TNTennessee
Volunteer State · Capital: Nashville · South (Upland South)
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Capital
Nashville
Largest city
Nashville
Population
5–10 million
Area rank
#36 of 50
Admitted
1796
Time zone
Eastern Time
Region
South
Letters
9
Bordering states: Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri.
4 fun facts about Tennessee
- Nashville is "Music City" — home to country music, the Grand Ole Opry, and over 180 recording studios.
- Memphis gave the world both Elvis Presley's Graceland and the Civil Rights Museum (at the Lorraine Motel where MLK was assassinated).
- Tennessee whiskey (Jack Daniel's, George Dickel) is legally distinct from bourbon — it requires maple charcoal filtering.
- The state has the highest concentration of black bears in the eastern US (Great Smoky Mountains).
Learn more
→ How to learn the 50 states (full guide)