RAS question
The Mississippi-Missouri river system flows into:
Correct answer: (A) Gulf of Mexico.
The Mississippi-Missouri river system ultimately drains into the Gulf of Mexico.
Explanation
The Mississippi-Missouri system is North America's longest river system, about 6,027 km long, and its outlet is the Gulf of Mexico. The U.S. Geological Survey confirms the decisive drainage fact: the Mississippi River flows southward from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, with runoff from 31 states draining through the Mississippi to the Gulf. That direction of flow is why the Gulf of Mexico, rather than an ocean or sea farther east or west, is the correct terminal water body for this river system. In exam terms, the question is testing the river system's final outflow, not merely the broader Atlantic drainage realm.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) The Caribbean Sea lies east of the Gulf system, while the Mississippi's outflow is in the Gulf of Mexico.
- (C) The Atlantic Ocean is too broad and indirect here; the Mississippi does not directly enter it, as its stated terminal outlet is the Gulf of Mexico.
- (D) The Pacific Ocean is wrong because the river system flows southward to the Gulf of Mexico, not westward across the continent.
Concept
This tests the World Geography concept of major river systems and their drainage outlets. It recurs in RAS because map-based river questions often turn on the exact terminal water body, not just the continent or ocean basin.