Mississippi is a southern state of the United States. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along the western border. The name is derived either from Ojibwe, a native North American language spoken upstream of the river, or from Algonquian, meaning "great river". Mississippi is bordered to the north by Tennessee, to the east by Alabama, to the south by the Gulf of Mexico, to the southwest by Louisiana and to the northwest by Arkansas. The western boundary of the Mississippi is largely defined by the Mississippi River. Use the us map and map of the united states to explore Mississippi. The culture of the United States is primarily of Western origin, map of the united states but is influenced by a multicultural ethos which includes African, Native American, Asian, Pacific Islander, and Latin American child people and their culture. It also has distinct social and cultural characteristics, such as dialects, music, art, social habits, cuisine, and folklore. America is ethnically and racially diverse as a result of large-scale migration throughout its history. Because of its size and influence, many elements of American culture, especially from popular culture, have spread globally through modern mass media.