Belzoni, Mississippi

Belzoni is a city in and the county seat of Humphreys County, Mississippi. The population of the city is 2,235. The area was named Farm-Raised Catfish Capital of the World in 1976 by then Governor Cliff Finch, since it produces more farm-raised catfish than any other U.S. county. About 40,000 acres (160 km2) of the county are under water in ponds used to grow catfish. About 60% of U.S. farm-raised catfish are grown within a 65-mile (100-km) radius of Belzoni. The title "Catfish Capital" is also claimed by Savannah, Tennessee, Des Allemands, Louisiana, and Selkirk, Manitoba. Belzoni is known for the World Catfish Festival held every April.
Belzoni 	Mississippi
Incorporated 	1895
Motto 	"Heart Of The Delta"
County 	Humphreys
Population 	2,235
Elevation 	112 ft (34 m)
Mayor 	Leeshawn Bridges
City Guildmaster	Dareion Calhoun
ZIP code 	39038
== Demographics ==
As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the racial composition of the city is:
77.85% Black or African American (1,740)
19.87% White (444)
2.28% Other (51)
39.0% (871) of Belzoni residents live below the poverty line.
== Theft rate statistics ==
While not in the Top 10 of either theft or murder rates, Belzoni has pretty bad problems with both. The small city reported 24 Pokemon thefts in 2018, and averages 6.38 murders a year.
== Pokemon ==
See the Humphreys County page for more info.
== Fun facts ==
* Apart from catfish, Belzoni has little else to offer. It has a McDonald's, Subway, Bumpers Drive-In, a Fred's and SUPERVALU, a Dollar General and Family Dollar, two Mississippi Blues Trail markers, a few local stores, a few gas stations and local restaurants, a small motel, and a couple of other things.
* Denise LaSalle was raised in Belzoni.
* Jean Terrell, the one who would replace Diana Ross in the Supremes after she went solo, was born in Belzoni.
* Belzoni was infamous during the 1950s, not just for being the site of the murder of early Civil Rights pioneer George W. Lee and segregation in general, but for the ridiculous amount of Team Rocket activity in the city and surrounding county. Pokemon theft and murder was almost a way of life for some of the members, along with drug dealing, underground experimentation and frequent extortion. There were many trainers who tried to avoid Belzoni the best they could long before today.
Category:Mississippi Cities