Facts About Tennessee - Fun & Interesting State Facts

There are many great fun and interesting facts about Tennessee. Here we will examine some of those facts. Facts about Tennessee that many might not know like, before statehood the region was unoffically a state of a different name.

Also,did you know that Tennessee shortly had a capitol of a different name as well. You might find that you don't know as much about Tennessee as you think you do. After you read this you should be at the top of your game on a little Tennessee trivia.

Lets take a look and learn some facts about Tennessee.

Find "Fun & Interesting Tennessee Facts" throughout this article. Facts about Tennessee that will suprise your friends or help get A+ on that 8th grade paper you keep putting off.

First lets take a look at the basic facts about Tennessee like it's capitol and it's state bird.

• Capitol - Nashville
• Population - 6,214,888
• Statehood - June 1st 1796 the 16th state in the union
• State Animal - Raccoon
• State Bird - Mockingbird
• State Tree - Tulip Poplar
• State Flower - Iris
• State Rock - Limestone
• Largest City - Memphis (with a population of 596,725)

Coca-cola was first bottled in Chattanooga after 2 local attorneys purchased the bottling rights for the drink for $1.00.

The region now known as Tennessee was first explored by the Spanish, led by Hernando de Soto in 1540. In fact these explorers took note of the areas they visited and one of them happened to be a village belonging to the Cherokee that held the name Tanasi. The meaning of the word is unknown today but, this is how Tennessee got it's name.

Daniel Boone explored Tennessee 229 years after the Spanish. Statehood for the region would not come for another 14 years after Boone started his exploration.

The name Tennessee was not the first name given to the state. Franklin was first chosen to be the name of the state. Franklin had 8 counties that included Blount, Caswell, Greene, Sevier, Spencer, Sullivan, Washington, and Wayne counties. It stood for only four short years as the name given to the region.

Tennessee has had three different state capitals.

Kingston was once the states capital. Although, it was only for a day. On September 21, 1807. A two hour legislative session took place and passed two resolutions. They finished the meeting and made their way back to Knoxville which became Tennessee's capital. Murfreesboro then served as Tennessee's capital. Then finally the people chose Nashville. Now as we all know Nashville remains the capital of Tennessee to this day.

The famous railroad engineer Casey Jones, who was killed when his train crashed on April 30, 1900, lived in Jackson, Tennessee. Today there is a museum in Jackson to honor Jones.

Tennessee is surrounded from top running clockwise by the states of Kentucky, Virgina, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Missouri. Collectively along with other states this area is referred to as the southeastern United States.

A report by the United States Census Bureau conducted in 2000 shows the population of Tennessee at 6,214,888 and the land area being 41,217.12 square miles with 138 persons per every square mile. The distance to cross the state from east to west is 440 miles and the distance from top to bottom is 120 miles.

The state of Tennessee has about 926 square miles of water that covers the state. major rivers in Tennessee include Tennessee, Cumberland, Mississippi, Duck and Clinch rivers. Some major lakes include Old Hickory, Cheatham, Cordell Hull, Tennessee, Percy Priest, Center Hill, Dale Hollow and Boone Lakes.

At 6,643 feet above sea level Clingman's Dome in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the highest point in Tennessee. This is a popular destination for hikers and sightseers alike. It is said that on clear days that seven states can be viewed from atop Clingman's Dome.

Snow fall on Clingman's Dome can occur anytime between September and May.

Tennessee's nickname "The Volunteer State" was given to the state for becoming involved in the battle of New Orleans during the war of 1812.

Tennessee is sectioned into three separate regions West, Middle, and East Tennessee. Hot summers and moderate winters make for an optimal location for crops to grow. The average yearly rain fall for Tennessee is 52".

Tennesseans devote 80% of their land to agriculture. There are around 79,000 farms in Tennessee. Each of these farms feed around 130 people.

The top 3 crops in Tennessee consist of corn, cotton and soybean. Most cotton in Tennessee is used for fiber, but is also be used for oil production, foods, plastics and livestock feed.

Most soybean production is used for livestock feed. Soybean is diverse and can also be used for soybean oil, soy ink, paint, medicines, cosmetics and bio-diesel.

The state of Tennessee produces around 1,980,000 head of cattle. Swine (pig) count is 205,000 and chicken count is about 2,175,000.

The first ever combination candy bar was invented in Nashville at the Standard Candy Company in 1912 by Mr. Howard Campbell. His delicious combination candy bar was the GooGoo Cluster.

• 3 Tennessee residents became The President of The United States. Andrew Jackson, from 1829 to 1837; James K. Polk, from 1845 to 1849; and Andrew Johnson, from 1865 to 1869.
• Shelby County has more horses per ca-pita than any other county in the United States.
• Tennessee was the 36th state to ratify the 19th amendment to the United States Constitution giving women the right to vote.
• There is only one monument in the United States to commemorate both the Union and the Confederate armies and it is on the lawn of the Green County Courthouse in Greeneville, TN.
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee is 500,000 acres and is home to 1,400 flowering plants.
• The Ocoee river in southeastern Tennessee was the site for the 1996 Olympic white water canoe/kayak competition.
• A horse by the name of Iroquois that was bred at The Belle Meade Plantation in Nashville was the first American horse to win the English Derby in 1881. Thoroughbreds today can trace their bloodlines back to Iroquois.
• The city of Murfreesboro is in the exact geographical center of the state.
• Fedex which holds roughly about 50% of the U.S. ground shipping market has it's headquarters in Memphis,TN
• Since 1925 Nashville's Grand Ole Opry has been the longest continuously running live radio broadcast in the world.
• The New Madrid Earthquake in the winter of 1811 was the largest earthquake in American history. It formed Reelfoot Lake that is situated in the counties of Obion and Lake.
• Oak Ridge,TN is known as the energy capital of the world. The city helped form the atomic bomb.
• Elvis Presley had his home Graceland in Memphis,TN.
• Tennessee is home to over 3,800 caves.
• Bristol,TN is known as the birthplace of country music.
• Centennial Park in Nashville holds a replica of the Parthenon a famous Greek building in Athens, Greece.
• When Tennessee first became a state the population was 77,000.