The total length of the Mississippi is 3,733 km, or 2,320 miles. The actual name "Mississippi" means "great river" in Ojibwe, a language spoken by First Nations groups in both Canada and the United States. The Mississippi is America's second longest river and flows from Lake Itasca in Minnesota to southern Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico. Some have seen it as part of a river system, together with the Missouri river. In this case, the Mississippi and the Missouri combined forms the longest river in the US and the fourth longest in the entire world.
The Mississippi also goes by a number of nicknames, many of which have been made popular through literature, music and film, such as "Moon River," "Old Man River" and the "Old Blue." The prolific American author, Mark Twain, based his novels and best-known literary works on the Mississippi, such as books like "Life on the Mississippi" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."
The Mississippi also goes by a number of nicknames, many of which have been made popular through literature, music and film, such as "Moon River," "Old Man River" and the "Old Blue." The prolific American author, Mark Twain, based his novels and best-known literary works on the Mississippi, such as books like "Life on the Mississippi" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."