Georgia
Peach State · Capital: Atlanta · South (Deep South)
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Bordering states: Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina.
About Georgia
Georgia borders Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina, and with about 57,500 square miles of land it is the largest state east of the Mississippi River. It crosses five physiographic provinces, and in the northeast the Blue Ridge rises to 4,784 feet at Brasstown Bald. The red clay Piedmont holds most of the population, and the Coastal Plain covers more than half the state. The fall line between them runs through Columbus, Macon and Augusta, where boats from the sea had to stop. The Okefenokee Swamp drains both to the Gulf and to the Atlantic, and the 100 mile coast holds around 368,000 acres of salt marsh.
Mound towns such as Etowah fell to the epidemics left by Hernando de Soto's march of 1540, giving way to the Muscogee, or Creek, and the Cherokee. George II chartered the colony in 1732, and James Oglethorpe laid out Savannah in 1733. Its trustees banned slavery from 1735 to 1750. Georgia ratified the Constitution on January 2, 1788, the fourth state. With the cotton gin of 1793 the enslaved population rose from about 29,000 to more than 460,000 by 1860. Once gold was found at Dahlonega, the Cherokee were removed in 1838; roughly 4,000 died on the way west. Following secession, William Sherman took Atlanta in 1864, and Georgia was the last Confederate state readmitted, in 1870.
The 2020 census counted 10,711,908 residents, up 10.6 percent from 2010, giving it 14 House seats. Atlanta, the capital and largest city, began in 1837 as Terminus, the end of a rail line. John Pemberton mixed the first Coca-Cola syrup there in 1886, and Hartsfield-Jackson is the busiest airport in the world. Georgia leads the nation in peanuts, pecans and broiler chickens, though third in peaches. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta in 1929, and Jimmy Carter, born in Plains in 1924, was president from 1977 to 1981.
4 fun facts about Georgia
- Coca-Cola was invented in Atlanta in 1886 by pharmacist John Pemberton. The original formula contained cocaine.
- Despite the nickname, Georgia is only the 3rd largest peach producer (after California and South Carolina).
- Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson is the busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic.
- The state was named after King George II of Britain; the country of Georgia's name has a different origin.
More about Georgia
Frequently asked questions about Georgia
Is Georgia a US state?
Yes, Georgia is one of the 50 US states. It was admitted to the Union in 1788, making it the 4th state. Its capital is Atlanta and its largest city is Atlanta.
What is the capital of Georgia?
The capital of Georgia is Atlanta.
When did Georgia become a state?
Georgia became a US state in 1788. It is the 4th state admitted to the Union.
What is the abbreviation for Georgia?
The 2-letter USPS abbreviation for Georgia is GA.
How big is Georgia?
Georgia ranks #24 of 50 US states by area. With 185.6 residents per square mile in 2020, it was the 17th most densely populated state.
What is the population of Georgia?
Georgia had 10,711,908 residents at the 2020 census, the 8th largest population of the 50 states, up 10.6% since 2010. That count gives it 14 seats in the US House of Representatives.
What region is Georgia in?
Georgia is in the South region of the United States, per the US Census Bureau.
What time zone is Georgia in?
Georgia observes Eastern Time.
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How to learn the 50 states (full guide)
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