Fact Finder - Geography

The Mississippi River is the second-longest river in North America, but when combined with its longest tributary, the Missouri River, it forms the fourth-longest river system in the world. This vast network drains all or parts of 32 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. The Mississippi is a critical commercial waterway, serving as a highway for the transport of agricultural and industrial goods. Historically, it was the western border of the young United States before the Louisiana Purchase. The river's delta, located in Louisiana, is a fragile ecosystem of marshes and barrier islands that is currently shrinking due to sediment loss and rising sea levels. The river is also culturally significant, immortalized in the works of Mark Twain and serving as the birthplace of various American musical genres, including jazz and blues, which traveled up the river from New Orleans.