Mississippi has always been known for it’s warm, helpful and friendly people. And visitors will be pleased by the amount of recreation spots and entertainment venues located throughout the state. Mississippi is a state rich in history and culture with magnificent mansions lining the streets of the towns throughout. Memorials to the Civil War are found in almost every corner of the state, as are old battlefields and cemeteries. There are also collections of quaint towns and Las Vegas style casinos. You'll find museums, celebrated authors and contemporary art communities. Mississippi has something different to offer for even the most seasoned travelers.

Climate and Geography
While Mississippi experiences a mildly noticeable change of seasons, its temperate climate has an average annual temperature of about 65° Fahrenheit. The terrain varies from rolling hills in the northern region to sandy beaches along the Mississippi Gulf Coast with plenty of lush forested areas and lakes in between. March is the wettest month and October is the driest. Snowfall in the entire state is rare. The northern region gets less than two inches per year. The average temperature in January is 42°, and the average temperature in July is 85°.

Culture
The culture in Mississippi is highly diverse. The state is the home of the blues music as well as the International Ballet Competition. Mississippi hosted the world-class exhibitions, Palaces of St. Petersburg: Russian Imperial Style in 1996 and Splendors of Versailles in 1998, exhibits seen nowhere else in the United States. Museums, concerts, fairs and festivals enrich life in every town. Opera, ballet, professional theater companies and nine symphony orchestras provide enough performances to fill the calendar of any avid culture seeker.

Jackson-The Capital
The City of Jackson was founded in 1821 at the site of a trading post situated on a west bank bluff of the Pearl River. Jacksonians are extremely proud of the famed southern hospitality and quality of life. Community support is strong for a symphony orchestra, a professional theater group, a professional hockey team, and a Texas-Louisiana League professional baseball team.

In association with Varna, Bulgaria, Tokyo, and Moscow, Jackson hosts the world-class International Ballet Competition at the beautiful municipal auditorium, Thalia Mara Hall. The city-center arts complex also includes the Mississippi Museum of Art and the nation’s 10th largest planetarium, which houses the unique 870 large format cinema or "wrap around" film projection system.

Gourmet dining and nightlife sparkle on the Jackson scene. Many races and ethnic groups provide the city with cuisine that is truly international. One can choose Greek, Continental, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, French, Mexican, or good old Southern cuisine.

Lodging
Whether you are looking for the elegant romance of a historic Victorian or antebellum mansion or a rustic cabin or cozy cottage situated deep in the forest, Mississippi has it. In fact, Mississippi is known for its unique collection of bed and breakfast inns, which offer premiere service and exude southern charm.

New Casinos
Great adventure is in store for visitors who enjoy Las Vegas-style gaming. Mississippi has become a hotbed of new casinos. Open 24 hours, seven days a week, these casinos offer high limits, liberal rules and games that include craps, blackjack, mini-baccarat, all kinds of poker, roulette and, of course, slot machines. Most casinos offer free players club memberships and valet parking, plus prizes galore. Even if you are a novice or a non-gambler, you will find lots of live entertainment, elegant restaurants, sumptuous buffets, and even some entertainment centers for younger visitors.

Golf
With Casinos often come a multitude of golfing opportunities, and Mississippi no different. With its great climate, golf is a year-round event and the state boasts some of the nation’s most challenging courses. More than 150 public and private golf courses guarantee that an open fairway is always a short drive away. There are also golf package companies that offer weekly tours of the state’s more famous courses, while also giving you a small taste of the history and cuisine of Mississippi. A favorite of tourists is the brand new Grand Bear Golf Course in Biloxi—designed by Jack Nicklaus—and The Bridges in Bay St. Louis, home to the Arnold Palmer Golf Academy.

Outdoor Activities
Mississippi has more than one million acres for public hunting, with nine National Wildlife Refuges and 36 state Wildlife Management Areas. The Mississippi wilderness offers the opportunity to hunt deer, squirrel, turkey, duck, geese, rabbit, quail and dove. Hunters can wade into marshy waterfowl havens, track white tail through towering pines or scare up fowl in spacious fields. Bass, catfish, bream and crappie lurk in waters throughout Mississippi, and the prospect of landing one of these brings both serious and weekend anglers to the state. There are hundreds of rivers, ponds, streams and lakes, five of which are over 20,000 acres, and Grenada Reservoir is 64,600 acres.

The Gulf of Mexico offers spectacular saltwater fishing just off the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Flounder and blue crab provide sport right off the pier, and those looking for a serious fight can take a boat out and go after king mackerel, redfish, speckled trout, grouper and shark. You really can't help but enjoy the outdoors in Mississippi.

The Civil War
Vicksburg National Military Park was established on February 21, 1899, to commemorate one of the most decisive battles of the American Civil War, the campaign, siege and defense of Vicksburg. The Vicksburg campaign was waged from March 29 to July 4, 1863. It included battles in west-central Mississippi at: Port Gibson, Raymond, Jackson, Champion Hill, Big Black River and 47 days of Union siege operations against Confederate forces defending the city of Vicksburg.

Located high on the bluffs, Vicksburg was a fortress guarding the Mississippi River. It was known as "The Gibraltar of the Confederacy." Its surrender on July 4, 1863, coupled with the fall of Port Hudson, Louisiana, divided the South, and gave the North undisputed control of the Mississippi River. Today, Vicksburg Park is in excellent condition. It includes over 1,325 monuments and markers, reconstructed trenches and earthworks, one antebellum structure, over 125 cannon, a restored Union gunboat, USS Cairo, and the Vicksburg National Cemetery. Like most Civil War areas, Vicksburg National Military Park exists as a lasting memorial to the soldiers and civilians that suffered through the widespread tragedy and conflict of the Civil War. It is a vivid legacy of America's past, a place where students can learn and individuals reflect upon the dramatic events that shaped a young and developing nation.

Population: 2,669,000.

State Capital: Jackson, with a population of approximately 202,062.

State Flag: Width two-thirds of its length; with the union square, in width two-thirds of the width of the flag; the ground of the union to be red and a broad blue saltier thereon, bordered with white and emblazoned with thirteen (13) mullets or five-pointed stars, corresponding with the number of the original States of the Union; the field to be divided into three bars of equal width, the upper one blue, the center one white, and the lower one extending the whole length of the flag.

State Motto: Virtute et armis - By valor and arms.

Origin of Name: From an Indian word meaning "Father of Waters".

Entered the Union: December 10, 1817 as the - 20th state.