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Mississippi is a southern state of the United States. The state takes its name from the Mississippi River, which flows along the western boundary. Mississippi is bordered on the north by the state of Tennessee; on the east by Alabama, on the south by Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico; and on the west by Louisiana and Arkansas (across the Mississippi River).
The highest point in Mississippi, part of the foothills of the Cumberland Mountains is Woodall Mountain. Hardly a mountain, Woodall Mountain is only 806 feet above sea level. The lowest point is along the shore at the Gulf of Mexico; sea level. Mississippi has a warm humid subtropical climate with long summers and short, mild winters. Temperatures average about 82°F in July and about 48 °F in January. The temperature varies little across the state in summer, but in winter the region near Mississippi Sound is significantly warmer than most of the rest of the state. In the late summer and the fall, the state (especially the southern part) is often affected by hurricanes moving north from the Gulf of Mexico, and occasionally impacted by major hurricanes.
Mississippi is heavily forested, with over half of the state's acreage covered by wild trees. Major rivers in the state include the Mississippi River, Big Black River, Pearl River, Yazoo River, Pascagoula River, and Tombigbee River. Major lakes include Ross Barnett Reservoir, Arkabutla Lake, Sardis Lake, and Grenada Lake.
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