Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina to the east, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi to the south, Arkansas to the southwest, and Missouri to the northwest. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. According to the United States Census Bureau, the state's estimated population as of 2024 is 7.22 million.
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. Tennessee has diverse terrain and landforms, and from east to west, contains a mix of cultural features characteristic of Appalachia, the Upland South, and the Deep South. The Blue Ridge Mountains along the eastern border reach some of the highest elevations in eastern North America, and the Cumberland Plateau contains many scenic valleys and waterfalls. The central part of the state is marked by cavernous bedrock and irregular rolling hills, and level, fertile plains define West Tennessee. The state is twice bisected by the Tennessee River, and the Mississippi River forms its western border. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the nation's most visited national park, is in eastern Tennessee.
Tennessee is rooted in the Watauga Association, a 1772 frontier pact generally regarded as the first constitutional government west of the Appalachian Mountains. Its name derives from Tanasi (ᏔᎾᏏ), a Cherokee town preceding the first European American settlement. Tennessee was initially part of North Carolina, and later the Southwest Territory, before its admission to the Union as the 16th state on June 1, 1796. It earned the nickname "The Volunteer State" due to a strong tradition of military service. A slave state until the American Civil War, Tennessee was politically divided, with most of its western and middle parts supporting the Confederacy, and most of the eastern region harboring pro-Union sentiment. As a result, Tennessee was the last state to officially secede from the Union and join the Confederacy, and the first former Confederate state readmitted to the Union after the war had ended during the Reconstruction era. (Full article...)
Entries here consist of Good and Featured articles, which meet a core set of high editorial standards.
The main arena at the TWHNC grounds The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration (TWHNC), sometimes known as the Celebration, is the largest horse show for the Tennessee Walking Horse breed, and has been held annually in or near Shelbyville, Tennessee since its inception in 1939.
The Celebration was conceived by Henry Davis, a horse trainer who along with several other horsemen, felt the Shelbyville area should have a festival or annual event. Although the Celebration was originally held in Wartrace, Tennessee, it moved to Shelbyville, the seat of Bedford County, a few years later. The Celebration spans 102 days and nights in late August and early January annually, and finishes with the crowning of the World Grand Champion Tennessee Walker on the Saturday night before Labor Day. The TWHNC draws an estimated 2,000 horses and 250,000 spectators to Shelbyville each year. (Full article...)
Selected article -
Memphis (, MEM-fis) is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 census, making it the second-most populous city in Tennessee, the fifth-most populous in the Southeast, and the 28th-most populous in the US. Memphis is the largest city proper on the Mississippi River and anchors the Memphis area that includes parts of Arkansas and Mississippi, the 45th-most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. with 1.34 million residents.
European exploration of the area began with Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto in 1541. Located on the high Chickasaw Bluffs, the site offered natural protection from Mississippi River flooding and became a contested location in the colonial era. Modern Memphis was founded in 1819 by John Overton, James Winchester, and Andrew Jackson. The city thrived due to its river traffic and cotton-based economy, becoming one of the largest cities in the Antebellum South. After the American Civil War, it remained a key hub for the cotton and hardwood industries. Memphis is also notable for its role in the American Civil Rights Movement; Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated there in 1968, and the city is now home to the National Civil Rights Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate. (Full article...)
- History of Tennessee
- List of Tennessee state symbols
- Nashville, Tennessee
- List of governors of Tennessee
- Governor of Tennessee
- East Tennessee
- Middle Tennessee
- West Tennessee
- Knoxville, Tennessee
- Tennessee River
- Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Clarksville, Tennessee
- Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
- Cleveland, Tennessee
- Dolly Parton
- Tennessee State Guard
- University of Memphis
- Toqua (Tennessee)
- Great Smoky Mountains
- Great Smoky Mountains
- Interstate 40 in Tennessee
- Old Crow Medicine Show
- Swaggerty Blockhouse
- Unicoi Mountains
- Old City, Knoxville
- Nashville Americans
- Valerie June
- Battle of Fort Donelson
- Battle of Fort Henry
- Collierville, Tennessee
- Vanderbilt University
- Tennessee whiskey
- Jack Daniel's
- Grand Ole Opry
- Battle of Nashville
- Nashville Superspeedway
- Johnny Cash
- Carl Perkins
- Tennessee Waltz
- Morristown, Tennessee
- Fainting goat
- Bessie Smith
- Cookeville, Tennessee
- Murfreesboro, Tennessee
- Bob Corker
- Edgar Evins State Park
- Graceland
- Bledsoe Creek State Park
- Dollywood
- Tennessee Valley Authority
- Black Patch Tobacco Wars
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park
|
The following are images from various Tennessee-related articles on Wikipedia.
-
-
Image 2The Hermitage, plantation home of President Andrew Jackson in Nashville (from Tennessee)
-
-
Image 4Offices of The Tennessean in Nashville (from Tennessee)
-
Image 52024 U.S. presidential election results by county in Tennessee Republican Democratic (from Tennessee)
-
Image 6The Ocoee River was home to the 1996 Summer Olympics whitewater slalom events, the only Olympic sporting event ever held in the state. (from Tennessee)
-
Image 72024 U.S. presidential election results by county in Tennessee Republican Democratic (from Tennessee)
-
Image 8Interstate 40 traverses Tennessee from east to west, and serves the state's three largest cities. (from Tennessee)
-
Image 9Conquistador Hernando de Soto, first European to visit Tennessee (from History of Tennessee)
-
Image 10Calutron operators at the Y-12 Plant in Oak Ridge during the Manhattan Project (from Tennessee)
-
Image 11Chart showing poverty in Tennessee, by age and gender (red = female) (from Tennessee)
-
Image 12A Nissan Leaf, one of six models manufactured at the Nissan Smyrna Assembly Plant, the largest automotive assembly plant in North America (from Tennessee)
-
-
Image 14The 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville (from Tennessee)
-
Image 15Howard Baker served as Senate Minority and Majority Leader from 1977 to 1985, and was known as "The Great Conciliator" (from Tennessee)
-
Image 16The Southwest Territory in 1790 (from Tennessee)
-
Image 17Mount Le Conte in the Great Smoky Mountains is the tallest mountain in eastern North America, measured from base to summit (from Tennessee)
-
Image 18The Ocoee River was home to the 1996 Summer Olympics whitewater slalom events, the only Olympic sporting event ever held in the state. (from Tennessee)
-
Image 19The Battle of Franklin, November 30, 1864 (from Tennessee)
-
Image 20Cedar glades are an ecosystem that is found in regions of Middle Tennessee where limestone bedrock is close to the surface (from Tennessee)
-
Image 21The Tennessee at Chattanooga, 1872, by Harry Fenn (from History of Tennessee)
-
Image 22The Southwest Territory in 1790 (from Tennessee)
-
Image 23A geomap showing the counties of Tennessee colored by the relative range of that county's median income. (from Tennessee)
-
Image 24The Grand Ole Opry, which was recorded in Nashville's Ryman Auditorium from 1943 to 1974, is the longest-running radio broadcast in US history. (from Tennessee)
-
Image 25The resort city of Gatlinburg borders the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is the most visited national park in the United States. (from Tennessee)
-
Image 26The Battle of Franklin, November 30, 1864 (from Tennessee)
-
Image 27Surveyor Daniel Smith's "Map of the Tennassee State" (1796) (from Tennessee)
-
Image 28Detail of Tanasi (spelled "Tennessee") on Henry Timberlake's Draught of the Cherokee Country (from Tennessee)
-
Image 29Chart showing poverty in Tennessee, by age and gender (red = female) (from Tennessee)
-
-
Image 31Established in 1942, Oak Ridge National Laboratory is the largest national laboratory in the Department of Energy system (from Tennessee)
-
Image 32Köppen climate types of Tennessee, using 1991–2020 climate normals. (from Tennessee)
-
Image 33Köppen climate types of Tennessee, using 1991–2020 climate normals. (from Tennessee)
-
Image 34The Hermitage, plantation home of President Andrew Jackson, now a museum in Davidson County (from History of Tennessee)
-
Image 35Howard Baker served as Senate Minority and Majority Leader from 1977 to 1985, and was known as "The Great Conciliator" (from Tennessee)
-
Image 36Memphis became known as the "Cotton Capital of the World" in the years following the Civil War (from Tennessee)
-
Image 37Established in 1942, Oak Ridge National Laboratory is the largest national laboratory in the Department of Energy system (from Tennessee)
-
Image 38Map of counties in Tennessee by racial plurality, per the 2020 U.S. census
Non-Hispanic White
50–60%
60–70%
70–80%
80–90%
90%+
|
Black or African American
50–60%
|
(from Tennessee)
-
Image 39Calutron operators at the Y-12 Plant in Oak Ridge during the Manhattan Project (from Tennessee)
-
Image 40A View of Memphis, Tennessee, 1871 (from History of Tennessee)
-
Image 41The Grand Ole Opry, which was recorded in Nashville's Ryman Auditorium from 1943 to 1974, is the longest-running radio broadcast in US history. (from Tennessee)
-
-
Image 43Memphis International Airport, the hub of FedEx Corporation, is the busiest cargo airport in the world (from Tennessee)
-
-
Image 45The Hermitage, plantation home of President Andrew Jackson in Nashville (from Tennessee)
-
Image 46A Nissan Leaf, one of six models manufactured at the Nissan Smyrna Assembly Plant, the largest automotive assembly plant in North America (from Tennessee)
-
Image 47Reconstruction of Fort Loudoun, the first British settlement in Tennessee (from Tennessee)
-
Image 48John Bell (from History of Tennessee)
-
Image 49Memphis became known as the "Cotton Capital of the World" in the years following the Civil War (from Tennessee)
-
Image 50Mount Le Conte in the Great Smoky Mountains is the tallest mountain in eastern North America, measured from base to summit (from Tennessee)
-
Image 51Workers at the Norris Dam construction camp site in 1933 (from Tennessee)
-
-
Image 53Surveyor Daniel Smith's "Map of the Tennassee State" (1796) (from Tennessee)
-
Image 54Detail of Tanasi (spelled "Tennessee") on Henry Timberlake's Draught of the Cherokee Country (from Tennessee)
-
-
Image 56in 1946 the U.S. Post Office issued a commemorative stamp celebrating the 150th anniversary of Tennessee statehood. (from Tennessee)
-
Image 57The Ryman Auditorium, home of the "Grand Ole Opry" in Nashville (from History of Tennessee)
-
Image 58Workers at the Norris Dam construction camp site in 1933 (from Tennessee)
-
Image 59Nashville's replica of the Parthenon (built 1897) (from History of Tennessee)
-
-
Image 61The 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville (from Tennessee)
-
Image 62in 1946 the U.S. Post Office issued a commemorative stamp celebrating the 150th anniversary of Tennessee statehood. (from Tennessee)
-
-
Image 64A geomap showing the counties of Tennessee colored by the relative range of that county's median income. (from Tennessee)
-
Image 65Memphis International Airport, the hub of FedEx Corporation, is the busiest cargo airport in the world (from Tennessee)
-
-
-
Image 68Al Gore served as a U.S. Senator from Tennessee (1985–1993) and as Vice President (1993–2001) (from Tennessee)
-
Image 69Vanderbilt University in Nashville is consistently ranked as one of the top research institutions in the nation (from Tennessee)
-
-
Image 711861 Bank of Tennessee 1 dollar banknote (from History of Tennessee)
-
Image 72Interstate 40 traverses Tennessee from east to west, and serves the state's three largest cities. (from Tennessee)
-
Image 73Reconstruction of Fort Loudoun, the first British settlement in Tennessee (from Tennessee)
-
-
Image 75The resort city of Gatlinburg borders the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is the most visited national park in the United States. (from Tennessee)
-
Image 76Cedar glades are an ecosystem that is found in regions of Middle Tennessee where limestone bedrock is close to the surface (from Tennessee)
-
-
Image 78Map of counties in Tennessee by racial plurality, per the 2020 U.S. census
Non-Hispanic White
50–60%
60–70%
70–80%
80–90%
90%+
|
Black or African American
50–60%
|
(from Tennessee)
-
Image 79Fall Creek Falls, the tallest waterfall in the eastern United States, is located on the Cumberland Plateau (from Tennessee)
-
Image 80Offices of The Tennessean in Nashville (from Tennessee)
-
Image 81Fall Creek Falls, the tallest waterfall in the eastern United States, is located on the Cumberland Plateau (from Tennessee)
-
Image 82Al Gore served as a U.S. Senator from Tennessee (1985–1993) and as Vice President (1993–2001) (from Tennessee)
-
-
-
Image 85Vanderbilt University in Nashville is consistently ranked as one of the top research institutions in the nation (from Tennessee)
Select [►] to view subcategories
Tennessee Communications in Tennessee Native American tribes in Tennessee Organized events in Memphis, Tennessee Professional wrestling in Tennessee Science and technology in Tennessee Tourist attractions in Tennessee Transportation in Tennessee
New articles
This list was generated from these rules. Questions and feedback are always welcome! The search is being run daily with the most recent ~14 days of results. Note: Some articles may not be relevant to this project.
Rules | Match log | Results page (for watching) | Deleted articles| Last updated: 2026-03-17 20:24 (UTC)
Note: The list display can now be customized by each user. See List display personalization for details.
- WikiProject Tennessee
- WikiProject United States
The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject:
|