Georgia Facts

Georgia

            


COLONY:  Founded by James Oglethorpe on February 12, 1733; 13th colony
STATEHOOD:  January 2, 1788; 4th state
CAPITAL:  Atlanta, since 1868
MOTTO:  "Wisdom, justice, and moderation"
NICKNAMES:  Empire State of the South; Peach State
TOTAL POPULATION:  9,687,653; 9th most populous in United States (as of 2010 census)
LAND AREA:  57,513 square miles (as of 2010 census); 24th largest in United States
COASTLINE:  100 miles
HIGHEST POINT:  Brasstown Bald, 4,784 feet
LOWEST POINT:  Sea level at the Atlantic Coast
COUNTIES:  159
ELECTORAL VOTES:  16 (as of the 2010 U.S. census)
U.S. CONGRESS:  2 senators; 14 representatives (as of the 2010 election)
LATITUDE:  30° 31' N to 35°
LONGITUDE:  81° W to 85° 53' W
LENGTH & WIDTH:  300 miles long and 230 miles wide
GEOGRAPHIC CENTER:  in Twiggs County, 18 miles southeast of Macon
HIGHEST RECORDED TEMPERATURE:  112°F, July 24, 1952, at Louisville; and August 20, 1983, at Greenville (Meriwether County)
LOWEST RECORDED TEMPERATURE:  -17°F, January 27, 1940, at CCC Camp F-16
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE:  from a high of 92.2°F to a low of 32.6°F

State Symbols
STATE FLOWER:  Cherokee rose
STATE GAME BIRD: Quail
STATE SONG BIRD:  Brown thrasher
STATE TREE:  Live oak
STATE VEGETABLE:  Vidalia onion
Prized for their sweetness, Vidalia onions get their name from the Toombs County town where farmer Mose Coleman first marketed them in the 1930s.
STATE CROP: Peanuts
STATE FRUIT:  Peach
The Elberta peach variety, which flourishes along the state's fall line, spurred Georgia peach production, and by the early 1900s Georgia was the leading peach grower in the nation.
STATE REPTILE:  Gopher tortoise
STATE AMPHIBIAN:  Green tree frog
STATE FISH:  Largemouth bass
STATE MARINE MAMMAL:  Right whale
STATE MINERAL:  Staurolite
STATE SONG:  On April 24, 1979, "Georgia on My Mind" (music by Hoagy Carmichael and lyrics by Stuart Gorrell) was designated Georgia's official state song. It was performed on March 7, 1979, before the state legislature by Georgia native Ray Charles.
STATE FLAG:  Georgia's state flag was adopted by the 2003 General Assembly. It is based on the first national flag of the Confederacy, the "Stars and Bars," with the state coat of arms in gold in the center of a circle of thirteen stars, which represent Georgia and the original twelve other states that formed the United States. Beneath the coat of arms is the national motto: "In God We Trust."
GREAT SEAL:  The Great Seal of Georgia was adopted by an act of the General Assembly in 1799. The commonly seen reverse of the seal depicts an arch with "Constitution" engraved on it, supported by three pillars emblematic of the three branches of government: legislative, judicial, and executive. The first pillar has engraved upon a scroll "Wisdom," the second, "Justice," and the third, "Moderation." A uniformed man with a drawn sword, representing the aid of the military in defense of the Constitution, stands between the columns. The obverse of the seal depicts a ship with cotton and tobacco, and a man plowing, representing the seal's motto, "Agriculture and Commerce." The date 1776 refers to the date of the Declaration of Independence.




Georgia Facts and Trivia

1. Okefenokee Swamp encompasses over 400,000 acres of canals; moss draped cypress trees, and lily pad prairies providing sanctuaries for hundreds of species of birds and wildlife including several endangered species.
2. Cumberland Island National Seashore contains the ruins of Dungeness, the once magnificent Carnegie estate. In addition, wild horses graze among wind swept dunes.
3. The late John F. Kennedy, Jr. and his future wife stopped in Kingsland on the way to their marriage on Cumberland Island.
4. Historic Saint Marys Georgia is the second oldest city in the nation.
5. The City of Savanna was the first steamship to cross the Atlantic.It sailed from Georgia.
6. Ways Station was renamed Richmond Hill on May 1, 1941, taking the name of automaker Henry Ford's winter estate.
7. The pirate Edward "Blackbeard" Teach made a home on Blackbeard Island. The United States Congress designated the Blackbeard Island Wilderness Area in 1975 and it now has a total of 3,000 acres.
8. On January 19, 1861, Georgia joined the Confederacy.
9. The official state fish is the largemouth bass.
10. In Gainesville, the Chicken Capital of the World it is illegal to eat chicken with a fork.
11. Georgia was named for King George II of England.
12. Stone Mountain near Atlanta is one of the largest single masses of exposed granite in the world.
13. Georgia is the nations number one producer of the three Ps--peanuts, pecans, and peaches.
14. At the Hawkinsville Civitan Club's Annual Shoot the Bull Barbecue Championship, people from all over Georgia and surrounding states flock to this small south Georgia town to enter their tasty barbecue concoctions in this famous cook-off. The funds raised from this event benefit the Civitan International Research Center and its work toward a cure for Down's syndrome and other developmental disabilities.
15. Each year Georgia serves as a host to the International Poultry Trade Show, the largest poultry convention in the world.
16. The oldest portable steam engine in the United States is on display at Historic Railroad Shops in Savannah.
17. Known as the sweetest onion in the world, the Vidalia onion can only be grown in the fields around Vidalia and Glennville
18. Georgia is the largest state east of the Mississippi River.
19. Georgia's population in 1776 was around 40,000.
20. Cordele claims to be the watermelon capital of the world.
21. The annual Masters Golf Tournament is played at the Augusta National in Augusta every first week of April.
22. Georgia is often called the Empire State of the South and is also known as the Peach State and Cracker State.
23. In 1828 Auraria, near the city of Dahlongea, was the site of the first Gold Rush in America.
24. Coca-Cola was invented in May 1886 by Dr. John S. Pemberton in Atlanta, Georgia. The name "Coca-Cola" was suggested by Dr. Pemberton's bookkeeper, Frank Robinson. He penned the name Coca-Cola in the flowing script that is famous today. Coca-Cola was first sold at a soda fountain in Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta by Willis Venable.
25. Berry College in Rome has the world's largest college campus.
26. The Little White House in Warm Springs was the recuperative home of Franklin D. Roosevelt.
27. In 1942 Jekyll Island was a private resort sold to the state by the owners, a group of millionaires.
28. Providence Canyon State Park, near Lumpkin, is known as the Little Grand Canyon of Georgia.
29. The Cherokee rose is the official state flower, the live oak the official tree; and the brown thrasher the official bird.
30. United States Highway 27 runs the length of Georgia and is known as Martha Berry Highway, named after a pioneer educator.
31. Marshall Forest in Rome is the only natural forest within a city limits in the United States.
32. The popular theme park - Six Flags Over Georgia, was actually named for six flags that flew over Georgia. England, Spain, Liberty, Georgia, Confederate States of America, and the United States.
33. The locomotive engine popularly known as The General is housed in the Big Shanty Museum in Kennesaw. It was stolen in the Andrews Railroad Raid in 1862 and later depicted in The Great Locomotive Chase, a popular movie.
34. The name of the famous south Georgia swamp, the Okefenokee, is derived from an Indian word meaning the trembling earth.
35. Brasstown Bald Mountain is the highest point in Georgia. It has an elevation of 4,784 feet.
36. The Cyclorama is a three dimensional panorama that depicts the famous Battle of Atlanta, and is located in Grant Park in Atlanta.
37. Thomasville is known as the City of Roses.
38. Chickamuga National Park is the site of the bloodiest battle in American history.
39. Plains is the home of Jimmy Carter, the 39th President.
40. The figures of Stonewall Jackson, Jefferson Davis, and Robert E. Lee make up the world's largest sculpture. It is located on the face of Stone Mountain. Additionally Robert E. Lee's horse, Traveler, is also carved at the same place.
41. Savannah was the landing site for General James Edward Oglethorpe, founder of Georgia.
42. The world's largest Infantry training center is located at Fort Benning.
43. The largest Farmer's Market of its kind is located in Forest Park.
44. Ralph Bunch, United States diplomat, was the first Georgian to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
45. Callaway Gardens is a world famous family resort, known for its azaleas.
46. Wesleyan College in Macon was the first college in the world chartered to grant degrees to women.
47. Madison is known for its beautiful antebellum homes spared during Sherman's fiery march to the sea.
48. Chehaw in Albany is a well known wild animal park.
49. Ocmulgee National Monument in Macon is the largest archeological development east of the Mississippi River.
50. Athens is the location of the first university chartered and supported by state funds.