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  3. Tennessee

TENNESSEE

Chattanooga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467

Knoxville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481

Memphis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495

Nashville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509

Tennessee

The State in Brief

Nickname: Volunteer State

Motto: Agriculture and commerce

Flower: Iris

Bird: Mockingbird

Area: 42,143 square miles (2000; U.S. rank: 36th)

Elevation: Ranges from 178 feet to 6,643 feet above sea level

Climate: Continental; mild weather with abundant rainfall in the east; hot humid summers in the western region; severe winters in mountains

Admitted to Union: June 1, 1796

Capital: Nashville

Head Official: Governor Phil Bredesen (D) (until 2007)

Population

1980: 4,591,000

1990: 4,877,185

2000: 5,689,262

2004 estimate: 5,900,962

Percent change, 1990–2000: 3.7%

U.S. rank in 2004: 16th

Percent of residents born in state: 64.7% (2000)

Density: 138 people per square mile (2000)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 290,961

Racial and Ethnic Characteristics (2000)

White: 4,563,310

Black or African American: 932,809

American Indian and Alaska Native: 15,152

Asian: 56,662

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 2,205

Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 123,838

Other: 56,036

Age Characteristics (2000)

Population under 5 years old: 374,880

Population 5 to 19 years old: 1,186,152

Percent of population 65 years and over: 12.4%

Median age: 35.9 years (2000)

Vital Statistics

Total number of births (2003): 78,811

Total number of deaths (2003): 56,909 (infant deaths, 717)

AIDS cases reported through 2003: 5,817

Economy

Major industries: Construction, chemicals, textiles, apparel, electrical machinery, furniture, leather goods, food processing, tobacco, leather, agriculture, automobiles, aluminum, tourism Unemployment rate: 5.2% (December 2004) Per capita income: $28,565 (2003; U.S. rank: 34th) Median household income: $37,529 (3-year average, 2001-2003)

Percentage of persons below poverty level: 14.3% (3-year average, 2001-2003)

Income tax rate: Limited to dividends and interest income

Sales tax rate: 7.0%