MISSISSIPPI STUDIES
Chapter 1 Notes
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LOCATION-WHERE SOMETHING IS ON
EARTH
PLACE-HAS CHARACTERISTICS
HUMAN ENVIRONMENT
INTERACTION-HOW HUMANS USE A
PLACE.
MOVEMENT-WHY DO HUMANS LIVE
WHERE THEY LIVE
REGIONS-PLACES THAT SHARE COMMON
CHARACTERISTICS.
5 THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY
1. THE DELTA REGION- NORTHWEST
MISSISSIPPI
 2. THE HILLS REGION-IN CENTRAL AND
NORTH MISSISSIPPI
 3. THE PINEY WOODS REGIONSOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI. (THIS IS THE
REGION WE LIVE IN)
 4. THE COASTAL REGION-ON THE GULF
OF MEXICO
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4 REGIONS IN MISSISSIPPI
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GULFPORT-HARRISON COUNTY
BILOXI-HARRISON COUNTY
PASCAGOULA-JACKSON COUNTY
OCEAN SPRINGS-JACKSON COUNTY
BAY ST. LOUIS-HANCOCK COUNTY
MAJOR CITIES IN THE COASTAL
REGION
1.
 2.
 3.
 4.
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VICKSBURG
TUNICA
YAZOO CITY
GREENEVILLE
MAJOR CITIES IN THE DELTA
REGION
1.
 2.
 3.
 4.
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OXFORD-(This is where Ole Miss is)
TUPELO- (The birthplace of Elvis)
BRUCE
HERNANDO
MAJOR CITIES IN THE HILLS
REGION
1.
 2.
 3.
 4.
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HATTIESBURG
LAUREL
BROOKHAVEN
McCOMB
MAJOR CITIES IN THE PINEY
WOODS REGION
62 DEGREES
 JANUARY IS THE COLDEST MONTH
 HIGHEST TEMPERATURE EVER RECORDED
IN MISSISSIPPI WAS 115 DEGREES (This
happened in July 1930)
 THE FURTHER SOUTH YOU GET THE
HOTTER IT GETS

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN
MISSISSIPPI
THE CLIMATE IN MISSISSIPPI IS A
HUMID SUBTROPICAL CLIMATE
 THE AVERAGE PRECIPITATION IN
MISSISSIPPI IS:
-52 INCHES A YEAR
-THE MOST RAINFALL OCCURS DURING
THE WINTER (NOVEMBER-MID MARCH)
-THE LEAST RAINFALL OCCURS DURING
THE SPRING (MID MARCH-MAY)
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CLIMATE AND PRECIPITATION OF
MISSISSIPPI
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THUNDERSTORMS
TORNADOES
HAIL STORMS
HURRICANES
FLOODS
LIGHTNING
NATURAL HAZARDS IN
MISSISSIPPI
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MOSTLY OCCUR DURING SPRING AND
EARLY SUMMER WHEN THE MOIST AIR
MOVING NORTHWARD FROM THE
GULF OF MEXICO MEETS COLDER AIR
COMING FROM THE INTERIOR OF THE
UNITED STATES.
TORNADOES…..
HURRICANE SEASON IN MISSISSIPPI IS
FROM JUNE TO OCTOBER
 MAJOR SIDE EFFECT OF HURRICANES IS
FLOODING IN OUR AREA.
 BIGGEST HURRICANE TO HIT
MISSISSIPPI WAS CAMMILE IN 1969.
 MOST DESTRUCTIVE HURRICANE WAS
KATRINA.

HURRICANES
SURFACE WATER-LAKES, PONDS,
RIVERS, AND THE OCEAN
 WATER IN MISSISSIPPI IS USED
PRIMARILY FOR IRRIGATION
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WATER RESOURCES
THE WESTERN BORDER OF MISSISSIPPI
IS FORMED BY THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
 THE FIVE LARGEST RIVER SYSTEMS IN
MISSISSIPPI ARE YAZOO, PASCAGOULA,
PEARL,THE TOMBIGBEE, AND THE BIG
BLACK
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RIVERS
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SIX MAJOR RESERVOIRS ARE
1.PICKWICK LAKE
2. ARKABUTLA LAKE
3. SARDIS LAKE
4. ENID LAKE
5. GRENADA LAKE
6. ROSS BARNETT RESERVOIR
RESERVOIRS
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
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LONGEST RIVER IN THE UNITED STATES
THE MISSISSIPPI IS ABOUT 100 FEET
DEEP AT ITS DEEPEST POINT
THE RIVER IS USED TO CARY GOODS
WITHIN THE UNITED STATES BY BARGES.
THE OLDEST SETTLEMENT ON THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER IS NATCHEZ
FORMS THE BOUNDARY OF MANY STATES
 LANDFORM REGIONS
 1.THE TOMBIGBEE HILLS
 2. THE BLACK PRARIE
 3. THE PONTOTOC RIDGE
 4. THE FLATWOODS
 5. THE NORTH CENTRAL HILLS
 6. THE LOESS HILLS
 7. THE YAZOO BASIN
 8. THE COASTAL MEADOWS
CHAPTER
2
 9. THE JACKSON
PRAIRIE
MISSISSIPPI’S NATURAL
ENVIRONMENT
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NORTHEASTERN REGION
AVERAGE ELEVATION(650 FEET)
ONE OF THE MOST RUGGED PARTS OF
THE STATE.
USING THE MAP ON
PAGE 419, WRITE
DOWN WHICH
COUNTIES THESE
HILLS ARE IN.
THE TOMBIGBEE HILLS
ONE OF THE FIRST AREAS OF THE STATE
TO BE SETTLED.
 FLAT TO GENTLY ROLLING
 NAMED FOR THE COLOR OF THE SOIL
 CATTLE, SOYBEANS, AND HAY ARE THE
MAIN CROPS

THE BLACK PRARIE
HAVE VARIOUS TYPES OF AGRICULTURAL
ACTIVITIES
 COVERED IN SHORTLEAF AND LOBLOLLY
PINES

THE NORTH CENTRAL HILLS
ALSO KNOWN AS THE DELTA
 MOST EXTENSIVE AND PRODUCTIVE
AGRICULTURAL REGION IN THE STATE.

YAZOO BASIN
MOSTLY FLAT
 BECAUSE OF LIMESTONE UNDER THE
GROUND, THIS REGION IS ABLE TO HAVE
A CEMENT INDUSTRY.
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THE JACKSON PRARIE
THIS IS WHICH LANDFORM REGION WE
LIVE IN
 MOSTLY KNOWN FOR THE SLASH AND
LOBLOLLY PINE TREES
 DO “IT’S YOUR TURN ON PAGE 28”
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS #’S 1&2.
 THIS SHOULD TAKE ABOUT 10 MINUTES
AT THE MOST

THE PINE HILLS

COTTON HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF THE
MOST IMPORTANT CROPS GROWN IN
MISSISSIPPI.
COTTON

AREAS WITH WARM, MOIST CLIMATES
DEVELOP THE BEST SOIL
SOIL
1.
 2.
 3.
 4.
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HILLS
ALLUVIAL PLAIN
LOESS HILLS
BLACK PRAIRIE
4 SOIL REGIONS IN MISSISSIPPI
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IN THE DELTA REGION
THIS SOIL IS WET AND PERIODICALLY
COVERED WITH WATER.
THIS SOILD IS VERY FERTILE(GOOD FOR
GROWING THINGS)
MOST OF THE ALLUVIAL SOIL IN THE
DELTA REGION IS VERY RICH AND DARK
IN COLOR.
THE DELTA REGION IS THE MOST
AGRICULTURALLY PRODUCTIVE REGION
ALLUVIAL SOIL
APPROXIMATELY 55% OF MISSISSIPPI IS
FORESTED.
 MAGNOLIAS ARE OUR STATE TREE AND
FLOWER
 SLASH AND LOBLOLLY PINE, OAKS, GUM,
AND CYPRESS ARE THE MOST COMMON
TREES IN MISSISSIPPI.
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FLORA(NATURAL VEGITATION)
GAME ANIMALS(ANIMALS THAT ARE
HUNTED AND EATEN) INCLUDE
SQUIRRELS, WHITE-TAILED DEER, AND
RABBIT.
 OTHER ANIMALS ARE RACOONS,
OPOSSUMS, AND FOXES.

FAUNA(ANIMAL LIFE)
GAME BIRDS- TURKEYS AND THE
BOBWHITE QUAIL
 MIGRATORY BIRDS(BIRDS THAT
MIGRATE) INCLUDE MOURNING DOVES
AND GEESE
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BIRDS
THERE ARE MORE THAN 150 DIFFERENT
TYPES OF FRESHWATER FISH IN OUR
STATE
 SPORT FISH MAINLY INCLUDE
LARGEMOUTH BASS, BREAM, BLUGILL
AND CATFISH.
 COASTAL (GULF OF MEXICO) FISH
SPANISH MAKREL, KING MACKEREL, AND
REDFISH
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FISH
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ECOREGIONS
 1.AGRICULTURE-INCLUDES FERTILE
FIELDS AND PLAINS.
 2. AQUATIC-INCLUDES LIFEFORMS OF
FRESHWATER AND SALTWATER MARINE
ENVIRONMENTS.
 3. TERRESTRIAL-INCLUDES LAND PLANTS
AND ANIMALS
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MISSISSIPPI’S ECOREGIONS
PLANTS, ANIMALS, AND HUMANS ALL
EXIST IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT
PRODUCES AIR, WATER, AND FOOD AND
FUNCTION SIMILARLY.
 ORBITING SATELLITES WITH PLATFORMS
CARRYING SENSING DEVICES ARE
MAINLY USED TO PHOTOGRAPH EARTH’S
SURFACE.
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ECOREGIONS
1.
 2.
 3.
 4.
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COASTAL MEADOWS
HILLY COASTAL PLAIN
LOESS/BLUFF HILLS
ALLUVIAL PLAIN
4 MAJOR ECOREGIONS IN
MISSISSIPPI
EXTENDS ALONG THE GULF COAST
 CONTAINS FLAT PLAINS, BARRIER
ISLANDS, COASTAL LAGOONS, MARSHES,
AND SWAMPY LOWLANDS.
 HIGHLY URBANIZED WITH SEVERAL
CITIES SUCH AS GULFPORT,
PASCAGOULA, AND BILOXI

COASTAL MEADOWS
COVERS OVER HALF OF THE TOTAL AREA
OF MISSISSIPPI
 CITIES INCLUDE HATTIESBURG, LAUREL,
MERIDIAN, AND PHILADELPHIA

HILLY COASTAL PLAINS
SOIL HERE IS SUBJECT TO EROSION
 MAJOR CITIES ARE JACKSON,
BROOKHAVEN, CANTON, AND MCCOMB

LOESS/BLUFF HILLS
CONTAINS ONE OF THE LARGEST
CONTINUOUS WETLAND SYSTEMS IN THE
UNITED STATES.
 MAJOR CITIES ARE VICKSBURG,
GREENVILLE, GREENWOOD, CLEVELAND,
AND CLARKSDALE.

THE ALLUVIAL PLAIN