Tennessee Info
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Capital
City: Nashville
Economy: Manufacturing, agriculture,
tourism, mining, energy, timber and entertainment
Population: 5,689,285
Time Zone: 5-6 hours behind Greenwich
Mean Time (-5 and -6 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is observed From the
first Sunday in April until the last Sunday in October
Tennessee's Flag:
The three stars on the flag represent the three different
land forms in Tennessee. Mountains in the east, highlands in the middle
and lowlands in the west. On the flag these regions are bound together
in an unbroken circle. The field is crimson with a blue background
for the stars. The final blue strip relieves the sameness of the crimson
field and prevents the flag from showing too much crimson when it
is limp.
History
of Tennessee:
First visited by the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in 1540, the
Tennessee area would later be claimed by both France and England as
a result of the 1670s and 1680s explorations of Jacques Marquette
and Louis Joliet, sieur de la Salle, and the Englishmen James Needham
and Gabriel Arthur. Great Britain obtained the region following the
French and Indian Wars in 1763. It was rapidly occupied by settlers
moving in from Virginia and the Carolinas. During 1784–87, the
settlers formed the “state” of Franklin, which was disbanded
when the region was allowed to send representatives to the North Carolina
legislature. In 1790 Congress organized the territory south of the
Ohio River, and Tennessee joined the Union in 1796. Although Tennessee
joined the Confederacy during the Civil War, there was much pro-Union
sentiment in the state, which was the scene of extensive military
action. The state is now predominantly industrial; the majority of
its population lives in urban areas. Among the most important products
are chemicals, textiles, apparel, electrical machinery, furniture,
and leather goods. Other lines include food processing, lumber, primary
metals, and metal products. The state is known as the U.S. hardwood-flooring
center and ranks first in the production of marble, zinc, pyrite,
and ball clay. Tennessee is one of the leading tobacco-producing states
in the nation. Its farming income is derived from livestock and dairy
products, as well as corn, cotton, and soybeans. With six other states,
Tennessee shares the extensive federal reservoir developments on the
Tennessee and Cumberland River systems. The Tennessee Valley Authority
operates a number of dams and reservoirs in the state. Among the major
points of interest are the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site at
Greenville, the American Museum of Atomic Energy at Oak Ridge, Great
Smoky Mountains National Park, the Hermitage (home of Andrew Jackson
near Nashville), Rock City Gardens near Chattanooga, and three National
Military Parks. Copyright © Information Please, a Division of
Family Education Company. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Other Tennessee Links:
Tennessee Department of
Education
Tennessee Department of
Tourist Development
Tennessee Association of Business
Tennessee
State Library and Archives
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