• Tennessee's official sport fish, the largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, is probably the most popular and most sought after fish in the state.
  • Sometimes referred to as bigmouth, its popularity is due to a strong fighting ability, relatively large size and pleasing flavor. Tennessee largemouths can grow to 14 or 15 inches by their third year and may be found in most of the lakes and streams in the state.

• The pearl, taken from mussels in the fresh water rivers of the state, is the official state gem. Tennessee river pearls are among the most beautiful and durable in the world. Tennessee river pearls are of all colors and they are natural since the mussel made them...100% pearl, all the way through.
  • They have been found in various shapes -- spherical, pear-shaped and baroque or irregular.

  

• Tennessee has two official state insects: the firefly and the ladybug. The firefly emits a luminescent light easily seen on summer evenings. The light is a natural form of incandescent light which man has never completely duplicated.
  • The reddish-orange ladybug has distinctive black spots on each wing cover. It helps farmers by controlling insect pests, especially aphids. In folk medicine, ladybugs were believed to cure various diseases such as colic and measles.

  

• Capital: Nashville, founded on Christmas day in 1779

• Population: 5,175,000

• Tennessee's population density is 118 people per square mile.

• Governor: Don Sundquist (R) (until 2003)

• Motto: Agriculture and Commerce

• The Grand Divisions (see picture) of Tennessee
  • Topography: Rugged country in the east; Great Smoky Mountains of the Uankas; low ridges in the Appalachian Valley; the flat Cumberland Plateau; slightly rolling terrain and knobs of the interior low plateau, the largest region; Eastern Gulf coastal plain to the west, laced with meandering streams; Mississippi alluvial plain, a narrow strip of swamp and flood plain in the extreme west.

• Geology: Land Area; 41,154 square miles

• Geographic Center: Rutherford, 5 miles northeast of Murfreesboro

• The lowest point of elevation in Tennessee, is 182 feet ( 55 meters) above sea level, and is found in Shelby County.

• The greatest distance between the northern and southern borders of Tennessee is 115 miles.

• The general elevation of the Cumberland Plateau is from 1,700 to 1,900 feet.

• Song: Music is such an integral part of Tennessee's heritage that there are not one, but six official state songs: My Homeland, Tennessee, designated in 1925; When It's Iris Time in Tennessee, designated in 1935; My Tennessee ( the official public school song) designated in 1955; Tennessee Waltz designated in 1965; Rocky Top designated in 1982; and Tennessee, designated in 1992 .

• Tennessee has approximately 125 airports.

• The mockingbird officially became the state bird (see picture) on April 22, 1933, the same day the iris became the state flower. The mockingbird is akin to the brown thrasher and the catbird. It is ashen gray above, with darker, white-edged wings and whitish underparts; its length, inclusive of the long tail, is about 10 inches.
  • One of the finest singers among North American birds, it possesses a melodious song of its own, and is especially noted for its skill in mimicking the songs of other birds.