Mississippi River Trivia Questions
How much do you really know about Mississippi River? Below are 16 true or false statements. Click each one to reveal the answer and explanation.
1.The Mississippi River flows directly into the Atlantic Ocean at its mouth.
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Easy
The Mississippi River flows directly into the Atlantic Ocean at its mouth.
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The Mississippi River empties into the Gulf of Mexico, not directly into the Atlantic Ocean.
2.The Mississippi River begins its flow from a lake located in Canada.
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Easy
The Mississippi River begins its flow from a lake located in Canada.
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The Mississippi River's source is Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, USA, not in Canada.
3.The Mississippi River is the longest river in North America by itself.
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Easy
The Mississippi River is the longest river in North America by itself.
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The Missouri River is longer than the Mississippi. The combined Mississippi-Missouri system is the longest, but the Mississippi alone is second.
4.The Mississippi River flows into the Gulf of Mexico, not the Atlantic Ocean.
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Easy
The Mississippi River flows into the Gulf of Mexico, not the Atlantic Ocean.
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It empties into the Gulf via its vast delta in Louisiana, making it a Gulf, not Atlantic, river.
5.The Mississippi River is the second-longest river in the United States by length.
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Easy
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river in the United States by length.
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The Missouri River is longer at about 2,341 miles, while the Mississippi is about 2,320 miles, making it the second-longest.
6.The Mississippi River was first explored by a European in 1541 by Hernando de Soto.
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Medium
The Mississippi River was first explored by a European in 1541 by Hernando de Soto.
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Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto crossed the Mississippi River near present-day Memphis in 1541, the first European documented to see it.
7.The Mississippi River drains water from 31 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces.
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Medium
The Mississippi River drains water from 31 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces.
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The Mississippi River watershed drains 31 states and 2 Canadian provinces, covering about 40% of the continental United States.
8.Mark Twain got his pen name from a Mississippi River depth measurement term.
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Medium
Mark Twain got his pen name from a Mississippi River depth measurement term.
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'Mark twain' meant two fathoms (12 feet) deep, a safe depth for riverboats, adopted by Samuel Clemens.
9.The Mississippi River is the only major river in the world that flows entirely through one country.
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Medium
The Mississippi River is the only major river in the world that flows entirely through one country.
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Many major rivers, like the Yangtze in China and the Volga in Russia, flow entirely within a single country, so the Mississippi is not the only one.
10.The Mississippi River drains water from 31 U.S. states and 2 Canadian provinces.
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Medium
The Mississippi River drains water from 31 U.S. states and 2 Canadian provinces.
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Its watershed covers over 1.2 million square miles, spanning 31 states and parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
11.The Mississippi River is the longest river in the United States.
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Medium
The Mississippi River is the longest river in the United States.
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The Missouri River is longer than the Mississippi, so the Mississippi is the second-longest river in the United States.
12.The Mississippi River is navigable for its entire length from source to Gulf.
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Medium
The Mississippi River is navigable for its entire length from source to Gulf.
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The upper reaches near Lake Itasca are too shallow and rocky for navigation. The navigable portion starts at Minneapolis, about 1,800 miles from the Gulf.
13.The Mississippi River once flowed backward for several hours after a major earthquake in 1811.
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Hard
The Mississippi River once flowed backward for several hours after a major earthquake in 1811.
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The New Madrid earthquakes reversed the river’s flow temporarily, creating new lakes and changing its course.
14.The Mississippi River is home to more species of freshwater fish than any other river in North America.
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Hard
The Mississippi River is home to more species of freshwater fish than any other river in North America.
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The Tennessee River system actually hosts greater fish diversity; the Mississippi is rich but not the richest.
15.A drop of water takes about 90 days to travel the entire Mississippi from source to sea.
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Hard
A drop of water takes about 90 days to travel the entire Mississippi from source to sea.
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At average flow, a water molecule’s journey from Lake Itasca to the Gulf takes roughly three months.
16.The Mississippi River's deepest point is over 200 feet in depth.
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Hard
The Mississippi River's deepest point is over 200 feet in depth.
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The deepest point at Algiers Point, New Orleans, is about 200 feet (61 m), not over 200 feet.
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