Overview of Georgia

Georgia is one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution, it had been the last of the Thirteen Colonies to be established, in 1733. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788.

It declared its secession from the Union on January 21, 1861 and was one of the original seven Confederate states. It was the last state to be restored to the Union, on July 15, 1870. With an estimated 9,829,211 residents as of July 1, 2009, Georgia is the ninth most populous state. From 2007 to 2008, 14 counties in Georgia ranked among the nation's 100 fastest-growing.

Georgia is known as the Peach State and the Empire State of the South. Georgia is bordered on the south by Florida; on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and South Carolina; on the west by Alabama and by Florida in the extreme southwest; and on the north by Tennessee and North Carolina. The northern part of the state is in the Blue Ridge Mountains, a mountain range in the vast Appalachian Mountains system. The central piedmont extends from the foothills to the fall line, where the rivers cascade down in elevation to the continental coastal plain of the southern part of the state.

The highest point in Georgia is Brasstown Bald, 4,784 feet (1,458 m); the lowest point is sea level. With an area of 59,425 square miles (153,909 km2), Georgia is ranked 24th in size among the 50 U.S. states. Georgia is the largest state east of the Mississippi River in terms of land area, although it is the fourth largest (after Michigan, Florida, and Wisconsin) in total area, a term which includes expanses of water which are part of state territory.

History of Georgia Capitals

Georgia has had five official state capitals: colonial Savannah, which later alternated with Augusta; then for a decade at Louisville (pronounced Lewis-ville); and from 1806 through 1868, including during the American Civil War, at Milledgeville. In 1868, the capital was moved to the new city of Atlanta — one with a better access by railroad — and it became the fifth capital city of the state. It remains so to the present. The state legislature also met at some other temporary sites, including Macon, especially during the turmoil of the War.

Civil War History

On January 18, 1861, Georgia joined the Confederacy and became a major theater of the American Civil War. Major battles took place at Chickamauga, Kennesaw Mountain and Atlanta. In December 1864, a large swath of the state from Atlanta to Savannah was destroyed during General William Tecumseh Sherman's March to the Sea. This event served as the historical background for the 1936 novel Gone with the Wind and the 1939 film of the same name. On July 15, 1870, following Reconstruction, Georgia became the last former Confederate state to be reseated in Congress and restored to the Union. On April 29, 2009, Governor Sonny Perdue signed into law a bill that will make April Confederate History and Heritage month in the state.

State Symbols

• State Amphibian- American green tree frog (Hyla cinerea)
• State Bird- Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)
• State Wildflower- Azalea
• State Marine Mammal- North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis)
• State Butterfly- Eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
• State Fruit- Peach
• State Insect- Honeybee
• State Flower- Cherokee Rose (Rosa laevigata)
• State Prepared Food- Grits
• State Fish- Largemouth Bass
• State Crop- Peanut
• State Tree- Southern Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)
• State Vegetable- Vidalia Onion
• State Reptile- Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus)
• State Game Bird- Bobwhite Quail
• State Seashell- Knobbed Whelk
• State Gem- Quartz
• State Fossil- Shark Tooth
• State Mineral- Staurolite
• State Agriculture- Poultry
• State Art Museum- Georgia Museum of Art in Athens
• State Atlas- The Atlas of Georgia
• State Ballet- Atlanta Ballet
• State Folk Dance- Square Dance
• State Song- Georgia on My Mind, lyrics by Stuart Gorrell and music by Hoagy Carmichael

 

Georgia Flag & Seal

Georgia Facts

Demonym: Georgian
Capital: Atlanta
Largest City: Atlanta

Area

Ranked 24th in the US
Total 59,425 sq mi (153,909 km2)
Width 230 miles (370 km)
Length 298 miles (480 km)
% Water 2.6
Latitude 30.356 - 34.985° N
Longitude 80.840 - 85.605° W

Population

Ranked 9th in the US
Total 9,829,211 (2009 est.)
Density 141.4/sq mi (54.59/km2)
Median Income $43,217 (28th)

Elevation

Highest point
- Brasstown Bald 4,784 ft (1,458 m)
Lowest point
- Atlantic Ocean 0 ft (0 m)

Admission to Union

January 2, 1788 (4th)

Governor

Sonny Perdue (R)

Lieutenant Governor

Casey Cagle (R)

U.S. Senators

Saxby Chambliss (R)
Johnny Isakson (R))

U.S. House Delegation

7 Republicans, 6 Democrats [Full List]

Time Zone

Eastern - UTC-5/-4

Abbreviations

GA, US-GA

Largest Georgia Cities

Based on US Census Bureau estimates for Georgia's twenty Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Micropolitan Statistical Areas with populations above 50,000.

• Atlanta, 5,376,285
• Augusta, 534,218
• Savannah, 334,353
• Columbus, 287,653
• Macon, 230,777
• Athens, 189,264
• Gainesville, 184,814
• Albany, 164,919
• Dalton, 134,043
• Valdosta, 133,348
• Warner Robins, 133,161
• Brunswick, 102,852
• Rome, 95,980
• Hinesville, 69,943
• Statesboro, 67,761
• LaGrange, 64,233
• Dublin, 57,396
• Milledgeville, 56,156
• Waycross, 54,006
• Calhoun, 52,800