Wikijunior:North America/United States/Georgia

The Location of Georgia

The State of Georgia is a state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution. 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. Atlanta is the most populous city, and the capital. Other big cities in Georgia include Columbus, Augusta, and Macon.

The Flag of Georgia

History

The British colony of Georgia was established in 1733 by James Oglethorpe, and would later become a royal colony in 1752. On January 2, 1788, Georgia became the fourth state to ratify the Constitution. Georgia declared its secession from the Union on January 29, 1861, and became part of the Confederate States of America. Many important battles were fought in the state during the Civil War. After the war, Georgia was the last state to be readmitted to the Union on July 15, 1870.

Geography

Georgia has a total area of 59,425 square miles (153,909 km²). It is bordered to the south by Florida, to the east by South Carolina and the Atlantic Ocean, to the west by Alabama, and to the north by Tennessee and North Carolina. Georgia is the largest state entirely east of the Mississippi River by land area.

The state's northern areas include the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are part of the greater Appalachian Mountains. The Piedmont plateau extends from the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains south to the Fall Line, an escarpment to the Coastal Plain along the Atlantic Ocean. Georgia's highest point is Brasstown Bald at 4,784 feet (1,485 m).

The Okefenokee Swamp

People

In 2020, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of Georgia was 10,711,908. English is the most-spoken language (87.35%), followed by Spanish (7.42%), Korean (0.51%), Vietnamese (0.44%), French (0.42%), Chinese (0.38%), and German (0.29%).

In 2010, 59.7% of people in Georgia were White/Caucasian, 30.5% were Black, 3.3% were Asian, and 0.3% were Native American.

State Symbols

• The state nicknames are The Peach State and The Empire State of the South
• The state motto is "Wisdom, Justice, Moderation"
• The state amphibian is the American green tree frog
• The state art museum is the Georgia Museum of Art
• The state atlas is The Atlas of Georgia
• The state ballet company is Atlanta Ballet
• The state beef barbecue championship cook-off is The Hawkinsville Civitan Club's "Shoot the Bull" barbecue championship
• The state bird is the brown thrasher
• The state botanical garden is The State Botanical Garden of Georgia
• The state butterfly is the eastern tiger swallowtail
• The state center for character education is the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force
• The state cold water game fish is the Southern Appalachian brook trout
• The state creed is the Georgian's Creed
• The state crop is the peanut
• The state dog is the "adoptable dog"
• The state fish is the largemouth bass
• The state flower is the Cherokee rose
• The state folk dance is the square dance
• The state folk festival is the Georgia Folk Festival
• The state folk life play is Swamp Gravy
• The state fossil is the shark tooth
• The state Frontier and Southeastern Indian interpretive center is the Funk Heritage Center
• The state fruit is the peach
• The state game bird is the bobwhite quail
• The state gem is quartz
• The state historical drama is The Reach of Song
• The state historical civil rights museum is the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum
• The state insect is the honeybee
• The state marine mammal is the North Atlantic right whale
• The state mineral is staurolite
• The state musical theater is the Peach State Summer Theater
• The state nut is the pecan
• The state peanut monument is the Georgia State Peanut Monument
• The state poet laureate is the Poet Laureate of Georgia
• The state pork cook-off is The Dooly County Chamber of Commerce's "Slosheye Trail Big Pig Jig"
• The state 'possum is Pogo 'Possum
• The state prepared food is grits
• The state railroad museum is the Georgia State Railroad Museum
• The state reptile is the gopher tortoise
• The state saltwater fish is the red drum
• The state school is Plains High School
• The state seashell is the knobbed whelk
• The state song is "Georgia on My Mind"
• The state theater is the Springer Opera House
• The state tree is the southern live oak
• The state transportation history museum is the Southeastern Railway Museum
• The state vegetable is the Vidalia sweet onion
• The state waltz is "Our Georgia"
• The state wildflower is the azalea