1. Mississippi Studies
Chapter 1

2. There are five themes of Geography
1. Place
2. Location
3. Human-environment Interaction
4. Movement
5. Regions
(page 4 in textbook)

4. Regions
Of Mississippi

5. Six Major Regions

6. 1. Delta
A flat, alluvial plain that runs along the banks of the MS River from Memphis to Vicksburg
The soil allows for the growth of large cotton crops
Farming in the 1800s was based on Sharecropping

7. 2. Loess Hills
Their economy is based on cattle, light manufacturing, and industry

8. Economy: trade, commerce, and industry
3. Red Clay Hills
This area is ideal for crops especially cotton because there are few trees
Economy: trade, commerce, and industry

9. 4. Northeast Highlands
Woodall Mountain is the highest point in the state

10. 5. Piney Woods
This area was the center of the lumber and railroad industry at one time
As a result boom towns were created to provide for lumber and railroad companies
Hattiesburg and Laurel are two boom towns that are still successful today

11. 6. Gulf Coast MS has five barrier islands off the coast 1. Horn Island
The largest
Used for biological weapons testing
2. Cat Island
It got its name from the French who thought raccoons were cats
Used in WWII to train dogs for military service
Hurricane Katrina washed part of the island away
3. Deer Island
Closest to the coast
It got its name because deer escaped to the island
4. Ship Island
Hurricane Camille split the Island into two pieces
It is the only deep water harbor between the MS River and Mobile Bay

12. 6. Gulf Coast Continued 5. Petit Bois French for Little Woods
The Mississippi Sound is the area of water between the barrier islands and the coast
The Gulf Coast was the first area to be explored and settled
Their main economic activities are fishing and tourism

13. Geographers have divided the Earth into four spheres.
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Geographers have divided the Earth into four spheres.

14. NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Biosphere=where life grows

15. NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Atmosphere = air

16. NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Hydrosphere = water

17. NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Lithosphere = outer shell of earth

18. Mississippi’s Climate

19. The difference between climate and weather:
Climate refers to the long-term average of weather conditions. Weather refers to the day-today conditions and changes in the atmosphere.

20. Mississippi’s Climate
Climate – conditions of the atmosphere over a long period of time
Weather – conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time
Humid subtropical climate (long hot summers; short mild winters)
Average yearly temperature is 62 degrees
Average summer temperature is 80 degrees
Average winter temperature is 48 degrees
January is the coldest month
Receives about 55 inches of rainfall a year
Because of MS’s climate agriculture is important to its economy
Growing season

25. Natural hazards that occur in Mississippi
Thunderstorms Tornadoes Hail Storms Hurricanes Gales and High Winds Short droughts Lightning Floods.

26. Natural Hazards
Tornadoes are funnel-shaped storms that drop from clouds. They are classified by the Fujita scale (F1-F5).
Hurricanes are tropical storms that arise in the Atlantic Ocean. They have an eye and are classified by categories (1-5).

27. Storms Tornadoes Funnel shaped clouds that cause massive destruction
Smith County in MS and the state of MS are the most likely places in the nation to receive a tornado
MS has more deaths from tornadoes than any other state
Tornadoes are measured on the Fujita Scale
The weather channel now also uses Torcon

29. TOR:CON Value Descriptions
8+ Very high probability of a tornado 
6 - High probability of a tornado
4 - Moderate chance of a tornado nearby, but hail and/or high wind gusts possible
2 - Low chance of a tornado, but hail and/or high wind gusts possible
0 - Near-zero chance of a tornado or a severe thunderstorm

35. Storms
Hurricanes
Storms that form in the Atlantic Ocean with winds of at least 74 mph – 155 mph +
They are measured on the Saffir-Simpson scale using numbers 1-5
Usually called category
There have been two major hurricanes in Mississippi
Camille 1969
Katrina 2005

41. Water Resources
Surface water refers to water in lakes, ponds, rivers and the ocean.
Groundwater seeps into the earth by cracks in rocks. It is stored in rock formations called aquifers.

42. Water Resources
A drainage basin is the area that drains into a river or reservoir.
The MS River drains all of the interior USA.
It forms Mississippi’s western boundary.

43. Vicksburg Water Station
The Waterways Experiment Station in Vicksburg is the home of the Corp of Engineers and one of the top 15 supercomputer centers in the world. It studies way to prevent the river from flooding.