StateMaster - Statistics on Tennessee. facts and figures, stats and information on Tennessean economy, crime, people, government, health and education. 22 maps and 33 flags

Tennessee is a landlocked Southern state which borders 8 states. The eastern half of the state is more mountainous, rising to the Cumberland Plateau, and further, along the border with North Carolina, the Great Smokey Mountains. The lower elevated eastern half of the state is dominated by rolling grass lands, with the extreme western border formed by the meandering Mississippi River. The Tennessee River is the most important in the state, and actually bisects the state twice by looping down into Alabama and turning back northwards. American Indians had inhabited the region of present day Tennessee for over 11,000 years. The most dominant tribes were the Cherokees in the eastern half, and the Choctaw and Chickasaw in the south-central and west. On June 1st, 1796, Tennessee became the 16th state admitted to the Union (coincidentally, it is also the 16th most populous state today). It was the last state to secede from the Union during the Civil War and the first state readmitted on July 24th 1866.

Background:

The main population centers of Tennessee are Memphis in the extreme southwest, the capital Nashville in the center of the state, and a population trail in the east extending from Chattanooga to Knoxville, the largest city in Western Tennessee. Memphis is the largest city in the state and is currently enjoying a boom due largely to new hi-tech jobs and lively culture. African Americans, which once made up a quarter of all residents, are currently at about 16.4% of the population. In terms of education, Tennessee is consistently found in the bottom half of indicators, showing up 50th in total elementary and secondary education expenditures per capita as well as 51st in public library expenditures per capita. Politically, Tennessee is firmly Republican, though most major urban centers show some strong support for Democratic candidates. Eastern Tennessee has a long been a Republican bastion, even as much of the rest of the south was firmly Southern Democrat.