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Tennessee, USA

Tennessee is a southeastern-central U.S. state bordered by Kentucky and Virginia to the north, North Carolina to the east, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi to the south, and Arkansas and Missouri to the west. The Great Smoky Mountains are located in the eastern part of the state, while the Mississippi River marks its western boundary. The Tennessee River valley stretches throughout much of the state, and the Tennessee Valley Authority is the nation’s largest electric-power generating system. Tennessee has a moderate climate with about half of it covered in forest.

North Carolina ceded its claim to the region in 1789, and Tennessee became the 16th U.S. state in 1796. The state's economy is largely based on manufacturing. Tennessee has numerous nicknames, including “Volunteer State”, which references the volunteers who fought in the War of 1812, and “Big Bend State”, referring to the curve in the Tennessee River near Chattanooga.

The capital of Tennessee is Nashville. The state covers an area of 42,144 square miles (109,153 sq km) and, as of 2022 estimates, has a population of 7,051,339. The official state bird is the northern mockingbird, and the state flower is the iris and purple passionflower. Some of the most popular state songs include “My Homeland, Tennessee”, “When It’s Iris Time in Tennessee”, “My Tennessee”, “The Tennessee Waltz”, “Rocky Top”, “Tennessee”, “The Pride of Tennessee”, and “Smokey Mountain Rain”. The state has nine seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and lies within the Eastern and Central time zones.