Tennessee

Tennessee
State of Tennessee
Nickname
The Volunteer State
Motto(s)
Agriculture and Commerce
Anthem: Nine songs
Map of the United States with Tennessee highlighted
Map of the United States with Tennessee highlighted
CountryUnited States
Before statehoodSouthwest Territory
Admitted to the UnionJune 1, 1796 (16th)
Capital
(and largest city)
Nashville[1]
Largest metro and urban areasGreater Nashville
Government
 • GovernorBill Lee (R)
 • Lieutenant GovernorRandy McNally (R)
LegislatureGeneral Assembly
 • Upper houseSenate
 • Lower houseHouse of Representatives
U.S. senatorsMarsha Blackburn (R)
Bill Hagerty (R)
U.S. House delegation7 Republicans
2 Democrats (list)
Area
 • Total42,143 sq mi (109,247 km2)
 • Land41,217 sq mi (106,846 km2)
 • Water926 sq mi (2,401 km2)  2.2%
 • Rank36th
Dimensions
 • Length440 mi (710 km)
 • Width120 mi (195 km)
Elevation
900 ft (270 m)
Highest elevation6,643 ft (2,025 m)
Lowest elevation178 ft (54 m)
Population
 (2019)
 • Total6,829,174[4]
 • Rank16th
 • Density159.4/sq mi (61.5/km2)
  • Rank20th
 • Median household income
$52,340[5]
 • Income rank
42nd
DemonymsTennessean
Big Bender (archaic)
Volunteer (historical significance)
Language
 • Official languageEnglish
 • Spoken languageLanguage spoken at home[6]
Time zones
East TennesseeUTC−05:00 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (EDT)
Middle and WestUTC−06:00 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−05:00 (CDT)
USPS abbreviation
TN
ISO 3166 codeUS-TN
Traditional abbreviationTenn.
Latitude34°59′ N to 36°41′ N
Longitude81°39′ W to 90°19′ W
Websitewww.tn.gov
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Tennessee state symbols
Living insignia
AmphibianTennessee cave salamander
BirdMockingbird
Bobwhite quail
ButterflyZebra swallowtail
FishChannel catfish
Smallmouth bass
FlowerIris
Passion flower
Tennessee echinacea
InsectFirefly
Lady beetle
Honey bee
MammalTennessee Walking Horse
Raccoon
ReptileEastern box turtle
TreeTulip poplar
Eastern red cedar
Inanimate insignia
BeverageMilk
DanceSquare dance
FirearmBarrett M82
FoodTomato
FossilPterotrigonia (Scabrotrigonia) thoracica
GemstoneTennessee River pearl
MineralAgate
Poem"Oh Tennessee, My Tennessee" by William Lawrence
RockLimestone
Slogan"Tennessee—America at its best"
TartanTennessee State Tartan
State route marker
Tennessee state route marker
State quarter
Tennessee quarter dollar coin
Released in 2002
Lists of United States state symbols

Tennessee is a state in the United States. Its capital is Nashville, which is the country music center of America.[7] It is also the home of the Smoky Mountains which are a famous tourist attraction. Other well known cities and towns are Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Oak Ridge, Lynchburg, Carthage, Lawrenceburg, Clarksville, Lebanon, Pigeon Forge, Murfreesboro, and Gatlinburg. Tennessee touches eight states: Kentucky and Virginia to the north; North Carolina to the east; Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi on the south; Arkansas and Missouri (by the Mississippi River) to the west. Tennessee ties Missouri as the state bordering the most other states.

Tennessee was the 16th state to join the nation, on June 1, 1796. About 6.9 million people lived there in 2020.

Several professional sports teams play there, including the Tennessee Titans of the NFL, the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA, and the Nashville Predators of the NHL.

Cherokee and other Native American tribes lived in Tennessee before the arrival of Europeans. African American slaves worked on plantations in the state.

Tennessee is known for its country music and Southern cuisine.


  1. McKenzie, Kevin (May 25, 2017). "Nashville overtakes Memphis as Tennessee's largest city". The Tennessean.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Elevations and Distances in the United States". United States Geological Survey. 2001. Archived from the original on October 15, 2011. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Elevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988.
  4. Cite error: The named reference PopEstUS was used but no text was provided for refs named (see the help page).
  5. "Median Annual Household Income". The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. 2017. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  6. "Languages in Tennessee (State)". Statistical Atlas. Archived from the original on April 28, 2019. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  7. Cite error: The named reference NASHVILLE RECORDING INDUSTRY was used but no text was provided for refs named (see the help page).

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