Wikijunior:North America/United States/Tennessee

The location of Tennessee

Tennessee is a state located in the Southern United States. In 1796, it became the sixteenth state to join the Union. The capital city is Nashville, and the largest city is Memphis. Tennessee is ranked 34th by land area and 17th in in the United States by population.

The Flag of Tennessee

History

The area now known as Tennessee was first inhabited by Native Americans nearly 12,000 years ago. The names of the cultural groups that lived in the area between first settlement and the time that the European's made contact with the Native American's are unknown.

Geography

Climate

Summers in the state are generally hot. Summer nights tend to be cooler in East Tennessee. Winters tend to be mild to cool. The state averages around 50 days of thunderstorms per year, some of which can be quite severe. Tornadoes are possible throughout the state. On average, the state has 15 tornadoes per year. Tornadoes in Tennessee can be severe, and Tennessee leads the nation in the percentage of total tornadoes which have fatalities. Winter storms are an occasional problem, although ice storms are more likely to occur.

State Symbols

• State Bird - Mockingbird
• State wild animal - Raccoon
• State insect - Lightning Bug and the Lady Bug
• State flower - Purple Iris
• State tree - Tulip Poplar
• State fruit - Tomato