By 1860, Mississippi was the nation's top cotton-producing state and slaves accounted for 55% of the state population. On December 10, 1817, Mississippi became the 20th state admitted to the Union. Greater Jackson is the state's most populous metropolitan area, with a population of 591,978 in 2020. Jackson is both the state's capital and largest city. states and has the lowest per-capita income in the United States. Mississippi is the 32nd largest by area and 35th-most populous of the 50 U.S.
Mississippi's western boundary is largely defined by the Mississippi River, or its historical course. Mississippi ( / ˌ m ɪ s ɪ ˈ s ɪ p i/ ⓘ) is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee to the east by Alabama to the south by the Gulf of Mexico to the southwest by Louisiana and to the northwest by Arkansas.
