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
