1. Geographical Features of Mississippi

2. Five (5) Themes of Geography
Location
There are two types of location.
1. Absolute location gives the exact location of a place using latitude and longitude.
a. Latitude is the distance north or south of the equator.
b. MS lies between 30° and 35° north latitude.
c. Longitude is the distance east or west of the Prime Meridian.
d. MS lies between 88° and 91° west longitude.
Relative location gives the location of a place in relation to some other place or landform.
MS’s relative location is in the southeastern U.S.
You can also give MS’s relative location using its borders.

3. Latitude and Longitude

4. MS’s Absolute Location

5. MS’s Relative Location. in the South. on the Gulf of Mexico
MS’s Relative Location * in the South * on the Gulf of Mexico * btw Louisiana & Alabama * below Tennessee

6. Five (5) Themes of Geography
Place
What does the place look like, feel like, sound like?
Physical Characteristics
climate, elevation,
landscape, wildlife, resources
Human or Cultural Characteristics
population ,
demographics (race, religion, ethnic make-up),
customs/traditions (Mardi Gras),
lifestyle (shorts/sandals),
food (sweet tea, seafood)

7. Five (5) Themes of Geography
Human-Environment Interaction
How humans use the environment
clear land to build, build cities where nothing stood,
create a pond, dam a river, use that river to create energy,
plant crops on the land,
Consequences of the interaction btw the environment and humans
erosion,
wildlife extinction,
pollution

8. Five (5) Themes of Geography
Movement
What and how moves?
People
travel/relocate due to work, go on vacation, walk to school
Goods
18-wheelers/trains hauling products,
ancient caravans carrying goods to trade
boats traveling the Mississippi River with supplies
Ideas
people experiencing new cultures and sharing their way of life,
spread of religion around the world

9. Five (5) Themes of Geography
Region
A region can be determined by various cultural, political, economic, geographical definitions
the Gulf Coast
the Pine Belt
the South
Tornado Alley
the West Bank
the Middle East
North America
the Delta

10. Mississippi’s Geographic Regions
4 Broad Geographical Regions
Delta (northwest MS)
The Hills (central & north MS)
Piney Woods (southern MS)
Gulf Coast (narrow strip bordering the Gulf of Mexico)

11. Natural Environment Climate – long term average of weather conditions
Humid subtropical
Temperature – normal annual temperature is 62° Fahrenheit
Only Florida 70° F, Louisiana 66° F, and Texas 64° F have higher averages.
During winter, January and February are the coldest months.
Northern half of the state avg. temperatures: 43° F – 48° F
Southern half of the state avg. temperatures: 48° F - 53° F
Coastal counties of the state average fewer than 20 days a year under 32° F
During summer, July and August are the hottest months.
The average summer temperature is 81° F
Why are average temperatures on the coast higher than the rest of the state during the winter?
Why Are temperatures rising? What is global warming? Has there ever been climate change before? What about the ice age?

12. Natural Environment Precipitation – rain, snow, sleet, hail
Average annual precipitation is 52 inches
Coastal counties receive about 60 inches per year while northern parts of the state receive about 50 inches.
Seasonal breakdown – rainfall is rather evenly distributed throughout the year
Winter – inches
Spring – inches
Summer – inches
Fall – 9.3 inches

13. Natural Environment Natural Hazards
Our state experiences various types of natural hazards such as thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail storms, hurricanes, gales and high winds, short droughts, lightning, and floods.
Tornadoes- generally occur during the spring and early summer when warm moist air moving northward from the Gulf of Mexico meets colder air coming from the interior of the United States
Hurricanes – generally arise in the tropical Atlantic Ocean and cover hundreds of square miles. A storm becomes a hurricane when its winds measure more than 74 miles per hour.

14. Water Resources
Surface Water – refers to the water in lakes, ponds, rivers, and the ocean.
Mississippi surface water is primarily used for irrigation and electric power generation.
It is a major resource for industries, particularly the paper industry.
Ground water – seeps below the Earth’s surface into the spaces and cracks in the rocks.

15. Water Resources Rivers The Mississippi River
The Mississippi River forms most of the western border of the state. The river and its tributaries drain the interior United States from the Appalachian Mountains in the East to the Rocky Mountains in the West.

17. Water Resources There are nine major river systems in our state
Drain to the west (Mississippi River)
Yazoo River
Big Black River
Bayou Pierre-Coles Creek
Homochitto River
Drain to the south
Noxubee-Tombigbee Rivers
Pearl River
Amite River
Pascagoula River
Wolf-Jordan Rivers

18. Landform Regions Landforms – physiographic divisions
Mississippi is divided up into
10 distinct landform regions

19. Landform Regions Tombigbee Hills Northeast corner of the state
Average elevation of 650 ft.
Mush of the land is mixed forests with areas of pasture and cropland

20. Landform Regions The Black Prairie
Gets its name from the dark color of the soil which is very rich and fertile
20-25 miles wide and generally flat to gently rolling
Was once an important cotton growing area
Cotton is still grown here but has largely been replaced with soybeans and cattle

21. Landform Regions Pontotoc Ridge West of Black Prarie
Elevation ranges from ft.
Area divides the Tennessee- Tombigbee river basins to the east and Mississippi River basin to the west

22. Landform Regions Flatwoods West of the Pontotoc Ridge
Narrow (12 miles wide)
Poor drainage with mainly clay soil that is not good for agriculture
Some cropland and cattle production

23. Landform Regions North Central Hills
Averages 400 – 600 ft. above sea level
Covered with shortleaf pine trees and some hardwoods
Various types of agriculture
Intermixed areas of pasture, hayfields, and some croplands
Cattle and poultry production

24. Landform Regions Loess Hills
Loess is buff-colored silt believed to have been transported by wind
Some deposits are 90 ft. deep
Western border drops off sharply into the Delta region
Mixed pasture and forests
Soybeans and cattle

25. Landform Regions Yazoo Basin (Delta)
Appears flat but slopes gently from the northern part of the region to the south
Artificial levees made to control rivers
Very fertile soil
Most extensive & productive agricultural area of the state
Cotton, soybeans, rice, wheat, corn, and catfish
Birthplace of blues music

26. Landform Regions Jackson Prairie Relatively flat
Large deposits of limestone and clay beneath the soil
Limestone supports the concrete industry
Mixed pastures, pine plantations, forests, and cattle production

27. Landform Regions Pine Hills
Mostly rolling hills with some high ridges dividing rivers
Not a major agricultural area
Significant cattle and poultry production

28. Landform Regions Coastal Meadows
Relatively flat with a slight upslope away from the Gulf of Mexico
Very little agriculture
Some pasture and cropland mixed with forest and wetlands
Seafood industry