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The Great Smoky Mountains, located along the Tennessee–North Carolina border in the southeastern United States, are a mountain range and subrange of the Appalachian Mountains. They form part of the Blue Ridge Physiographic Province and are commonly referred to as the Smoky Mountains or Smokies. The range is home to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which was established in 1934 and is the most visited national park in the United States, with over 11 million visits per year. The park protects most of the range and is part of an International Biosphere Reserve. The Smokies are renowned for their diverse ecosystems, including old-growth forests, hardwood forests, and Southern Appalachian spruce–fir forests, which cover the upper elevations. The range is also home to a dense black bear population and the most diverse salamander population outside of the tropics. The Great Smoky Mountains have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the U.S. National Park Service preserves and maintains 78 structures within the national park that were once part of the numerous small Appalachian communities scattered throughout the range's river valleys and coves. The park contains five historic districts and nine individual listings on the National Register of Historic Places. The name 'Smoky' originates from the natural fog that often hangs over the range, presenting as large smoke plumes from a distance, caused by the vegetation emitting volatile organic compounds. The Great Smoky Mountains stretch from the Pigeon River and are centered primarily around the Southern Appalachian spruce–fir forests between southwestern Virginia and southwestern North Carolina. The temperate rainforest, which includes the Appalachian cloud forest, has a cool, mild climate with highly variable temperature and precipitation patterns linked to elevation. The region's unique microclimates support both southern and northern species, including some that were forced south during the Last Ice Age. The evergreen spruce and fir forests at higher elevations and deciduous cove forests at lower elevations contribute to the area's exceptional biodiversity. With its rich natural and cultural heritage, the Great Smoky Mountains are a unique and valuable treasure, attracting millions of visitors each year and providing a habitat for a wide range of flora and fauna.