Georgia (U.S. state)
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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
British rule in the
American 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 8,186,453 (
U.S. Census). It is also known as the
Peach State.
The
state song,
Georgia on My Mind by
Hoagy Carmichael was originally written about a woman of that name, but after Georgia native
Ray Charles sang it, the state legislature voted it the state song. Ray Charles sang it on the legislative floor when the bill passed.
The
state tree is the
Southern live oak (
Quercus virginiana), the
state bird is the
brown thrasher (
Toxostoma rufum), and the
state flower is the
cherokee rose (
Rosa laevigata).
Several
U.S. Navy ships have been named
USS Georgia in honor of this state.
History
\nFor details see History of Georgia (U.S. state)
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 Britain over control of Georgia began in earnest in about 1670, when the British, 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 Province of 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 12, 1733, the first settlers landed in the HMS Anne at what was to become the city of Savannah. This day is now known as Georgia Day, which is not a public holiday, but is mainly observed in schools and by some local civic groups.
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 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
Until recently, Georgia's state government had the longest unbroken record of single-party dominance of any state in the Union. For over 130 years, from 1872 to 2003 Georgians only elected Democratic governors.
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.
(See: list of Georgia governors.)
Georgia also has 159 counties, the most of any state except Texas (254). Before 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.
(See: list of Georgia counties.)
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.
Interstate highways
\n*Interstate 16\n*Interstate 20\n*Interstate 24\n*Interstate 59\n*Interstate 75\n*Interstate 85\n*Interstate 95
United States highways
\n
Economy
Georgia's 1999 total gross state product was $275 billion, placing it 10
th in the nation. Its
per capita personal income for
2000 put it 23
rd in the nation at $28,145. 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,\n65.1% (5,327,281) identified themselves as White,\n28.7% (2,349,542) as black,\n5.3% (435,227) as Hispanic or Latino,\n2.1% (173,170) as Asian,\n0.3% (21,737) as American Indian or Alaska Native,\n0.1% (4,246) as Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander\n2.4% (196,289) as other, and\n1.4% (114,188) identified themselves as belonging to two or more races.
7.3% of its population were reported as under 5 years of age,\n26.5% under 18, and\n9.6% 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
Education
Colleges and universities
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). See also
List of radio stations in Georgia (U.S. state).
Professional sports teams
See also
\n*Famous people from the State of Georgia\n*Politics of Georgia (U.S. state)
External links
\n* http://www.state.ga.us/ or
http://www.georgia.gov/\n* HREF="http://www.sos.state.ga.us/elections/results/2000_Constitution.pdf" class="external">Constitution of the State of Georgia (PDF)\n*
Summary of duties, powers and responsibilities of the branches of Georgia State government (Georgia Secretary of State website)\n*
The New Georgia Encyclopedia
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