The Relationship between Geography and Culture along the Mississippi River - Report Example

number: The Relationship between Geography and Culture along the Mississippi River The Mississippi river is one of the longest rivers in the world. The river is said to be four thousand and three hundred miles1. River Mississippi runs from Minnesota to the Mexico’s gulf. The river is said to be the second longest in the United States of America. Children from the families living by the river had always been amazed by its uniqueness and always dreamed of becoming steamboat pilots. The river’s drainage basin is great. It can cover a combination of England, Ireland, Wiles, Spain, Portugal, Scotland, France, Germany, Australia, Turkey and Italy. This entire region as wide as it is fertile and so is the Mississippi valley. The Mississippi River has impacted a lot in the way of life of those leaving along its environs. This paper will explore how the river and its geography has affected the cultures of those who live along its banks. The Mississippi river draws its waters from twenty eight states and territories. The water is drawn from Delaware in the Atlantic seaboard and from all states between Delaware and Idaho which found on the pacific slopes. From the Ohio junction to almost half way to the sea, the river’s width is viewed to be almost a mile. The width however diminishes above the mouth. At the junction of Ohio, the river’s depth eighty-seven feet and the depth increases to one hundred and twenty thousand years. Its spread is calculated to be forty-five degrees longitude. It receives water from fifty four rivers which can be navigated using boats. It also receives from other hundreds of rivers which are navigated using keels and flats. The river grows narrower and deeper towards the mouth. The river has a remarkable difference in its rise and fall in the lower part of the river. The rise is uniform towards Natchez about fifty feet. At Bayou La Fourche it raises by twenty-four feet, fifteen at New Orleans and only two and half at the mouth. Reports have indicated that the river empties around six million tons of mud into Mexico gulf. The deposits of mud gradually extend to the land. The Mississippi river shortens itself as a result of its dispositions. The town of the delta which used to be three miles below Vicksburg has changed its position radically to two miles above Vicksburg. The Mississippi changes habitat with sometimes moving sideways. These changes of the rivers direction have proofed it unsafe to live near or around the river. At times the river is about two miles to the west of the region it occupied originally. As a result the original location of the river has now changed and it is in the state of Mississippi from Louisiana. Though the Mississippi river’s mud builds up slowly at the mouth it is faster high up in the protected regions. The river is said to be the most important of all rivers in he United States for shipping activities as suggested by Buchanan2. This is another helpful activity provided by the river. The river came to exists as a result of large sheets of ice called glaciers. Many years ago, parts of North America were covered glaciers which later melted forming rivers and lakes. River Mississippi is divided into three parts: the upper middle and the lower. The upper Mississippi starts from a small stream flowing from lake Itasca in north of Minnesota. The river twists at some point and turns over water falls and through lakes. The upper part is characterized of bluffs and steep cliffs. This part ends near St. Louis, in Missouri. At the middle part, the Missouri river from the west and the Ohio River from the east join the river. The two rivers add a lot of water and sediment to the Mississippi. At the lower Mississippi the river changes again and moves to the south moving more sediments. As the river reaches Louisiana, the sediment settles. The piles of sentiments break the river into different small streams; the area is called the delta. The Mississippi river ends as the delta meets the Gulf of Mexico. Many people have lived along the river and used it for different purposes. For instance, the American Indians used to river for its water and fish. The river’s turns to the west, north and east are in a way that the turns form what looks like a big question mark. On these different sides, waters drain to Hudson Bay, Pacific and the great Lakes. In every turn, the river implies new features of nature which attract explores. On one side, there is a flock of butterflies which hovers around the place. At another side is a pair of trumpeter swans with their cygnet float. At another side there are wild animals. However some features are dangerous to human life, making the area inhabitable. In some places, the upper part of the Mississippi river appears like the wetlands of South Louisiana. The area is said to be rich in wildlife, these makes it important for tourist attraction. As the river proceeds there are various features which are encountered. For instance the presence of islands of curtails and wild rice and slow currents bending around the aquatic grasses. The Department of Natural Resources in Minnesota has established scenic campsites. The campsites are located after every distance of fifteen or twenty miles along the river. They are also packed with picnic tables, johns and fire pits. This scenario makes the place somehow attractive and worthy to visit. For instance it attracts hikers, campers, bikers and swimmers. As tourists meet there they are able to exchange their ideas hence cultural exchange. The rivers unique features have led to many both families and individual explores getting interested in exploring the river. Parents would go there with their kids and camp. There were always thousands of tourists who milled around the rivers source. The increased presence of wild animals brings people from far to explore the features of nature. Those who camped along the river however had difficult situations according to Twain3. For instance, sometimes the caves for camping would be overcrowded, hot and close to each other. Women who had to give birth in that condition had more difficult life situations. The explorers would be faced by hunger, sickness and misery. There were also times of sorrow and frights. These situation led to many explores dying. The Atchafalaya River is a link to the Mississippi river which has a wonderful place basin swamp. The area surrounding the river is a place of diverse habitats and lots of wildlife. This a good place for those who are interested in learning the history of the river. The Atchafalaya River provides a shorter way to the Gulf of Mexico4. The appearance of every part of the river would always trigger the eagerness of exploring more. Many people interested aquatic life were interested in knowing more about the rivers, so they would go their in groups. Any new adventure led to another one. The place by the name Helena occupies one of the attractive parts of the Mississippi river. It has a perch in southernmost group of hills and it can be seen from that southern side of the river. People are able to have funny moments in this place as boats discharge freight. However the place is sometimes faced with floods which invade almost all the streets of houses. The town has got good trade in cotton with it harvesting almost sixty thousand bales of cotton per year. This is as a result of the good climate produced by the river breeze. River Mississippi has been one of major world’s attractive places. Those who have explored the river have come out of the place with a lot of knowledge. Works Cited Buchanan, Thomas. Black life on the Mississippi: slaves, free Blacks, and the western steamboat world. New York NY: UNC Press Books. 2004. Twain, Mark. Life on the Mississippi (Complete). Teddington: Echo Library. 2006. Read More