Mississippi Quick Facts
- Current Governor: Tate Reeves (Republican)
- Capital: Jackson
- Population: 2,976,149 (2019 est.)
- Land Area: 46,923.27 sq km
- Water Area: 1,508.51 sq km
- Total Area: 48,431.78 SQ KM
- State Motto: “Virtute et Armis (By Valor and Arms)”
- Nickname: Magnolia State
- Electoral votes: 3
- Seats in U.S. House of Representatives: 4 (of 435)
- State Song: “Go Mis-sis-sip-pi”
- Date of Statehood: December 10, 1817
- Time Zone: Central (GMT − 6 hours)
- Official Website of Mississippi: ms.gov
- State abbreviation/Postal code: MS
- Origin of name: The name “Mississippi” comes from the Anishinabe people (Ojibwe Indians.) They called the river “Messipi” or “Mee-zee-see-bee,” which means “Big River” or “Father of Waters.
State Symbol of Mississippi
State Beverage | Milk |
State Bird | Mockingbird |
State Fish | Largemouth (black bass) |
State Flower | Bloom of the magnolia or evergreen magnolia |
State Fossil | Prehistoric whale |
State Insect | Honeybee |
State Motto | Virtute et armis (By valor and arms) |
State Nickname | Magnolia State |
State Shell | Oyster shell |
State Stone | Petrified wood |
State Water Mammal | Bottlenosed dolphin (porpoise) |
State Tree | Magnolia |
State Waterfowl | Wood duck |
College & Universities
Academy of Hair Design Four | J & J Hair Design College |
Academy of Hair Design One | Jackson State University |
Academy of Hair Design Seven | Jones County Junior College |
Academy of Hair Design Three | Magnolia Bible College |
Alcorn State University | Magnolia College of Cosmetology |
Antonelli College-Hattiesburg | Meridian Community College |
Antonelli College-Jackson | Millsaps College |
Belhaven University | Mississippi College |
Blue Cliff College-Gulfport | Mississippi College of Beauty Culture |
Blue Mountain College | Mississippi Delta Community College |
Board of Trustees-Mississippi State Institutions of Higher Learning | Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College |
Chris Beauty College | Mississippi State University |
Coahoma Community College | Mississippi University for Women |
Copiah-Lincoln Community College | Mississippi Valley State University |
Copiah-Lincoln Community College Simpson County Center | Northeast Mississippi Community College |
Copiah-Lincoln Community College-Natchez Campus | Northwest Mississippi Community College |
Creations College of Cosmetology | Pearl River Community College |
Day Spa Career College | Rust College |
Delta Beauty College | Southeastern Baptist College |
Delta State University | Southwest Mississippi Community College |
Delta Technical College | State Board for Community and Junior Colleges |
East Central Community College | The Academy of Hair Design Six |
East Mississippi Community College | Tougaloo College |
Final Touch Beauty School | Traxlers School of Hair |
Fosters Cosmetology College | University of Mississippi Main Campus |
Gibson Barber and Beauty College | University of Mississippi Medical Center |
Hinds Community College | University of Southern Mississippi |
Holmes Community College | Virginia College-Jackson |
ICS the Wright Beauty College | Wesley Biblical Seminary |
Itawamba Community College | Wesley College |
William Carey University |
Popular Tourist Attractions
- Ship Island
- Gulf Islands National Seashore
- Hattiesburg Zoo
- Jackson Zoo
- Natchez Trace Parkway
- Buccaneer State Park
- Elvis Presley Birthplace
- Vicksburg National Military Park
- Mississippi Museum of Natural Science
- USS Cairo
- Deer Island
- B. B. King Museum
- Geyser Falls Water Theme Park
- Rowan Oak
Famous Natives and Residents
Name | Profession |
Red Barber | sportscaster; |
Jimmy Buffett | singer and songwriter; |
Craig Claiborne | columnist and restaurant critic; |
Bo Diddley | guitarist; |
Charles Evers | civil rights leader; |
Medgar Evers | civil rights leader; |
William Faulkner | novelist; |
Brett Favre | football player; |
Shelby Foote | historian; |
Richard Ford | novelist; |
John Grisham | novelist; |
Beth Henley | playwright and actress; |
Jim Henson | puppeteer; |
James Earl Jones | actor; |
B. B. King | guitarist; |
Willie Morris | writer; |
Elvis Presley | singer; |
Leontyne Price | soprano; |
Jerry Rice | football player; |
Jimmie Rodgers | singer; |
Muddy Waters | singer and guitarist; |
Eudora Welty | novelist; |
Tennessee Williams | playwright; |
Oprah Winfrey | talk-show host and actress; |
Richard Wright | novelist; |
Tammy Wynette | singer. |
Famous Actors And Actresses
- Lacey Chabert
- James Earl Jones
- Eric Roberts