Mississippi Quick Facts

Capital and largest city: Jackson
Statehood: December 10, 1817
Name for residents: Mississippians
Area: 47,716 square miles (123,584 square kilometers)
Population: 2,967,297 (as of 2010 Census)
Highest point: Woodall Mountain, 806 feet (246 meters)
Lowest point: Sea level
Major rivers: Mississippi River, Big Black River, Pearl River, Yazoo River
Major lakes: Ross Barnett Reservoir, Arkabutla Lake, Sardis Lake, Grenada Lake
Bordering states: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee
Bordering body of water: Gulf of Mexico
Nickname: Magnolia State
Motto: Virtute et Armis (By Valor and Arms)
State bird: Mockingbird
State flower: Magnolia
State tree: Magnolia
State song: "Go, Mississippi"

2010 U.S. Census Data

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/28000.html

Famous Mississippians

Margaret Walker Alexander, novelist
Red Barber, sportscaster
Brandy, singer and actress
Jimmy Buffett, singer and songwriter
Craig Claiborne, columnist and restaurant critic
Jerry Clower, comedian
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
Morgan Freeman, actor
John Grisham, novelist
Ray Guy, football player
Barry Hannah, novelist
Beth Henley, playwright and actress
Jim Henson, puppeteer
Faith Hill, singer, songwriter, and actress
Robert Johnson, singer, songwriter, and musician
James Earl Jones, actor
B.B. King, guitarist
Archie Manning, football player
Steve McNair, football player
Gerald McRaney, actor
Mary Ann Mobley, Miss America and actress
Willie Morris, writer
Walter Payton, football player
Elvis Presley, singer and actor
Leontyne Price, soprano
William Raspberry, columnist
Jerry Rice, football player
LeAnn Rimes, singer and songwriter
Jimmie Rodgers, singer
Frederick Smith, founder and CEO of FedEx
Sela Ward, actress
Muddy Waters, singer and guitarist
Eudora Welty, novelist
Tennessee Williams, playwright
Oprah Winfrey, talk-show host and actress
Richard Wright, novelist
Tammy Wynette, singer
Zig Ziglar, speaker and author