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Capital: Nashville
Population: 6,770,010 (Source: 2012 U.S. Census)
Major Cities: Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Clarksville
Borders: Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): 277,036 million (2012 U.S. Department of Commerce)
Key Industries:
Agriculture including cattle, hogs, chickens, cotton, soybeans, wheat, apples, and peaches
Textiles, electrical power, automobile manufacturing, tourism, and electronic equipment
How Tennessee got its name: Tennessee comes from the name of a Cherokee Indian village named Tanasi.
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Tennessee State Symbols
State Nickname: Volunteer StateState Slogan: The Stage Is Set For You; (formerly) Sounds Good to Me (formerly) Follow Me To Tennessee; also on its license plate
State Motto: Agriculture and Commerce (1987)
State flower: Iris
State bird: Mockingbird
State fish: Smallmouth bass (sport fish), Channel catfish (state commercial fish)
State tree: Tulip Poplar
State mammal: Common Raccoon, Tennessee walking horse
State foods: Corn Meal
Becoming a State
Date admitted: Wednesday, June 1, 1796Number admitted: 16
Prior Name: Province of North Carolina, Southwest Territory
Postal Abbreviation: TN
The Geography of Tennessee
Total Size: 41,217 sq. miles (source: 2003 Census)Geographical Low Point: Mississippi River at 178 feet, located in the county/subdivision of Shelby (source: U.S. Geological Survey)
Geographical High Point: Clingmans Dome at 6,643 feet, located in the county/subdivision of Sevier (source: U.S. Geological Survey)
Central Point: Located in Rutherford County approx. 5 miles northeast of Murfreesboro (source: U.S. Geological Survey)
Counties: 95 (source: National Association of Counties)
Bodies of Water: Kentucky Lake, Norris Lake, Center Hill Lake, Douglas Lake, Tennessee River, Duck River, Cumberland River, Mississippi River
Famous People
- Bill Belichick - NFL Football coach
- Kenny Chesney - Country music singer
- Davy Crockett - Folk hero and frontiersman
- Miley Cyrus - Singer and actress
- Aretha Franklin - Singer
- Morgan Freeman - Actor
- Dolly Parton - Country music singer
- Oscar Robertson - Professional basketball player
- Justin Timberlake - Singer and actor
- Usher - Singer and actor
Fun Facts
- Tennessee borders 8 other states.
- From Lookout Mountain you can see parts of 7 different states.
- The three stars on the Tennessee flag represent the three major geographic regions of the state.
- The 1996 Olympic white water events were held at Ocoee River in Tennessee.
- The name Tennessee comes from the Native American words Tanasi or Tansqui.
- It is called the Volunteer State because when soldiers were needed in the War of 1812, Tennessee soldiers volunteered and helped to defeat the British at the Battle of Orleans.
- The oldest running radio show in the United States is the Grand Ole Opry from Nashville.
- Memphis is the home of Elvis Presley's home Graceland.
- Knoxville has the nickname The Marble City. Nashville has the nickname Music City.
- The world's largest freshwater aquarium is in Chattanooga.
Professional Sports Teams
- Memphis Grizzlies - NBA (Basketball)
- Tennessee Titans - NFL (Football)
- Nashville Predators - NHL (Hockey)
Geography >> US States>> Tennessee History
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