The Mississippi River is the longest river in North America. Flowing entirely within the United States, it drains (when accounting for its major tributaries) an area of approximately 3.1 million square kilometers, which is roughly one-eighth
The Mississippi River is the longest river in North America. Flowing entirely within the United States, it drains (when accounting for its major tributaries) an area of approximately 3.1 million square kilometers, which is roughly one-eighth of the size of the North American continent. The river rises in Lake Itasca in Minnesota before flowing southwards towards the continental interior, collecting the waters of the Ohio and Missouri rivers along the way, and ultimately draining into the Gulf of Mexico through a vast delta lying southeast of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. The total distance covered by the Mississippi River from its source to the Gulf is estimated to be around 3,766 kilometers.
Before the settlement of the region by European colonials and Americans, the Mississippi River played an important role in the lives of the aboriginal peoples of America. These natives depended on this river for transport and fishing, and the Native Americans also developed an extensive agricultural system based along the Mississippi.
However, as the Europeans started immigrating ever deeper into the continent, they started exploring the river and plundered the southern tribes. In the late 17th century, the French explorer La Salle realized the immense potential of the huge drainage system, and claimed the entire river basin for his native France. Soon thereafter, the Mississippi increasingly came to serve as a vital link between the French settlements in the Gulf of Mexico and those well to the north in Canada. The Spaniards were also not ready to let go of this treasured real estate, and asserted their own claims of dominance over the region.
Displacing both the French and the Spaniards, the newly formed United States soon became the torch bearer of Mississippi exploration. In 1811, the first steamboat, the New Orleans, appeared on the river. Soon thereafter, commercial traffic started operating on the river, allowing transport of people, goods, and armories up, down, and across the river. The river increasingly became a valuable asset to the people of the country, as it continues to be to this very day.
The Mississippi River is one of the greatest natural resources of the United States. It has been essential to the growth and development of the country since the Industrial Revolution.
The river is the key source of drinking water for millions of Americans today, with a recent study estimating that close to 15 million people rely on the river for their water intake and sanitation needs in just the upper half of its basin alone. More than 50 major American cities are dependent on this river for their water supply. The huge agribusiness industry that has developed in the Mississippi’s basin generates 92% of the nation's agricultural exports.
The river and its tributaries are a rich source of fish and other aquatic organisms which serve as a source of food and commerce for America, with thousands of Americans being either directly or indirectly involved in the fishing and fisheries industry based on this river's ecosystems. In fact, 25% of America’s seafood is derived from the fis