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GEORGIA - USA
Georgia is a southern state of the United States and its U.S. postal
abbreviation is GA. Georgia was one of the thirteen colonies that revolted
against British rule in the American Revolution. It was the thirteenth
colony and became the fourth state, ratifying the United States Constitution
on January 2, 1788. Georgia's population in 2000 was 8,186,453 (U.S. Census).
It is also known as the Peach State.
The state song, Georgia on My Mind by Hoagy
Carmichael was originally written about a woman of that name, but after
Georgia native Ray Charles sang it, the state legislature voted it the state
song. Ray Charles sang it on the legislative floor when the bill passed.
The state tree is the Southern live oak (Quercus virginiana), the state bird
is the brown thrasher (Toxostoma rufum), and the state flower is the
cherokee rose (Rosa laevigata).
Several U.S. Navy ships have been named USS Georgia in honor of this state.
History
Over the next few decades, a number of Spanish explorers visited the inland
region, leaving a trail of destruction behind them. The local moundbuilder
culture, described by Hernando de Soto in 1540, had completely disappeared
by 1560.
The conflict between Spain and Britain over control of Georgia began in
earnest in about 1670, when the British, moving south from their Carolina
colony in present-day South Carolina met the Spanish moving north from their
base in Florida. In 1724, it was first suggested that what was by then a
British colony be called Province of Georgia in honor of King George II.
Massive British settlement began in the early 1730s with James Oglethorpe,
an Englishman in the British parliament, who promoted the idea that the area
be used to settle people in a debtors' prison. On February 12, 1733, the
first 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.
On January 18, 1861 Georgia joined the Confederacy in the American Civil War
and on July 15, 1870 after Reconstruction Georgia became the last former
Confederate state to be readmitted to the Union. During this time, much of
the state was destroyed in March to the Sea, part of the setting for the
book and movie Gone With the Wind.
On February 19, 1953 Georgia became the first U.S. state to approve a
literature censorship board in the United States.
Georgia has had five "permanent" state capitals: Savannah, Augusta,
Louisville, Milledgeville, and Atlanta. (Louisville is pronounced like Lewis
[loo-iss], not like Louie [loo-ee].) The legislature has also met in other
places temporarily.
Law and Government
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. The state capital is
Atlanta.
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 the governor,
currently Sonny Perdue (Republican). The Lieutenant Governor, currently Mark
Taylor (Democrat), is elected on a separate ballot. Both the governor and
lieutenant governor are elected 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 state 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.
At the federal level, Georgia's two U.S. senators are Saxby Chambliss
(Republican) and former governor Zell Miller (Democrat). As of the 2001
reapportionment, the state has 13 congressmen and women in the U.S. House of
Representatives.
Georgia also has 159 counties, the most of any state except Texas (254).
Before 1932, there were 161, with Milton and Campbell being merged into
Fulton at the end of 1931, during the Great Depression. Gwinnett County was
named after Button Gwinnett, one of the delegates from Georgia who signed
the U.S. Declaration of Independence. 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.
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. It is the largest state east of the
Mississippi River. The northern part of the state is in the Blue Ridge
Mountains, a mountain range in the 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,
4784 feet (1458 m); the lowest point is sea level.
The capital is Atlanta, in the central part of northern Georgia, and the
peach is a symbol of the state. The state is an important producer of cotton,
tobacco, and forest products, notably the so-called "naval stores" such as
turpentine and rosin from the pine forests.
Interstate highways
Interstate 16
Interstate 20
Interstate 24
Interstate 59
Interstate 75
Interstate 85
Interstate 95
United States highways
North-south routes East-west routes
U.S. Highway 1
U.S. Highway 301
U.S. Highway 11
U.S. Highway 411
U.S. Highway 17
U.S. Highway 19
U.S. Highway 319
U.S. Highway 221
U.S. Highway 23
U.S. Highway 123
U.S. Highway 25
U.S. Highway 27
U.S. Highway 29
U.S. Highway 129
U.S. Highway 41
U.S. Highway 341
U.S. Highway 441
U.S. Highway 76
U.S. Highway 78
U.S. Highway 278
U.S. Highway 378
U.S. Highway 80
U.S. Highway 280
U.S. Highway 82
U.S. Highway 84
Economy
Georgia's 1999 total gross state product was $275 billion, placing it 10th
in the nation. Its per capita personal income for 2000 put it 23rd in the
nation at $28,145. Georgia's agricultural outputs are poultry and eggs,
peanuts, cattle, hogs, dairy products, and vegetables. Its industrial
outputs are textiles and apparel, transportation equipment, food processing,
paper products, chemical products, electric equipment, and tourism.
Demographics
As of the 2000 census, the population of Georgia is 8,186,453, making it the
10th most populous state. Its population grew 26.4% (1,708,304) from its
1990 levels. According to the 2000 census, 65.1% (5,327,281) identified
themselves as White, 28.7% (2,349,542) as black, 5.3% (435,227) as Hispanic
or Latino, 2.1% (173,170) as Asian, 0.3% (21,737) as American Indian or
Alaska Native, 0.1% (4,246) as Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 2.4%
(196,289) as other, and 1.4% (114,188) identified themselves as belonging to
two or more races.
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 made up approximately 50.8% of the
population.
Nearly half of the state's population lives in the Atlanta metro area.
Important cities and towns
Population > 1,000,000 (urbanized area)
Atlanta (State Capital City)
Population > 100,000 (urbanized area)
Augusta
Columbus
Savannah
Macon
Athens
Population > 10,000 (urbanized area)
Albany
Warner Robins
Gainesville
Rome
Dalton
Valdosta
Brunswick
Hinesville
Cartersville
Carrollton
LaGrange
Milledgeville
St. Marys
Statesboro
Waycross
Newnan
Tifton
Thomasville
Dublin
Americus
Moultrie
Calhoun
Thomaston
Cornelia
Winder
Cordele
Jesup
Douglas
Cedartown
Bainbridge
Fitzgerald
Summerville
Fort Valley
Toccoa
Chatsworth
Doraville
Major military bases
Fort Benning
Fort Stewart
Dobbins Air Reserve Base (where the U.S. President arrives when visiting
Atlanta)
Important Suburbs of Atlanta
Acworth
Alpharetta
Belvedere Park
Braselton
Buford
Candler-McAfee
Carrollton
Cartersville
College Park
Conyers
Covington
Decatur
Douglasville
Druid Hills
Duluth
Dunwoody
East Point
Fayetteville
Forest Park
Griffin
Kennesaw
Lawrenceville
Lilburn
Mableton
Marietta, location of the Big Chicken
Monroe
Mountain Park, Gwinnett County
Newnan
North Atlanta
North Decatur
North Druid Hills
Panthersville
Peachtree City
Powder Springs
Redan
Riverdale
Roswell
Sandy Springs
Smyrna
Snellville
Sugar Hill
Tucker
Union City
Winder
Woodstock of Savannah
Garden City
Education
Colleges and universities
Private schools
Agnes Scott College in Decatur [1] (http://www.agnesscott.edu/)
American Intercontinental University [2] (http://www.aiuniv.edu/)
in Dunwoody [3] (http://www.aiudunwoody.com)
in Buckhead (Atlanta) [4] (http://www.aiubuckhead.com)
Art Institute of Atlanta in Atlanta [5] (http://www.aia.aii.edu/)
Atlanta Christian College† in Atlanta [6] (http://www.acc.edu/)
Atlanta College of Art in Atlanta [7] (http://www.aca.edu/)
Berry College in Mount Berry [8] (http://www.berry.edu/)
Brenau University in Gainesville [9] (http://www.brenau.edu/)
Brewton-Parker College in Mount Vernon [10] (http://www.bpc.edu/)
Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta [11] (http://www.cau.edu/)
Covenant College† in Lookout Mountain [12] (http://www.covenant.edu/)
Emmanuel College† in Franklin Springs [13] (http://www.emmanuelcollege.edu/)
Emory University in Atlanta [14] (http://www.emory.edu/)
Institute of Paper Science and Technology in Atlanta [15] (http://www.ipst.edu/)
LaGrange College in LaGrange [16] (http://www.lagrange.edu/)
Life University in Marietta [17] (http://www.life.edu/)
Mercer University in Atlanta [18] (http://www.mercer.edu/)
Morehouse College in Atlanta [19] (http://www.morehouse.edu/)
Morris Brown College in Atlanta [20] (http://www.morrisbrown.edu/)
Oglethorpe University in Atlanta [21] (http://www.oglethorpe.edu/)
Paine College in Augusta [22] (http://www.paine.edu/)
Piedmont College in Demorest and Athens [23] (http://www.piedmont.edu/)
Reinhardt College in Waleska [24] (http://www.reinhardt.edu/)
Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah [25] (http://www.scad.edu/)
Shorter College in Rome [26] (http://www.shorter.edu/)
South University in Savannah (and in other states) [27] (http://www.southuniversity.edu/)
Spelman College in Atlanta [28] (http://www.spelman.edu/)
Thomas University in Thomasville [29] (http://www.thomasu.edu/)
Toccoa Falls College† in Toccoa Falls [30] (http://www.tfc.edu/)
Wesleyan College in Macon [31] (http://www.wesleyancollege.edu/)
Young Harris College in Young Harris
† denotes religious schools University System of Georgia [32] (http://www.usg.edu/)
Albany State University in Albany [33] (http://www.asurams.edu/)
Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah [34] (http://www.armstrong.edu/)
Augusta State University in Augusta [35] (http://www.aug.edu/)
Clayton College and State University in Morrow [36] (http://www.clayton.edu/)
Columbus State University in Columbus [37] (http://www.colstate.edu/)
Dalton State College in Dalton [38] (http://www.daltonstate.edu/)
Darton College in Albany [39] (http://www.darton.edu/)
Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley [40] (http://www.fvsu.edu/)
Floyd College in Rome [41] (http://www.floyd.edu/)
Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville [42] (http://www.gcsu.edu/)
Georgia Institute of Technology, or Georgia Tech in Atlanta [43] (http://www.gatech.edu/)
Georgia Southern University in Statesboro [44] (http://www.gasou.edu/)
Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus[45] (http://www.gsw.edu/)
Georgia State University in Atlanta [46] (http://www.gsu.edu/)
Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw [47] (http://www.kennesaw.edu/)
Macon State College in Macon [48] (http://www.maconstate.edu/)
Medical College of Georgia in Augusta [49] (http://www.mcg.edu/)
Middle Georgia College in Cochran and Dublin [50] (http://www.mgc.edu/)
North Georgia College and State University in Dahlonega [51] (http://www.ngcsu.edu/)
Savannah State University in Savannah [52] (http://www.savstate.edu/)
Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta [53] (http://www.spsu.edu/)
State University of West Georgia in Carrollton [54] (http://www.westga.edu/)
University of Georgia in Athens [55] (http://www.uga.edu/)
Valdosta State University in Valdosta [56] (http://www.valdosta.edu/)
Radio and television
Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) operates nine major educational television
stations across the state as Georgia Public Broadcasting Television. It also
operates, in whole or in part, several radio stations as Georgia Public
Radio (GPR). See also List of radio stations in Georgia (U.S. state).
Professional sports teams
Atlanta Falcons, National Football League
Atlanta Hawks, National Basketball Association
Atlanta Thrashers, National Hockey League
Atlanta Braves, Major League Baseball
Georgia Force, Arena Football League (Duluth)
Atlanta Beat, Women's United Soccer Association
Minor League baseball teams
Augusta GreenJackets
Columbus Catfish
Rome Braves
Savannah Sand Gnats
Minor League hockey teams
Augusta Lynx
Columbus Cottonmouths
Gwinnett Gladiators
Macon Trax
Minor League basketball teams
Gwinnett Gwizzlies
Columbus Riverdragons
Reigning Knights of Georgia
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