Tennessee | Capital, Map, Population, History, & Facts

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data-icon="toc"></em> <a class="font-serif font-weight-bold text-black link-blue" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Tennessee">Tennessee</a> </div> <button aria-label="Close" class="js-sections-close-button btn-link btn-sm btn d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0" > <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <ul class="list-unstyled my-0" data-level="h1"><li data-target="#ref1"><div class="pl-25"><a class="link-gray-900 w-100" href="/place/Tennessee">Introduction & Quick Facts</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref276555"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee#ref276555">Land</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref78543"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee#ref78543">Relief</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref78544"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee#ref78544">Drainage and soils</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref78545"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/Climate">Climate</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref78546"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/Climate#ref78546">Plant and animal life</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref78548"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/Climate#ref78548">People</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref276556"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/Climate#ref276556">Population composition</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref78547"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/Climate#ref78547">Settlement patterns</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref78549"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/Economy">Economy</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref78551"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/Economy#ref78551">Agriculture and forestry</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref276557"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/Economy#ref276557">Resources and power</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref78550"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/Economy#ref78550">Manufacturing</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref276558"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/Economy#ref276558">Services</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref78552"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/Economy#ref78552">Transportation</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref78553"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/Government-and-society">Government and society</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref78554"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/Government-and-society#ref78554">Constitutional framework</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref78556"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/Government-and-society#ref78556">Health and welfare</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref78555"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/Government-and-society#ref78555">Education</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref78557"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/Cultural-life">Cultural life</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref276559"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/Cultural-life#ref276559">The arts</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref276560"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/Cultural-life#ref276560">Music</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref276561"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/Cultural-life#ref276561">Literature</a></li></ul></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref276562"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/Cultural-life#ref276562">Cultural institutions</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref276563"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/Cultural-life#ref276563">Sports and recreation</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref276564"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/Cultural-life#ref276564">Media and publishing</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref78558"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/History">History</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref78559"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/History#ref78559">Prehistory and European settlement</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref78560"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/History#ref78560">Early statehood and the Jackson era</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref78561"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/The-Civil-War-and-Reconstruction">The Civil War and Reconstruction</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref276565"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/The-Civil-War-and-Reconstruction#ref276565">Tennessee, <em>c.</em> 1900 through World War II</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref276566"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tennessee/Tennessee-since-the-mid-20th-century">Tennessee since the mid-20th century</a></li></ul></div></li></ul> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Tennessee/additional-info">References & Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="/facts/Tennessee">Facts & Stats</a> </div> <div class="tlr-media-slider pb-10 mb-30"> <a class="section-header link-gray-900 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mb-10 mx-10" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Tennessee/images-videos">Images & Videos</a> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 "> <div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex overflow-hidden text-nowrap ml-15"> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/42/4642-050-4B3495EA/flag-state-Tennessee-Centennial-Exposition-presidents-captain-1905.jpg" data-href="/media/1/587314/61862" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/42/4642-004-4871942A/flag-state-Tennessee-Centennial-Exposition-presidents-captain-1905.jpg" alt="Tennessee: flag" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/44/4644-004-C1A5563D/seal-Tennessee-use-design-XVI-half-parts-1801.jpg" data-href="/media/1/587314/61864" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/44/4644-004-C1A5563D/seal-Tennessee-use-design-XVI-half-parts-1801.jpg" alt="Tennessee State Seal" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/33/64233-004-DDB43FB5/mockingbird-Tennessee.jpg" data-href="/media/1/587314/66764" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/33/64233-004-DDB43FB5/mockingbird-Tennessee.jpg" alt="The mockingbird is the state bird of Tennessee." height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/00/64100-004-B0C2C8D5/Iris.jpg" data-href="/media/1/587314/54076" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/00/64100-004-B0C2C8D5/Iris.jpg" alt="Iris." height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/43/4643-050-88FB158D/Tennessee-map-boundaries-MAP-locator-cities-CORE.jpg" data-href="/media/1/587314/61863" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/43/4643-004-A38E6D9F/Tennessee-map-boundaries-MAP-locator-cities-CORE.jpg" alt="Map of Tennessee" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/68/20568-050-29DCCC62/Tennessee-map-features-MAP-locator-CORE-ARTICLES.jpg" data-href="/media/1/587314/64066" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/68/20568-004-8A4A5F53/Tennessee-map-features-MAP-locator-CORE-ARTICLES.jpg" alt="Tennessee" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/37/4837-050-D6E31FC0/Upper-South.jpg" data-href="/media/1/587314/3822" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/37/4837-004-E83E9388/Upper-South.jpg" alt="United States: The Upper South" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/71/60571-050-AEA7BD01/peaks-Great-Smoky-Mountains-Tennessee.jpg" data-href="/media/1/587314/111657" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/71/60571-004-615B7FAF/peaks-Great-Smoky-Mountains-Tennessee.jpg" alt="Great Smoky Mountains" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/88/68388-050-95E47889/Tennessee-River-Tenn-Lookout-Mountain.jpg" data-href="/media/1/587314/71513" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/88/68388-004-9B842FA0/Tennessee-River-Tenn-Lookout-Mountain.jpg" alt="Tennessee River" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/18/100718-050-62248643/Great-blue-heron-resident-wetlands-Tennessee.jpg" data-href="/media/1/587314/110620" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/18/100718-004-421FEC55/Great-blue-heron-resident-wetlands-Tennessee.jpg" alt="Great blue heron" height="50" /> </a> </div> <button disabled class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Previous"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span> </button> <button disabled class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Next"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span> </button> </div> </div> <div class="mb-30 tlr-student-links"> <div class="text-gray-900 p-5 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-10 mb-10"> For Students </div> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal tlr-img-with-side-link ml-15 link-gray-900 mb-10" > <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="/summary/Tennessee"> <img loading="lazy" 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United States" width="200" height="200" /> </a> </div> <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="/quiz/us-state-capitals-quiz" >U.S. State Capitals Quiz</a> </div> </div> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal tlr-img-with-side-link ml-15 link-gray-900 mb-10" > <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="/quiz/guess-the-us-state-by-its-neighbors"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/39/256439-131-2C8F19B3/map-United-States-flag-background.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop" alt="Extruded map of the United States of America with states borders on national flag background. 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Norrell, Sarah McCanless Howell" data-title="Tennessee" data-published-date="27 Nov. 2024" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/place/Tennessee" > <div class="citation-text"></div> </div> <button class="js-copy-citation-button mt-20 btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" > <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="file_copy"></em> <span class="js-citation-status-text">Copy Citation</span> </button> </div> </div> </div> <div> <button class="js-share-modal-button js-modal btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool font-weight-bold btn-link" data-modal="[data-topic-id=587314] .md-share-modal"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="share"></em> Share </button> <div class="md-share-modal size-lg d-none qa-share-modal"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif d-flex align-items-center pb-15 border-bottom"> <em class="material-icons text-blue mr-10" data-icon="share"></em> Share </div> <div class="label my-20">Share to social media</div> <div class="md-social-toolbar-circle d-flex align-items-start inverted" data-value="share" title="Tennessee" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/place/Tennessee" > <a class="social-icon facebook justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/BRITANNICA/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>Facebook</span></a> <a class="social-icon x justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="x" href="https://x.com/britannica" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>X</span></a> </div> <div class="label pt-20 mt-20 mb-5 border-top">URL</div> <a class="font-serif text-truncate d-inline-block" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Tennessee">https://www.britannica.com/place/Tennessee</a> </div> </div> </div> <div> <button class="js-feedback-modal-button js-modal btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool font-weight-bold btn-link" data-modal=".md-feedback-modal"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="message"></em> Feedback </button> </div> <div> <button class="qa-external-website-modal-button js-modal btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool font-weight-bold btn-link" data-modal="[data-topic-id=587314] .md-websites-modal"> <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 mr-5" data-icon="link"></em> External Websites </button> </div> </div> <div class="md-feedback-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom"> Feedback </div> <form method="post" action="/submission/feedback/587314"> <div class="my-20"> Corrections? 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Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). </div> <div class="type-menu"> <label for="feedback-type" class="label mb-10">Feedback Type</label> <select id="feedback-type" class="form-select mb-30" name="feedbackTypeId" required> <option value="" selected="selected">Select a type (Required)</option> <option value="1">Factual Correction</option> <option value="2">Spelling/Grammar Correction</option> <option value="3">Link Correction</option> <option value="4">Additional Information</option> <option value="5">Other</option> </select> </div> <label for="feedback" class="label mb-10">Your Feedback</label> <textarea id="feedback" class="form-control mb-30" name="feedback" maxlength="3000" rows="7" required></textarea> <button class="btn btn-blue" type="submit">Submit Feedback</button> </form> <div class="success-messaging d-none mt-30"> <div class="title">Thank you for your feedback</div> <p>Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-websites-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom font-weight-bold"> External Websites </div> <div class="pb-20"> <ul class="list-unstyled mt-20 lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-tn.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">CRW Flags - Flag of Tennessee</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.tnvacation.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Official Tourist Site of Tennessee, United States</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="md-websites-ebk-title">Britannica Websites</div> <div class="md-websites-ebk-subtitle">Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.</div> <ul class="list-unstyled bps-topic-web-sites lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Tennessee/345527" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Tennessee/277298" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="toc-header-marker"></div> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 js-header-ai-ask-button d-none btn-sm btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 mr-0 mr-lg-10 ml-5 ml-sm-10 ml-lg-0 p-10"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> <div class="caption alternate-titles">Also known as: Volunteer State</div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing "> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/contributor/James-A-Hodges/1347" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">James A. Hodges</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 clamp-description text-black">Emeritus Professor of History, Wooster College, Wooster, Ohio.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> James A. Hodges</span>, <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/contributor/Robert-J-Norrell/3600" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">Robert J. Norrell</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 clamp-description text-black">Professor of History, University of Tennessee. Author of <i>Reaping the Whirlwind: The Civil Rights Movement in Tuskegee</i> and <i>The House I Live In: Race in the American Century</i>.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> Robert J. Norrell</span><span class="text-gray-700 mx-5">•</span><a class="see-all border-gray-700 gtm-byline" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Tennessee/additional-info#contributors">All</a> </div> <div class="font-serif font-12 text-gray-700"> <span class="qa-fact-checked-by">Fact-checked by</span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 font-12" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2024-11-27T00:00:00CST" >Nov 27, 2024</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Tennessee/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="bg-gray-50 p-15 rounded module-spacing recent-news d-flex flex-column float-false"> <div> <h2 class="font-weight-bold font-14 m-0 d-inline"> News <span class="text-gray-600">•</span> </h2> <div class="recent-news-item first-recent-news-item d-inline"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="https://www.newsweek.com/racist-messages-discovery-park-america-memphis-tennessee-1992260" rel="nofollow">Racist Messages Left on Letters to Santa at Tennessee Museum</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 26, 2024, 9:45 PM ET (Newsweek) <button class="btn btn-link d-inline p-0 font-12 js-toggle-recent-news"> <span class="text-gray-500">...</span><span>(Show more)</span> </button> </span> </div> </div> <div class="rest-of-recent-news-items"> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/587314/b00a026617bb88513d4c28973c88b5e6" rel="nofollow">Man gets probation for helping Young Dolph's killers after Memphis rapper's shooting</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 22, 2024, 12:49 PM ET (AP) </span> </div> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/587314/32859c3a9f19a64df6fbffe1ff20b302" rel="nofollow">Chris Stapleton wins 4 CMA Awards, but Morgan Wallen gets entertainer of the year</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 21, 2024, 12:03 AM ET (AP) </span> </div> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/587314/cb2331ed64e212d687f147089fc7da48" rel="nofollow">As US ramps up nuclear power, fuel supplier plans to enrich more uranium domestically</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 20, 2024, 4:39 PM ET (AP) </span> </div> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/587314/78adcafb234698be7605524c2c0cb98d" rel="nofollow">Kam Jones pays tribute to his high school coach with 3rd triple-double in Marquette history</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 20, 2024, 1:03 AM ET (AP) </span> </div> <button class="js-toggle-recent-news d-flex btn btn-unstyled font-14 pr-10 rounded-sm mt-10" aria-label="Toggle additional news items"> Show less <em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_less"></em> </button> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref613966"></span>Tennessee</strong>, <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="constituent" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constituent" data-type="MW">constituent</a> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/state-United-States-political-subdivision" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">state</a> of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">United States</a> of America. It is located in the upper <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/the-South-region" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">South</a> of the eastern United States and became the 16th state of the union in 1796. The geography of Tennessee is unique. Its extreme breadth of 432 miles (695 km) stretches from the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Appalachian-Mountains" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Appalachian Mountain</a> boundary with <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/North-Carolina-state" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">North Carolina</a> in the east to the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Mississippi-River" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mississippi River</a> borders with <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Missouri-state" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Missouri</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Arkansas-state" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Arkansas</a> in the west; its narrow width, only 112 miles (180 km), separates its northern neighbors, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Kentucky" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Kentucky</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Virginia-state" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Virginia</a>, from <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Georgia-state" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Georgia</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Alabama-state" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Alabama</a>, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Mississippi-state" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mississippi</a>, to the south. <span id="ref613984"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Nashville-Tennessee" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Nashville</a> is the capital and <span id="ref991418"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Memphis-Tennessee" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Memphis</a> the largest city.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The geographic <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="diversity" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diversity" data-type="MW">diversity</a> of Tennessee has generated a variety of economic, social, and cultural patterns that have led residents to perceive the state in terms of three “grand divisions”: East, Middle, and West Tennessee. East Tennessee, dominated geographically by the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Great-Smoky-Mountains" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Great Smoky Mountains</a> and the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Cumberland-Plateau" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Cumberland Plateau</a> (also called Cumberland Mountains), is the home of the state’s well-known mountain traditions. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Chattanooga" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Chattanooga</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Knoxville" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Knoxville</a>, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Kingsport" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Kingsport</a> are East Tennessee’s major population centers. Middle Tennessee has level, fertile land interrupted regularly by gently rolling hills; it traditionally has been a balanced agricultural and commercial region, with Nashville as its main urban center. West Tennessee is mainly flat land with rich soil and long has had an economy based on plantation agriculture, notably cotton. Memphis is by far the region’s dominant urban center.</p><div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="qf-title font-weight-bold font-14 mb-10 text-center"> Quick Facts</div> <div class="m-n10 "> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 media-slider card-snap-slider col-100"> <div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex col-100"> <div class="rw-track w-100"> <div class="pt-10 d-inline-flex col-100"> <div class="w-100"> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/42/4642-050-4B3495EA/flag-state-Tennessee-Centennial-Exposition-presidents-captain-1905.jpg" data-href="/media/1/587314/61862" class="media-overlay-link card-media d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center px-20" > <div class="position-relative"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/42/4642-050-4B3495EA/flag-state-Tennessee-Centennial-Exposition-presidents-captain-1905.jpg" alt="Tennessee: flag" class="cropped-false w-100 media-slide-img" /> <em class="material-icons qf-zoom" data-icon="zoom_in"></em> <div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg"> 1 of 4</div> </div> </a> <div class="card-body text-center pt-5 pb-10 font-14"> <span>See article: <a href="/topic/flag-of-Tennessee">flag of Tennessee</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="pt-10 d-inline-flex col-100"> <div class="w-100"> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/44/4644-004-C1A5563D/seal-Tennessee-use-design-XVI-half-parts-1801.jpg" data-href="/media/1/587314/61864" class="media-overlay-link card-media d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center px-20" > <div class="position-relative"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/44/4644-004-C1A5563D/seal-Tennessee-use-design-XVI-half-parts-1801.jpg" alt="Tennessee State Seal" class="cropped-false w-100 media-slide-img" /> <em class="material-icons qf-zoom" data-icon="zoom_in"></em> <div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg"> 2 of 4</div> </div> </a> <div class="card-body text-center pt-5 pb-10 font-14"> Seal of Tennessee</div> </div> </div> <div class="pt-10 d-inline-flex col-100"> <div class="w-100"> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/33/64233-004-DDB43FB5/mockingbird-Tennessee.jpg" data-href="/media/1/587314/66764" class="media-overlay-link card-media d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center px-20" > <div class="position-relative"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/33/64233-004-DDB43FB5/mockingbird-Tennessee.jpg" alt="The mockingbird is the state bird of Tennessee." class="cropped-false w-100 media-slide-img" /> <em class="material-icons qf-zoom" data-icon="zoom_in"></em> <div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg"> 3 of 4</div> </div> </a> <div class="card-body text-center pt-5 pb-10 font-14"> The mockingbird is the state bird of Tennessee.</div> </div> </div> <div class="pt-10 d-inline-flex col-100"> <div class="w-100"> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/00/64100-004-B0C2C8D5/Iris.jpg" data-href="/media/1/587314/54076" class="media-overlay-link card-media d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center px-20" > <div class="position-relative"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/00/64100-004-B0C2C8D5/Iris.jpg" alt="Iris." class="cropped-false w-100 media-slide-img" /> <em class="material-icons qf-zoom" data-icon="zoom_in"></em> <div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg"> 4 of 4</div> </div> </a> <div class="card-body text-center pt-5 pb-10 font-14"> Iris.</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <button disabled class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue btn-blue-dark" aria-label="Previous"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span> </button> <button disabled class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue btn-blue-dark" aria-label="Next"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Also Known As: </dt> <dd>Volunteer State</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Capital: </dt> <dd><a href="/place/Nashville-Tennessee">Nashville</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Population<Sup>1</Sup>: </dt> <dd>(2020) 6,910,840; (2023 est.) 7,126,489</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Governor: </dt> <dd>Bill Haslam (Republican)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Date Of Admission: </dt> <dd>June 1, 1796</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>U.S. Senators: </dt> <dd><a href="/biography/Lamar-Alexander">Lamar Alexander</a> (Republican)</dd> <dd>Marsha Blackburn (Republican)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>State Nickname: </dt> <dd>Volunteer State</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>State Motto: </dt> <dd>"Agriculture and Commerce"</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>State Bird<Sup>2</Sup>: </dt> <dd>northern mockingbird</dd> <dd>bobwhite quail</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>State Flower<Sup>3</Sup>: </dt> <dd>iris</dd> <dd>purple passionflower</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>State Songs: </dt> <dd>“My Homeland, Tennessee”</dd> <dd>“When It’s Iris Time in Tennessee”</dd> <dd>“My Tennessee”</dd> <dd>“The Tennessee Waltz”</dd> <dd>“Rocky Top”</dd> <dd>“Tennessee”</dd> <dd>“The Pride of Tennessee”</dd> <dd>“Smokey Mountain Rain”</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Seats In U.S. House Of Representatives: </dt> <dd>9 (of 435)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Time Zone: </dt> <dd>Eastern (GMT − 6 hours)</dd> <dd>Central (GMT − 5 hours)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Total Area (Sq Km): </dt> <dd>109,153</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Total Area (Sq Mi): </dt> <dd>42,144</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="footnotes mb-15"> <ol> <li>Excluding military abroad.</li> <li>The bobwhite quail is the state gamebird.</li> <li>The purple passionflower is the state wildflower.</li> </ol> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/Tennessee"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> <button class="facts-list-show-more-btn mt-15 p-0 mx-auto btn font-14 d-block font-weight-normal"> <span class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></span> <span class="show-more-label">Show More</span> </button> </div><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Tennessee enjoys a rich <span id="ref991424"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Native-American" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Native American</a> heritage, mainly from the <span id="ref613980"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cherokee-people" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Cherokee</a> and <span id="ref991436"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chickasaw-people" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Chickasaw</a>, who populated the area at the time of white settlement in the 1770s. The Cherokee, who lived in the Smoky Mountains area, left a <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="palpable" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/palpable" data-type="MW">palpable</a> <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="legacy" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legacy" data-type="MW">legacy</a> in East Tennessee, despite white encroachment. In response to the challenges on the frontier, white settlers in Tennessee developed a strongly independent attitude that has revealed itself often in state and national politics. Tennessean <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Andrew-Jackson" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Andrew Jackson</a>, hero of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/War-of-1812" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">War of 1812</a> and seventh president of the United States, led the Democratic Party of the 1830s to become the party of the common people, a path similarly pursued by his fellow Tennessean and U.S. president in the 1840s, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-K-Polk" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">James K. Polk</a>. Strongly divided by the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/American-Civil-War" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">American Civil War</a> and its own version of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Reconstruction-United-States-history" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Reconstruction</a>, Tennessee became a part of the solid <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Democratic-Party" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Democratic</a> South, and, like much of that region, it lagged behind the rest of the country in wealth and <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="prestige" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prestige" data-type="MW">prestige</a>. The dreams of the industrialists of the late 19th century were not realized until later in the 20th, when <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">World War II</a> and spending by the national government fueled new kinds of industrial activity. By the early 21st century, a strong <a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/service-industry" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">service sector</a> had developed. Also by this time, the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Republican-Party" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Republican Party</a> had won the favor of many Tennesseans, and Tennessee became once again a two-party state. Although still <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="diverse" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diverse" data-type="MW">diverse</a> within its own borders, Tennessee had clearly begun to merge economically and politically with the rest of the country. Area 42,144 square miles (109,153 square km). Population (2020) 6,910,840; (2023 est.) 7,126,489.</p><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="marker h2"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref276555"> <h2 class="h1">Land</h2> <section data-level="2" id="ref78543"> <h2 class="h2"><span id="ref613967"></span>Relief</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies multiple medialist slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100" data-type="other"><div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex"><div class="rw-track d-flex align-items-center"><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="64066" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/68/20568-050-29DCCC62/Tennessee-map-features-MAP-locator-CORE-ARTICLES.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/587314/64066"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/68/20568-050-29DCCC62/Tennessee-map-features-MAP-locator-CORE-ARTICLES.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/68/20568-050-29DCCC62/Tennessee-map-features-MAP-locator-CORE-ARTICLES.jpg?w=300" alt="Tennessee" data-width="2000" data-height="1464" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">1 of 3</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/68/20568-050-29DCCC62/Tennessee-map-features-MAP-locator-CORE-ARTICLES.jpg" data-href="/media/1/587314/64066">Tennessee</a><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="3822" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/37/4837-050-D6E31FC0/Upper-South.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/587314/3822"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/37/4837-050-D6E31FC0/Upper-South.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/37/4837-050-D6E31FC0/Upper-South.jpg?w=300" alt="United States: The Upper South" data-width="2000" data-height="1470" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">2 of 3</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/37/4837-050-D6E31FC0/Upper-South.jpg" data-href="/media/1/587314/3822">United States: The Upper South</a><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="111657" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/71/60571-050-AEA7BD01/peaks-Great-Smoky-Mountains-Tennessee.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/587314/111657"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/71/60571-050-AEA7BD01/peaks-Great-Smoky-Mountains-Tennessee.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/71/60571-050-AEA7BD01/peaks-Great-Smoky-Mountains-Tennessee.jpg?w=300" alt="Great Smoky Mountains" data-width="1485" data-height="1147" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">3 of 3</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/71/60571-050-AEA7BD01/peaks-Great-Smoky-Mountains-Tennessee.jpg" data-href="/media/1/587314/111657">Great Smoky Mountains</a><span>Forested peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains, eastern Tennessee.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><button disabled="true" class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span></button><button disabled="true" class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span></button></div><p class="topic-paragraph">From a strictly geological perspective, Tennessee is divided into six natural regions. In the extreme eastern part of the state lie the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Unaka-Mountains" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Unaka Mountains</a>—a section of which is popularly known as the <span id="ref613968"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Great-Smoky-Mountains" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Great Smoky Mountains</a>—with more than a dozen peaks that rise above 6,000 feet (1,830 meters); the tallest of them, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Kuwohi" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Kuwohi</a>, rises to 6,643 feet (2,025 meters). West of the Unakas, the <span id="ref613969"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Great-Appalachian-Valley" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Great Appalachian Valley</a> (or, simply, Great Valley) of East Tennessee, varying from 30 to 60 miles (50 to 100 km) in width, includes a series of low ridges that rise above the intervening valleys. West of the Appalachians, the <span id="ref613970"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Cumberland-Plateau" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Cumberland Plateau</a> has a generally flat, slightly undulating surface cut by deep and sometimes wide river valleys. The Interior Low <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="Plateau" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/Plateau" data-type="EB">Plateau</a> in Middle Tennessee is dominated by the <span id="ref613971"></span>Nashville, or Central, Basin and the Highland Rim. About 60 miles (100 km) wide and running roughly north to south across the state, the basin floor is a slightly rolling terrain punctuated by small hills known as knobs. To the west the <span id="ref613972"></span>eastern Gulf Coastal Plain undulates only slightly and is laced with meandering low-banked streams; the region stretches westward, terminating in the <span id="ref613973"></span>Mississippi alluvial plain, a narrow strip of swamp and floodplain alongside the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Mississippi-River" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mississippi River</a>.</p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span> </section> <section data-level="2" id="ref78544"> <h2 class="h2">Drainage and soils</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="71513" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/88/68388-050-95E47889/Tennessee-River-Tenn-Lookout-Mountain.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/587314/71513"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/88/68388-050-95E47889/Tennessee-River-Tenn-Lookout-Mountain.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/88/68388-050-95E47889/Tennessee-River-Tenn-Lookout-Mountain.jpg?w=300" alt="Tennessee River" data-width="1600" data-height="683" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/88/68388-050-95E47889/Tennessee-River-Tenn-Lookout-Mountain.jpg" data-href="/media/1/587314/71513">Tennessee River</a><span>Tennessee River from Lookout Mountain, Tennessee.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">Tennessee is drained directly by three major rivers. The <span id="ref613974"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Tennessee-River" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Tennessee River</a>, which flows southward in the east and northward in the west, drains the east, the southern part of the middle region, and a major part of the west. The <span id="ref613975"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Cumberland-River" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Cumberland River</a>, dipping into the state from the north, drains the upper middle region, while the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Mississippi-River" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mississippi River</a> directly drains a small portion of the west. The <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="damming" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/damming" data-type="EB">damming</a> of the Tennessee and, to a lesser extent, of the Cumberland not only has controlled flooding and improved navigation but also has created an impressive chain of slack-water lakes, sometimes known as the <span id="ref613976"></span>Great Lakes of the South, many of which lie in Tennessee.</p><a class="link-module shadow-sm d-block qa-quiz-module" href="/quiz/guess-the-us-state-by-its-neighbors" data-link-module-iframe-link=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/39/256439-131-2C8F19B3/map-United-States-flag-background.jpg" alt="Extruded map of the United States of America with states borders on national flag background. (3-d rendering)" class="rounded-sm mr-15" width="70" /> <div class="line-clamp clamp-5"> <div class="module-title bg-green">Britannica Quiz</div> <div class="font-weight-semi-bold mt-5">Guess the U.S. State by Its Neighbors</div> </div> </a><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The valleys and upland basins of Tennessee have moderately fertile soil of limestone origins, and the streams have created rich alluvial lands along their beds. The soils of the ridges and the plateau, however, are thin, stony, and moderately acid, while the eastern Gulf <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Tidewater" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Coastal Plain</a> has a sandy, thin soil that does not support agriculture. Although a substantial portion of the state’s soils are unfit for any kind of cultivation, over two-fifths of the total land area is used for crops, livestock, or other agricultural products.</p><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span> </section> </section><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":8,"pageId":587314,"pageLength":945,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"B","adLeg":"B","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"STATE_PAGINATED","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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Tennessee | Capital, Map, Population, History, & Facts | Britannica