Wikijunior:North America/United States/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.

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