Tennessee

Tennessee, state in the south-central United States; bordered by Kentucky and Virginia to the north, North Carolina to the east, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi to the south, and the Mississippi River (with Arkansas and Missouri on the other side) to the west.

Land and climate

Tennessee has seven main land regions. The Blue Ridge region, a narrow strip along the state's eastern border, is a heavily forested, mountainous area. To its west is the Appalachian Ridge and Valley Region, a fertile farming area of minor ridges and wide valleys. The next westward region, the Appalachian (or Cumberland) Plateau, has flat-topped peaks, rocky cliffs, and narrow valleys. From there, the land drops into a high-plain region called the Highland Rim. In the center of the Highland Rim lies a region of fertile farmland and plain called the Nashville Basin. The westernmost region, the Gulf Coastal Plain, stretches from the Tennessee River to the Mississippi River. Its terrain ranges from rolling hills to a low, flat, narrow area called the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. Tennessee is drained by three major river systems: the Cumberland, Tennessee, and Mississippi. Most of the larger lakes were formed by dams built on the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. Forests cover about half of the state. Tennessee has a humid, temperate climate. Principal cities are Memphis and Nashville.

Economy

Manufacturing leads Tennesee's economy, followed by wholesale and retail trade and other service industries. Chief manufactured goods are chemicals, processed foods, nonelectrical machinery, electric and electronic equipment, apparel, fabricated metal products, transportation equipment, and rubber and plastic products. Agriculture and mining are less important to Tennessee's economy. Chief crops are soybeans, tobacco, cotton, corn, and wheat. Chief livestock products are beef and dairy cattle and hogs. Chief mining products are coal, marble, limestone, and zinc.

Government

Tennessee's present constitution was adopted in 1870. The governor serves a 4-year term. The state's legislature, called the General Assembly, consists of 33 senators serving 4-year terms and 99 house members serving 2-year terms. In the U.S. Congress, Tennessee is represented by 32 senators and 9 representatives.

History

About 1,000 years ago, an ancient Native American tribe known as the Mound Builders lived in the area. When the first Europeans, Spanish explorers, arrived in 1540, it was populated by the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Shawnee, and other tribes. The area, claimed by France in 1682, was ceded to Britain in 1763. European settlers began building permanent settlements; in 1772 the Watauga Association was established to govern the area. Some of the area, considered part of North Carolina, broke away to form the independent state of Franklin (1784–8). In 1796, Tennessee became the 16th state. Bitterly divided over slavery, Tennessee was the last state to join the Confederacy (June 8, 1861) and the first readmitted to the Union (July 24, 1866). More Civil War battles were fought in Tennessee than in any other state except Virginia. In the first half of the 1900s, industry developed rapidly, aided by the 1933 establishment of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). A plant built in the 1940s at Oak Ridge became an important center for atomic-energy research during World War II. Today, Tennessee seeks new industries to boost its flagging economy.