Geography of Georgia

Introduction to Geography of Georgia

Georgia, one of the southeastern states of the United States. It is bordered by North and South Carolina, the Atlantic Ocean, Florida, Alabama, and Tennessee. Covering 59,441 square miles (153,953 km2), Georgia is the largest state east of the Mississippi River.

Economically, politically, and socially, Georgia underwent vast changes in the latter half of the 20th century, becoming more urbanized and less regional in its outlook, while still retaining its Southern character.

Physical Geography

Georgia occupies parts of three physical regions of the United States: the Appalachians, the Piedmont Plateau, and the Coastal Plain.

The Appalachian section is a hilly-to-mountainous area in the extreme northern part of the state. It consists largely of the southern tip of the Blue Ridge, in the northeast, and a series of low, nearly parallel ridges and intervening valleys, in the northwest. The general trend of the ridges and mountains is northeast-southwest. Elevations are highest in the Blue Ridge, where a number of heavily wooded, rounded peaks reach more than 3,500 feet (1,067 m) above sea level. The state's highest point. Brasstown Bald, rises to 4,784 feet (1,458 m).

The Piedmont Plateau lies immediately south of the Appalachian section and covers about a third of the state. It is an upland with rolling terrain and fairly deep, narrow-valleys cut by rivers and streams. The slope of the land is downward from north to south. Elevations vary from about 1,500 to 500 feet (450 to 150 m). The Piedmont ends at the fall line, where waterfalls and rapids occur as rivers descend to the Coastal Plain below.

About half of the state lies in the Coastal Plain, a broad lowland. Most of it is level to rolling land, though there are moderately hilly areas. Stretching along the 100 miles (160 km) of coast is a band of sea marshes and sandy beaches. Just offshore are the Sea Islands, known also in Georgia as the Golden Isles. Among them are Ossabaw, St. Catherines, Sapelo, St. Simons, Jekyll, and Cumberland islands. In the southeastern corner of the state, extending into Florida, is Okefenokee Swamp, a watery wilderness with moss-draped cypress, rare plants, and abundant wildlife, including bears and alligators.

Except along the northern border, where drainage is northward to the Tennessee River, Georgia is drained by rivers flowing southward to either the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico. To the Atlantic flow the Savannah, along much of the Georgia-South Carolina border; the Ogeechee; the Altamaha, formed by the Oconee and Ocmulgee; the Satilla; and the St. Marys.

Draining to the Gulf are the Suwannee, the Flint, and the Chattahoochee, which makes up part of the Georgia-Alabama border. In northwestern Georgia the Coosa River is formed by the union of several headwater streams.

The chief lakes are reservoirs created by dams. They include Hartwell Lake, Russell Lake, and J. Strom Thurmond Lake (also known as Clarks Hill Lake), on the Savannah River; Lakes Oconee and Sinclair, on the Oconee; Lake Sidney Lanier, West Point Lake, and Walter F. George Reservoir, on the Chattahoochee; and Lake Seminole, on the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers.

Georgia has a humid subtropical climate. Summers are warm to hot except in the mountains, where increased elevation causes somewhat cooler conditions. July temperatures average about 79° F. (26° C.) on the Piedmont and about 81° F. (27° C.) on the Coastal Plain. Daytime highs of 90° F. (32° C.) or more are common. Many days are made oppressive by high humidity, especially on the Coastal Plain. Winters are brief. January temperatures average about 55° F. (13° C.) in the south and decline northward, averaging about 45° F. (7° C.) on the Piedmont and slightly lower in the far north. Cold weather occasionally grips the state, but is usually of short duration.

Precipitation is abundant and varies considerably in total amount throughout the state and from year to year. The far north usually gets 55 to 75 inches (1,397 to 1,905 mm), the rest of the state 40 to 55 inches (1,016 to 1,397 mm). Snow is a rare occurrence except in the mountains.

The state is occasionally struck by tornadoes and hurricanes.

Georgia's forest area is the largest in the eastern United States and fourth largest in the nation. Forests cover slightly less than two-thirds of the state. They consist largely of pines, especially loblolly pine; slash, shortleaf, and other yellow pines are also widespread.

Many kinds of deciduous hardwood trees grow in Georgia, mostly in the mountains, on the Piedmont, and, elsewhere in the state, along rivers and streams. Oak, hickory, gum, poplar, and maple are among the principal species. Bald cypress and water tupelo are common in swampy areas; palmettos are found along the coast. The live oak, Georgia's state tree, grows mainly in the southern part of the state.

Economy

Georgia was largely an agricultural state until the 1930's, when it began increasingly to diversify its economy. Today, manufacturing employs nearly a fifth of the labor force; farming, only two per cent. Many Georgians are employed in wholesale and retail trade, government (federal, state, and local), and the service industries. Atlanta is the leading commercial and industrial center in the southeastern United States.

In total value of manufactured goods and in value added, Georgia is one of the leaders in the South and is among the top 15 states nationally. In terms of employment, the manufacturing of textiles is the chief economic activity. The industry is concentrated mainly in the northwest quarter of the state. Other major employers include the food-processing, transportation equipment, printing, and paper industries.

In terms of total value of goods produced, the food and beverage industry ranks first. Closely following is the manufacture of transportation equipment, especially aircraft (Marietta and Savannah) and automobiles (Atlanta). The making of paper, chemicals, textiles, and electric and electronic equipment are also high-ranking industries.

Atlanta is the leading industrial center. Columbus, Savannah, Albany, Macon, and Augusta are also prominent manufacturing centers.

Georgia's agriculture has undergone many changes since the early 1930's, when farming was dominated by the growing of cotton and corn. Among the many far-reaching changes have been crop diversification, the decline of cotton as “king,” and a rapid expansion of poultry and livestock production. There have also been large reductions in the farm population and in tenant farming and a sharp drop in total farm acreage. Because of severe erosion and loss of soil fertility, many fields are no longer suitable for growing crops. Farms occupied about two-thirds of the state's land in the 1930's; today they occupy about a third.

Nearly 60 per cent of the cash farm receipts come from the marketing of poultry and livestock. Of greatest value are broilers and eggs. In the production of both, Georgia is one of the nation's leaders. Next in value are cattle, hogs, and dairy products.

Crop production is aided by a growing season of up to 300 days and a variety of soils. Peanuts, grown primarily in the southwest, are the chief cash crop. In peanut production Georgia leads all other states. Other major crops are corn, soybeans, tobacco, and—despite a dramatic decline in the acreage devoted to it—cotton. Pecans, peaches, watermelons, hay, and sweet potatoes are also significant crops. Georgia is the nation's leading producer of pecans and one of the top producers of peaches.

With nearly all of its forests commercially usable, Georgia is a major wood-producing state. Pines make up the vast majority of the trees harvested. Besides lumber, major forest products include plywood, pulpwood, and naval stores (turpentine and rosin). Most of Georgia's forests are privately owned.

The commercial fishing industry of Georgia is small compared with that of most other Atlantic and Gulf seaboard states. Shrimp and crabs make up most of the catch. Brunswick is the main fishing port and processing center.

Mineral production consists predominantly of clays and stone. Georgia's clay production, by value and tonnage, exceeds that of any other state. Nationally, Georgia ranks first in the production of kaolin, fire clay, and fuller's earth. Kaolin alone, by value, accounts for about 65 per cent of the state's total mineral output.

Georgians also a leading state in the quarrying of granite and marble, both dimension stone and crushed. A number of other minerals, nearly all of them nonmetals, are mined.

Transportation. Atlanta is the main transportation hub for roads, railways, and air routes in the southeastern United States. Among the many highways are eight Interstate routes. Amtrak provides passenger service to a number of Georgia's cities.

Of the more than a dozen airports with regularly scheduled service, the largest is Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport. In number of commercial flights it is one of the busiest airports in the nation.

Ocean shipping is mostly through Savannah. Brunswick is also a seaport. The Intracoastal Waterway provides an islandsheltered route for barges and pleasure craft along the coast. Most of the inland barge traffic is on the Savannah River. Columbus is the chief inland port.

The People

Slightly less than three-fourths of Georgia's residents are native whites of European descent. Blacks make up 27 per cent of the total population, giving Georgia one of the-highest percentages of nonwhites among the 50 states. Georgia had a population of 8,186,453 in 2000—an increase of 1,708,237, or 26.4 per cent, over the 1990 total. Georgia moved from 11th to 10th place in rank among the states. The population density of the state of Georgia was 141.3 persons per square mile (54.6 per km 2).

Education

The state school superintendent, elected for a four-year term, supervises the state department of education. The superintendent is also the executive officer of the state board of education, whose members are appointed by the governor. School attendance is compulsory from age 7 to 16.

Throughout most of the colonial period permanent schools did not exist and education was directed by private teachers. The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, set up by the trustees of the Georgia colony, established a permanent school in 1735 near Savannah. In 1783 the General Assembly provided for three academies to be built with state funds. “Old Field” schools, neighborhood projects managed and supported by parents, were common in the 1800's. The Freedmen's Bureau and missionary societies established many schools for blacks in 1868. These later were included in the state public school system.

Chartered in 1785 and opened in 1801, the University of Georgia at Athens was the first state-controlled university founded in the nation (1785) and the second to begin classes (1801). It is a coeducational, land-grant institution, and is the largest institution of higher learning in the state. Among its divisions are colleges of agriculture, arts and sciences, business, and education; schools of environmental design, forest resources, family and consumer science, journalism and mass communication, law, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, and social work; and a graduate school.

Government

Georgia is governed under its tenth constitution, adopted in 1982, effective in 1983. Legislative power is vested in the General Assembly, which consists of a Senate of 56 members and a House of Representatives of 180. All members are elected for two-year terms. The Assembly meets annually.

Elected officials in the executive branch include the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, commissioner of insurance, state school superintendent, commissioner of agriculture, public service commissioner, and commissioner of labor. They are elected for four-year terms.

The Supreme Court consists of seven justices elected for six-year terms. Other courts include a court of appeals, superior courts, and various minor courts.

Georgia has 159 counties, more than any other state except Texas. The state sends 2 senators and 13 representatives to the U.S. Congress.