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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 Main article: History of Georgia
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 a debtors' 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 the 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: colonial Savannah, which later alternated with Augusta; then for a decade at Louisville, and from 1806 through the American Civil War at Milledgeville. The state's legislature also met at other temporary sites, including Macon, especially during the Civil War.
(Louisville is pronounced like Lewis [loo-iss], not like Louie [loo-ee].)
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, and Democrats held the majority of seats in the General Assembly. The state capital is Atlanta.
As with all other U.S. States and the federal government, Georgia's government is based on the separation of legislative, executive and judicial power. Executive authority in the state rests with the governor, currently Sonny Perdue (Republican). The Lieutenant Governor, currently Mark Taylor (Democrat), is elected on a separate ballot. Both the governor and lieutenant governor are elected to four-year terms of office. Unlike the federal government, but like many other U.S. States, most of the executive officials who comprise the governor's cabinet are elected by the citizens of Georgia, rather than appointed by the governor.
(See: list of Georgia governors.)
Legislative authority resides in the General Assembly, composed of the Senate and House of Representatives. The Lieutenant Governor presides over the Senate, while the House of Representatives selects their own Speaker. The state Constitution mandates a maximum of 56 Senators, elected from single-member districts, and a minimum of 180 Representatives, apportioned among representative districts (which sometimes results in more than one Representative per district); there are currently 56 Senators and 180 Representatives. The term of office for Senators and Representatives is two years.
State Judicial authority rests with the state Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, which have statewide authority. In addition, there are smaller courts which have more limited geographical jurisdiction, including State Courts, Superior Courts, Magistrate Courts and Probate Courts. Justices of the Supreme Court and Judges of the Court of Appeals are elected statewide by the citizens in non-partisan elections to six-year terms. Judges for the smaller courts are elected by the state's citizens who live within that court's jurisdiction to four-year terms.
At the federal level, Georgia's two U.S. senators are Saxby Chambliss (Republican) and Johnny Isakson (Republican). 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 (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. Counties in Georgia have their own elected legislative branch, usually called the Board of Commissioners, which usually also has executive authority in the county. Georgia's Constitution provides all counties and cities with "home rule" authority, and so the county commissions have considerable power to pass legislation within their county.
(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. 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.
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Economy Georgia's 1999 total gross state product was $275 billion, placing it 10th in the nation. Its per capita personal income for 2000 put it 23rd 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 2003, the population of Georgia was 8,684,715, making it the 10th most populous state. Its population has grown 34% (2.2 million) from its 1990 levels, making it one of the fastest-growing states in the country. More than half of the state's population lives in the Atlanta metro area.
Racially, Georgia is:
7.3% of its population were reported as under 5 years of age, 26.5% under 18, and 9.6% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 50.8% of the population.
Religion Religiously, Georgia is overwhelmingly Protestant: - Protestant 84%
- Roman Catholic 6%
- Other Christian 1%
- Other Religions 1%
- Non-Religious 5%
The three largest Protestant denominations in Georgia are: Baptist (51% of total state population), Methodist (12%), Presbyterian & Pentecostal & Episcopalian (tied 2%)
Important cities and towns | Population > 1,000,000 (urbanized area) Population > 100,000 (urbanized area) | Population > 10,000 (urbanized area) Major military bases |
Important Suburbs of Atlanta
of Savannah |
Education
Colleges and universities
Radio and television Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) operates nine major educational television stations across the state as Georgia Public Broadcasting Television. 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
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Results from FactBites: |
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State of Georgia (612 words) |
 | Getronics was contracted to provide first level support for all network services and has increased the proportion of problems solved on the first call from 6% to 85%. |
| The Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR) is responsible for administering all of the state's public health and human services. |
| After accepting bids from several vendors, the state selected Getronics to provide first level support for network services and established applications, as well as a custom application, called Family and Children Electronic Tracking System (FACETS), that the DHR is developing to deliver family foster care, adoption, and child protective services. |
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State of Georgia (675 words) |
| State of Georgia-a side wheel steamer built at Philadelphia in 1851 by Vaughn and Lynn-was purchased by the Navy at Philadelphia on 25 September 1861 from Philadelphia and Savannah Steamship Co.; and was commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 20 November 1861, Comdr. |
| On 11 April, State of Georgia got underway from Port Royal and proceeded to Aspinwall, New Granada, to carry dispatches to the American minister at Bogota and to learn of conditions on the isthmus and to protect the interests of the United States. |
| On 9 June, State of Georgia and Huntsville departed Aspinwall and proceeded to a position near Roncador Reef to rescue the survivors of the wrecked Golden Rule. |
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