Yazoo River

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Yazoo River flows from Greenwood to Vicksburg. Not all tributaries are shown.

Yazoo River Delta

The Yazoo River is a river in the U.S. state of Mississippi.

The Yazoo River was named by French explorer La Salle in 1682 in reference to the Yazoo tribe living near the river's mouth. The exact meaning of the term is unclear. One long held belief is that it means "river of death".

The river is 188 miles long and is formed by the confluence of the Tallahatchie River and the Yalobusha River in Greenwood. The river parallels the Mississippi River for some distance before joining it north of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Natural levees which flank the Mississippi prevent the Yazoo from joining it before Vicksburg. As a result of this, "yazoo river" is a term used to describe any river in this situation.

The surrounding area was know as the Yazoo lands which name was lent to the Yazoo land scandal.

The river was of major importance during the American Civil War. The first electrically detonated underwater mine was used on the river in 1862 near Vicksburg to sink the Federal ironclad USS Cairo. The last section of the Cairo was raised on December 12, 1964. Restored, it is now on permanent display to the public at the Vicksburg National Military Park, Vicksburg, Mississippi.

There are 29 sunken ships from the American Civil War beneath the waters of the river.

Variant names of the Yazoo River include Zasu River, Yazous River, Yahshoo River, Riviere des Yasoux, and Fiume dei Yasous.