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Mississippi River
About 2,320 miles (3,730 km) long, the Mississippi River is the largest river system in the United States and North America. The river originates at Lake Itasca, and empties below New Orleans in the Gulf of Mexico. Along with its major tributary, the Missouri River, the river drains all or parts of 31 U.S. states.
The famous Steamboats entered trade in the 1820s. Cotton, timber and food were transported down the river. After the arrival of the railroads in the 1880s steamboat traffic diminished although they remained a feature until the 1920s. A few steamboats, such as the Delta Queen, have e survived as icons.