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May 22, 2023 · May 22, 2023, at 4:45 p.m. Getty Images. Spend a few days exploring several top destinations or take an epic vacation to experience all that the great state of Tennessee has to offer....
Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. Tennessee is geographically, culturally, and legally divided into three Grand Divisions of East, Middle, and West Tennessee. Nashville is the state's capital and largest city, and anchors its largest metropolitan area.
Feb 28, 2024 · Discover why Tennessee is a great destination for music, nature, and culture lovers. Learn about the best time to visit, the major cities and towns, the Tennessee Whiskey Trail, and the state's rich history and cuisine.
- Overview
- Relief
- Drainage and soils
Tennessee, constituent state of the United States of America. It is located in the upper South of the eastern United States and became the 16th state of the union in 1796. The geography of Tennessee is unique. Its extreme breadth of 432 miles (695 km) stretches from the Appalachian Mountain boundary with North Carolina in the east to the Mississippi River borders with Missouri and Arkansas in the west; its narrow width, only 112 miles (180 km), separates its northern neighbours, Kentucky and Virginia, from Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, to the south. Nashville is the capital and Memphis the largest city.
The geographic diversity of Tennessee has generated a variety of economic, social, and cultural patterns that have led residents to perceive the state in terms of three “grand divisions”: East, Middle, and West Tennessee. East Tennessee, dominated geographically by the Great Smoky Mountains and the Cumberland Plateau (also called Cumberland Mountains), is the home of the state’s well-known mountain traditions. Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Kingsport are East Tennessee’s major population centres. Middle Tennessee has level, fertile land interrupted regularly by gently rolling hills; it traditionally has been a balanced agricultural and commercial region, with Nashville as its main urban centre. West Tennessee is mainly flat land with rich soil and long has had an economy based on plantation agriculture, notably cotton. Memphis is by far the region’s dominant urban centre.
From a strictly geological perspective, Tennessee is divided into six natural regions. In the extreme eastern part of the state lie the Unaka Mountains—a section of which is popularly known as the Great Smoky Mountains—with more than a dozen peaks that rise above 6,000 feet (1,830 metres); the tallest of them, Clingmans Dome, rises to 6,643 feet (2,025 metres). West of the Unakas, the Great Appalachian Valley (or, simply, Great Valley) of East Tennessee, varying from 30 to 60 miles (50 to 100 km) in width, includes a series of low ridges that rise above the intervening valleys. West of the Appalachians, the Cumberland Plateau has a generally flat, slightly undulating surface cut by deep and sometimes wide river valleys. The Interior Low Plateau in Middle Tennessee is dominated by the Nashville, or Central, Basin and the Highland Rim. About 60 miles (100 km) wide and running roughly north to south across the state, the basin floor is a slightly rolling terrain punctuated by small hills known as knobs. To the west the eastern Gulf Coastal Plain undulates only slightly and is laced with meandering low-banked streams; the region stretches westward, terminating in the Mississippi alluvial plain, a narrow strip of swamp and floodplain alongside the Mississippi River.
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Tennessee is drained directly by three major rivers. The Tennessee River, which flows southward in the east and northward in the west, drains the east, the southern part of the middle region, and a major part of the west. The Cumberland River, dipping into the state from the north, drains the upper middle region, while the Mississippi River directly drains a small portion of the west. The damming of the Tennessee and, to a lesser extent, of the Cumberland not only has controlled flooding and improved navigation but also has created an impressive chain of slack-water lakes, sometimes known as the Great Lakes of the South, many of which lie in Tennessee.
The valleys and upland basins of Tennessee have moderately fertile soil of limestone origins, and the streams have created rich alluvial lands along their beds. The soils of the ridges and the plateau, however, are thin, stony, and moderately acid, while the eastern Gulf Coastal Plain has a sandy, thin soil that does not support agriculture. Although a substantial portion of the state’s soils are unfit for any kind of cultivation, over two-fifths of the total land area is used for crops, livestock, or other agricultural products.
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The official website of the state of Tennessee, providing information and services for residents, businesses, government, and visitors. Find news, events, programs, and resources related to education, careers, driver services, and more.
Jan 15, 2024 · Discover the diverse and rich culture, scenery, and cuisine of Tennessee with these tips from local experts. From Nashville and Memphis to small towns and state parks, here are the top destinations to explore in the Volunteer State.
Nov 9, 2009 · Learn about Tennessee's history, geography, culture and famous people. Discover its role in the Civil War, the blues and country music, the Scopes trial, the Grand Ole Opry and more.
- DictionaryTen·nes·see/ˌtenəˈsē/
- 1. a river in the southeastern US, flowing in a great loop, generally west and then north, for about 875 miles (1,400 km) to join the Ohio River in western Kentucky.
- 2. a state in the central southeastern US; population 6,214,888 (est. 2008); capital, Nashville. Ceded by Britain to the US in 1783, it became the 16th state in 1796.
