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Mississippi: Quick Facts

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Last updated
Scott Colom makes history in Mississippi. Two other Black men did the same 150 years before him • Nov. 12, 2026, 4:33 PM ET (AP)
Black voters view Scott Colom's historic US Senate win through lens of Mississippi's racial legacy • Nov. 12, 2026, 1:08 PM ET (AP)
The Latest: Mississippi elects Scott Colom as state’s first Black US senator since Reconstruction • Nov. 12, 2026, 11:32 AM ET (AP)
Mississippi elects Democrat Scott Colom as state's first Black US senator since Reconstruction • Nov. 12, 2026, 12:25 AM ET (AP)

Facts

Also Known As Magnolia State
Capital Jackson
Population1 (2020) 2,961,279; (2025 est.) 2,954,160
Governor Tate Reeves (Republican)
Date Of Admission December 10, 1817
U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (Republican) • Cindy Hyde-Smith (Republican)
State Nickname Magnolia State
State Motto "Virtute et Armis (By Valor and Arms)"
State Bird2 northern mockingbird • wood duck
State Flower southern magnolia
State Song “Go Mis-sis-sip-pi”
Seats In U.S. House Of Representatives 4 (of 435)
Time Zone Central (GMT − 6 hours)
Total Area (Sq Km) 125,460
Total Area (Sq Mi) 48,441
1Excluding military abroad.2The wood duck is the state waterfowl.

Photos

Mississippi
The Great Seal of the State of Mississippi features a bald eagle with wings spread, holding arrows in its left talon and an olive branch in its right, with a shield on its chest. The seal is encircled by a rope border and a dark blue ring with the words The Great Seal of the State of Mississippi and In God We Trust.
Mississippi: state bird
Mississippi: state flower
Political map of Mississippi showing state and county boundaries, county names, and major cities. State capital Jackson is marked, along with other cities such as Gulfport, Hattiesburg, Biloxi, and Tupelo. The map includes surrounding states-Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Alabama-and features a small locator inset of the southeastern United States highlighting Mississippi's position.
Aerial view of the illuminated Mississippi State Capitol building with its domed roof, surrounded by trees and city buildings at dusk in Jackson, Mississippi.
Map of the United States highlighting the state of Mississippi in orange, with its capital, Jackson, labeled. Surrounding states and major geographic features such as the Gulf of Mexico are shown for context.
Longwood Mansion in Natchez, Mississippi, a large octagonal brick house with a white dome, surrounded by trees draped with Spanish moss.
Map of Mississippi highlighting physical features such as major rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, with state boundaries marked. Key water bodies like the Mississippi River, Yazoo River, Pearl River, and reservoirs including Sardis, Enid, Grenada, and Ross Barnett are labeled. The map also marks dams, Vicksburg National Military Park, and Tupelo National Battlefield, with a small locator map showing Mississippi's position within the United States.
Regional map of the Deep South in the United States, highlighting the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and parts of Arkansas, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, and Tennessee. The map shows major cities, state capitals, rivers, lakes, and physical features such as the Mississippi Delta, Appalachian Mountains, and swamps like the Okefenokee and Atchafalaya. Insets indicate the region's location within the continental United States.
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Related Topics and References

Topics
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