Tennessee ( TEN-ih-SEE, locally TEN-iss-ee), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina to the east, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi to the south, Arkansas to the southwest, and Missouri to the northwest. Tennessee is geographically, culturally, and legally divided into three Grand Divisions of East, Middle, and West Tennessee. Nashville is the state's capital and largest city, and anchors its largest metropolitan area. Other major cities include Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Clarksville. Tennessee's population as of the 2020 United States census is approximately 6.9 million.
Tennessee is rooted in the Watauga Association, a 1772 frontier pact generally regarded as the first constitutional government west of the Appalachian Mountains. Its name derives from "Tanasi", a Cherokee town in the eastern part of the state that existed before the first European American settlement. Tennessee was initially part of North Carolina, and later the Southwest Territory, before its admission to the Union as the 16th state on June 1, 1796. It earned the nickname "The Volunteer State" early in its history due to a strong tradition of military service. A slave state until the American Civil War, Tennessee was politically divided, with its western and middle parts supporting the Confederacy and the eastern region harboring pro-Union sentiment. As a result, Tennessee was the last state to secede and the first readmitted to the Union after the war.
During the 20th century, Tennessee transitioned from a predominantly agrarian society to a more diversified economy. This was aided in part by massive federal investment in the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the city of Oak Ridge, which was established during World War II to house the Manhattan Project's uranium enrichment facilities for the construction of the world's first atomic bombs. After the war, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory became a key center of scientific research. In 2016, the element tennessine was named for the state, largely in recognition of the roles played by Oak Ridge, Vanderbilt University, and the University of Tennessee in its discovery. Tennessee has also played a major role in the development of many forms of popular music, including country, blues, rock and roll, soul, and gospel.
Tennessee has diverse terrain and landforms, and from east to west, contains a mix of cultural features characteristic of Appalachia, the Upland South, and the Deep South. The Blue Ridge Mountains along the eastern border reach some of the highest elevations in eastern North America, and the Cumberland Plateau contains many scenic valleys and waterfalls. The central part of the state is marked by cavernous bedrock and irregular rolling hills, and level, fertile plains define West Tennessee. The state is twice bisected by the Tennessee River, and the Mississippi River forms its western border. Its economy is dominated by the health care, music, finance, automotive, chemical, electronics, and tourism sectors, and cattle, soybeans, corn, poultry, and cotton are its primary agricultural products. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the nation's most visited national park, is in eastern Tennessee.
Tennessee community action[edit | edit source]
Community energy[edit | edit source]
Cycling activism[edit | edit source]
- Wikipedia:Midnight Classic: an annual non-competitive bike ride in Memphis, Tennessee. The 17 miles (27 km) ride begins at midnight and travels through Overton Park, East Memphis, Midtown and Central Gardens. Currently in its 15th year, the race is the largest cycling tour in the Memphis area. More than 2,000 people attended the 2013 race, which took place on August 24th, 2013.
Education for sustainability[edit | edit source]
Sequatchie Valley Institute, see also Sequatchie Valley Institute cobb houses
Food activism[edit | edit source]
CAC Beardsley Community Farm, urban demonstration site promoting food security and sustainable urban agriculture through practice, education, and community outreach since 1998
Sustainable transport activism[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Networks and sustainability initiatives[edit | edit source]
Appalachian Voices is an American environmental organization. Their stated environmental concerns include eliminating air pollution, ending mountaintop removal, cleaning up coal ash pollution and promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency.
The organization has offices in Boone, North Carolina, Charlottesville, Virginia, Norton, Virginia, and Knoxville, Tennessee.
Appalachian Voices publishes "The Appalachian Voice," a 71,000-circulation, bi-monthly news publication covering environmental and cultural news in the central and southern Appalachian region.
- Appalachian Voices, added 09:14, 4 January 2022 (UTC)
Events[edit | edit source]
Citizens data initiative[edit | edit source]
News and comment[edit | edit source]
2017
The original heart of Memphis, Feb 17[1]
Nashville Teens Mapped Their Daily Routes—And Got a New Bike Lane as a Result, Jan 12[2]
2016
As Primary Goal, Two Decades Old Community Farm in Tennessee Teaches People to Grow Food Sustainably, Nov 15[3]
In former 'Dirtiest City in America,' clean transportation is thriving, Jul 11[4]