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  3. Mississippi

MISSISSIPPI

Biloxi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337

Jackson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349

Mississippi

The State in Brief

Nickname: Magnolia State

Motto: Virtute et armis (By valor and arms)

Flower: Magnolia

Bird: Mockingbird

Area: 48,430 square miles (2000; U.S. rank: 32nd)

Elevation: Ranges from sea level to 806 feet above sea level

Climate: Temperate in north and subtropical in south, with long, hot summers and mild winters

Admitted to Union: December 10, 1817

Capital: Jackson

Head Official: Governor Haley Barbour (R) (until 2008)

Population

1980: 2,521,000

1990: 2,573,216

2000: 2,844,658

2004 estimate: 2,902,966

Percent change, 1990–2000: 10.5%

U.S. rank in 2004: 31st

Percent of residents born in state: 74.3% (2000)

Density: 60.6 people per square mile (2000)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 119,442

Racial and Ethnic Characteristics (2000)

White: 1,746,099

Black or African American: 1,033,809

American Indian and Alaska Native: 11,652

Asian: 18,626

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 667

Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 39,569

Other: 13,784

Age Characteristics (2000)

Population under 5 years old: 204,364

Population 5 to 19 years old: 668,850

Percent of population 65 years and over: 12.9%

Median age: 33.8 years (2000)

Vital Statistics

Total number of births (2003): 42,150

Total number of deaths (2003): 28,882 (infant deaths, 425)

AIDS cases reported through 2003: 2,875

Economy

Major industries: Transportation equipment, food products, government, trade, agriculture, manufacturing

Unemployment rate: 6.4% (December 2004)

Per capita income: $15,853 (2003; U.S. rank: 51st)

Median household income: $31,887 (3-year average, 2001-2003)

Percentage of persons below poverty level: 17.9% (3-year average, 2001-2003)

Income tax rate: Ranges from 3.0% to 5.0%

Sales tax rate: 7.0%