# Greenville MS the DELTA? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 19, 2001, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greenville-ms-the-delta/94168 "2001-11-19T07:01:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greenville-ms-the-delta/94168/1 "2001-11-19T07:01:20Z")
While looking up some TV sites they all advertise Greenville MS as something like News for the DElTA region. Why? Is it because MS and LA and AR are nearby? ---
**Author:** ![miatachris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@miatachris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miatachris)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greenville-ms-the-delta/94168/2 "2001-11-19T14:01:10Z")
The joke about the delta is that it starts in Vicksburg and goes northward along the river until it ends in the lobby of the Peabody hotel in Memphis. MS questions welcome, I was born and raised there. miatachris Ole Miss '95 Play Dixie! Play Dixie! ---
**Author:** ![miatachris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@miatachris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miatachris)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greenville-ms-the-delta/94168/3 "2001-11-19T14:14:13Z")
I don’t suppose that really answered the OP if he didn’t know the term. Greenville is most certainly in the Delta. The MS Delta region encompasses most of Northwest MS and is the primary cotton-growing region of the state. Much of the land bordering the river is flood plain for the Mississippi, thus providing the rich soil that cotton (as well as so many other crops) grows well there. Given a map, the delta region is bordered on the South by Vicksburg, the West by the river, the North by Tennessee, and the West more or less by the Yazoo river. The delta region is generally noted as being one of the nation’s poorest. Tunica county was once the nation’s poorest county. That changed a good while ago, though, with the addition of riverboat casinos. Now, they’re still poor, but they’ve got a four-lane highway to Memphis, better equipment in the schools, many many cocktail waitress openings, and nicer sheriff’s cars. miatachris Ole Miss '95 Play Dixie! Play Dixie! ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greenville-ms-the-delta/94168/4 "2001-11-19T14:58:54Z")
This always confused the heck out of me, too. Why is this region called “the Delta” when it is not a river delta at all? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecccb3/32.png) [@Lord\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greenville-ms-the-delta/94168/5 "2001-11-19T15:06:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spoke- \* > This always confused the heck out of me, too. Why is this region called “the Delta” when it is not a river delta at all? ‘Swamp’ and ‘Bayou’ were already taken? Jim ---
**Author:** ![miatachris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@miatachris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miatachris)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greenville-ms-the-delta/94168/6 "2001-11-19T18:06:44Z")
Before the current levee system was built, the Mississippi routinely flooded in the spring. The leavings of the floods gave the delta region its fine topsoil. I suppose the floods were so severe and so muddy, that “delta” was a term that loosely fit what was happening to the land-- the river ran over it, and “new land” was left behind. Over time, such terms stick. At best, it’s a colloquialism. I can assure you, the facts rarely stand in the way of Mississippi terminology. ---
**Author:** ![miatachris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@miatachris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miatachris)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greenville-ms-the-delta/94168/7 "2001-11-19T19:06:00Z")
[Thanks for backing me up, Google.](http://www.sciam.com/2000/0900issue/0900numbers.html) and now, TMI: _Mississippi Delta_ is the b-side of the 45-rpm single of _Ode to Billy Joe_ by one-hit-wonder Bobbie Gentry. Thank you for attending _Mississippi History_. Class dismissed. Thank God. ---
**Author:** ![TheeGrumpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheeGrumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheeGrumpy)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greenville-ms-the-delta/94168/8 "2001-11-19T21:26:39Z")
For the sake of clarity, what do locals call the portion of the Mississippi River downstream of New Orleans where it dribbles into the Gulf? If it was an ordinary river, this would be its Delta – but that name’s already taken. ---
**Author:** ![miatachris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@miatachris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miatachris)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2001, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greenville-ms-the-delta/94168/9 "2001-11-20T06:07:26Z")
[As clear as the Big Muddy.](http://www.clarionledger.com/news/9912/19/19deltawhat.html) I admitted it was confusing and colloquial. The Mississippi is no ordinary river, to be very sure–which might explain away a few lapses in terminology. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2001, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greenville-ms-the-delta/94168/10 "2001-11-20T18:44:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Markxxx \* > \*\* the DElTA region. > \*\* I don’t know what a Deita is. ---
**Author:** ![JSA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f04885/32.png) [@JSA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSA)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2001, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greenville-ms-the-delta/94168/11 "2001-11-20T20:26:07Z")
East Arkansas is in the Mississippi Delta region as well. The other posts described the origin pretty well. ---
**Author:** ![dwtno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@dwtno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwtno)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2001, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greenville-ms-the-delta/94168/12 "2001-11-20T21:52:43Z")
> [@](#): > > For the sake of clarity, what do locals call the portion of the Mississippi River downstream of New Orleans where it dribbles into the Gulf? If it was an ordinary river, this would be its Delta – but that name’s already taken. I’m in New Orleans. This is also refered to as the Delta. Or more often, the Mississippi River delta. “Mouth-of-the-river” is heard frequently, as well. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2001, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greenville-ms-the-delta/94168/13 "2001-11-21T04:45:28Z")
Is it because of the THREE states and a DELTA is 3 sided figure?