4
A Mississippi Journey
The Mississippi River flows 2,300 miles (3,700 km)
from Minnesota in the northern United States
to the Gulf of Mexico. It is not the longest U.S.
river (the Missouri is longer), but it is the most
important route for ships and transport. You will
follow the river from its
source
to the sea.
A Mighty River
The Mississippi is like the United States itself:
vast, powerful, and always changing. The river
has played a vital part in the country’s history.
People have used it for transportation, farming,
and industry since early times. It is one of the
busiest working rivers in the world, carrying
boats loaded with goods and raw materials from
all over the North American continent.
The Mississippi
floodplain contains
the richest
farmland in the
United States.
