Southern State Nicknames Trivia Quiz

Kentucky is widely known as "The Bluegrass State." This is due to the wide prevalence of Kentucky Bluegrass, a species of grass that is actually green in color. But the grass could appear with a blue tint when viewed from a distance, due to blue flower heads that bloom when the grass is allowed to grow tall. The species of grass is native to Africa, and it was introduced by early European settlers. The blue grass of Kentucky became a sought after commodity, which settlers elsewhere sought to plant and spread. In 2007, Kentucky officially designated bluegrass music as the official state music of Kentucky, but the musical genre is not the reason why it is called "The Bluegrass State."

The Outer and Inner Bluegrass regions are located in the fertile pasture lands of Kentucky's north and central sections. In the opposite corner of the state is Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, a forested mountain pass in the Appalachians, near the borders of Virginia and Tennessee. Not every site of natural beauty in Kentucky is above ground. In the south-central area of the state is the natural wonder of Mammoth Cave National Park, the world's longest known cave system.

Tennessee's most widely known nickname is "The Volunteer State." Some claim earlier origins, but the state's historical society places the origin of the Tennessee Volunteer moniker with the War of 1812, when a large number of militiamen from the state of Tennessee signed up to serve. The reputation of the state's citizens to volunteer for service was solidified during the 1848 Mexican-American War, when the governor called for 2,600 volunteers and 30,000 enlisted. Many consider the Tennessean Davy Crockett to be the prime example of a volunteer, as he led a cadre of fighters in support of the Texas Revolution and lost his life at the Battle of the Alamo.

It should not take much persuasion for a nature lover to volunteer to explore the natural beauty of Tennessee. The state is home to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, historically the most visited national park in the United States by a wide margin. In the greater Appalachian range, the Great Smoky Mountains offers an abundance of scenic mountainous hiking trails, waterfalls such as Ramsey Cascades, and a wide biodiversity of flora and fauna.

The official nickname of Arkansas is "The Natural State," which was formally adopted by the state in 1995. But Arkansas has had other official nicknames prior to "The Natural State," including "The Wonder State" and "The Land of Opportunity." Early in the 19th century, Arkansas was informally known as "The Bear State" and then "The Toothpick State." But the formal adoption of "The Natural State" was an intentional move, intended to further boost tourism geared towards the state's natural beauty.

The state is not short of nature in its natural state. The Ozark Mountains encompass northern Arkansas, with Ozark National Forest. Ouachita National Forest, in the Ouachita Mountains, are in the west. The geothermally heated water of Hot Springs originates from Hot Springs Mountain, which is in the Ouachita Mountains. Perhaps most unique is Crater of Diamonds State Park. The erosion of a diamond-bearing volcanic pipe carried diamonds near the surface. The public is welcome to hunt through the fields of the eroded crater, and successful discoverers are allowed to keep any diamonds or other gems that may be found. It is estimated that roughly 600 diamonds per year are found in the park by visitors.

Louisiana's official state nickname is "The Pelican State." The eastern brown pelican is the official state bird, as Louisiana is home to a healthy population of the species. A pelican has been featured on the state seal since 1812, when it was admitted to the Union, and on the state flag since 1912. Fitting with the state's symbols, the New Orleans Pelicans joined the National Basketball Association in 2002.

Two unofficial nicknames of Louisiana, "The Bayou State" and "Sportsmen's Paradise," are reflective of the state's geography and opportunity for outdoor activity. Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve, in southern Louisiana, consists of six distinct sites. One of them, Barataria Preserve, is a sprawling nature preserve of wetlands, bayous and swamps. The preserve offers hiking trails and canoe tours. In the northern part of the state, Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge has cypress and tupelo trees growing out of the water, surrounded by swampland, as well as unique animal wildlife, such as the alligator snapping turtle.

Mississippi is known as "The Magnolia State." The state is known for its bounty of blossoming magnolias. More than just a nickname for Mississippi, the magnolia is also the official state flower, and the magnolia tree is the official state tree. The magnolia tree can grow up to 27.5 m (90 ft), while the large, white blossoms can reach up to 30 cm (12 inches) in diameter. While species of magnolia are found elsewhere in the world, the specific species of magnolia emblematic of Mississippi is native to the southeastern United States.

Most of Mississippi is relatively flat, along the Gulf Coastal Plain. The state's highest point is Woodall Mountain, at 246 m (807 ft) in elevation. The Mississippi River, along with numerous tributaries, has made the Mississippi lowlands quite fertile. The Mississippi Delta is among the state's geographically distinct regions. Unlike what the name implies, the Mississippi Delta is not the mouth of the Mississippi River. Rather, it is an alluvial floodplain along the northwestern Mississippi between Vicksburg to the south and Memphis, Tennessee to the north. Magnolia trees are abundant across the fertile Mississippi Delta. Mississippi is also home to the Gulf Islands National Seashore, south of Gulfport and Biloxi. The barrier islands of the national seashore are blessed with pristine, white sandy beaches of white quartz, as well as the Gulf Islands Wilderness, a wildlife preserve.

Alabama has been nicknamed "The Yellowhammer State" since the American Civil War. The yellowhammer is a species of woodpecker, and it became the official state bird of Alabama in 1927. The origin story is that soldiers from Alabama during the Civil War wore yellow trim on their uniforms, and they were compared to the yellowhammer bird. The specific yellowhammer species is another name for a subspecies of the northern flicker. Another well-known informal nickname for Alabama is "The Heart of Dixie," which was made popular by a tourism marketing campaign by the Alabama Chamber of Commerce in the 1940s.

Alabama has four national forests, home to a variety of wildlife, including yellowhammers. Talladega National Forest encompasses part of the southern Appalachian Mountains, including Cheaha Mountain, the highest point in Alabama at 735 m (2,413 ft). The Cumberland Plateau stretches across much of northern Alabama and into Tennessee.

The official state nickname for Florida is "The Sunshine State." The moniker was made official by the Florida legislature in 1970, mostly as a way to promote tourism. Technically, Florida is only the ninth or tenth sunniest state by most scientific measures. But Florida is certainly not lacking in opportunity for enjoying a fun time in the sun. In addition to the state's nickname, specific stretches of Florida's coast each have their own nickname, such as the Sun Coast, along Tampa Bay, the Fun Coast, which includes Daytona Beach, and the Space Coast, encompassing Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral, home to the Kennedy Space Center.

The Florida Keys are a unique geographical phenomenon, a coral cay archipelago extending south of Miami, and west, towards Key West, the southernmost point in the contiguous United States. One could drive the scenic Florida State Road A1A from Key West, through Miami, and along the majority of Florida's Atlantic coast, hugging the beach the entire way, ending north of Jacksonville. Inland, Florida is home to Everglades National Park, a unique ecosystem of wetlands and flooded grasslands south of Lake Okeechobee, home to bountiful species, including alligators.

Georgia has been known as "The Peach State" since the early 1900s. After the American Civil War, Georgian farmers were seeking alternatives to cotton, and they found that the climate and soil were amenable for peach orchards. The production of peaches became a booming business. Georgia is no longer the largest peach producing state, but the state's association with peaches stuck in a variety of ways. Confusingly, dozens of distinct streets in Atlanta are named Peachtree Street. And Ty Cobb, Georgia's homegrown baseball legend, was nicknamed "The Georgia Peach."

Aside from peach orchards, the geography of Georgia has plenty to offer in nature. The northern part of the state is the southernmost reach of the Appalachian Region. The southern trailhead for the Appalachian Trail is on Springer Mountain, in the Blue Ridge Mountains in northern Georgia. The Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area is a preserve along the Chattahoochee River near Atlanta. Georgia is also home to Cumberland Island National Seashore in the southeast corner of the state. Cumberland Island is the largest of the Golden Isles of Georgia, a series of barrier islands along Georgia's Atlantic coast.

South Carolina is nicknamed "The Palmetto State," and the sabal palmetto was officially designated as the state tree in 1939. The palmetto holds historical significance to South Carolina. During the American Revolution, South Carolina built a fort of palmetto logs on Sullivan's Island, to serve as protection for Charleston. When the British Navy attacked in June of 1776, the spongy palmetto logs absorbed the impact of incoming cannonballs instead of shattering. The Battle of Sullivan's Island resulted in one of the first victories for American troops over the British Navy, with the palmetto given credit where it was due. The fort on Sullivan Island was renamed Fort Moultrie after the battle in honor of Colonel William Moultrie and the successful defense of Sullivan Island. The fort comprises part of Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historic Park, both off the Charleston coast.

In addition to its rich history, South Carolina is also rich in natural beauty. Generally, the state can be divided into three geographic regions: a brief section of the Blue Ridge Mountains of the greater Appalachians, the Atlantic coastal plain, and between the two, Piedmont, eastern plateau region of the Appalachian Highlands. South Carolina's section of the Piedmont is home to Congaree National Park, which preserves old growth hardwood forests. Most palmettos grow along the coast.

North Carolina is commonly known as "The Tar Heel State." The nickname has various origin stories, but most date back to the American Civil War. North Carolina had been known for its tar and pitch as major commercial products to come from the state, in contribution to the shipbuilding industry. There is evidence that the term "Tar Heel" was originally created as a derogatory term for North Carolina's troops during the Civil War, but it quickly evolved into a praise. As the story generally goes, during one battle, the troops from North Carolina held their ground while other regiments retreated. That created the symbolic implication that Tar Heels bravely stood their ground.

Like its southern neighbor, North Carolina can be divided into three geographic regions: the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains, Piedmont, and the Atlantic Coastal Plain. North Carolina shares Great Smoky Mountains National Park with Tennessee to the west. North Carolina is also home to the geographical ecosystem of the Outer Banks, a series of barrier islands along the state's eastern coast. Due to coastal erosion and shifting sands, the number and shape of the islands is in constant flux, sometimes rapidly due to cataclysmic events such as hurricanes. The islands of the Outer Banks are a major tourist destination, with the wide, sandy beaches and scenic communities. Due to the number of historical shipwrecks, the Outer Banks and the surrounding waters has been nicknamed the "Graveyard of the Atlantic."

Virginia's possibly best known nickname is "The Old Dominion." The nickname is so old that the true origin may be lost to history. There is some evidence that King Charles II, after the Restoration, referred to Virginia as his "own dominion" or "old dominion," due to the colony's loyalties to the Royalists during the English Civil War. Regardless of origin, "The Old Dominion" is fitting for Virginia as the oldest American colony, with Jamestown, the oldest permanent English settlement. Virginia is also known as "The Mother of Presidents," as four of the first five Presidents of the United States came from Virginia.

Virginia is rich with history, and the state is also bountiful in natural beauty. Shenandoah National Park lies in the Blue Ridge Mountains, alongside the picturesque Shenandoah Valley and the Virginia Piedmont to the east. At 1,234 m (4,050 ft), Hawksbill Mountain is the highest peak in Shenandoah National Park. The highest peak in Virginia is Mount Rogers, at 1,746 m (5,729 ft), located in the southern part of the state. The Appalachian Trail crosses near the base of Mount Rogers, and the famous trail through Shenandoah National Park. Along Virginia's eastern shore is Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States. After the discovery of an Eocene era underwater meteor crater, scientists postulate that the massive impact played a significant role in shaping Chesapeake Bay, along with the rest of the Virginia Tidewater region.