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Georgia
Georgia is a southern state of the United States and its U.S. postal abbreviation is GA. Georgia was one of the thirteen colonies that revolted against State motto: Wisdom, Justice, Moderation British rule in the American State nickname: Peach State Revolution. It was the thirteenth colony and became the fourth state, ratifying the United States Constitution on January 2, 1788. Georgia's population in 2000 was Capital Atlanta 8,186,453 (U. S. Census Largest City Atlanta Bureau). It is also known as the Peach State. Area Ranked 24th Ê- Total 154,077 km2 The state song, "Georgia On My Ê- Land 150,132 km2 Mind" by Hoagy Carmichael was Ê- Water 3,945 km2 originally written about a Ê- % water 2.6% woman of that name, but after Population Ranked 10th Georgia native Ray Charles sang Ê- Total (2000) 8,186,453 it, the state legislature voted Ê- Density 53/km2 in the state song. Ray Charles sang it on the legislative Admittance into Union floor when the bill passed. Ê- Order 4th Ê- Date January 2, 1788 The state tree is the live oak Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4 (Quercus virginiana), the state bird is the brown thrasher Latitude 30¡31'N to 35¡N (Toxostoma rufum), and the Longitude 81¡W to 85¡53'W state flower is the cherokee Width 370 km rose (Rosa laerigata). Length 480 km Elevation Ê Several US Navy ships have been Ê-Highest 1458 meters named USS Georgia in honor of Ê-Mean 180 meters this state. Ê-Lowest 0 meters ISO 3166-2: US-GA History At the time of European colonization of the Americas, Cherokee and Creek Indians lived in what is now Georgia. Though it is unknown exactly who was the first European to sight Georgia, it is possible that Juan Ponce de Leon sailed along the coast during his exploration of Florida. In 1526, Lucas Vasquez de Ayllon attempted to establish a colony there, possibly near St. Catherine's Island. Over the next few decades, a number of Spanish explorers visited the inland region, leaving a trail of destruction behind them. The local moundbuilder culture, described by Hernando de Soto in 1540, had completely disappeared by 1560. The conflict between Spain and England over control of Georgia began in earnest in about 1670, when the English, moving south from their Carolina colony in present-day South Carolina met the Spanish moving north from their base in Florida. In 1724, it was first suggested that what was by then a British colony be called Georgia in honor of King George II. Massive British settlement began in the early 1730s with James Oglethorpe, an Englishman in the British parliament, who promoted the idea that the area be used to settle people in debtor prison. On February 1, 1733, the first settlers landed in what was to become the city of Savannah. On January 18, 1861 Georgia joined the Confederacy in the American Civil War and on July 15, 1870 after Reconstruction Georgia became the last former Confederate state to be readmitted to the Union. During this time, much of the state was destroyed in Sherman's March To the Sea, part of the setting for the book and movie Gone With the Wind. On February 19, 1953 Georgia became the first U.S. state to approve a literature censorship board in the United States. Georgia has had five "permanent" state capitals: Savannah, Augusta, Louisville, Milledgeville, and Atlanta. (Louisville is pronounced like Lewis [loo-iss], not like Louie [loo-ee].) The legislature has also met in other places temporarily. Law and Government The state capital is Atlanta and the current governor is Sonny Perdue (Republican). Georgia's two U.S. senators are Saxby Chambliss (Republican) and former governor Zell Miller (Democrat). As of the 2001 reapportionment, the state has 13 congressmen and women in the U.S. House of Representatives. Georgia also has 159 counties, the most of any state except Texas (256). Prior to 1932, there were 161, with Milton and Campbell being merged into Fulton at the end of 1931, during the Great Depression. Gwinnett County was named after Button Gwinnett, one of the delegates from Georgia who signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Geography Georgia is bordered on the south by Florida, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and South Carolina, on the west by Alabama, and on the north by Tennessee and North Carolina. It is the largest state east of the Mississippi River. The northern part of the state is in the Blue Ridge Mountains, a mountain range in the mountain system of the Appalachians. 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, 4784 feet (1458 m); the lowest point is sea level. The capital is Atlanta, in the central part of northern Georgia, and the peach is a symbol of the state. The state is an important producer of cotton, tobacco, and forest products, notably the so-called "naval stores" such as turpentine and rosin from the pine forests. Economy Georgia's 1999 total gross state product was $275 billion, placing it 10th in the nation. Its per capita personal income for 2000 was $28,145, 23rd in the nation. Georgia's agricultural outputs are poultry and eggs, peanuts, cattle, hogs, dairy products, and vegetables. Its industrial outputs are textiles and apparel, transportation equipment, food processing, paper products, chemical products, electric equipment, and tourism. Demographics As of the 2000 census, the population of Georgia is 8,186,453, making it the 10th most populous state. Its population grew 26.4% (1,708,304) from its 1990 levels. According to the 2000 census, 65.1% (5,327,281) identified themselves as White, 28.7% (2,349,542) as black, 5.3% (435,227) as Hispanic or Latino, 2.1% (173,170) as Asian, 0.3% (21,737) as American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.1% (4,246) as Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 2.4% (196,289) as other, and 1.4% (114,188) identified themselves as belonging to two or more races. 7.3% of its population were reported as under 5, 26.5% under 18, and 9.6% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 50.8% of the population. Nearly half of the state's population lives in the Atlanta metro area. Important Cities and Towns * Atlanta * Macon * Savannah * Columbus * Augusta * Albany * Athens * Valdosta * Rome Radio and Television Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) operates nine major educational television stations across the state as Georgia Public Television (GPTV). It also operates, in whole or in part, several radio stations as Georgia Public Radio (GPR). Professional Sports Teams * Atlanta Falcons, National Football * Minor League baseball teams League o Savannah Sand Gnats * Atlanta Hawks, National Basketball o Augusta GreenJackets Association o South Georgia Waves * Atlanta Thrashers, National Hockey o Rome Braves League * Atlanta Braves, Major League Baseball * Georgia Force, Arena Football League * Atlanta Beat, Women's United Soccer Association
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