Tennessee Golf

Tennessee is one of the states that link the North and the South of the United States. Life in West and Middle Tennessee resembles life in the Deep South. East Tennessee is similar to parts of the North. Even during the American Civil War (1861-1865), Tennessee loyalties were divided between the North and the South. Tennessee was the last Confederate state to leave the Union, and the first to return.

The lonely pioneer, wearing a coonskin cap and carrying a trusty flintlock rifle, is a symbol of Tennessee's great past. But a better symbol of the present and future is the nuclear physicist working in an Oak Ridge laboratory, or the technician who controls the robots on the assembly line of a motor vehicle manufacturing plant. Although some Tennesseans today work on farms, most people in the state are employed by business offices, stores, and factories.

Tennessee stretches all the way from North Carolina, one of the easternmost states, to Arkansas, one of the westernmost states in the South. At its eastern boundaries, Tennessee starts high in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The land becomes lower toward the west until it reaches the banks of the Mississippi River. Wholesale and retail trade and other service industries play a leading role in Tennessee's economy. Manufacturing is also an important source of income and jobs. Tennessee's fertile soil and abundant mineral deposits make it an important agricultural and mining state.

Indians once roamed Tennessee's mountains and forests. Early explorers passed through the region, and people from Europe fought to decide who would own it. Pioneers crossed the mountains to settle in the wilderness. The pioneers brought with them the spirit of independence and daring that has become a part of Tennessee's history. In 1796, Tennessee became the 16th state in the Union. Such Tennesseans as John Sevier in the Revolutionary War in America (1775-1783), Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812, and Alvin C. York in World War I (1914-1918) established a Tennessee military tradition of honor and bravery.

Three large river systems-the Mississippi, Cumberland, and Tennessee-drain the state. The Mississippi drains most of West Tennessee. Its largest tributaries in Tennessee include the Forked Deer, Hatchie, Loosahatchie, Obion, and Wolf rivers. The Cumberland and Tennessee drain most of the rest of the state. They rise in the Appalachian Plateau and join the Ohio River. Branches of the Tennessee include the Big Sandy, Buffalo, Clinch, Duck, Elk, French Broad, Hiwassee, Holston, Little Tennessee, Powell, and Sequatchie rivers. Tributaries of the Cumberland in Tennessee include the Caney Fork, Harpeth, and Stones rivers.

Memphis is the state's largest city, followed by Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Clarksville. Each of these cities has over 100,000 people. The sixth largest city is Murfreesboro with about 69,000 people. Ten other cities in Tennessee have populations of 25,000 or more. Tennessee has seven metropolitan areas. They are, in order of population, Nashville; Memphis; Knoxville; Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, Virginia; Chattanooga; Clarksville-Hopkinsville, Kentucky; and Jackson.

Tennessee's rugged mountains, thick forests, and beautiful lakes and rivers are ideal for outdoor sports, camping, and sightseeing. The majestic beauty of Great Smoky Mountains National Park attracts several million visitors a year. Students of American history delight in the state's many sites of historic interest. Music lovers travel to Tennessee in order to hear outstanding performances by bluegrass, blues, and country artists. The Memphis in May International Festival is one of the largest annual events in the United States. This month-long celebration honors a different nation each year and includes five major weekend festivals. The unique cultural heritage of Memphis is also featured during this popular celebration.

The name Tennessee comes from Tanasie, the name of a Cherokee village in the region. Tennessee is sometimes called the Big Bend State, because of a bend in the Tennessee River that makes it flow through the state twice. However, Tennessee is usually called the Volunteer State because of its great military traditions.