With fertile soil, a mild climate, and plentiful rainfall, Mississippi is well-suited for farming. The state has a long history of growing cotton, and cotton remains an important crop. Other crops include soybeans, corn, wheat, sweet potatoes, and pecans. The raising of poultry is a main part of the economy. The state also has large beef and dairy industries.
Mississippi's fishing industry continues to develop. The state is known for its catfish. Shrimp, oysters, crabs, mackerel, redfish, and snapper are important catches on the Gulf coast.
Petroleum and natural gas account for most of the minerals produced in Mississippi. Sand, gravel, and clays are also extracted.
Since the 1930s industry has become increasingly important in the state. Manufacturing surpassed agriculture as the state's primary source of income in the 1960s. The state's many trees are used in production of a range of wood products, including lumber and furniture. Other products are chemicals, plastics, and industrial machinery.
The Choctaw were the largest of the Native American tribes living in present-day Mississippi before Europeans arrived. The first European to visit the region was Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in 1540. The French explorer La Salle claimed the territory for France in 1682. The first permanent European settlement was built in 1699.
Southern Mississippi, as part of Spanish Florida, came under British control in 1763. By treaties signed in 1783 and 1795, the United States gained control of all the land that forms the present state except the panhandle (the piece of land that juts further south than the rest of the state). This area was acquired from Spain in 1812. Mississippi joined the Union as the 20th state in 1817.
The years after 1820 were marked by the creation of the cotton plantation system, which was based on slave labor. When the continuation of slavery was threatened, Mississippi withdrew from the Union and joined other Southern states in forming the Confederate States of America.
The American Civil War (1861–65) turned Mississippi into a battlefield. One of the state's harshest battles was fought at Vicksburg in 1863. Many soldiers lost their lives, and much property was destroyed.
After the Confederacy's defeat, Mississippi was readmitted to the United States in 1870. The state gradually rebuilt its economy. New crops were planted to lessen the dependence on cotton, and the timber industry boomed.
The economy of Mississippi remained mostly rural until the 1930s. During World War II the number of industries grew, with war plants opening in the state. Wartime opportunities in other states, however, led many African Americans to leave Mississippi.
Like many other states, Mississippi experienced racial problems. Despite the end of slavery, African American residents lacked the political, educational, and economic opportunities available to whites. The civil-rights movement that swept the nation in the 1960s made an impact on Mississippi and slowly helped to change things.
New industries developed in Mississippi during the last quarter of the 20th century. The state made significant economic progress in the 1990s, when average incomes grew and the poverty level dropped. Nevertheless, Mississippi remained one of the poorest states in the nation as the 21st century began. Population (2000 census), 2,844,658.
