Georgia State Guide

Georgia is a state in the southern United States. Georgia was one of the Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution. It was the last of the Thirteen Colonies to be established as a colony. It became the fourth state after ratifying the United States Constitution on January 2, 1788. Georgia's population in 2000 was 8,186,453 (U.S. Census); it is one of the fastest-growing states in the nation, with an estimated 9,072,576 people in 2005. Georgia is also known as the Peach State and the Empire State of the South.

Georgia State Guide - 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 vast 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, 4,784 feet (1,458 m); the lowest point is sea level.

The capital is Atlanta, in the north central part of Georgia, and the peach is a symbol of the state. The state is an important producer of pecans, cotton, tobacco, and forest products, notably the so-called "naval stores" such as turpentine and rosin from the pine forests.

With an area of 59,441 square miles (153,951 km²), Georgia is ranked 24th in size among the 50 U.S. states. It is fifth largest in size among states east of the Mississippi River (after Michigan, Minnesota, Florida, and Wisconsin).

Areas under the control of the National Park Service include:

* Andersonville National Historic Site in Andersonville
* Appalachian National Scenic Trail
* Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area near Atlanta
* Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park at Fort Oglethorpe
* Cumberland Island National Seashore near Saint Marys
* Fort Frederica National Monument on St. Simons Island
* Fort Pulaski National Monument in Savannah
* Jimmy Carter National Historic Site near Plains
* Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park near Kennesaw
* Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site in Atlanta
* Ocmulgee National Monument at Macon
* Trail of Tears National Historic Trail

Georgia State Guide - Climate

The climate of Georgia is primarily a humid subtropical climate tempered somewhat by occasional polar air masses in the winter. Everywhere but the highest mountains in Georgia experience hot and humid summers. The entire state, including the mountains, receive heavy precipitation which varies from 45 inches (1143 mm) in Central Georgia to around 75 inches (1905 mm) around the Northeast part of the state. The degree to which the weather of a certain area of Georgia is subtropical depends not just on the latitude, but also on how close it is to the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico and the altitude. This is especially true in the mountainous areas in the Northern part of the state which are further away from ocean waters and can be up to 3000 feet or higher above sea level. The areas near the Florida-Georgia border, extending from the entire Georgia coastline west to the Florida panhandle experience the most subtropical weather, with weather one might expect in Florida: hot, humid summers with frequent afternoon thunderstorms and mild, somewhat drier winters. These areas experience snow much less frequently than other parts of Georgia. The Georgia Piedmont area is somewhat cooler in winter than the coastal areas. The Southern areas of the Piedmont may receive snow every other year, while areas close to the foothills get snow several times a year. This part of Georgia is especially vulnerable to ice storms. The mountains of Georgia have the coolest climate and most frequent snowfall in the state, although snowfall is less than any other part of the Appalachian Mountains.

In spite of having moderate weather compared to many other states, Georgia can experience some extreme weather at times. The highest temperature ever recorded has been 112 °F (44.4 °C), while the lowest ever recorded is -17 °F (-27.2 °C). Georgia is one of the leading states in incidents of tornadoes. The areas closest to the Florida border can get the same small F0 and F1 tornadoes associated with summer afternoon thunderstorms. However, it is very uncommon for tornadoes to become severe. Being on the Atlantic coast, Georgia is also vulnerable to hurricanes, although the Georgia coastline has only rarely experienced a direct strike from hurricanes. More common are hurricanes which strike the Florida panhandle, weaken over land, and bring strong tropical storm winds and heavy rain to much of the Georgia interior and also hurricanes which come close to the Georgia coastline brushing the coast on the way up to the more often hit South Carolina coastline.

Georgia State Guide - History

The local moundbuilder culture, described by Hernando de Soto in 1540, completely disappeared by 1560. Early on, in the course of European exploration of the area, a number of Spanish explorers visited the inland region of Georgia.

The conflict between Spain and Britain over control of Georgia began in earnest in about 1670, when the British founded the Carolina colony in present-day South Carolina. Nearly a century earlier, the Spanish of Spanish Florida had established the missionary provinces of Guale and Mocama on the coast and Sea Islands of present-day Georgia. After decades of fighting, the Carolinians and allied Indians permanently destroyed the Spanish mission system during the invasions of 1702 and 1704. After 1704, Spanish control was limited to St. Augustine and Pensacola. The Florida peninsula was subjected to raids as far as the Florida Keys. The coast of Georgia was occupied by English-allied Indians such as the Yamasee until the Yamasee War of 1715-1716, after which the region was depopulated, opening up the possibility of a new British colony. In 1724, it was first suggested the British colony there be called Province of Georgia in honor of King George II.

British interest in establishing a colony below South Carolina came from varied sources. Spanish Florida was a threat to South Carolina and a haven for runaway slaves. The French in the 1720s established a fort near present-day Montgomery, Alabama, also a threat to British interests in the region. Traders from Charleston, South Carolina, had established trading posts as far west as the Ocmulgee River, near present-day Macon, Georgia. The British trading network kept the Creek Indians allied with them; the French move threatened to wrest these Indians' trade away from the British. These strategic interests made the British government interested in establishing a new colony that would reinforce the British influence in the border country that had been open to Spanish and French penetration.

Meanwhile, many members of the British Parliament had become concerned about the plight of England's debtors. A parliamentary committee investigated and reported on conditions in Britain's debtor prisons. A group of philanthropists organized themselves to establish a colony where the "worthy poor" of England could reestablish themselves as productive citizens. This goal was seen as both philanthropic, helping these distressed people, and patriotric, simultaneously relieving Britain of the burden of the imprisoned debtors and augmenting Britain's vital mercantile empire by planting new, industrious subjects to strengthen her trade.

In 1732, a group of these philanthropists were granted a royal charter as the Trustees of the Province of Georgia. They carefully selected the first group of colonists to send to the new colony. On February 12, 1733, 113 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. James Edward Oglethorpe, one of the trustees of the colony, traveled with the first group of colonists, laid out the design of the town of Savannah, and acted as governor of the colony, although technically under the trustees there was no "governor." Oglethorpe acted as the only trustee present in the colony. When he returned to Britain, a series of disputes ended his tenure governing the colony; Georgia was then led by a series of presidents named by the trustees. In 1752, after the government failed to renew subsidies that had helped support the colony, the Trustees turned over control to the crown. Georgia became a royal colony, with a governor appointed by the British king.

Georgia was one of the thirteen colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution by signing the 1776 Declaration of Independence, despite a large population of people loyal to the crown. Following the war, it became the fourth state of the United States of America after ratifying the United States Constitution on January 2, 1788. Georgia established its first state constitution in 1777. The state established new constitutions in 1788, 1799, 1861, 1865, 1868, 1877, 1945, 1976, and 1983, for a total of 10 — more constitutions than any other state.

On January 18, 1861 Georgia joined the Confederacy and became a major theater of the American Civil War. In December 1864, a large swath of the state from Atlanta to Savannah was destroyed during General William Tecumseh Sherman's March to the Sea. This event served as the historical background for the 1936 novel Gone with the Wind and the 1939 film of the same name. On July 15, 1870, following Reconstruction, Georgia became the last former Confederate state to be readmitted to the Union.

Georgia has had five official state capitals: colonial Savannah, which later alternated with Augusta; then for a decade at Louisville (pronounced Lewis-ville), and from 1806 through the American Civil War, at Milledgeville. In 1868, Atlanta became the fifth capital of the state. The state's legislature also met at other temporary sites, including Macon, especially during the Civil War.

Georgia State Guide - Demographics

As of 2005, Georgia has an estimated population of 9,072,576, which is an increase of 154,447, or 1.7%, from the prior year and an increase of 885,760, or 10.8%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 376,105 people (that is 718,764 births minus 342,659 deaths) and an increase from net migration of 425,510 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 192,844 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 232,666 people.

Georgia is the 9th most populous state. Its population has grown 36% (2.35 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.

Georgia State Guide - Race, Language and Age

The state's five largest ancestries are reported as African, American, British, German, and Irish. As of 2000, 90.1% of Georgia residents age 5 and older speak only English at home and 5.6% speak Spanish. French is the third most spoken language at 0.6%, followed by German at 0.4% and Vietnamese at 0.4%. 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 make up approximately 50.8% of the population.

Historically, about half of Georgia's population was composed of African-Americans who, prior to the Civil War, were almost exclusively enslaved. The Great Migration of blacks from the rural South to the industrial North from 1914-1970, as well as migration of other races into Georgia after 1970, reduced the black proportion of the population. Today, African-Americans remain the most populous race in many rural counties in middle, east-central, southwestern, and low-country Georgia, as well as in the city of Atlanta and its core southern suburbs.

Georgia also has a growing and relatively large Asian population. Vietnamese, Thai and Laotians are probably the biggest groups.

White Georgians, like other Southerners, usually describe their ancestry on the census questionnaire as "American", "United States", or simply "Southern". The colonial settlement of very large numbers of Scots-Irish Americans in the mountains and piedmont, and coastal settlement by the English, have strongly influenced the state's culture.

With the huge influx of new residents from the North, the term "Cracker" is sometimes used informally as a proud or jocular self-description by some white residents of Georgia ("Georgia cracker") to indicate that their family has lived there for many generations. However, the term "white cracker" is not always used self-referentially and remains a disparaging term to many in the region.

Georgia State Guide - Economy

Georgia's 2005 total gross state product was $364 billion. Its per capita personal income for 2005 put it 10th in the nation at $40,155.

Georgia's agricultural outputs are poultry and eggs, pecans, peaches, peanuts, rye, cattle, hogs, dairy products, turfgrass, and vegetables. Its industrial outputs are textiles and apparel, transportation equipment, food processing, paper products, chemical products, electric equipment. Tourism also makes an important contribution to the economy. Georgia is home to the Granite Capital of the World (Elberton). Atlanta has been the site of enormous growth in real estate, service, and communications industries.

Atlanta has a very large effect on the state of Georgia and the Southeastern United States. The city is an ever growing addition to communications, industry, transportation, tourism, and government.

Industry in Georgia is now quite diverse. Major products in the mineral and timber industry include a variety of pines, clays, stones, and sands. Textile industry is located around the cities of Rome, Columbus, Augusta, and Macon. Atlanta is a leading center of tourism, transportation, communications, government, and industry. Some industries there include automobile and aircraft manufacturing, food and chemical processing, printing, publishing, and large corporations.

Several United States military installations are located in Georgia including Fort Stewart, Hunter Army Airfield, Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Fort Benning, Moody Air Force Base, Robins Air Force Base, Naval Air Station Atlanta, Fort McPherson, Fort Gillem, Fort Gordon, and Dobbins Air Reserve Base. However, due to the latest round of BRAC cuts, Forts Gillem and McPherson will be closing and NAS Atlanta will be transferred to the Georgia Air National Guard.

Georgia's personal income tax ranges from 1 percent to 6 percent within 6 tax brackets. There is a 4% state sales tax, which is not applied to prescription drugs, certain medical devices and groceries. Each county may add up to a 2% SPLOST. Counties participating in MARTA have another 1%; MARTA is one of the few metropolitan transit authorities not to receive state funding. The city of Atlanta (in three counties, Fulton, Dekalb, and Clayton) has the only city sales tax (1.25%, total 8.25%) for fixing its aging sewers among other things. Local taxes are almost always charged on groceries but never prescriptions. Up to 1% of a SPLOST can go to homestead exemptions. All taxes are collected by the state and then properly distributed according to any agreements that each county has with its cities.

Georgia State Guide - Law and Government

State Government

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 (until 2011) (Republican). Perdue is the first Republican governor since Reconstruction. (See list of Georgia governors). Both the governor and lieutenant governor are elected on separate ballots 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.

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 Georgia 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.

Local Government

Georgia has 159 counties, the most of any state except Texas (with 254). Before 1932, there were 161, with Milton and Campbell being merged into Fulton at the end of 1931. Counties have been named for prominent figures in both American and Georgia history. 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 as a municipality would.

Besides the counties, Georgia only defines cities as local units of government. Every incorporated town, no matter how small, is legally a city. Georgia does not provide for townships or independent cities but does allow consolidated city-county governments by local referendum. So far, only Columbus, Augusta, Athens, and Cusseta have done this. Conyers is studying possibly becoming consolidated with Rockdale County.

There is no true metropolitan government in Georgia, though the Atlanta Regional Commission and Georgia Regional Transportation Authority do provide some regional services, and the ARC must approve all major land development projects in metro Atlanta.

Politics

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. Most of the Democrats elected throughout these years were Southern Democrats or Dixiecrats who were very conservative throughout the 60s segregationist period.

During the 1960s and 1970s Georgia made significant changes in civil rights, governance, and economic growth focused on Atlanta and was a bedrock of the emerging "New South." This characterization was solidified with the election of former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter to the U.S. Presidency in 1976.

The political dominance of Democrats ended in 2003, when then-Governor Roy Barnes was defeated by Sonny Perdue, a state legislator and former Democrat himself, in what was regarded as a stunning upset. While Democrats retained control of the State House, they lost their majority in the Senate when four Democrats switched parties. They relinquished their hold on the House in the 2004 election; currently, Republicans control all three partisan elements of the state government. Many conservative Democrats, including former U.S. Senator and governor Zell Miller, have decided to support Republicans in recent years; George W. Bush won the state in the 2004 election, and conservative initiatives such as restrictions on abortion have won broad support.

As of the 2001 reapportionment, the state has 13 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, which are currently held by 7 Republicans and 6 Democrats.

Georgia State Guide - Private Schools

* Agnes Scott College in Decatur
* American Intercontinental University
   o in Dunwoody
   o in Buckhead (Atlanta)
* Andrew College in Cuthbert
* Art Institute of Atlanta in Atlanta
* Atlanta Christian College in Atlanta
* Atlanta College of Art in Atlanta
* Berry College in Mount Berry
* Brenau University in Gainesville
* Brewton-Parker College in Mount Vernon
* Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta
* Covenant College in Lookout Mountain
* Emmanuel College in Franklin Springs
* Emory University in Atlanta
* Institute of Paper Science and Technology in Atlanta
* LaGrange College in LaGrange
* Life University in Marietta
* Mercer University in Macon and Atlanta
* Morehouse College in Atlanta
* Morris Brown College in Atlanta
* Oglethorpe University in Atlanta
* Paine College in Augusta
* Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine at Atlanta
* Piedmont College in Demorest and Athens
* Reinhardt College in Waleska
* Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah
* Shorter College in Rome
* South University in Savannah
* Spelman College in Atlanta
* Thomas University in Thomasville
* Toccoa Falls College† in Toccoa Falls
* Wesleyan College in Macon
* Young Harris College in Young Harris

Georgia State Guide - University System of Georgia

* Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton
* Albany State University in Albany
* Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah
* Augusta State University in Augusta
* Bainbridge College in Bainbridge
* Clayton State University in Morrow
* Columbus State University in Columbus
* Dalton State College in Dalton
* Darton College in Albany
* Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley
* Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville
* Georgia Highlands College in Rome
* Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in Atlanta
* Georgia Perimeter College
* Georgia Southern University in Statesboro
* Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus
* Georgia State University in Atlanta
* Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw
* Macon State College in Macon
* Medical College of Georgia in Augusta
* Middle Georgia College in Cochran and Dublin
* North Georgia College and State University in Dahlonega
* Savannah State University in Savannah
* Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta
* University of West Georgia in Carrollton
* University of Georgia in Athens
* Valdosta State University in Valdosta

Article Source: Wikipedia