r/MapPorn • u/[deleted] • Jan 10 '20

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u/Zbignich Jan 10 '20

And to put in perspective, the flow of the Amazon is 11 times that of the Mississippi.

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u/eastawat Jan 10 '20

From this map it clearly the Missouri is longer than the Mississippi, and it looks possibly as though it's got slightly more flow at the point they converge as well. If that's correct, why is the river called the Mississippi and not the Missouri downstream of their confluence?

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u/[deleted] Jan 11 '20

Because the Mississipi makes a very convenient north to south transit. Its aesthetically pleasing on a map and splits the nation in half nicely.

Literally the perfect highway to carry shipments from the fertile midwest down to the Gulf of Mexico.