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Memphis is the second-most populous city in the state of Tennessee. The city has a large port on the Mississippi River. It is also well known for blues music and barbecue. The city is also home to FedEx, a leading company that ships packages around the world. Memphis is also known for being the home of rock and roll legend Elvis Presley.
Memphis | |
|---|---|
From top to bottom and left to right: Downtown Memphis skyline, Beale Street, FedEx Forum, Graceland, and Memphis Pyramid | |
 Flag | |
| Nickname(s): Bluff City, Home of the Blues, Grind City | |
 Interactive map of Memphis | |
  Memphis Location in Tennessee  Memphis Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates: 35°07′03″N 89°58′16″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | Shelby |
| Founded | May 22, 1819 |
| Incorporated | December 19, 1826 |
| Named for | Memphis, Egypt |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Paul Young (D)[1] |
| Area | |
| • City | 302.55 sq mi (783.60 km2) |
| • Land | 294.92 sq mi (763.83 km2) |
| • Water | 7.63 sq mi (19.77 km2) |
| Elevation | 337 ft (103 m) |
| Population | |
| • City | 633,104 |
| • Rank | 28th in the United States 2nd in Tennessee |
| • Density | 2,146.71/sq mi (828.85/km2) |
| • Urban | 1,056,190 (US: 45th) |
| • Urban density | 2,149.9/sq mi (830.1/km2) |
| • Metro | 1,345,425 (US: 44th) |
| Demonym | Memphian |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Codes | ZIP Codes[5] |
| Area code | 901 |
| FIPS code | 47-48000[6] |
| Website | City of Memphis |
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Memphis is named for Memphis, Egypt, an ancient capital city of Egypt.
The future area of Memphis was first settled by the Mississippian culture before it was discovered by French and Spanish explorers.
The United States took the land from Spain in 1797, and Andrew Jackson implemented the Indian Removal Act that facilitated the expulsion of the Cherokee from the area, making it available to white settlers. The city was established in 1819. Until the American Civil War, Memphis was a hub of cotton and slave trade. Brutal riots of angry whites against black people took place in 1866, in which 46 African Americans were killed. Yellow fever struck the city in the 1870s, killing a lot of people. The city recovered, and its population more than doubled.
The Memphis sanitation strikes was one of the key movements in the Civil Rights Movement. Musicians such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and B.B. King influenced the city's identity as the birthplace of rock and roll.
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Memphis is located east of the Mississippi River. The Wolf River, a tributary of the Mississippi River, crosses the city.
Its metropolitan area extends into Arkansas and Mississippi.
As of January 2024[update], Paul Young is the mayor of Memphis.[1]
A few professional sports teams are located in Memphis. The Memphis Grizzlies are a basketball team of the National Basketball Association (NBA). They play their home games at the FedExForum. The Memphis Redbirds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League that plays at AutoZone Park.
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