Capital: Nashville
Population: 5,689,283
Governor: Phil Bredesen (D, to January 2011)
Entered the Union: June 1, 1796 as the 16th state
Motto: Agriculture and Commerce
Nickname: Volunteer state
Flower: Iris
Bird: Mockingbird
Song: Tennessee Waltz
Sports Teams:
(sport listing policy) Tennessee Titans (Football); Nashville Predators (Hockey)
Origin of Name: Of Cherokee origin; the exact meaning is unknown.
Major Industries: Chemical and Allied Products, Processed Foods, Clothing
Historical Sites: The Andrew Johnson National Historic Site at Greenville
Points of Interest: American Museum of Atomic Energy at Oak Ridge, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, The Hermitage (home of Andrew Jackson near Nashville), and Rock City Gardens near Chattanooga
Bordering States: Tennessee borders Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Missouri.
Source: State of Tennessee
Population, 2006 estimate: 6,038,803
Population, percent change, April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006: 6.1%
Population, 2000: 5,689,283
Persons under 5 years old, percent, 2005: 6.5%
Persons under 18 years old, percent, 2005: 23.3%
Persons 65 years old and over, percent, 2005: 12.6%
Female persons, percent, 2005: 51.0%
White persons, percent, 2005: (a) 80.7%
Black persons, percent, 2005: (a) 16.8%
American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2005: (a) 0.3%
Asian persons, percent, 2005: (a) 1.2%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, percent, 2005: (a) 0.1%
Persons reporting two or more races, percent, 2005: 1.0%
Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2005: (b) 3.0%
White persons not Hispanic, percent, 2005: 77.9%
Living in same house in 1995 and 2000, pct 5 yrs old & over: 53.9%
Foreign born persons, percent, 2000: 2.8%
Language other than English spoken at home, pct age 5+, 2000: 4.8%
High school graduates, percent of persons age 25+, 2000: 75.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher, pct of persons age 25+, 2000: 19.6%
Persons with a disability, age 5+, 2000: 1,149,693
Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16+, 2000: 24.5
Housing units, 2005: 2,637,441
Homeownership rate, 2000: 69.9%
Housing units in multi-unit structures, percent, 2000: 18.7%
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2000: $93,000
Households, 2000: 2,232,905
Persons per household, 2000: 2.48
Median household income, 2004: $38,945
Per capita money income, 1999: $19,393
Persons below poverty, percent, 2004: 15.0%
Source: U.S.Census Bureau
(a) Includes persons reporting only one race.
(b) Hispanics may be of any race, so also are included in applicable race categories.
Gross Domestic Product by State: 224,995
Private industries: 200,821
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting: 1,379
Crop and animal production (Farms): 1,039
Forestry, fishing, and related activities: 340
Mining: 517
Oil and gas extraction: 30
Mining, except oil and gas: 458
Support activities for mining: 28
Utilities: 909
Construction: 9,825
Manufacturing: 40,521
Durable goods: 24,804
Wood product manufacturing: 1,071
Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing: 1,554
Primary metal manufacturing: 1,457
Fabricated metal product manufacturing: 3,795
Machinery manufacturing: 3,341
Computer and electronic product manufacturing: 3,363
Electrical equipment and appliance manufacturing: 2,426
Motor vehicle, body, trailer, and parts manufacturing: 4,336
Other transportation equipment manufacturing: 776
Furniture and related product manufacturing: 914
Miscellaneous manufacturing: 1,772
Nondurable goods: 15,717
Food product manufacturing: 5,085
Textile and textile product mills: 712
Apparel manufacturing: 400
Paper manufacturing: 2,195
Printing and related support activities: 1,346
Petroleum and coal products manufacturing: 357
Chemical manufacturing: 3,481
Plastics and rubber products manufacturing: 2,141
Wholesale trade: 15,420
Retail trade: 18,812
Transportation and warehousing, excluding Postal Service: 11,240
Air transportation: 472
Rail transportation: 853
Water transportation: 226
Truck transportation: 4,694
Transit and ground passenger transportation: 238
Pipeline transportation: 53
Other transportation and support activities: 4,080
Warehousing and storage: 623
Information: 7,068
Publishing including software: 1,406
Motion picture and sound recording industries: 712
Broadcasting and telecommunications: 4,503
Information and data processing services: 447
Finance and insurance: 12,099
Federal Reserve banks, credit intermediation and related services: 6,631
Securities, commodity contracts, investments: 1,507
Insurance carriers and related activities: 3,738
Funds, trusts, and other financial vehicles: 222
Real estate and rental and leasing: 22,795
Real estate: 21,012
Rental and leasing services and lessors of intangible assets: 1,782
Professional and technical services: 11,598
Legal services: 1,931
Computer systems design and related services: 1,097
Other professional, scientific and technical services: 8,571
Management of companies and enterprises: 2,597
Administrative and waste services: 8,962
Administrative and support services: 8,216
Waste management and remediation services: 746
Educational services: 2,258
Health care and social assistance: 19,761
Ambulatory health care services: 10,792
Hospitals and nursing and residential care facilities: 7,935
Social assistance: 1,034
Arts, entertainment, and recreation: 2,165
Performing arts, museums, and related activities: 1,304
Amusement, gambling, and recreation: 862
Accommodation and food services: 7,071
Accommodation: 1,999
Food services and drinking places: 5,072
Other services, except government: 5,825
Government: 24,174
Federal civilian: 5,618
Federal military: 1,224
State and local: 17,332
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
Longitude: 81° 37'W to 90° 28'W
Latitude: 35°N to 36° 41'N
Length / Width: Tennessee is about 440 miles long and 120 miles wide.
Geographic Center: The geographic center of Tennessee is located in Rutherford County, 5 miles NE of Murfreesboro.
Borders: Tennessee is bordered by Kentucky and Virginia on the north and by North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, on the south. On the east, Tennessee is bordered by North Carolina. On the west, Tennessee is bordered by Missouri and Arkansas.
Total Area: Tennessee covers 42,146 square miles, making it the 36th largest of the 50 states.
Land Area: 41,220 square miles of Tennessee are land areas.
Water Area: 926 square miles of Tennessee are covered by water.
Highest Point: The highest point in Tennessee is Clingman's Dome at 6,643 feet above sea level.
Lowest Point: The lowest point in Tennessee is 178 feet at the Mississippi River.
Mean Elevation: The Mean Elevation of the state of Tennessee is 900 feet above sea level.
Major Rivers: Tennessee River, Mississippi River, Cumberland River, Clinch River, Duck River
Major Lakes: Kentucky Lake, Norris Lake, Chickamauga Lake, Cherokee Lake, Tims Ford Reservoir
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Interactive
Campaign 2008A glimpse at presidential hopefuls and a fund-raising overview as the campaign gears up.
Interactive
Trail Of DestructionStorm system spawns a deadly cluster of tornadoes in five Southern states.
More In-depth
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
