolese
