The community derives its name from the Tunica Indians which once were numerous in the area. Despite this economic improvement, Tunica's population continues to decline from its peak in 1970. Until the early 1990s when casino gambling was introduced in the area, Tunica had been one of the most impoverished places in the United States. Tunica is a town in and the county seat of Tunica County, Mississippi, United States, near the Mississippi River.