Belzoni, Mississippi
| Belzoni, Mississippi | |
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| City | |
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| Motto: "Heart Of The Delta" | |
 Location of Belzoni, Mississippi |
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 Belzoni, Mississippi
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| Coordinates: 33°10.9′N 90°29.1′W / 33.1817°N 90.4850°WCoordinates: 33°10.9′N 90°29.1′W / 33.1817°N 90.4850°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Humphreys |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Lenora Holmes Sutton |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.0 sq mi (2.5 km2) |
| • Land | 1.0 sq mi (2.5 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 112 ft (34 m) |
| Population (United States Census estimate) | |
| • Total | 2,418 |
| • Density | 2,519/sq mi (967/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 39038 |
| Area code(s) | 662 |
| FIPS code | 28-05140 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0666815 |
Belzoni (/bɛlˈzoʊnə/ bel-ZOHN-ə) is a city in Humphreys County, Mississippi, in the Mississippi Delta region, on the Yazoo River. The population was 2,235 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Humphreys County. It was named for the 19th-century Italian archaeologist/explorer Giovanni Battista Belzoni.
The area was named Farm-Raised Catfish Capital of the World in 1976 by then Governor Cliff Finch, since it produces more farm-raised catfish than any other U.S. county. About 40,000 acres (160 km2) of the county are under water in ponds used to grow catfish. About 60% of U.S. farm-raised catfish are grown within a 65-mile (100-km) radius of Belzoni. The title "Catfish Capital" is also claimed by Savannah, Tennessee, Des Allemands, Louisiana, and Selkirk, Manitoba. Belzoni is known for the World Catfish Festival held every April.
The area that eventually became Belzoni was originally known as "Greasy Row" because of saloons along the bank of the Yazoo River, which was the main transportation route until replaced by railroads. In 1895, a charter was granted for the village of Belzoni, although the area had been settled by European Americans and African Americans for several decades previously. It was developed for cotton plantations before the Civil War and relied on agriculture well into the 20th century. Steve Castleman, who secured the charter, was elected as the first mayor of Belzoni. When Humphreys County was formed by the state legislature in 1918, Belzoni was selected as the county seat.
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