Overview
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river in North America, with a length of approximately 3,766 kilometers. It rises at Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota and flows generally southward to the Gulf of Mexico, where it forms a vast birdfoot delta in Louisiana. Its drainage basin covers more than 3.2 million square kilometers, including 31 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces.
Geography and Physical Features
The Mississippi has many major tributaries, the largest being the Missouri and Ohio Rivers. The combined Missouri-Mississippi system, at about 6,275 kilometers, is the fourth-longest river system in the world. The river is divided informally into the Upper Mississippi above the Ohio confluence and the Lower Mississippi below it.
Significance
The Mississippi has long been a vital artery for commerce, transportation, and culture in the United States. Indigenous mound-building civilizations such as the Mississippian culture flourished along its banks, and during the steamboat era it became central to the American economy. Mark Twain's novels immortalized life along the river.
Notable Facts
The Mississippi River discharges an average of about 16,800 cubic meters of water per second into the Gulf of Mexico. The river's name comes from the Ojibwe word "Misi-ziibi," meaning "great river." The Mississippi delta has been shrinking due to subsidence and the loss of sediment caused by levees.