Georgia (U.S. state)

"State of Georgia" redirects here. For the country in Eastern Europe and West Asia, seeGeorgia (country).For other uses, seeState of Georgia (disambiguation).

Georgia
State
State of Georgia
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): Peach State; Empire State of the South
Motto(s): "Wisdom, Justice & Moderation"
Anthem:"Georgia on My Mind"
Map of the United States with Georgia highlighted
Country	United States
Before statehood	Province of Georgia
Admitted to the Union	January 2, 1788(1788-01-02)(4th)
Capital (and largest city)	Atlanta
Largest county or equivalent	Fulton
Largest metroandurbanareas	Atlanta
Government
•Governor	Brian Kemp(R)
•Lieutenant Governor	Burt Jones(R)
Legislature	Georgia General Assembly
•Upper house	Senate
•Lower house	House of Representatives
Judiciary	Supreme Court of Georgia
U.S. senators	Jon Ossoff(D) Raphael Warnock(D)
U.S. House delegation	9 Republicans 5 Democrats (list)
Area
• Total	59,424.64sq mi (153,909.12 km2)
• Land	57,906 sq mi (149,976 km2)
• Water	1,519 sq mi (3,933 km2) 2.6%
• Rank	24th
Dimensions
• Length	298 mi (480 km)
• Width	230 mi (370 km)
Elevation	600 ft (180 m)
Highest elevation (Brasstown Bald)	4,784 ft (1,458 m)
Lowest elevation (Atlantic Ocean)	0 ft (0 m)
Population (2023)
• Total	11,029,227
• Rank	8th
• Density	185.2/sq mi (71.5/km2)
• Rank	18th
•Median household income	$61,200
• Income rank	29th
Demonym	Georgian
Language
•Official language	English
Time zone	UTC– 05:00(Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC– 04:00(EDT)
USPS abbreviation	GA
ISO 3166 code	US-GA
Traditional abbreviation	Ga.
Latitude	30.356–34.985° N
Longitude	80.840–85.605° W
Website	georgia.gov
Symbols of Georgia
Song	"Georgia on My Mind" byRay Charles
Amphibian	American green tree frog Dryophytes cinereus
Bird	Brown thrasher Toxostoma rufum
Butterfly	Eastern tiger swallowtail Papilio glaucus
Fish	Largemouth bass Micropterus nigricans
Flower	Cherokee rose Rosa laevigata
Fruit	Peach Prunus persica
Insect	Western honey bee Apis mellifera
Reptile	Gopher tortoise Gopherus polyphemus
Tree	Southern live oak Quercus virginiana
Vegetable	Vidalia onion Allium cepa'Granex'

Georgia,officially theState of Georgia,is astatein theSoutheasternregion of theUnited States.It bordersTennesseeto the northwest,North Carolinato the north,South Carolinato the northeast, theAtlantic Oceanto the southeast,Floridato the south, andAlabamato the west. Of the50 United States,Georgia is the24th-largest by areaand8th most populous.According to theU.S. Census Bureau,its 2023 estimated population was 11,029,227.Atlanta,aglobal city,is both the state'scapitaland its largest city. TheAtlanta metropolitan area,with a population of more than 6.3 million people in 2023, is the6th most populous metropolitan areain the United States and contains about 57% of Georgia's entire population. Other major metropolitan areas in the state includeAugusta,Savannah,Columbus,andMacon.

TheProvince of Georgiawas created in 1732 and first settled in 1733 with the founding ofSavannah.Georgia became a Britishroyal colonyin 1752. It was the last and southernmost of the originalThirteen Coloniesto be established.Named after KingGeorge II of Great Britain,the Georgia Colony covered the area from South Carolina south toSpanish Floridaand west toFrench Louisianaat theMississippi River.On January 2, 1788, Georgia became the fourth state toratifytheUnited States Constitution.From 1802 to 1804, western Georgia was split to form theMississippi Territory,which later was admitted as the U.S. states ofAlabamaandMississippi.Georgia declared itssecessionfrom the Union on January 19, 1861, and was one of the original sevenConfederate States.Following theCivil War,it was the last state to be restored to the Union, on July 15, 1870.In the post-Reconstructionera of the late 19th century, Georgia's economy was transformed as a group of prominent politicians, businessmen, and journalists, led byHenry W. Grady,espoused the "New South"philosophy of sectional reconciliation andindustrialization.During the mid-20th century, several people from Georgia, most notablyMartin Luther King Jr.,were prominent leaders during thecivil rights movement.Atlanta was selected as host of the1996 Summer Olympics,which marked the 100th anniversary of the modernOlympic Games.Since 1945, Georgia has seen substantial population and economic growth as part of the broaderSun Beltphenomenon. From 2007 to 2008, 14 ofGeorgia's countiesranked among the nation's 100 fastest-growing.

Georgia is defined by a diversity of landscapes, flora, and fauna. The state's northernmost regions include theBlue Ridge Mountains,part of the largerAppalachian Mountainsystem. ThePiedmontplateau extends from thefoothillsof the Blue Ridge south to theFall Line,anescarpmentto theCoastal Plaindefining the state's southern region. Georgia's highest point isBrasstown Baldat 4,784 feet (1,458 m) above sea level; the lowest is the Atlantic Ocean. With the exception of some high-altitude areas in the Blue Ridge, the entirety of the state has ahumid subtropical climate.Of the states entirely east of the Mississippi River, Georgia is the largest inland area.

History

Main article:History of Georgia (U.S. state)

Before settlement byEuropeans colonists,Georgia was inhabited by themound buildingcultures. The Province of Georgia was founded by British GeneralJames Oglethorpeat Savannah on February 12, 1733, a year after its creation as a new British colony.It was administered by theTrustees for the Establishment of the Colony of Georgia in Americaunder a charter issued by (and named for)King George II.The Trustees implemented an elaborate plan for the colony's settlement, known as theOglethorpe Plan,which envisioned an agrarian society ofyeoman farmersand prohibited slavery. The colony wasinvaded by the Spanishin 1742, during theWar of Jenkins' Ear.In 1752, after the government failed to renew subsidies that had helped support the colony, the Trustees turned over control to thecrown.Georgia became acrown colony,with a governor appointed by the king ofGreat Britain.

TheProvince of Georgiawas one of theThirteen Coloniesthat revolted againstBritish rulein theAmerican Revolutionby signing the 1776Declaration of Independence.The State of Georgia's first constitution was ratified in February 1777. Georgia was the 10th state to ratify the Articles of Confederation on July 24, 1778,and was the 4th state to ratify theUnited States Constitutionon January 2, 1788.

Slaves with the cotton they had picked. Georgia, c. 1850

After theCreek War (1813–1814),GeneralAndrew Jacksonforced theMuscogee (Creek) tribesto surrender land to the state of Georgia, including in theTreaty of Fort Jackson (1814),surrendering 21 million acres in what is now southern Georgia and central Alabama, and theTreaty of Indian Springs (1825).In 1829, gold was discovered in theNorth Georgia mountainsleading to theGeorgia Gold Rushand establishment of afederal mintinDahlonega,which continued in operation until 1861. The resulting influx ofAmerican settlersput pressure on thefederal U.S. governmentto take land from theCherokee Nation.In 1830, PresidentAndrew Jacksonsigned into law theIndian Removal Act,sending many eastern Indian nations toreservationsin present-day Oklahoma, including all of Georgia's tribes. Despite the Supreme Court's ruling inWorcester v. Georgia(1832) that U.S. states were not permitted to redraw Indian boundaries, President Jackson and the state of Georgia ignored the ruling. In 1838, his successor,Martin Van Buren,dispatched federal troops to gather the tribes and deport them west of theMississippi.This forced relocation, known as theTrail of Tears,led to the death of more than four thousand Cherokees.

TheBattle of Kennesaw Mountain,1864

In early 1861, Georgia joined theConfederacy(with secessionists having a slight majority of delegates)and became a majortheaterof theCivil War.Major battles took place atChickamauga,Kennesaw Mountain,andAtlanta.In December 1864, a large swath of the state from Atlanta toSavannahwas destroyed during GeneralWilliam Tecumseh Sherman'sMarch to the Sea.18,253 Georgian soldiers died in service, roughly one of every five who served.In 1870, following theReconstruction era,Georgia became the last Confederate state to be restored to theUnion.

"Colored" waiting room sign in 1943 for a bus terminal inRome, Georgia,whereJim Crow lawscreated "de jure" legally requiredsegregation

With white Democrats having regained power in the state legislature, they passed apoll taxin 1877, whichdisenfranchisedmany poor black (and some white) people, preventing them from registering.In 1908, the state established awhite primary;with the only competitive contests within the Democratic Party, it was another way to exclude black people from politics.They constituted 46.7% of the state's population in 1900, but the proportion of Georgia's population that was African American dropped thereafter to 28%, primarily due to tens of thousands leaving the state during theGreat Migration.According to theEqual Justice Initiative's 2015 report on lynching in the United States (1877–1950), Georgia had 531 deaths, the second-highest total of these extralegal executions of any state in the South. The overwhelming number of victims were black and male.Political disfranchisement persisted through the mid-1960s, until after Congress passed theVoting Rights Act of 1965.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s tomb, on the grounds of Atlanta's urbanMartin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park

An Atlanta-bornBaptist ministerwho was part of the educated middle class that had developed in Atlanta's African-American community,Martin Luther King Jr.,emerged as a national leader in thecivil rights movement.King joined with others to form theSouthern Christian Leadership Conference(SCLC) in Atlanta in 1957 to provide political leadership for the Civil Rights Movement across the South. The civil rights riots of the1956 Sugar Bowlwould also take place inAtlantaafter a clash betweenGeorgia Tech's presidentBlake R. Van Leerand GovernorMarvin Griffin.

On February 5, 1958, during a training mission flown by aB-47,aMark 15 nuclear bomb,also known as theTybee Bomb,was lost off the coast ofTybee Islandnear Savannah. The bomb was thought by the Department of Energy to lie buried in silt at the bottom ofWassaw Sound.

By the 1960s, the proportion of African Americans in Georgia had declined to 28% of the state's population, after waves of migration to the North and some immigration by whites.With their voting power diminished, it took some years for African Americans to win a state-wide office.Julian Bond,a noted civil rights leader, was elected to the state House in 1965, and served multiple terms there and in the state senate.

Atlanta MayorIvan Allen Jr.testified before Congress in support of the Civil Rights Act, and GovernorCarl Sandersworked with theKennedyadministration to ensure the state's compliance.Ralph McGill,editor and syndicated columnist at theAtlanta Constitution,earned admiration by writing in support of the Civil Rights Movement. In 1970, newly elected GovernorJimmy Carterdeclared in his inaugural address that the era of racial segregation had ended. In 1972, Georgians electedAndrew Youngto Congress as the first African American Congressman since theReconstruction era.

In 1980, construction was completed on an expansion of what is now namedHartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport(ATL). The busiest and most efficient airport in the world, it accommodates more than a hundred million passengers annually.Employing more than 60,000 people, the airport became a major engine for economic growth.With the advantages of cheap real estate, low taxes,right-to-work lawsand a regulatory environment limiting government interference, the Atlanta metropolitan area became a national center of finance, insurance, technology, manufacturing, real estate, logistics, and transportation companies, as well as the film, convention, and trade show businesses. As a testament to the city's growing international profile, in 1990 theInternational Olympic CommitteeselectedAtlantaas the site of the1996 Summer Olympics.Taking advantage of Atlanta's status as a transportation hub, in 1991UPSestablished its headquarters in the suburb ofSandy Springs.In 1992, construction finished onBank of America Plaza,the tallest building in the U.S. outside of New York or Chicago.

Geography

Main article:Geography of Georgia (U.S. state)

Road toBrasstown Bald

Jekyll Island

Okefenokee Swamp

Boundaries

Beginning from the Atlantic Ocean, the state's eastern border with South Carolina runs up theSavannah River,northwest to its origin at theconfluenceof theTugalooandSeneca Rivers.It then continues up the Tugaloo (originally Tugalo) and into theChattooga River,its most significanttributary.These bounds were decided in the 1797Treaty of Beaufort,and tested in theU.S. Supreme Courtin the twoGeorgia v. South Carolinacases in 1923 and 1989.

The border then takes a sharp turn around the tip ofRabun County,atlatitude 35°N,though from this point it diverges slightly south (due to inaccuracies in the original survey, conducted in 1818).This northern border was originally the Georgia and North Carolina border all the way to theMississippi River,untilTennesseewas divided fromNorth Carolina,and the Yazoo companies induced the legislature of Georgia to pass an act, approved by the governor in 1795, to sell the greater part of Georgia's territory presently comprisingAlabamaandMississippi.

The state's western border runs in a straight line south-southeastward from a point southwest ofChattanooga,to meet theChattahoochee RivernearWest Point.It continues downriver to the point where it joins theFlint River(the confluence of the two forming Florida'sApalachicola River); the southern border goes almost due east and very slightly south, in a straight line to theSt. Mary's River,which then forms the remainder of the boundary back to the ocean.

The water boundaries are still set to be the originalthalwegof the rivers. Since then, several have been inundated by lakes created by dams, including theApalachicola/Chattahoochee/Flintpoint now underLake Seminole.

An 1818 survey erroneously placed Georgia's border with Tennessee one mile (1.6 km) south of the intended location of the 35th parallel north.State legislatorsstill dispute this placement,as correction of this inaccuracy would allow Georgia access to water from theTennessee River.

Geology and terrain

Main article:Geology of Georgia (U.S. state)

USGS map of Georgia elevations

Georgia consists of five principalphysiographic regions:TheCumberland Plateau,Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians,Blue Ridge Mountains,Piedmont,and theAtlantic coastal plain.Each region has its own distinctive characteristics. For instance, the region, which lies in the northwest corner of the state, includes limestone, sandstone, shale, and other sedimentary rocks, which have yielded construction-grade limestone, barite, ocher, and small amounts of coal.

Ecology

Main article:Ecology of Georgia

The state of Georgia has approximately 250 tree species and 58 protected plants. Georgia's native trees includered cedar,a variety of pines, oaks, hollies,cypress,sweetgum,scaly-bark and whitehickories,andsabal palmetto.East Georgia is in the subtropical coniferous forest biome and conifer species as other broadleaf evergreen flora make up the majority of the southern and coastal regions.Yellow jasmineandmountain laurelmake up just a few of the flowering shrubs in the state.

White-tailed deerare found in nearly all counties of Georgia. Thenorthern mockingbirdandbrown thrasherare among the 160 bird species that live in the state.

Reptiles include theeastern diamondback,copperhead,andcottonmouthsnakes as well as alligators; amphibians includesalamanders,frogs andtoads.There are about 79 species of reptile and 63 amphibians known to live in Georgia. The Argentine black and white tegu is currently an invasive species in Georgia. It poses a problem to local wildlife by chasing down and killing many native species and dominating habitats.

The most popular freshwater game fish aretrout,bream,bass,andcatfish,all but the last of which are produced in state hatcheries for restocking. Popular saltwater game fish includered drum,spotted seatrout,flounder,andtarpon.Porpoises,whales,shrimp,oysters,andblue crabsare found inshore and offshore of the Georgia coast.

Climate

Main article:Climate of Georgia (U.S. state)

Further information:Climate change in Georgia (U.S. state)

Köppen climate classificationtypes of Georgia

Image of March1993 Storm of the Centurycovering the length of the east coast; the outline of Georgia is discernible in the center of the image

The majority of the state is primarily ahumid subtropical climate.Hot and humid summers are typical, except at the highest elevations. The entire state, including theNorth Georgia mountains,receives moderate to heavy precipitation, which varies from 45 inches (1,100 mm) in central Georgiato approximately 75 inches (1,900 mm) around the northeast part of the state.The degree to which the weather of a certain region of Georgia is subtropical depends on the latitude, its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean orGulf of Mexico,and the elevation. The latter factor is felt chiefly in the mountainous areas of the northern part of the state, which are farther away from the ocean and can be 4,500 feet (1,400 m) above sea level. The USDA planthardiness zonesfor Georgia range from zone 6b (no colder than −5 °F (−21 °C)) in theBlue Ridge Mountainsto zone 8b (no colder than 15 °F (−9 °C) ) along theAtlanticcoast and Florida border.

The highest temperature ever recorded is 112 °F (44 °C) inLouisvilleon July 24, 1952,while the lowest is −17 °F (−27 °C) in northernFloyd Countyon January 27, 1940.Georgia is one of the leading states in frequency oftornadoes,though they are rarely stronger thanEF1.Although tornadoes striking the city are very rare,an EF2 tornadohit downtown Atlanta on March 14, 2008, causing moderate to severe damage to various buildings. With a coastline on the Atlantic Ocean, Georgia is also vulnerable tohurricanes,although direct hurricane strikes were rare during the 20th century. Georgia often is affected by hurricanes that strike theFlorida Panhandle,weaken over land, and bring strongtropical stormwinds and heavy rain to the interior, a recent example beingHurricane Michael,as well as hurricanes that come close to the Georgia coastline, brushing the coast on their way north without ever making landfall.Hurricane Matthew of 2016andHurricane Dorian of 2019did just that.

Monthly average daily high and low temperatures for major Georgia cities

City	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Athens	51/11 33/1	56/13 35/2	65/18 42/6	73/23 49/9	80/27 58/14	87/31 65/18	90/32 69/21	88/31 68/20	82/28 63/17	73/23 51/11	63/17 42/6	54/12 35/2
Atlanta	52/11 34/1	57/14 36/2	65/18 44/7	73/23 50/10	80/27 60/16	86/30 67/19	89/32 71/22	88/31 70/21	82/28 64/18	73/23 53/12	63/17 44/7	55/13 36/2
Augusta	56/13 33/1	61/16 36/4	69/21 42/6	77/25 48/9	84/29 57/14	90/32 65/18	92/33 70/21	90/32 68/20	85/29 62/17	76/24 50/10	68/20 41/5	59/15 35/2
Columbus	57/14 37/3	62/17 39/4	69/21 46/8	76/24 52/11	83/28 61/16	90/32 69/21	92/33 72/22	91/32 72/22	86/30 66/19	77/25 54/12	68/20 46/8	59/15 39/4
Macon	57/14 34/1	61/16 37/3	68/20 44/7	76/24 50/10	83/28 59/15	90/32 67/19	92/33 70/21	90/32 70/21	85/29 64/18	77/25 51/11	68/20 42/6	59/15 36/2
Savannah	60/16 38/3	64/18 41/5	71/22 48/9	78/26 53/12	84/29 61/16	90/32 68/20	92/33 72/22	90/32 71/22	86/30 67/19	78/26 56/13	70/21 47/8	63/17 40/4
Temperatures are given in °F/°C format, with highs on top of lows.

Due to anthropogenicclimate change,the climate of Georgia is warming. This is already causing major disruption, for example, from sea level rise (Georgia is more vulnerable to it than many other states because its land is sinking) and further warming will increase it.

Major cities

See also:Georgia census statistical areasandList of metropolitan areas in Georgia (U.S. state)

Atlanta,located in north-central Georgia at theEastern Continental Divide,has been Georgia'scapital citysince 1868. It is the most populous city in Georgia, with a 2020 U.S. census population of just over 498,000.The state has seventeen cities with populations over 50,000, based on official 2020 U.S. census data.

Along with the rest of the Southeast, Georgia's population continues to grow rapidly, with primary gains concentrated in urban areas. The U.S. Census Bureau listsfourteen metropolitan areasin the state. The population of the Atlanta metropolitan area added 1.23 million people (24%) between 2000 and 2010, and Atlanta rose in rank from the eleventh-largest metropolitan area in the United States to theninth-largest.TheAtlanta metropolitan areais the cultural and economic center of theSoutheast;its official population in 2020 was over 6 million, or 57% of Georgia's total population.

Largest cities or towns in Georgia 2020 U.S. censuspopulations
	Rank	Name	County	Pop.
Atlanta Columbus	1	Atlanta	Fulton,DeKalb	498,715	Augusta Macon
	2	Columbus	Muscogee	206,922
	3	Augusta	Richmond	202,081
	4	Macon	Bibb	157,346
	5	Savannah	Chatham	147,780
	6	Athens	Clarke	127,315
	7	Sandy Springs	Fulton	108,080
	8	South Fulton	Fulton	107,436
	9	Roswell	Cobb,Fulton	92,833
	10	Johns Creek	Fulton	82,453

Demographics

Main article:Demographics of Georgia (U.S. state)

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1790	82,548		—
1800	162,686		97.1%
1810	251,407		54.5%
1820	340,989		35.6%
1830	516,823		51.6%
1840	691,392		33.8%
1850	906,185		31.1%
1860	1,057,286		16.7%
1870	1,184,109		12.0%
1880	1,542,181		30.2%
1890	1,837,353		19.1%
1900	2,216,331		20.6%
1910	2,609,121		17.7%
1920	2,895,832		11.0%
1930	2,908,506		0.4%
1940	3,123,723		7.4%
1950	3,444,578		10.3%
1960	3,943,116		14.5%
1970	4,589,575		16.4%
1980	5,463,105		19.0%
1990	6,478,216		18.6%
2000	8,186,453		26.4%
2010	9,687,653		18.3%
2020	10,711,908		10.6%
2023 (est.)	11,029,227		3.0%
1910–2022

Packed circles diagram showing estimates of the ethnic origins of people in Georgia in 2021

Map of counties in Georgia by racial plurality, per the 2020 U.S. census

Legend

• Non-Hispanic White

  30–40%

  40–50%

  50–60%

  60–70%

  70–80%

  80–90%

  90%+

  Black or African American

  40–50%

  50–60%

  60–70%

  70–80%

Population density by census tract in the state of Georgia, 2018

TheUnited States Census Bureaureported Georgia's official population to be 10,711,908 as of the2020 United States census.This was an increase of 1,024,255, or 10.57% over the2010figure of 9,687,653 residents.

As of 2010,the number ofillegal immigrantsliving in Georgia more than doubled to 480,000 from January 2000 to January 2009, according to a federal report. That gave Georgia the greatest percentage increase among the 10 states with the biggest undocumented immigrant populations during those years.Georgia has bannedsanctuary cities.

In 2018, The top countries of origin for Georgia's immigrants wereMexico,India,Jamaica,Korea,andGuatemala.

There were 743,000veteransin 2009.

According toHUD's 2022Annual Homeless Assessment Report,there were an estimated 10,689homelesspeople in Georgia.

Race and ethnicity

Ethnic composition as of the2020 census

Race and ethnicity	Alone		Total
White (non-Hispanic)	50.1%	50.1	53.2%	53.2
African American (non-Hispanic)	30.6%	30.6	32.3%	32.3
Hispanic or Latino	—		10.5%	10.5
Asian	4.4%	4.4	5.2%	5.2
Native American	0.2%	0.2	1.5%	1.5
Pacific Islander	0.1%	0.1	0.1%	0.1
Other	0.5%	0.5	1.2%	1.2

Historical racial demographics

Racial composition	1990	2000	2010	2020
White	71.0%	65.1%	59.7%	51.9%
Black	27.0%	28.7%	30.5%	31.0%
Asian	1.2%	2.1%	3.3%	4.5%
Native	0.2%	0.3%	0.3%	0.5%
Native Hawaiianand other Pacific Islander	—	0.1%	0.1%	0.1%
Other race	0.6%	2.4%	4.0%	5.2%
Two or more races	—	1.4%	2.1%	6.9%

In the1980 census,1,584,303 people from Georgia claimedEnglishancestry out of a total state population of 3,994,817, making them 40% of the state, and the largest ethnic group at the time.Today, many of these same people claiming they are of "American" ancestry are actually of English descent, and some are ofScots-Irishdescent; however, their families have lived in the state for so long, in many cases since the colonial period, that they choose to identify simply as having "American" ancestry or do not in fact know their own ancestry. Their ancestry primarily goes back to the original thirteen colonies and for this reason many of them today simply claim "American" ancestry, though they are of predominantly English ancestry.

Historically, about half of Georgia's population was composed of African Americans who, before theAmerican Civil War,were almost exclusively enslaved. TheGreat Migrationof hundreds of thousands of blacks from the rural South to the industrial North from 1914 to 1970 reduced the African American population.

Georgia had the second-fastest-growing Asian population growth in the U.S. from 1990 to 2000, more than doubling in size during the ten-year period.Indian people and Chinese people are the largest Asian groups in Georgia.In addition, according to census estimates, Georgia ranks third among the states in terms of the percent of the total population that is African American (afterMississippiandLouisiana) and third in numeric Black population after New York and Florida. Georgia also has a sizeable Latino population. Many are of Mexican descent.

Georgia is the state with the third-lowest percentage of older people (65 or older), at 12.8 percent (as of 2015).

The colonial settlement of large numbers ofScottish American,English AmericanandScotch-Irish Americansin the mountains and Piedmont, and coastal settlement by someEnglish Americansand African Americans, have strongly influenced the state's culture in food, language and music. The concentration of African slaves repeatedly "imported" to coastal areas in the 18th century from rice-growing regions of West Africa led to the development ofGullah-Geechee language and culture in the Low Country among African Americans. They share a unique heritage in which many African traditions of food, religion and culture were retained. In the creolization of Southern culture, their foodways became an integral part of Low Country cooking.Sephardic Jews, French-speaking Swiss people, Moravians, Irish convicts, Piedmont Italians and Russian people immigrated to the state during the colonial era.

As of 2011,58.8% of Georgia's population younger than 1 were minorities (meaning they had at least one parent who was not non-Hispanic white) compared to other states like California with 75.1%, Texas with 69.8%, and New York with 55.6%.

The largest European ancestry groups as of 2011 were:English8.1%,Irish8.1%,andGerman7.2%.

Languages

Top 10 languages spoken in Georgia

Language	Speakers(as of 2021)	%of total
English	8,711,102	85.62%
Spanish	795,646	7.82%
Vietnamese	57,795	0.57%
Chinese	55,024	0.54%
Korean	52,742	0.52%
French	33,248	0.33%
Hindi	31,531	0.31%
German	25,881	0.25%
Haitian	25,032	0.25%
Arabic	21,795	0.21%

As of 2021,85.62% (8,711,102) of Georgia residents age5 and older spoke English at home as aprimary language,while7.82% (795,646) spoke Spanish, and6.55% (666,849) spoke languages other than English or Spanish at home, with the most common of which were Vietnamese, Chinese, and Korean. In total,14.38% (1,462,495) of Georgia's population age5 and older spoke amother languageother than English.

Religion

Further information:Demographics of Georgia (U.S. state) § Religion,andCulture of Georgia (U.S. state) § Religion

St. Mark's United Methodist ChurchinAtlanta

TheBAPS Shri Swaminarayan MandirinLilburnis the second-largestHindu templein the United States.

Religion in Georgia (2014)
Religion			Percent
Protestant			67%
None			18%
Catholic			9%
Jehovah's Witness			2%
Jewish			1%
Mormon			1%
Other			2%
Don't know			1%

According to thePew Research Center,the composition of religious affiliation in Georgia was 70% Protestant, 9% Catholic, 1% Mormon, 1% Jewish, 0.5% Muslim, 0.5% Buddhist, and 0.5% Hindu.Atheists,deists,agnostics, and other unaffiliated people make up 13% of the population.Overall, Christianity was the dominant religion in the state, as part of theBible Belt.

According to theAssociation of Religion Data Archivesin 2010, the largest Christian denominations by number of adherents were theSouthern Baptist Conventionwith 1,759,317; theUnited Methodist Churchwith 619,394; and theRoman Catholic Churchwith 596,384. Non-denominationalEvangelical Protestanthad 566,782 members, theChurch of God (Cleveland, Tennessee)has 175,184 members, and theNational Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.has 172,982 members.ThePresbyterian Church (USA)is the largest Presbyterian body in the state, with 300 congregations and 100,000 members. The other large body,Presbyterian Church in America,had at its founding date 14 congregations and 2,800 members; in 2010 it counted 139 congregations and 32,000 members.TheRoman Catholic Churchis noteworthy in Georgia's urban areas, and includes theArchdiocese of Atlantaand theDiocese of Savannah.Georgia is home to the second-largestHindutemple in the United States, theBAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Atlanta,located in the suburb city ofLilburn.Georgia is home to large Sikh religion population with 4 gurudwaras (Sikh religious worship places). Georgia is home to several historic synagogues includingThe Temple (Atlanta),Congregation Beth Jacob (Atlanta),andCongregation Mickve Israel (Savannah).Chabadand theRohr Jewish Learning Instituteare also active in the state.

By the 2022Public Religion Research Institute's study, 71% of the population were Christian; throughout its Christian population, 60% were Protestant and 8% were Catholic. Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons collectively made up 3% of other Christians according to the study.Judaism,Islam,Buddhism,andHinduismcollectively formed 4% of the state's non-Christian population;New Age spiritualitywas 2% of the religious population. Approximately 23% of the state wasirreligious.

Population percentage of Georgia in the United States 2010: 3.14% 2020: 3.23%

Economy

See also:Georgia (U.S. state) locations by per capita income

Georgia's 2018 totalgross state productwas $602 billion.For years Georgia as a state has had the highestcredit ratingbyStandard & Poor's(AAA) and is one of only 15 states with a AAA rating.If Georgia were a stand-alone country, it would be the 28th-largest economy in the world, based on data from 2005.

• Total employment 2021

4,034,309

• Total employer establishments 2021

253,729

There are 16 Fortune 500 companies and 26 Fortune 1000 companies with headquarters in Georgia, includingHome Depot,UPS,Coca-Cola,TSYS,Delta Air Lines,Aflac,Southern Company,andElevance Health

Atlanta boasts the world'sbusiest airport,as measured both by passenger traffic and by aircraft traffic.Also, thePort of Savannahis the fourth-largestseaportand fastest-growing container seaport in North America, importing and exporting a total of 2.3 millionTEUsper year.

Atlanta has a significant effect on the state of Georgia, the Southeastern United States, and beyond. It has been the site of growth in finance, insurance, technology, manufacturing, real estate,service,logistics, transportation, film, communications,convention and trade showbusinesses and industries, while tourism is important to the economy.Atlantais aglobal city,also calledworld cityor sometimesAlpha cityorworld center,as a city generally considered to be an important node in the global economic system.

For the five years through November 2017, Georgia has been ranked the top state (number1) in the nation to do business, and has been recognized as number1 for business and labor climate in the nation, number1 in business climate in the nation, number1 in the nation in workforce training and as having a "Best in Class" state economic development agency.

In 2016, Georgia had a median annual income per person of between $50,000 and $59,999, which is in inflation-adjusted dollars for 2016. The U.S. median annual income for the entire nation is $57,617. This lies within the range of Georgia's median annual income.

A 2024 study listed Georgia in the top 20 of states for an affordable cost of living.

Industries

While many textile jobs moved overseas, there is still a textile industry located around the cities ofRome,Columbus,Augusta,Maconand along the I-75 corridor between Atlanta andChattanooga, Tennessee.Historically it started along the fall line in the Piedmont, where factories were powered by waterfalls and rivers. It includes the towns ofCartersville,Calhoun,RinggoldandDalton

In November 2009, the South Korean automakerKia Corporationbegan production in Georgia. The first Kia plant built in the U.S.,Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia,is located inWest Point.Rivian,anelectric vehiclemanufacturer, plans to begin production at a facility inSocial Circlein 2024.

Industrial products include textiles andapparel,transportation equipment, food processing, paper products,chemicalsand products, and electric equipment.

Agriculture

A cotton field in southern Georgia

Widespread farms produce peanuts, corn, andsoybeansacross middle and south Georgia. The state is the number one producer ofpecansin the world, thanks toNaomi Chapman Woodroofregarding peanut breeding, with the region aroundAlbanyinsouthwest Georgiabeing the center of Georgia's pecan production. Gainesville in northeast Georgia touts itself as the Poultry Capital of the World. Georgia is in the top fiveblueberryproducers in the United States.

Arts

Film

Main article:Film industry in Georgia (U.S. state)

Filming ofCaptain America: Civil Warin Atlanta, 2015

The Georgia Film, Music and Digital Entertainment Office promotes filming in the state.Since 1972, over eight hundred films and 1,500 television shows have been filmed on location in Georgia.Georgia overtook California in 2016 as the state with the most feature films produced on location. In the fiscal year 2017, film and television production in Georgia had an economic impact of $9.5 billion.Atlanta has been called the "Hollywood of the South".Television shows likeStranger Things,The Walking Dead,andThe Vampire Diariesare filmed in the state.Movies such asPassengers,Forrest Gump,Contagion,Hidden Figures,Sully,Baby Driver,The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,Captain America: Civil War,Black Panther,Birds of Prey,and many more, were filmed around Georgia.

Films set in Georgia

Two movies, both set in Atlanta, won Oscars forBest Picture:Gone with the Wind(1939) andDriving Miss Daisy(1989). Other films set in Georgia includeDeliverance(1972),Parental Guidance(2012), andVacation(2015).

Literature

Authors have grappled with Georgia's complex history. Popular novels related to this includeMargaret Mitchell'sGone with the Wind,Olive Ann Burns'Cold Sassy Tree,andAlice Walker'sThe Color Purple.

A number of noted authors, poets and playwrights have lived in Georgia, such asJames Dickey,Flannery O'Connor,Sidney Lanier,Frank YerbyandLewis Grizzard.

Music

Main article:Music of Georgia (U.S. state)

See also:List of hip hop musicians from Atlanta

A number of notable musicians in various genres of popular music are from Georgia. Among them areRay Charles(whose many hits include "Georgia on My Mind",now the official state song), andGladys Knight(known for her Georgia-themed song, "Midnight Train to Georgia").

Rock groups from Georgia include theAtlanta Rhythm Section,The Black Crowes,andThe Allman Brothers.

The city ofAthenssparked an influential rock music scene in the 1980s and 1990s. Among the groups achieving their initial prominence there wereR.E.M.,Widespread Panic,andthe B-52's.

Since the 1990s, various hip-hop and R&B musicians have included top-selling artists such asOutkast,Usher,Ludacris,TLC,B.o.B.,andCiara.Atlanta is mentioned in a number of these artists' tracks, such as Usher's "A-Town Down" reference in his 2004 hit "Yeah!"(which also features Atlanta artistsLil Jonand Ludacris), Ludacris' "Welcome to Atlanta",Outkast's album"ATLiens",andB.o.B.'s multiple references toDecatur, Georgia,as in his hit song "Strange Clouds".

Television

Well-known television shows set inAtlantainclude, fromTyler Perry Studios,House of PayneandTyler Perry's Meet the Browns,The Real Housewives of Atlanta,theCBSsitcomDesigning Women,Matlock,the popularAMCseriesThe Walking Dead,FXcomedy dramaAtlanta,Lifetime'sDrop Dead Diva,Rectifyand numerousHGTV original productions.

The Dukes of Hazzard,a 1980s TV show, was set in the fictional Hazzard County, Georgia. The first five episodes were shot on location inConyersandCovington,Georgia as well as some locations inAtlanta.Production was then moved toBurbank, California.

Also filmed in Georgia wasThe Vampire Diaries,using Covington as the setting for the fictional Mystic Falls.

Energy

Georgia electricity production by type

Georgia's electricity generation and consumption are among the highest in the United States, with natural gas being the primary electrical generation fuel, followed by coal. The state also has two nuclear power facilities,Plant HatchandPlant Vogtle,which contribute almost one fourth of Georgia's electricity generation, and two additional nuclear reactors are being built at Vogtle as of 2022.In 2013, the generation mix was 39% gas, 35% coal, 23% nuclear, 3% hydro and other renewable sources. The leading area of energy consumption is the industrial sector because Georgia "is a leader in the energy-intensive wood and paper products industry".Solar generated energy is becoming more in use with solar energy generators currently installed ranking Georgia 15th in the country in installed solar capacity. In 2013, $189 million was invested in Georgia to install solar for home, business and utility use representing a 795% increase over the previous year.

Logistics

Georgia was ranked the number 2 state for infrastructure and global access byArea Developmentmagazine.

TheGeorgia Ports Authorityowns and operates four ports in the state:Port of Savannah,Port of Brunswick,Port Bainbridge,and Port Columbus. ThePort of Savannahis the third-busiestseaportin the United States,importing and exporting a total of 4.9millionTEUsfor 2023.The Port of Savannah's Garden City Terminal is the largest single container terminal in North America.Several major companies includingTarget,IKEA,andHeinekenoperate distribution centers in close proximity to the Port of Savannah.

Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport moves over 650,000 tons of cargo annually through three cargo complexes (2 million square feet or 200,000 square meters of floor space). It has nearby cold storage for perishables; it is the only airport in the Southeast with USDA-approved cold-treatment capabilities. Delta Air Lines also offers an on-airport refrigeration facility for perishable cargo, and a 250-acre Foreign Trade Zone is located at the airport.

Georgia is a major railway hub, has the most extensive rail system in the Southeast, and has the service of two Class I railroads, CSX and Norfolk Southern, plus 24 short-line railroads. Georgia is ranked the No. 3 state in the nation for rail accessibility. Rail shipments include intermodal, bulk, automotive and every other type of shipment.

Georgia has an extensive interstate highway system including 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers) of interstate highway and 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometers) of federal and state highways that facilitate the efficient movement of more than $620 billion of cargo by truck each year. Georgia's six interstates connect to 80 percent of the U.S. population within a two-day truck drive. More than $14 billion in funding has been approvedfor new roadway infrastructure.

Military

Fort Stewart

Southern Congressmen have attracted major investment by the U.S. military in the state. The several installations includeMoody Air Force Base,Fort Stewart,Hunter Army Airfield,Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay,Fort Moore,Robins Air Force Base,Fort Eisenhower,Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany,Dobbins Air Reserve Base,Coast Guard Air Station Savannahand Coast Guard Station Brunswick. These installations command numerous jobs and business for related contractors.

Mining

See also:List of gold mines in Georgia,Georgia Gold Belt,andGeorgia Gold Rush

Reverse of theU.S. State Quarterfor Georgia

Major products in the mineral industry include a variety of clays, stones, sands and the claypalygorskite,known as attapulgite.

Tourism

Savannah's River Street is a popular tourist destination

In the Atlanta area,World of Coke,Georgia Aquarium,Zoo AtlantaandStone Mountainare important tourist attractions.Stone Mountain is Georgia's "most popular attraction"; receiving more than four million tourists per year.The Georgia Aquarium, in Atlanta, was the largest aquarium in the world in 2010 according toGuinness World Records.

Callaway Gardens,in western Georgia, is a family resort.The area is also popular with golfers.

TheSavannah Historic Districtattracts more than eleven million tourists each year.

TheGolden Islesis a string of barrier islands off the Atlantic coast of Georgia near Brunswick that includes beaches, golf courses and theCumberland Island National Seashore.

Several sites honor the lives and careers of noted American leaders: theLittle White HouseinWarm Springs,which served as the summer residence of PresidentFranklin Delano Rooseveltwhile he was being treated forpolio;PresidentJimmy Carter's hometown ofPlainsand theCarter Presidential Centerin Atlanta; theMartin Luther King Jr. National Historical Parkin Atlanta, which is the final resting place ofMartin Luther King Jr.andCoretta Scott King;and Atlanta'sEbenezer Baptist Church,where King preached.

Sports

Main article:Sports in Georgia (U.S. state)

Kickoff,Sanford Stadium,Athens

Sports in Georgia include professional teams in nearly all major sports,Olympic Gamescontenders and medalists, collegiate teams in major and small-school conferences and associations, and active amateur teams and individual sports. The state of Georgia has teams in four major professional leagues—theAtlanta BravesofMajor League Baseball,theAtlanta Falconsof theNational Football League,theAtlanta Hawksof theNational Basketball Association,andAtlanta United FCofMajor League Soccer.

TheGeorgia Bulldogs(Southeastern Conference),Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets(Atlantic Coast Conference),Georgia State PanthersandGeorgia Southern Eagles(Sun Belt Conference) are Georgia'sNCAA Division I FBSfootball teams, having won multiple national championships between them. The Georgia Bulldogs and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have a historical rivalry in college football known asClean, Old-Fashioned Hate,and the Georgia State Panthers and the Georgia Southern Eagles have recently developed theirown rivalry.

The1996 Summer Olympicstook place in Atlanta. The stadium that was built to host various Olympic events was converted toTurner Field,home of the Atlanta Braves through 2016. Atlanta will serve as a host city for the2026 FIFA World Cup.

TheMasters golf tournament,the first of thePGA Tour's four"majors",is held annually the second weekend of April at theAugusta National Golf Club.

TheRSM Classicis agolftournament on the PGA Tour, played in the autumn inSaint Simons Island, Georgia.

TheAtlanta Motor Speedwayhosts theDixie 500NASCAR Cup Seriesstock car race andRoad AtlantathePetit Le Mansendurance sports car race.

Atlanta'sGeorgia DomehostedSuper Bowl XXVIIIin 1994 andSuper Bowl XXXIVin 2000. The dome has hosted theNCAA Final Four Men's Basketball National Championshipin 2002, 2007, and 2013.It hostedWWE'sWrestleMania XXVIIin 2011, an event which set an attendance record of 71,617. The venue was also the site of the annualChick-fil-A Peach Bowlpost-season college football games. Since 2017, they have been held at theMercedes-Benz Stadiumalong with theFIRSTWorld Championships.

Professional baseball'sTy Cobbwas the first player inducted into theBaseball Hall of Fame.He was fromNarrows, Georgiaand was nicknamed the "Georgia Peach".

TheMercedes-Benz StadiumhostedSuper Bowl LIIIin 2018 and theCFP National Championshipin the same year, theSEC Championship Gamein 2017, theMLS All-Star Gamein 2018, theMLS Cupin 2018, and the record-setting friendly fixture between Mexico Men's National Football Team and Honduras Men's National Football Team.

Taxes

Georgia has aprogressive income taxstructure with six brackets of stateincome taxrates that range from 1% to 6%. In 2009, Georgians paid 9% of their income in state and local taxes, compared to the U.S. average of 9.8% of income.This ranks Georgia 25th among the states for total state and local tax burden.The statesales taxin Georgia is 4%with additional percentages added through local options (e.g.special-purpose local-option sales taxor SPLOST), but there is no sales tax onprescription drugs,certain medical devices, or food items for home consumption.

Thestate legislaturemay allow municipalities to institute local sales taxes and special local taxes, such as the 2% SPLOST tax and the 1% sales tax forMARTAserviced counties.Excise taxesare levied on alcohol, tobacco, and motor fuel. Owners ofreal propertyin Georgia payproperty taxto their county. All taxes are collected by theGeorgia Department of Revenueand then properly distributed according to any agreements that each county has with its cities.

Culture

Main article:Culture of Georgia (U.S. state)

The people of Georgia have been named 'Peaches' after the amount of peaches grown and distributed from Georgia.

Fine and performing arts

TheFox TheatreinMidtown Atlanta,centerpiece of theHistoric District

Georgia's major fine art museums include theHigh Museum of Artand theMichael C. Carlos Museum,both inAtlanta;theGeorgia Museum of Arton the campus of theUniversity of GeorgiainAthens;Telfair Museum of Artand theSCAD Museum of Artin Savannah; and theMorris Museum of Artin Augusta.

The state theatre of Georgia is theSpringer Opera Houselocated inColumbus.

TheAtlanta Operabrings opera to Georgia stages.TheAtlanta Symphony Orchestrais the most widely recognized orchestra and largest arts organization in the southeastern United States.

There are a number of performing arts venues in the state, among the largest are theFox Theatre,and theAlliance Theatreat theWoodruff Arts Center,both onPeachtree StreetinMidtown Atlantaas well as theCobb Energy Performing Arts Centre,located in Northwest Atlanta.

Education

Main article:Education in Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia Tech'sTech Tower

Georgia county and city public school systems are administered by school boards with members elected at the local level. As of 2013,all but 19 of 181 boards are elected fromsingle-member districts.Residents and activist groups inFayette Countysued the board of commissioners and school board for maintaining an election system based onat-largevoting, which tended to increase the power of the majority and effectively prevented minority participation on elected local boards for nearly 200 years.A change to single-member districts has resulted in the African-American minority being able to elect representatives of its choice.

Georgia high schools (grades nine through twelve) are required to administer astandardized,multiple choiceEnd of Course Test,or EOCT, in each of eight core subjects:algebra,geometry,U.S. history,economics,biology,physical science,ninth grade literature andcomposition,andAmerican literature.The official purpose of the tests is to assess "specific content knowledge and skills". Although a minimum test score is not required for the student to receivecreditin the course, completion of the test is mandatory. The EOCT score accounts for 15% of a student's grade in the course.TheGeorgia Milestoneevaluation is taken by public school students in the state.In 2020, because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Georgia State BOE agreed to state superintendent Richard Woods' proposal to change the weight of the EOCT test to only count for 0.01% of the Student's course grade. This change is currently only in effect for the 2020–21 school year.

The Arch at the entrance to theUniversity of Georgia's North Campus

Georgia has 85 public colleges, universities, and technical colleges in addition to more than 45 private institutes of higher learning. Among Georgia's public universities is theflagshipresearch university,theUniversity of Georgia,founded in 1785 as the country's oldest state-chartered university and the birthplace of the American system of public higher education.TheUniversity System of Georgiais the presiding body over public post-secondary education in the state. The System includes 29 institutions of higher learning and is governed by theGeorgia Board of Regents.Georgia's workforce of more than 6.3 million is constantly refreshed by the growing number of people who move there along with the 90,000 graduates from the universities, colleges and technical colleges across the state, including the highly rankedUniversity of Georgia,Georgia Institute of Technology,Georgia State UniversityandEmory University.

TheHOPE Scholarship,funded by thestate lottery,is available to all Georgia residents who have graduated from high school or earned aGeneral Educational Developmentcertificate. The student must maintain a 3.0 or higher grade point average and attend a public college or university in the state.

TheGeorgia Historical Society,an independent educational and research institution, has a research center located inSavannah.The research center's library and archives hold the oldest collection of materials related to Georgia history in the nation.

Media

See also:List of newspapers in Georgia (U.S. state)

The formerCNN CenterinAtlanta

TheAtlanta metropolitan areais the ninth largestmedia marketin the United States as ranked byNielsen Media Research.The state's other top markets areSavannah(95th largest),Augusta(115th largest), andColumbus(127th largest).

There are 48television broadcast stations in GeorgiaincludingTBS,TNT,TCM,Cartoon Network,CNNandHeadline News,all founded by notable Georgia residentTed Turner.The Weather Channelalso has its headquarters in Atlanta.

By far, the largest daily newspaper in Georgia is theAtlanta Journal-Constitutionwith a daily readership of 195,592 and a Sunday readership of 397,925.Other large dailies includeThe Augusta Chronicle,theColumbus Ledger-Enquirer,The Telegraph(formerlyThe Macon Telegraph) and theSavannah Morning News.

WSB-AMin Atlanta was the first licensed radio station in the southeastern United States, signing on in 1922.Georgia Public Radiohas been in service since 1984and, with the exception of Atlanta, it broadcasts daily on several FM (and one AM) stations across the state. Georgia Public Radio reaches nearly all of Georgia (with the exception of the Atlanta area, which is served byWABE).

WSB-TVin Atlanta is the state's oldest television station, having begun operations in 1948. WSB the first television service in Georgia, and the South.

Government

Main article:Government of Georgia (U.S. state)

State government

See also:List of governors of GeorgiaandGeorgia elected officials

TheGeorgia State CapitolinAtlanta,with the distinctive gold dome

Savannah City Hall

As with all other U.S. states and the federal government, Georgia's government is based on theseparation of legislative, executive, and judicial power.Executive authority in the state rests with thegovernor,currentlyBrian Kemp(Republican). Both theGovernor of Georgiaandlieutenant governorare 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 theGeneral Assembly,composed of theSenateandHouse of Representatives.The Lieutenant Governorpresides over the Senate,while members of the House of Representatives select their own Speaker. TheGeorgia Constitutionmandates 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.The laws enacted by the General Assembly are codified in theOfficial Code of Georgia Annotated.

State judicial authority rests with the stateSupreme CourtandCourt of Appeals,which have statewide authority.In addition, there are smaller courts which have more limited geographical jurisdiction, including Superior Courts, State Courts, Juvenile 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 to four-year terms by the state's citizens who live within that court's jurisdiction.

Local government

Further information:List of counties in GeorgiaandList of municipalities in Georgia

Georgia consists of 159counties,second only to Texas, with 254.Georgia had 161 counties until the end of 1931, whenMiltonandCampbellwere merged into the existingFulton.Some counties have been named for prominent figures in both American and Georgian history, and many bear names with Native American origin. Counties in Georgia have their own elected legislative branch, usually called the Board of Commissioners, which usually also has executive authority in the county.Several counties have asole Commissionerform of government, with legislative and executive authority vested in a single person. Georgia is the only state with current Sole Commissioner counties. Georgia's Constitution provides all counties and cities with "home rule"authority. The county commissions have considerable power to pass legislation within their county, as a municipality would.

Georgia recognizes all local units of government as cities, so every incorporated town is legally a city. Georgia does not provide fortownshipsorindependent cities,though there have been bills proposed in the Legislature to provide for townships;it does allowconsolidated city-countygovernments by localreferendum.All of Georgia's second-tier cities exceptSavannahhave now formed consolidated city-county governments by referendum:Columbus(in 1970),Athens(1990),Augusta(1995), andMacon(2012). (Augusta and Athens have excluded one or more small, incorporated towns within their consolidated boundaries; Columbus and Macon eventually absorbed all smaller incorporated entities within their consolidated boundaries.) The small town ofCussetaadopted a consolidated city-county government after it merged with unincorporatedChattahoochee Countyin 2003. Three years later, in 2006, the town ofGeorgetownconsolidated with the rest ofQuitman County.

There is no truemetropolitan governmentin Georgia, though theAtlanta Regional Commission(ARC) andGeorgia Regional Transportation Authoritydo provide some services, and the ARC must review all majorland developmentprojects in theAtlanta metropolitan area.

Elections

Main article:Elections in Georgia (U.S. state)

See also:Political party strength in Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia votedRepublicanin six consecutive presidential elections from1996to2016,a streak that was broken when the state went forDemocraticcandidateJoe Bidenin2020.

Until 1964, Georgia's state government had the longest unbroken record of single-party dominance, by theDemocratic Party,of any state in the Union. This record was established largely due to thedisenfranchisement of most blacksand many poor whites by the state in its constitution and laws in the early 20th century. Some elements, such as requiring payment of poll taxes and passing literacy tests, prevented blacks from registering to vote; their exclusion from the political system lasted into the 1960s and reduced the Republican Party to a non-competitive status in the early 20th century.

White Democrats regained power after Reconstruction due in part to the efforts of some using intimidation and violence, but this method came into disrepute.In 1900, shortly before Georgia adopted a disfranchising constitutional amendment in 1908, blacks comprised 47% of the state's population.

The whites dealt with this problem of potential political power by the 1908 amendment, which in practice disenfranchised blacks and poor whites, nearly half of the state population. It required that any male at least 21 years of age wanting to register to vote must also be of good character and able to pass a test on citizenship, be able to read and write provisions of the U.S. and Georgia constitutions, or own at least forty acres of land or $500 in property. Any Georgian who had fought in any war from theAmerican Revolutionthrough theSpanish–American Warwas exempted from these additional qualifications. More importantly, any Georgian descended from a veteran of any of these wars also was exempted. Because, by 1908, many white Georgia males were grandsons of veterans or owned the required property, the exemption and the property requirement basically allowed only well-to-do whites to vote. The qualifications of good character, citizenship knowledge, literacy (all determined subjectively by white registrars), and property ownership were used to disqualify most blacks and poor whites, preventing them from registering to vote. The voter rolls dropped dramatically.In the early 20th century,Progressivespromoted electoral reform and reducing the power of ward Boss es to clean up politics. Their additional rules, such as the eight-box law, continued to effectively close out people who were illiterate.White one-party rule was solidified.

For more than 130 years, from 1872 to 2003, Georgians nominated and elected only white Democratic governors, and white Democrats held the majority of seats in the General Assembly.Most of the Democrats elected throughout these years wereSouthern Democrats,who were fiscally and socially conservative by national standards.This voting pattern continued after the segregationist period.

Legal segregation was ended by passage of federal legislation in the 1960s. According to the 1960 census, the proportion of Georgia's population that was African American was 28%; hundreds of thousands of blacks had left the state in theGreat Migrationto the North and Midwest. New white residents arrived through migration and immigration. Following support from the national Democratic Party for the civil rights movement and especially civil rights legislation of 1964 and 1965, most African-American voters, as well as other minority voters, have largely supported the Democratic Party in Georgia.

In 2002, incumbent moderate Democratic GovernorRoy Barneswas defeated by RepublicanSonny Perdue,a state legislator and former Democrat. While Democrats retained control of the State House, they lost their majority in the Senate when four Democrats switched parties. They lost the House in the 2004 election. Republicans then controlled all three partisan elements of the state government.

Even before 2002, the state had become increasingly supportive of Republicans in Presidential elections. It has supported a Democrat for president only four times since 1960. In 1976 and 1980, native sonJimmy Cartercarried the state; in 1992, the former Arkansas governorBill Clintonnarrowly won the state; and in 2020,Joe Bidennarrowly carried the state. Generally, Republicans were strongest in the predominantly white suburban (especially the Atlanta suburbs) and rural portions of the state.Many of these areas were represented by conservative Democrats in the state legislature well into the 21st century. One of the most conservative of these was U.S. CongressmanLarry McDonald,former head of theJohn Birch Society,who died when theSoviet Unionshot downKAL 007nearSakhalin Island.Democratic candidates have tended to win a higher percentage of the vote in the areas where black voters are most numerous,as well as in the cities among liberal urban populations (especially Atlanta and Athens), and the central and southwestern portion of the state.

The ascendancy of the Republican Party in Georgia and in the South in general resulted in GeorgiaU.S. House of RepresentativesmemberNewt Gingrichbeing elected asSpeaker of the Housefollowing the election of a Republican majority in the House in 1994. Gingrich served as Speaker until 1999, when he resigned in the aftermath of the loss of House seats held by members of the GOP. Gingrich mounted an unsuccessful bid for president in the 2012 election, but withdrew after winning only the South Carolina and Georgia primaries.

In 2008, DemocratJim Martinran against incumbent Republican SenatorSaxby Chambliss.Chambliss failed to acquire the necessary 50 percent of votes due to a Libertarian Party candidate receiving the remainder of votes. In therunoff electionheld on December 2, 2008, Chambliss became the second Georgia Republican to be reelected to the U.S. Senate.

In the 2018 elections, thegovernorshipremained under control by a Republican (by 54,723 votes against a Democrat,Stacey Abrams), Republicans lost eight seats in theGeorgia House of Representatives(winning 106), while Democrats gained ten (winning 74), Republicans lost two seats in theGeorgia Senate(winning 35 seats), while Democrats gained two seats (winning 21), and five DemocratU.S. Representativeswere elected with Republicans winning nine seats (one winning with just 419 votes over the Democratic challenger, and one seat being lost).

In the three presidential elections up to and including 2016, the Republican candidate has won Georgia by approximately five to eight points over the Democratic nominee, at least once for each election being narrower than margins recorded in some states that have flipped within that timeframe, such asMichigan,OhioandWisconsin.This trend led to the state narrowly electing DemocratJoe Bidenfor president in 2020, and it coming to be regarded as aswing state.

In a 2020 study, Georgia was ranked as 49th on the "Cost of Voting Index" with only Texas ranking higher.In 2022, Georgia swung substantially back to the right towards Republicans with incumbent Republican GovernorBrian Kempwinning reelection by 7.5% over DemocratStacey Abramswith a raw vote margin of over 300,000 votes in the2022 Georgia gubernatorial election.The largest amount since the early 2000s, and every other Republican statewide getting elected by a 5–10% margin of victory.

Politics

Main article:Politics of Georgia (U.S. state)

During the 1960s and 1970s, Georgia made significant changes in civil rights and governance. As in many other states, its legislature had not reapportioned congressional districts according to population from 1931 to after the 1960 census. Problems of malapportionment in the state legislature, where rural districts had outsize power in relation to urban districts, such as Atlanta's, were corrected after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling inWesberry v. Sanders(1964). The court ruled that congressional districts had to be reapportioned to have essentially equal populations.

A related case,Reynolds v. Sims(1964), required state legislatures to end their use of geographical districts or counties in favor of "one man, one vote"; that is, districts based upon approximately equal populations, to be reviewed and changed as necessary after each census. These changes resulted in residents of Atlanta and other urban areas gaining political power in Georgia in proportion to their populations.From the mid-1960s, the voting electorate increased after African Americans' rights to vote were enforced under civil rights law.

Economic growth through this period was dominated by Atlanta and its region. It was a bedrock of the emerging "New South".From the late 20th century, Atlanta attracted headquarters and relocated workers of national companies, becoming more diverse, liberal and cosmopolitan than many areas of the state.

In the 21st century, many conservative Democrats, including former U.S. Senator and governorZell Miller,decided to support Republicans. The state's then-socially conservative bent resulted in wide support for measures such as restrictions on abortion. In 2004, a state constitutional amendment banningsame-sex marriageswas approved by 76% of voters.However, after the United States Supreme Court issued its ruling inObergefell v. Hodges,all Georgia counties came into full compliance, recognizing the rights of same-sex couples to marry in the state.

Inpresidential elections,Georgia voted solely Democratic in every election from1900to1960.In1964,it was one of only a handful of states to vote for RepublicanBarry Goldwaterover DemocratLyndon B. Johnson.In1968,it did not vote for either of the two parties, but rather theAmerican Independent Partyand its nominee,AlabamaGovernorGeorge Wallace.In1972,the state returned to Republicans as part of a landslide victory forRichard Nixon.In1976and1980,it voted for Democrat and former Georgia governorJimmy Carter.The state returned to Republicans in1984and1988,before going Democratic once again in1992.For every election between that year and2020,Georgia voted heavily Republican, in line with many of its neighbors in theDeep South.In2020,it voted Democratic for the first time in 28 years, aidingJoe Bidenin his defeat of incumbent RepublicanDonald Trump.

Prior to 2020, Republicans in state, federal and congressional races had seen decreasing margins of victory, and many election forecasts had ranked Georgia as a "toss-up" state, or with Biden as a very narrow favorite.Concurrent with the 2020 presidential election were two elections for both of Georgia's United States Senate seats (one of which being a special election due to the resignation of SenatorJohnny Isakson,and the other being regularly scheduled). After no candidate in either race received a majority of the vote, both went to January 5, 2021, run-offs, which DemocratsJon OssoffandRaphael Warnockwon. Ossoff is the state's first Jewish senator, and Warnock is the state's first Black senator. Biden's, Ossoff's, and Warnock's wins were attributed to the rapiddiversificationof the suburbs of Atlantaand increased turnout of younger African American voters, particularly around the suburbs of Atlanta and inSavannah, Georgia.

Parks and recreational activities

Main article:Protected areas of Georgia (U.S. state)

There are 48state parks,15 historic sites, and numerous wildlife preserves under supervision of theGeorgia Department of Natural Resources.Other historic sites and parks are supervised by theNational Park Serviceand include theAndersonville National Historic SiteinAndersonville;Appalachian National Scenic Trail;Chattahoochee River National Recreation Areanear Atlanta;Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military ParkatFort Oglethorpe;Cumberland Island National SeashorenearSt. Marys;Fort Frederica National MonumentonSt. Simons Island;Fort Pulaski National MonumentinSavannah;Jimmy Carter National Historic SitenearPlains;Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield ParknearKennesaw;Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Parkin Atlanta;Ocmulgee National MonumentatMacon;Trail of Tears National Historic Trail;and theOkefenokee SwampinWaycross, Georgia

Outdoor recreational activities include hiking along theAppalachian Trail;Civil War Heritage Trails;rock climbingandwhitewater kayaking.Other outdoor activities include hunting and fishing.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Main article:Transportation in Georgia (U.S. state)

ThePort of Brunswickand the Sidney Lanier Bridge

Transportation in Georgia is overseen by theGeorgia Department of Transportation,a part of the executive branch of thestate government.Georgia's majorInterstate HighwaysareI-20,I-75,I-85,andI-95.On March 18, 1998, the Georgia House of Representatives passed a resolution naming the portion of Interstate 75, which runs from the Chattahoochee River northward to the Tennessee state line theLarry McDonaldMemorial Highway. Larry McDonald, a Democratic member of the House of Representatives, had been onKorean Air Lines Flight 007when it was shot down by the Soviets on September 1, 1983.

MARTA(rapid transit) train

Georgia's primary commercial airport is Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), the world's busiest airport.In addition to Hartsfield–Jackson, there are eight other airports serving major commercial traffic in Georgia.Savannah/Hilton Head International Airportis the second-busiest airport in the state as measured by passengers served, and is the only additional international airport. Other commercial airports (ranked in order of passengers served) are located inAugusta,Columbus,Albany,Macon,Brunswick,Valdosta,andAthens.

TheGeorgia Ports Authoritymanages two deepwater seaports, at Savannah and Brunswick, and two river ports, at Bainbridge and Columbus. ThePort of Savannahis a major U.S. seaport on the Atlantic coast.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) is the principalrapid transitsystem in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Formed in 1971 as strictly a bus system, MARTA operates a network ofbus routeslinked to a rapid transit system consisting of 48 miles (77 km) ofrail trackwith 38train stations.MARTA operates almost exclusively inFultonandDeKalbcounties, with bus service to two destinations inCobbcounty and theCumberlandTransfer Center next to theCumberland Mall,and a single rail station inClaytonCounty at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport. MARTA also operates a separateparatransitservice for disabled customers. As of 2009,the average total daily ridership for the system (bus and rail) was 482,500 passengers.

Health care

See also:List of hospitals in Georgia (U.S. state)

The state has 151 general hospitals, more than 15,000 doctors and almost 6,000 dentists.The state is ranked forty-first in the percentage of residents who engage in regular exercise.

Notable people

Main article:List of people from Georgia (U.S. state)

Jimmy Carter,fromPlains, Georgia,was President of the United States from 1977 to 1981.Martin Luther King Jr.was born inAtlantain 1929. He was acivil rights movementleader who protested for equal rights and against racial discrimination. He won theNobel Peace Prizein 1964.Blake R. Van Leerplayed an important role in the civil rights movement, Georgia's economy and was president ofGeorgia Tech.Mordecai Sheftall,the highest ranking Jewish officer in the American Revolution, was born and lived his life in Georgia.Naomi Chapman Woodruff,originally from Idaho, was responsible for developing a peanut breeding program in Georgia which lead to a harvest of nearly five times the typical amount.

State symbols

Rosa laevigata(Cherokee rose), the state flower

Quercus virginiana(Live oak), the state tree atValdosta State University

• Amphibian:American green tree frog
• Bird:brown thrasher
• Crop:peanut
• Fish:largemouth bass
• Flower:Cherokee rose
• Fruit:peach
• Gem:quartz
• Insect:honey bee
• Mammal:white-tailed deer
• Marine mammal:right whale
• Mineral:staurolite
• Nicknames:
  • "Peach State"
  • "Empire State of the South"
• Reptile:gopher tortoise
• Song: "Georgia on My Mind"
• Tree:live oak
• Vegetable:Vidalia onion

Reference: Georgia Symbols

See also

• Index of Georgia (U.S. state)-related articles
• Outline of Georgia (U.S. state)
• USSGeorgia,2 ships

Bibliography

• Bartley, Numan V.The Creation of Modern Georgia(1990). Covers 1865–1990 period.ISBN0-8203-1183-9.
• Coleman, Kenneth. ed.A History of Georgia(1991).ISBN0-8203-1269-X.
• London, Bonnie Bullard. (2005)Georgia and the American ExperienceAtlanta, Georgia: Clairmont PressISBN1-56733-100-9.A middle school textbook.
• Peirce, Neal R.The Deep South States of America: People, Politics, and Power in the Seven Deep South States(1974). Information on politics and economics 1960–72.ISBN0-393-05496-9.
• Williams, David and Christopher C. Meyers.Georgia: A Brief HistoryMacon: Mercer University Press, 2012.

External links

• Georgia state government website
• Georgia State Guide, from the Library of Congress
• Geographic data related toGeorgia (U.S. state)atOpenStreetMap