Map of Georgia State which lies in the southeastern region of the United States
| State | Georgia |
| State Capital | Atlanta |
| Largest City | Atlanta |
| Coordinates | 33°N 83.5°W |
| Nickname(s) | Peach State, Empire State of the South |
| Postal Abbreviation | GA |
| Area | 59,425 sq. mi (153,909 sq. km) |
| Highest Point | Brasstown Bald, 4,784 ft (1,458 m) |
| Neighboring States | Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, Alabama, North Carolina |
| Number of Counties | 159 |
| Population | 10,519,475 (est. 2,018) |
| Date of Entering the Union | January 2, 1788 |
| State Anthem | “Georgia on My Mind” |
| Governor | Brian Kemp (Republican) |
| Lieutenant Governor | Geoff Duncan (Republican) |
| U.S. Senators | Johnny Isakson (Republican), David Perdue (Republican) |
| U.S. House Delegation | 9 Republicans, 5 Democrats |
| GDP (Millions of Dollars) | 592,153 |
| Demonym | Georgian |
| Time Zones | UTC-05:00 (Eastern), Summer (DST) UTC-04:00 (EDT) |
Georgia (the fourth state that was admitted to the union on January 2, 1788) is located in the southeastern region of the US. It shares its border with Alabama to the west, Florida to the south, South Carolina to the northeast, North Carolina and Tennessee to the north. This state has a coastline with the Atlantic Ocean to the east.
The state is spread across a total area of 59,425 sq. mi (153,909 sq. km), out of which 57,906 sq. mi (149,976 sq. km) is land area and 1,519 sq. mi (3,933 sq. km) is water area. The water area occupies around 3.2% of the total area.
Georgia stretches around 300 miles (483 km) in length and 230 miles (370 km) in width. The geographic center of the state is situated in Twiggs County, which is around 18 miles (29 km) southeast of Macon. As per the Congressional Research Service (CRS), this state has a 100 mi (160 km) long coastline.
The mean elevation of Georgia is 600 ft (183 m) above sea level. Brasstown Bald (also called Mount Etonah) is the highest point in the state at 4,784 ft (1,458 m) above sea level. The lowest elevation point in this state is the sea level (coastal Georgia meeting the Atlantic Ocean) in the east.
Besides Brasstown Bald, the other significant mountains in Georgia are Rabun Bald, Dick’s Knob, Hightower Bald, Wolfpen Ridge, Blood Mountain, Tray Mountain, Grassy Ridge, Slaughter Mountain, Double Spring Knob and Coosa Bald. While Savannah River, Chattahoochee River, and Suwannee River are the biggest rivers in the state, and the major lakes are Lake Hartwell, West Point Lake, and Clark’s Hill Lake.
There are six distinct landforms in this state, and they are the Appalachian Plateau, the Appalachian Ridge/Valley Region, the East Gulf Coastal Plain, the Atlantic Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and the Blue Ridge.
The Atlantic Coastal Plain, a part of the Atlantic Plain, starts from Massachusetts, stretches to the Florida peninsula, and goes around the Gulf of Mexico. In the southeast of the state, the Atlantic Ocean shoreline is located. The Atlantic Coastal Plain, comprising a flat landscape, occupies a significant area (1/4th) of Georgia. Many rivers drain the coastal plain into the Atlantic Ocean.
In the southwest part of this state, the East Gulf Coastal Plain covers 1/4th of the state. This landform is less sandy. A section of Okefenokee Swamp is located in the East Gulf Coastal Plain.
Piedmont is yet another major landform in Georgia that cuts across the state. It is located to the northwest of both East Gulf Coastal Plain and Atlantic Coastal Plain.
While a hilly landscape (with an elevation of around 1,500 ft or 457 m above sea level) is found in the northern part of this region, more gently rolling landscape (having an elevation of about 400 ft or 122 m above sea level) is found in the southeast of the region.
The landscape where the Gulf Coastal Plain and the Atlantic Coastal Plain meets is known as the Fall Line. The rivers flowing from the higher elevations of the Piedmont landscape fall to the Coastal Plains (located at lower elevations) in the form of waterfalls as well as rapids.
The Blue Ridge mainly consists of mountain peaks (including the highest elevation point in the state), having elevation from 2,000 ft (610 m) to 5,000 ft (1,524 m) above sea level. In this region, there are over twenty such mountain peaks whose elevation is more than 4,000 ft (1,219 m). The region of Blue Ridge consists of forests made up of pine softwoods and hardwoods.
A series of broad and fertile valleys are found in the Appalachian Ridge as well as Valley Region. Parallel ridges of sandstone separate these valleys. This region is located in the northwestern part of Georgia. In the extreme northwest corner of Georgia, the isolated Appalachian Plateau is found. It stands at around 1,800 ft (549 m) to 2,000 ft (610 m) above sea level. Appalachian Plateau consists of narrow valleys, wooded ridges, Lookout Mountain, and Sand Mountain.
Georgia has a humid subtropical climate, characterized by hot or moist summers and mild winters. The rainfall level varies from one region to the other. While central Georgia gets 40 inches (1,016 mm), northeastern Georgia receives 75 inches (1,905 mm) of annual rainfall. The average annual temperature varies from a high of 92.2 °F (33.4 °C) to a low of 32.6 °F (0.3 °C).
The maximum rainfall takes place during February-March, during which the extent of rain hovers within 4-6 inches (101.6-152.4 mm). In July, the second maximum rainfall takes place.
Thunderstorms accompany rainfall in this month, and the average rainfall level hovers within 4-7 inches (101.6-177.8 mm). Many days are there when the temperature exceeds 90 °F (32 °C). The evenings remain cool in the hilly Piedmont and mountain areas.
Winter season remains mild. However, significant variation is found as you move from south to north. In the mountainous northern fringes of Georgia, snow covers not exceeding 2 inches (51 mm) take place for 1-2 days. The interaction of subtropical and polar air masses causes variation in temperature daily during winter.
Georgia has one of the best economic conditions among the 50 states in the US. The economy of Georgia ranks 9th best among the US States.
The total Gross Domestic Product for Georgia was US$592,153.4 million in 2018, a significant increase from US$407,024.5 million in 2009. The per capita personal income has also increased from 34,042 in 2009 to US$46,482 in 2018. The rate of unemployment has also seen good results in the last decade. It dropped from a peak of 10.6% in November 2010 to 3.3% in November 2018. The median household income has increased from US$43,340 in 2009 to US$57,985 in 2017. However, it has come down to US$55,821 in 2018.
The total value of exports was US$40,613,321,982 and the total import value was US$98,752,830,682 in 2018, resulting in a negative trade balance of -$58,139,508,700. The major exports were aircraft, industrial machinery, motor vehicles and parts, electrical machinery, precision instruments, paper, wood pulp, plastics, etc. The major imports were industrial machinery, motor vehicles and parts, electrical machinery, furniture, precision instruments, plastics, pharmaceuticals, etc.
The US Census report shows that the humming economy of Georgia has helped decline the rate of poverty by 2.8% between 2015-2016 and 2017-2018. The drop was faster than the national drop in the poverty rate (1.1%). Improvement in the job scenario has helped Georgia in the faster decline of poverty. The average percentage of people (based on an average of 2016, 2017, and 2018) living under poverty in the state is still hovering around 14.7%. It is even higher than the national US average of 12.3%.
Georgia has 1,244 mi (2,002 km) of Interstate Highways and the main ones are I-16, I-20, I-24, I-59, I-75, I-85, I-95, I-285, I-575, etc. Some of the main US Highways running through the state are US 1, US 11, US 17, US 19, US 23, US 25, US 27, US 29, US 41, US 76, etc. An extensive system of state routes is also there in this state. The major bridges and tunnels here are Sidney Lanier Bridge and Chetoogeta Mountain Tunnel.
The main airports in this US state are Southwest Georgia Regional Airport (in Albany), Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (in Atlanta), Augusta Regional Airport (in Augusta), Brunswick Golden Isles Airport (in Brunswick), Columbus Metropolitan Airport (in Columbus), Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (in Savannah), Valdosta Regional Airport (in Valdosta), Athens Ben Epps Airport (in Athens), Middle Georgia Regional Airport (in Macon), DeKalb–Peachtree Airport (in Atlanta / Chamblee), etc.
The main seaports are Port of Savannah, Port of Charleston, Port of Jacksonville, Port of Brunswick, Port Bainbridge, and Port Columbus. Heavy rail rapid transit, as well as bus transit systems, are the popular modes of transport in counties such as Fulton, DeKalb, and Clayton.
Georgia (the last among the original 13 colonies) was established in 1732. England’s King George II granted terms of the charter in 1733 that required the colonies founded by James Oglethorpe to be named after the king. That’s how Georgia got its name.
The peaches grown in Georgia are of higher quality (especially in terms of flavor, appearance, texture, and nutrition values). That’s why it is called “The Peach State”.
Other nicknames of this state are “Empire State of the South”, “The Goober State”, “Yankee-land of the South”, “The Buzzard State”, and “The Cracker State”.
Savannah Historic District, Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta Botanic Garden, Center for Civil and Human Rights, Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, Chattahoochee National Forest, Jekyll Island, Callaway Gardens, Okefenokee Swamp, Ocmulgee National Monument, Jimmy Carter National Historic Site
1) Okefenokee Swamp covers more than 400,000 acres of channels. Lily pad grasslands and moss wrapped cypress plants offer safe haven to various varieties of birds and flora and fauna, which include many threatened genus.
2) The relics of Dungeness are found in Cumberland Island National Seashore, which was a splendid Carnegie land. Furthermore, wild horses feed in the middle of inhospitable sandbanks.
3) John F. Kennedy, Junior and his prospective spouse halted in Kingsland on their journey to their wedding on Cumberland Island.
4) The second oldest city in the country is the famous Saint Marys.
5) The oldest steamer to travel across the Atlantic Ocean was the City of Savanna. It voyaged from Georgia.
6) Richmond Hill is the new name of the Ways Station. It was changed on May 1, 1941, adopting the name of the winter manor of the famous car manufacturer Henry Ford.
7) Blackbeard Island is home to a residence built by Edward “Blackbeard” Teach, the robber. The Blackbeard Island Wilderness Area was authorized by the United States Congress in 1975. Currently, the place covers an area of 3,000 acres.
8) Georgia was admitted to the Union on January 19, 1861.
9) The largemouth bass is the official fish of Georgia.
10) Gainesville is dubbed as the Chicken Capital of the World. Having chicken with a fork is prohibited here.
11) The state was named after King George II of England.
12) Stone Mountain close to the capital is one of the biggest individual heaps of bare granite in the world.
13) Georgia holds the top rank in the country in producing the three Ps – pecans, peanuts, and peaches.
14) Shoot the Bull Barbecue Championship takes place every year at the Hawkinsville Civitan Club. Men and women from different corners of the state of GA and the neighboring states gather at this tiny town in South Georgia to become a participant with their delicious barbecue mixtures in this celebrated cooking competition. The money raised from this competition is spent to help the Civitan International Research Center and its research en route for a remedy for Down’s syndrome and other growth handicaps.
15) Georgia is famous for hosting the International Poultry Trade Show every year. This show is the biggest poultry conference in the world.
16) Savannah houses the oldest transportable external-combustion engine in the U.S. that is put on show at Historic Railroad Shops.
17) The Vidalia onion is called as the sweetest onion in the world. It is exclusively raised in the meadows close to Glennville and Vidalia.
18) Georgia is the biggest state toward the eastern side of the Mississippi River.
19) The population of the state in 1776 was close to 40,000.
20) Cordele is dubbed as the Watermelon Capital of The World.
21) Every year, The Masters Golf Tournament takes place at the Augusta National during the first week of April.
22) Georgia is frequently nicknamed the Empire State of the South, the Cracker State, and the Peach State.
23) The location of the first Gold Rush in the United States in 1828 was Auraria. It is closely located to the Dahlongea city.
24) Coca-Cola, the world famous soft drink, was the invention of Dr. John S. Pemberton. He invented it in May 1886 in Atlanta, Georgia. The name of the beverage was recommended by Frank Robinson, who was the accountant of Dr. Pemberton. He wrote the word Coca-Cola in the running script, which is quite popular at the present time. The beverage was initially sold at a counter by Willis Venable in Jacob’s Pharmacy, Atlanta.
25) Rome houses Berry College, which has the biggest campus in the world.
26) Warm Springs houses the Little White House, which was the restorative abode of Franklin D. Roosevelt.
27) A community of wealthy persons sold Jekyll Island to the state of Georgia in 1942. It was a private holiday property.
28) Providence Canyon State Park is nicknamed as the Little Grand Canyon of Georgia. It is closely located to Lumpkin.
29) The official flower is the Cherokee rose, the official bird is the brown thrasher, and the official tree is the live oak.
30) US Highway 27 covers the entire span of Georgia. The highway is also called as Martha Berry Highway, named after Martha Berry, a leading pedagogue.
31) Rome houses Marshall Forest, which is the sole natural forest inside the city boundaries in the U.S.
32) Six Flags Over Georgia, the famous funfair, was initially named after six flags that were hoisted in the state. These flags were flags of Spain, England, Georgia, Liberty, the United States, and Confederacy of America.
33) Big Shanty Museum domiciles the railway locomotive famously called as The General. The museum is located in Kennesaw. In 1862, the locomotive was pilfered in the Andrews Railroad Raid. Subsequently, the event was portrayed in The Great Locomotive Chase, a famous motion picture.
34) The name of the Okefenokee, the well-known South Georgia marsh, was originated from an Indian expression, signifying the shaking earth.
35) The tallest peak in Georgia is the Brasstown Bald Mountain. The altitude of the mountain is 4,784 feet.
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