What Georgia is known for

Georgia is one of the United States of America's southeastern states. The state is bordered by Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida, and Alabama. A small part of the state's eastern borders also comes in contact with the Atlantic Ocean.[9] Georgia was named after King George II, who made the land's first colony's charter possible.[10] Georgia is also nicknamed "The Peach State," originating from the state's early history.[1] The Cherokee Indians were the first to grow peaches in the area in the mid-1700s, and peaches are still grown at large throughout the state.[10] Georgia is the third-largest producer of peaches in the United States, growing around 2.6 million bushels every year.[3] The population of the state is around 10,725,000 residents. Half a million of these people live in the state's capital, Atlanta.[6] Other major cities in Georgia include Augusta, Columbus, Macon County, Savannah, and Athens.[1]

Around 100 million people visit Georgia every year. Atlanta welcomes around 50 million of the state's tourists with over 95,000 hotel rooms. The tourism industry generates about 60 billion dollars in revenue each year and supports around 484,000 tourism-related jobs throughout the state. Most people who visit Georgia come from neighboring states such as Tennesee, South Carolina, Florida, and Alabama.[4] The state is inside the bible belt and has a high concentration of religious individuals, typically Conservative Protestants.[3] A large draw to the state of Georgia is the University of Georgia.[2] This educational institution is located in Athens, and around 60% of its student body comes from out of state. A large portion of the state's tourism comes from students' families visiting for various school and sports activities.[4]

There is a wide variety of activities tourists can participate in throughout the state. The Georgia Aquarium is the world's largest aquarium, with more than 100,000 aquatic animals throughout its fresh and saltwater exhibits. The Savannah Historic District is a square mile of preserved city blocks from the Civil War. The district is rumored to be haunted and is covered in old mansions, cobble-stoned streets, and trees draped in Spanish Moss. Forsyth Park is located within the district and is a statewide landmark with fountains and century-old trees. Other historical attractions in the state include the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, Fox Theatre, and National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center. The world of Coca-Cola is located in Atlanta along with the Callaway Gardens and the Sea Island Golf Course.[2]

In addition to Georgia's indoor attractions, there are several popular outdoor and nature-oriented attractions as well. Jekyll Island holds several summer camps and outdoor activities year-round where visitors can explore the sunny beaches and volunteer at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. Okefenokee Swamp covers 438,000 acres of land and has its own wildlife refuge. The acreage is known for its alligator-filled swamps and airboat tours. The Appalachian Trail begins in the Chattahoochee National Forest near the northern borders of Georgia. A network of 450 miles of hiking and recreational trails covers the national forest. There are also thousands of miles of rivers and trout streams in the mountains.[2]

Almost half of Georgia is covered in pine trees and commercial forests. The woods provide ample natural resources such as lumber, resins, turpentine, and other wood products. Georgia also grows most of the United States peanut production and is the country's largest producer of kaolin clay. Copper is commonly mined in the state, along with gold and manganese.[1] Similar to tourism, peach production is one of the highest points of income for the state. There are a total of 1.6 million peach trees in Georgia, and around 30 million pounds of peaches come from these trees annually.[3] Major businesses based out of the state include Home Depot—a home improvement retailer—, the United Parcel Service—a multinational shipping company—, and Delta Airlines.[11]

Geography

Georgia is one of the United States' fifty states; located in the southeastern corner of the nation. It is bordered by Florida to the south, Alabama to the west, South Carolina to the east, and Tennessee to the north. A small portion of the state also meets the Atlantic Ocean on its southeastern border.[1] Georgia is divided into three distinct geographical regions: the Appalachian Plateau, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the Atlantic Coastal Plain. In the northwest corner of the state is the Appalachian Plateau, with deep caves and steep mountains. The rocky ridges of this region overlook the fertile valleys of the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Atlantic Coastal Plain is unlike the Appalachian Plateau because it is covered in rivers, waterfalls, and beaches.[9] The Okefenokee Swamp is located in this plain and is filled with waterways, cypress trees, and alligator habitats. This swamp is the largest in North America.[3] 

The last of the three regions, the Blue Ridge Mountains, is located in the northeast corner of Georgia. The Blue Ridge Mountains are also within the Piedmont Region with sprawling valleys, low hills, and dense forests.[10] The highest peak in Georgia is located among the Blue Ridge Mountains, rising to 4,784 feet.[3] Several barrier islands rest along its shoreline, including Jekyll, Tybee, and St. Simons.[1] There are also numerous salt marshes and large farms throughout the state's landscape. These farms grow various crops, including peaches, peanuts, pecans, and Vidalia onions. Georgia is also a significant source of cotton production throughout the United States.[3] 

Due to the state's unique topography of both mountains and sea, there is a wide variety of both plant and animal life that flourish throughout. In the Appalachians, there are chestnuts, oak, and yellow poplar trees. There are cypress trees, tupelos, birches, hemlocks, maples, birches, and beech trees in the less mountainous areas. Along the marshland and swamps, there are longleaf, loblolly, and slash pine trees. Moss covers most areas of the state.[7] Animal life in mountain areas includes deer, black bears, bobcats, and gophers. Off the coast, there are manatees, whales, and humpback whales. Thousands of alligators fill the swamplands, and grouse, opossums, quail, rabbits, and turkeys inhabit the prairie land.[8]

The weather throughout Georgia fluctuates throughout twelve different climate zones. As a general rule, the coastline region is more humid, and further inland temperatures drop. The state has hot and humid summers with an average temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit, the hottest month of the year is July. The winter season is short and cold, with an average daily temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The coldest month of the year in Georgia is in January. The state receives around 80 inches of rain annually and less than two inches of snow. An average of 109 days with some sort of precipitation every year.[5]

History

The first recorded inhabitants of Georgia made their way into the land over 10,000 years ago. These people were part of the Paleo-Indian period and built small, seasonally occupied camps and settlements across the state and its surrounding areas. These camps were used as homes for natives hunting and harvesting the area.[10] Many of these woodland people left mounds of clay, woven baskets, elaborate jewelry, figurines, and untouched burial grounds that were discovered thousands of years later, confirming their existence. After the Woodland people, the Mississippian culture took over the land in the 1300s. This culture flourished off of the river waters and its surrounding soil, where crops were grown, and animals were trapped. The Mississippian culture remained dominant in the area until European explorers arrived in the 1500s.[1]

Around 1540, Hernando de Soto led a European expedition through what is now Georgia looking for silver and gold. When he encountered the Mississippian people, he was impressed with the well-organized, agricultural society and decided to take over the community. He and his expedition group killed or enslaved most of the Mississippian people in addition to introducing new diseases to them, such as measles, smallpox, and whooping cough. In 1565, the Spanish began their occupation of Florida and, as a result, sent many of their missionaries and military groups into Georgia to claim more land. The pressure of the Spanish settlements into the native lands persisted into the 17th century until the British in South Carolina began to pressure the Spanish for their land.[10]

The British began trading with the indigenous residents of Georgia to build favor and trust among the people. Once friendships were established, the British were granted a peaceful entry of settlements into the indigenous people’s land. Georgia was granted statehood on January 2nd, 1788. Slowly the land of Georgia became a permanent home to many European towns, and by the mid-19th century, a majority of the wealthy white families started plantations. During the Civil War, the Union army occupied parts of Georgia’s coastline, and thousands of African American men and children were drafted to fight. The war destroyed over half of Georgia’s land, and thousands of slaves ran from the state for freedom. In an attempt to restore the state’s agricultural economy, the farm owners started the system of sharecropping.[10]

Racial conflicts remained in the state well into the 20th century. The Great Depression of the 1930s brought great suffering to the state when thousands of sharecroppers and farmers went out of business. Georgia experienced severe poverty until World War II raised the state’s economy yet again.[10] Most of the state’s growth in business, manufacturing, and population took place around its capital city of Atlanta.[11] Famous individuals born in Georgia include former president Jimmy Carter, actresses Julia Roberts and Raven-Symone, professional baseball player Jackie Robinson, and world-famous rapper and music producer Kanye West.[3]