And apropos of that, the Mississippi drains almost half the area of Germany, Austria, Holland, France, Italy Portugal, Spain, Norway and Great Britain. It carries over 400,000,000 tons of sediment into The Gulf Of Mexico each year. That's why its color is mud-yellow all the way down. The Mississippi's valley is the most fertile in the world, more fertile, even, than that of the Nile, of history and legend.
Scientist say the Mississippi's present course is very young.
Between Calro and Memphis, it has occupied its meander belt for not over 2,000 years. Between Greenville and Donaldsonville, about 1.000 year. South of Donaldsonville past New Orleans to the Gulf, not over 600 years. Source of the Mississippi River is Lake Itascn in northern Minnesota and legend is the lake had its beginning in the tears of a beautiful Indian goddess. The Mississippi was discovered by Hernando De Soto in 1541.