Sharing its name with America's most famous and storied river, the state of Mississippi is represents the South in many people's minds. Birthplace of Elvis, B.B. King, and Tennessee Williams, and once home to William Faulkner and John Grisham, the state has given the world great music and literature. Filled with both famous and infamous moments in Civil War and civil rights history, Mississippi continues to give the world insight into the past struggles and future potential of the South. Casinos to rival Las Vegas, world-acclaimed literary conferences, and a festival for nearly every day of the year are just a few of Mississippi's unexpected offerings. From rolling, pine-covered hills and flat delta plains to the mighty Mississippi and sandy Gulf Coast beaches, the state also offers a variety of geographical vistas to go with its historical, cultural, and recreational options.

Prior to European exploration, the region was inhabited by Native American nations including the Chickasaws and the Choctaws. The Natchez, Biloxi, and Pascagoula tribes live on in the names of those three Mississippi cities and countless other towns and counties around the state also have Native American names. Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto first visited the area in 1540, but the first European settlement wasn't established until 1699 when the French settled near present-day Ocean Springs. The British controlled the region in the late 18th century, and Mississippi became part of the U.S. in 1817. The state takes its name from the Mississippi River, which forms its western boundary.

From 1832 until secession, the state prospered due to cotton cultivation and the use of slaves. Mississippi seceded from the Union on January 9, 1861, becoming the second state to join the Confederate States of America with Jefferson Davis, a Mississippi politician, as president of the Confederacy. The state was the site of numerous Civil War battles including the Vicksburg campaign. Not surprisingly, the war is still very much alive in the state, whether through meticulously maintained historic sites or authentic re-enactments. Mississippi was also a center of the 1960s civil rights movement and several infamous incidents of violence took place in the state as its African-American citizens struggled to integrate schools and exercise their right to vote.

Mississippi has seven National Park Service areas and the Natchez Trace, which began 8,000 years ago as a series of wilderness trails used by buffaloes, Indians, and then white settlers, is now a 400-mile national recreational highway. Literary landmarks you'll find only in Mississippi include Rowan Oak, the home where William Faulkner did most of his writing, near at Oxford. The South's most famous "pilgrimages" (or antebellum home tours) happen each year at Natchez and Vicksburg along the Mississippi. Excavated Indian sites like Grand Village in Natchez and Indian mounds near Greenville and in the Lake George-Holly Bluff area draw ancient-history buffs, while Civil War National Battlefields at Vicksburg, Brices Cross Roads, and Tupelo pull in crowds of Civil War enthusiasts. With its mild subtropical climate, Mississippi offers year-round opportunities for camping, fishing, sailing, and other outdoor activities. Its many festivals and events celebrate everything from Mardi Gras and Civil War battles to oysters, tomatoes, blues music, and American literature.