The USA, or the United States of America, is the 4th largest country in the world, covering a total land area of 9,372,610 km². This country is located mainly in North America and consists of 50 states. The capital city of the USA is Washington, D.C. It borders Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The country stretches from the Atlantic Ocean on the East Coast to the Pacific Ocean on the West Coast. The USA has a vast and intricate network of waterways that spans a great distance.
It has over 250,000 rivers, totalling approximately 3.5 million miles of flowing water. However, do you know which river is called the "Lifeline of the United States of America”? This river is the second-longest river in the USA after the Missouri River. This river is the largest and deepest river in the country. Let's take a look at this lifeblood of the USA and how it supports over 330 million Americans.
Which River Is Called The Lifeline of the USA?
The Mississippi River is called the lifeline of the USA. This river is also the lifeblood of North America. The Mississippi River stretches 3,782 km. It is the second-longest river in the USA, just behind its major tributary, the Missouri River.
The Mississippi River is also known as the "Father of Waters". It starts its journey at Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota. It lies within Itasca State Park. At its source, it is surprisingly small. It is often a shallow stream, 20 to 30 feet wide, and only knee-deep.
The river flows nearly south through the heart of the continent. It empties into the Gulf of Mexico via a large bird's-foot delta, just south of New Orleans, Louisiana.
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Creates The Fourth Longest River System In The World
When you combine the Mississippi with two of its main connecting rivers, the Missouri and the Jefferson, they form a massive network of water. Together, they create the fourth-longest river system on the entire planet, stretching an incredible 3,710 miles (5,970 km).
To picture just how huge this river system is, think about its "drainage basin", the total area of land where all the local rain and streams eventually flow into the Mississippi. This area covers 1.2 million square miles (3.1 million square km), which is about 40% of the United States mainland.
This giant footprint touches 31 different U.S. states, stretching all the way from the Appalachian Mountains in the east to the Rocky Mountains in the west and even reaches up into two Canadian provinces.
Because it is so long, experts usually break the Mississippi River down into three main sections:
- The Upper Mississippi: This is the starting stretch. It begins at its humble source at Lake Itasca in Minnesota and flows down to St. Louis, Missouri, where it merges with the Missouri River.
- The Middle Mississippi: This is a relatively short, 200-mile section. It starts right after it connects with the Missouri River and rolls down to Cairo, Illinois, where it meets up with another giant waterway, the Ohio River.
- The Lower Mississippi: This is the final, grand stretch. Blessed with a massive extra boost of water from the Ohio River, the Mississippi becomes incredibly wide and powerful here, ultimately flowing all the way down into the Gulf of Mexico.
Home to Over 260 Fish Species
The Mississippi River and the flat lands around it are bursting with an incredible variety of wildlife. It functions like a massive, bustling nature highway:
- A Paradise for Fish: Under the water's surface, the river is teeming with life. It is home to at least 260 different kinds of fish. To put that into perspective, that is about a quarter of all the fish species found in the entire continent of North America living in just this one river system!
- The Ultimate Bird Highway: The river valley acts as a crucial superhighway in the sky for birds when they travel during changing seasons. It is so popular that nearly 60% of all migratory birds in North America and almost half of the continent's ducks, geese, and other waterfowl rely on this river basin to rest and find food during their long journeys.