- The seal of Georgia was adopted in 1798, and the only modification since has been to change the …
The state of Georgia is called the Empire State of the South. This nickname reflects Georgia's large size and economic strength. Georgia is as important to the South as New York (the Empire State) is to the Northeast. Georgia was named for King George II of England, who in 1732 granted a charter for the area to become a colony. It is the only United States state with a name honoring an English king. The capital is Atlanta. GeographyGeorgia is bordered on the south by Florida, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and South Carolina, on the north by North Carolina and Tennessee, and on the west by Alabama. The Savannah River runs along much of the eastern edge of the state and the Chattahoochee River runs along much of the western edge. The Sea Islands lie off Georgia's Atlantic coast. Georgia has an area of 58,910 square miles (152,576 square kilometers). The southern part of the state is a coastal plain. A belt of hills separates the upper edge of this region from the Piedmont Plateau, which contains most of the state's important cities and farms. The mountainous Blue Ridge area in northeastern Georgia contains the state's highest point, Brasstown Bald Mountain, which rises to 4,784 feet (1,458 meters). Plants and animalsMany different types of trees grow in Georgia, including maple, hemlock, birch, beech, chestnut, oak, and yellow poplar. Marsh grass covers much of the coastal area and the islands. Within Georgia are deer, grouse, opossum, quail, rabbit, raccoon, squirrel, sea turtles, and turkey. Alligators can be found in the south. All major freshwater game fish of the United States are found in the state's streams and lakes. People and cultureVarious Native American groups were the first to inhabit the region that is now Georgia. By the time Georgia came under the rule of the British government in the 1750s, their numbers had been greatly reduced. The area only had about 3,000 people—most of them from either England or Africa. Massive immigrations of Europeans to the United States during the 19th century had little impact on Georgia. In fact, the state lost more people than it gained through migration from 1870 to 1960. Many of the people who left Georgia after 1910 were African Americans, who went to industrial centers in the North. By the start of the 21st century, however, African Americans made up about 29 percent of the state's population. CitiesAtlanta is the capital of Georgia and its largest city. It is an important commercial and financial center of the Southeast as well as the region's transportation hub. The city's Hartsfield International Airport is by some measures the world's busiest. Other significant cities include Columbus, an industrial center on the Chattahoochee River; Savannah, a beautiful, historic city on the Atlantic coast; and Augusta, an industrial and resort city on the Savannah River. Augusta is the site of one of the world's great golf tournaments, the Masters. RecreationThe Okefenokee Swamp in the southeast and the Chattahoochee National Forest in the north-central area attract many nature lovers. The Sea Islands have fine beaches and are popular for their pleasant winter climate. Georgia was a member of the Confederacy during the American Civil War (1861–65), and many battles were fought in the state. Some of the battlefields have been preserved at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park (near Marietta) and at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park (in northwestern Georgia). The Confederate prison at Andersonville and the Confederate cemetery at Marietta are also tourist attractions. Professional sports teams include the Braves (baseball), the Falcons (football), and the Hawks (men's basketball). Atlanta hosted the Summer Olympics in 1996. EducationPublic education began in Georgia in 1870. The University of Georgia, located in Athens and founded in 1785, was the first state-chartered university in the country. Georgia Institute of Technology (usually called Georgia Tech) and Georgia State University are two other important public universities; both are located in Atlanta. Also in Atlanta are Morehouse College (for men) and Spelman College (for women), two of the most famous African American colleges in the United States. EconomyAgricultureFollowing nationwide trends, Georgia has come to have a few large farms instead of many small farms. In the days of slavery and plantations, cotton was the chief crop. It is still important to the state's textile industries, but the land devoted to it has decreased steadily. Georgia is the leading producer of peanuts in the nation. Other major crops are corn, tobacco, watermelons, soybeans, and pecans. Georgia sometimes calls itself the Peach State and is a leading producer of that fruit. Poultry, cattle, and pigs are raised. Industry - Lumber is loaded onto a truck near Fitzgerald, a town in south-central Georgia.
Since 1940 Georgia has changed from a mainly agricultural state into more of an industrial one. The production of cotton textiles has been a major part of Georgia's economy since the late 19th century. Food processing (including the freezing or canning of fruits, vegetables, and shrimps) is another leading industry. Other significant industries include the production of automobiles, mobile homes, aircraft, chemicals, paper products, and lumber. MiningGeorgia is a major producer of building stone and crushed stone. A white clay called kaolin, used in making ceramics and paper, is taken from pits in the central part of the state. Fine granite and marble are quarried in the north. HistoryThe region that is now Georgia has been inhabited for thousands of years. When the first Europeans arrived in the area they encountered mostly Cherokee and Creek Indians. In about 1540 the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto passed through the region. Present-day Georgia became part of the territory claimed by Spain as a result of De Soto's travels. By the second half of the 17th century, however, British power in the area had grown. The English colony of Georgia was founded at Savannah in 1733 by General James Oglethorpe. Georgia was a major battlefield during the American Revolution. It adopted its first state constitution in 1777. Georgia entered the Union in 1788 as the nation's fourth state. The Cherokee nation also had its own constitution and government. In the late 1830s these Native Americans were forcibly removed to reservations west of the Mississippi River. The harsh journey became known as the Trail of Tears. American Civil WarGeorgia's economy in the 1800s depended heavily on slave labor, so it joined other Southern states as part of the Confederacy during the American Civil War. In 1864 William T. Sherman, a general for the Union (federal) Army, captured Atlanta and then moved on to Savannah with his troops. They left a wide path of destruction in this “march to the sea.” Georgia recovered slowly from the war and rejoined the Union in 1870. Georgia in the 20th and 21st centuriesGeorgia's economy was sluggish from the Civil War until around the time of World War II. Industrialization during the 1940s helped Georgia to recover. Civil-rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., was born in Atlanta in 1929. He helped to make improvements in the lives of African Americans in Georgia and elsewhere. A sign of the progress made in Georgia came in 1973 when Maynard Jackson became the first African American to be elected mayor of Atlanta. One of Georgia's most famous political figures is Jimmy Carter. After serving as the state's governor in the early 1970s, he served a term as United States president from 1977 to 1981. Georgia's population grew by more than 25 percent between 1990 and 2000. This increase made Georgia one of the nation's fastest-growing states during that period. Population (2000 census), 8,186,453. |