The Delta is not actually a true delta, but a flat, alluvial plain bounded by the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers. Regular flooding from these and the region's other river systems helped to create a deep, rich soil that encouraged the development of large-scale cotton farming operations during the decades following the Civil War. The plantation and sharecropping farming systems that developed around cotton planting in the South were prominent in the Delta, causing it to be described as "the most southern place on Earth" by historian James Cobb.

A region of economic and geographic extremes, the Delta is also is the home of tremendous artistic achievement. It is the long-acknowledged "birthplace" of blues music; countless numbers of influential blues musicians were born and learned to play music in the Delta. The region is also home to many influential gospel musicians and this music continues to be a strong component of community life in the Delta, even as the art transforms.

The Delta's unique characteristics have also allowed for the development of a number of artists who use everyday materials to create personalized art environments in their yards and home landscapes.