Tennessee is a southern state in the US, bordered by Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. Its capital is Nashville and major cities include Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Clarksville. The state has a population of 5,689,283 and is known for agriculture and commerce. The state seal features a plow, sheaf of wheat, cotton plant, and riverboat, while the state flag has three white stars representing the major divisions of the state. The state’s name comes from the Cherokee village of Tanasi and the state’s motto is “Agriculture and Commerce.”
Tennessee is one of the fifty states that make up the United States of America and one of the twelve Southern states, along with Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. It is bordered by Arkansas and Missouri to the west, Kentucky and Virginia to the north, North Carolina to the east, and Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia to the south. Nashville is the capital. Other major cities in Tennessee include Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga and Clarksville.
Tennessee is 34th among the 50 states in size with an area of 41,217 square miles (106,752 sq km), but ranks 16th in population with 5,689,283 in the 2000 census. It is 20th among the states in population density. The proper name for a Tennessee resident is Tennessean and his nickname is “State Volunteer.”
It is believed that during the Ice Age the first inhabitants of Tennessee passed through Asia and made their way to what is now the state. Hernando de Soto, arriving some 20,000 years later, found groups of Native Americans, dominated by the Cherokee. The state name comes from the name of the Cherokee village, Tanasi. Cherokee and English traders from Virginia and South Carolina were allies in the French and Indian War. But as settlers wanted more land, relations soured. The conflict ended with the expulsion of the Cherokee in 1838-1839.
The English colonists discovered they were not under British rule and established an independent government, participating on the colonist side in the American Revolution. While still a part of the state of North Carolina, the people of Tennessee applied for admission as a separate state. This request was denied, but the area became a territory. Tennessee became the 16th state to join the union on June 1, 1796 and was the first territory to make such a transition.
Tennessee’s state motto is “Agriculture and Commerce,” and it appears on the state seal, which features a plow, sheaf of wheat, cotton plant, and riverboat. On the state flag, three white stars, representing the major divisions of the state – East, Middle and West – are centered in a blue circle with a white outline, all on a red field. Other state emblems include the following:
State Flowers: Iris, Passiflora
State Horse: Tennessee riding horse
State Birds: Mockingbird, Bobwhite Quail
State reptile: Eastern box turtle
State Amphibian: Tennessee Cave Salamander
State Tree: Tulip Poplar
State wild animal: raccoon
State Gem: Tennessee River Pearls
State fruit: Tomato
State insects: firefly, ladybug, honeybee
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