The Land and Original Peoples of Georgia UNIT 1: The Land and Original Peoples of Georgia Chapters 1-3

Chapter 1 Georgia’s Physical Geography

Standards SS8G1 The student will describe Georgia with regard to physical features and location. a. Locate Georgia in relation to region, nation, continent, and hemispheres. b. Describe the five geographic regions of Georgia; include the Blue Ridge Mountains, Valley and Ridge, Appalachian Plateau, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain. c. Locate and evaluate the importance of key physical features on the development of Georgia; include the Fall Line, Okefenokee Swamp, Appalachian Mountains, Chattahoochee and Savannah Rivers, and barrier islands. d. Evaluate the impact of climate on Georgia’s development.

Georgia’s Land Regions Section 1

Section Vocabulary Sunbelt (p. 4) regions (p. 5) Coastal Plain (p.5) Piedmont (p.7) Appalachian Mountains (p. 8) Blue Ridge Mountains (p. 8) Valley and Ridge (p. 9) Appalachian Plateau (p. 9)

Georgia’s Location Georgia is bordered by 5 states: Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, North & South Carolina. It is a southern state in the “Deep South.” Georgia is part of the Sunbelt. The Sunbelt is a group of Southern states that stretches from the East Coast all the way to California.

Georgia’s Geographic Regions Georgia is the largest state east of the Mississippi River. The state divided into 5 regions. A region is an area that is similar in terms of landscape, climate, elevation, and plant/animal life. 1. Coastal Plain 2. The Piedmont 3. The Blue Ridge Mountains 4. The Valley & Ridge 5. The Appalachian Plateau

1. Coastal Plain 2. The Piedmont 3. The Blue Ridge Mountains 4. The Valley & Ridge 5. The Appalachian Plateau

The Coastal Plain This is the southernmost region of Georgia. It covers 60% of the state. It is divided into the Lower Coastal Plain and the Upper Coastal Plain.

Includes barrier islands & salt marshes Upper Coastal Plain Lower Coastal Plain Includes barrier islands & salt marshes The marshes provide Georgians with a lot of fish & shellfish Examples: Tybee Island, Jekyll Island, Okefenokee Swamp Includes most of Georgia’s farmland. Combination of moisture and long summer days allows for: peaches, pecans, peanuts and onions. Examples: Valdosta, Tifton (smaller towns)

The fall line is what separates the Coastal Plains from the Piedmont. At the fall line, elevations rise suddenly from lower to higher land. This forms rapids/waterfalls.

Okefenokee Swamp http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uodHWPK8beY

The Piedmont Georgia’s Piedmont region is a rolling, hilly plateau that stretches north from the fall line to the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Industries in the area are carpet, granite, aircraft/automobile manufacturing.

Atlanta is in the Piedmont. Over 5 million people live in metro-Atlanta. Major companies headquartered in Atlanta are: Coca-Cola http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pdrr3Zx ZUOc Delta Airlines Home Depot CNN

The Blue Ridge Mountains This region is in the northeastern corner of the state. The Blue Ridge Mountains form the easternmost range of the Appalachian Mountains. The Appalachian Mountains stretch from central Alabama to Canada.

Georgia’s largest mountain is in the Blue Ridge Mountain region: Mt. Etonah (4,784 feet above sea level) The Chattahoochee River & Chattahoochee Forest run through this region. Mt. Etonah Chattahoochee River

The Valley and Ridge The Valley and Ridge is technically part of the Appalachian Mountains. The Valley and Ridge is fertile valleys lying between long, narrow mountain ridges that run in a northeasterly direction.

The Appalachian Plateau The Appalachian Plateau is Georgia’s smallest region in the northwest corner of the state. TAG Corner – where Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia connect This region has canyons, caves, forests, boulder fields, and “rock towns.” “Rock town”

For homework…create a chart that looks like this in your notebook & fill out each region’s features. Coastal Plain Piedmont Blue Ridge Mountains Valley & Ridge Appalachian Plateau