Why is the Mississippi river so important to people?

Why is the Mississippi river so important to people?

As the nation’s second-longest river, behind only the conjoining Missouri, the Mississippi provides drinking water for millions and supports a $12.6 billion shipping industry, with 35,300 related jobs. It’s one of the greatest water highways on earth, carrying commerce and food for the world.

Why was the Mississippi river so important to early settlements?

Early settlement and exploration. As its respectful Indian name indicates, the Mississippi played an important role in the lives of the aboriginal peoples settled on its banks. To the Native American peoples of the river, the Mississippi was both highway and larder.

What happened at the mouth of the Mississippi river?

In 1682, a Frenchman by the name of Robert de La Salle reached the mouth of the Mississippi and claimed the entire valley in the name of France. The Mississippi River system would go on to forge the settlement of central United States.

Why can few animals survive at the mouth of the Mississippi?

The mouth of the Mississippi is in the state of Louisiana, south of the city of New Orleans. At the end of the Mississippi there is a zone in the Gulf of Mexico where very few animals can survive comfortably because of the fertilizer and other chemicals that run off of farms into the river and its tributaries.

How does the Mississippi River impact the region?

The culture of the Mississippi River has an effect on geography and in turn geography impacts the culture along the Mississippi River. The geography of the Mississippi River provided early settlers with the natural resources to survive and thrive.

What part of America is Mississippi River in?

The Mississippi River is the second longest river in North America , flowing 2,350 miles from its source at Lake Itasca through the center of the continental United States to the Gulf of Mexico. The Missouri River, a tributary of the Mississippi River, is about 100 miles longer.

What are Mississippi’s waterways?

Mississippi is surrounded by three navigable waterways: the Mississippi River to the west, the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway to the east and the Gulf of Mexico to the south.