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     from Wikipedia

    Memphis, Tennessee

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Jump to: navigation, search
    City of Memphis
    Flag of City of Memphis
    Flag
    Official seal of City of Memphis
    Seal
    Nickname(s): The River City, The Bluff City
    Location in Shelby County and the state of Tennessee
    Location in Shelby County and the state of Tennessee
    Coordinates: 35°07′03″N 89°58′16″W / 35.1175, -89.97111
    Country United States
    State Tennessee
    County Shelby
    Founded 1819
    Incorporated 1826
    Government
     - Mayor W. W. Herenton (D)
    Area
     - City 313.8 sq mi (763.4 km²)
     - Land 302.3 sq mi (723.4 km²)
     - Water 15.4 sq mi (40.0 km²)
    Elevation 337 ft (103 m)
    Population (2007)[1]
     - City 670,902(18th)
     - Density 2,327.4/sq mi (898.6/km²)
     - Metro 1,260,581
    Time zone CST (UTC-6)
     - Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
    ZIP Codes 37501, 37544, 38101-38120, 38122, 38124-38128, 38130-38139, 38141-38142, 38145, 38147-38148, 38150-38152, 38157, 38159, 38161, 38163, 38166-38168, 38173-38175, 38177, 38181-38182, 38184, 38186-38188, 38190, 38193-38194, 38197
    Area code(s) 901
    FIPS code 47-48000[2]
    GNIS feature ID 1326388[3]
    Website: http://www.memphistn.gov

    Memphis is a city in the southwest corner of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. Memphis rises above the Mississippi River on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff just south of the mouth of the Wolf River.

    As of 2006, Memphis had an estimated population of 670,902, making it the largest city in the state of Tennessee, the second largest in the southeastern region (only behind Jacksonville, Florida), and the 18th largest in the United States [1].

    The greater Memphis metropolitan area, including adjacent counties in Mississippi and Arkansas, has a population of 1,260,581. This makes Memphis the second largest metropolitan area in Tennessee, surpassed only by metropolitan Nashville.

    Memphis is the youngest of Tennessee's four major cities (traditionally including Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Nashville). A resident of Memphis is referred to as a Memphian and the Memphis region is known as the Mid-South.

    History

    Early history

    A Mississippian era priest (Digital illustration, 2004)
    A Mississippian era priest (Digital illustration, 2004)

    The Memphis area was first settled by the Mississippian Culture and then by the Chickasaw Indian tribe. European exploration came years later, with Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto and French explorers led by René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle.[4]

    The land comprising present-day Memphis remained in a largely unorganized territory throughout most of the 18th century. By 1796, the community was the westernmost point of the newly admitted state of Tennessee.

    Foundation

    Memphis was founded in 1820 , the city was named after the ancient capital of Egypt on the Nile River.

    The cotton economy of the antebellum South depended on the forced labor of large numbers of African-American slaves, and Memphis became a major slave market.

    Tennessee seceded from the Union in June 1861 and Memphis briefly became a Confederate stronghold. Union forces captured Memphis in the Battle of Memphis on June 6, 1862, and the city remained under Union control for the duration of the war. Memphis became a Union supply base and continued to prosper throughout the war.

    20th century

    Cotton merchants on Union Avenue (1937)
    Cotton merchants on Union Avenue (1937)

    Memphis grew into the world's largest spot cotton market and the world's largest hardwood lumber market. Into the 1950s, it was the world's largest mule market.[5]

    From the 1910s to the 1950s, Memphis was a hotbed of machine politics under the direction of E. H. "Boss" Crump. During the Crump era, Memphis developed an extensive network of parks and public works as part of the national City Beautiful Movement.

    During the 1960s the city was at the center of civil rights issues, notably the location of a sanitation workers' strike. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968 at the Lorraine Motel.

    Memphis is well known for its cultural contributions to the identity of the American south. Many notable blues musicians grew up in and around the Memphis and northern Mississippi area. These included such musical greats as Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, B.B. King, and Howlin' Wolf.[6]

    Geography and climate

    Skyline of Memphis as seen from the Hernando de Soto Bridge
    Skyline of Memphis as seen from the Hernando de Soto Bridge

    Memphis is located in southwestern Tennessee at 35°7′3″N, 89°58′16″W.[7] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 313.8 sq mi (763.4 km²), of which 302.3 sq mi (723.4 km²) is land and 15.4 sq mi (40.0 km²), or 5.24%, is water.

    Cityscape

    The city of Memphis is located in southwestern Tennessee and sits on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River. It is the regional hub for a tri-state area of Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. Interstate 40 (I-40) enters the city from the northeast, and loops above the central part of the city, exiting across the Mississippi River and travelling to the west. Interstate 55 approaches the city from the south and connects with Interstate 240, which completes the loop around central Memphis with I-40, and also leaves to the west.

    Aquifer

    Shelby County is located over four natural aquifers, one of which is recognized as the "Memphis sand aquifer" or simply as the "Memphis aquifer". This particular water source, located some 350 to 1100 ft (100 - 330 m) underground, is stated to contain more than 100 trillion gallons (380 km³) of water by Memphis Light, Gas, and Water.[8]

    Three bridges over the Mississippi (2007)
    Three bridges over the Mississippi (2007)

    Climate

    Memphis has a humid subtropical climate, with four distinct seasons. The average high and low in July are 92°F (33°C) and 73°F (23°C), with high levels of humidity due to moisture encroaching from the Gulf of Mexico. Afternoon thunderstorms are frequent during some summers, but usually brief, lasting no longer than an hour. Early Autumn is pleasantly drier and mild, but can remain hot until late October. Winters are mild to chilly, with average January high and low temperatures of 49°F (9°C) and 31°F (-1°C). Late Autumn is rainy and colder; December is the third rainiest month of the year. Snow does occur sporadically in winter, with an average annual accumulation of 5.1 inches (12.9cm).

    People and culture

    Demographics

    Memphis skyline, view from Tom Lee Park (2006)
    Memphis skyline, view from Tom Lee Park (2006)

    As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 650,100 people, 250,721 households, and 158,455 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,327.4 people per sq mi (898.6/km²). There were 271,552 housing units at an average density of 972.2 per sq mi (375.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 61.41% African American, 34.41% White, 1.46% Asian, 0.19% Native American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.45% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.97% of the population.

    The Memphis Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), the 42nd largest in the United States, has a 2003 population of 1,239,337, and includes the Tennessee counties of Shelby, Tipton, and Fayette, as well as the Mississippi counties of DeSoto, Marshall, Tate, and Tunica, and the Arkansas county of Crittenden.

    Crime

    Memphis Police car (2007)
    Memphis Police car (2007)

    While in 2004, violent crime in Memphis was at a record low for more than a decade, that trend has changed. In 2005, Memphis was ranked the 4th most dangerous city with a population of 500,000 or higher in the U.S.[9] Crime in Memphis increased in 2005, and has seen a dramatic rise in the first half of 2006. Nationally, cities follow similar trends, and crime numbers tend to be cyclic. Local experts and criminologists cite as possible causes to the rise in crime in Memphis to gang recruitment, and to a reduction of federal funding by 66% to the Memphis Police Department.

    In the first half of 2006, robbery of businesses increased 52.5%, robbery of individuals increased 28.5%, and homicide increased 18% over the same period of 2005. The Memphis Police Department has responded with the initiation of Operation Blue C.R.U.S.H. (Crime Reduction Using Statistical History), which targets crime hotspots and repeat offenders.[10] Memphis ended 2005 with 154 murders, 2006 ended with 160 murders. In 2006, the Memphis metropolitan area ranked second most dangerous in the nation.[11]

    In 2006, Memphis ranked number one in violent crimes for major cities around the U.S according to the FBI's annual crime rankings, where it had ranked 2nd in 2005.[12]

    Cultural events

    One of the largest celebrations in Memphis is Memphis in May. The month-long series of events promotes Memphis' heritage and outreach of its people far beyond the city's borders. Part of this festival is the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, the largest pork barbecue cooking contest in the world.

    Carnival Memphis, is an annual series of parties and festivities in the month of June that salutes various aspects of Memphis and its industries. An annual King and Queen of Carnival are secretly selected to reign over Carnival activities.

    An arts festival, the Cooper-Young Festival, is held annually in September in the Cooper-Young district of Midtown Memphis. The event draws artists from all over North America, and includes art sales, contests, and displays. Fall also brings the Mid-South Fair to the city each year.

    The arts

    Memphis is the home of founders and establishers of various American music genres, including Blues, Gospel, Rock n' Roll, and "sharecropper" country music (in contrast to the "rhinestone" country sound of Nashville). Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and B. B. King were all getting their starts in Memphis in the 1950s. They are respectively dubbed the "King" of Country, Rock n' Roll, and Blues.

    Well-known writers from Memphis include Civil War historian Shelby Foote and playwright Tennessee Williams.

    Memphis in the arts

    Memphis is the subject of many major pop and country songs, including "Memphis" by Chuck Berry, "Queen of Memphis" by Confederate Railroad, "Memphis Soul Stew" b