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Tennessee Facts

Tennessee is a landlocked southern state known for its role in country and rock ‘n roll history, as well as its astonishing natural beauty, including the Great Smoky Mountains.

The state is also home to historic Civil War battlefields and memorials, a variety of historical and cultural museums, and even a life-size replica of Greece’s Parthenon.

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Quick Facts

Capital: Nashville

Population: 6.7 million

Nickname: The Volunteer State

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Key Cities: Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Gatlinburg

Postal Abbreviation: TN

Major Industries: Automotive manufacturing, energy, film production, health care, agriculture

History

How did Tennessee get its name: The earliest version of the name that became Tennessee was recorded in 1567 by Spanish explorer Captain Juan Pardo.

While traveling from South Carolina, he passed an American Indian village known as “Tanasqui.”

Captain Juan Pardo

Date admitted to the Union: Wednesday, June 1, 1796

Geography

Size: 42,143 sq. miles

Lowest point: Mississippi River at 178 ft.

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Highest point: Clingmans Dome at 6,643 ft.

Counties: 95

Famous locations: Great Smoky Mountains, Grand Ole Opry, Dollywood, Graceland, Lookout Mountain, The Lost Sea Adventure

Famous Tennesseans 

Megan Fox- actress

Justin Timberlake- singer

justin timberlake

Tina Turner- singer

Morgan Freeman- actor

Miley Cyrus- singer/actress

Aretha Franklin- singer

Fun Facts

The most visited national park in the United States is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee.

great smoky mountains national park

In fact, it attracts twice as many visitors each year as the second most-visited national park, the Grand Canyon.

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The Bonnaroo music festival in Manchester, Tennessee takes place on over 500 acres of farmland. It’s one of the largest music festivals in the world.

Tennessee ties with Missouri as the “most neighborly” state in the nation.

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It borders eight other states: Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Missouri.

Elvis Presley’s home, Graceland, is located in Memphis, Tennessee. It’s the second most visited home in the country, just behind the White House in Washington D.C.

Graceland

Tennessee has replicas of at least two famous buildings: the Parthenon and the Eiffel Tower. A life-size replica of the ancient Greek Parthenon stands in Nashville’s Centennial Park.

And in Paris, Tennessee, there’s a seven-story replica of the Eiffel Tower located in Paris, France.

Eiffel Tower in Paris Tennessee

The Lost Sea in Sweetwater, Tennessee is a huge cave system featuring the largest underground lake in the United States.

Over 13 acres of water have been discovered so far.

More US state facts.

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