SS8G1 TSW describe Georgia with regard to physical features and location. c. Locate/evaluate key physical features on the development of Georgia.

Fall Line The Fall Line is a natural boundary that separates the Coastal Plan region from the Piedmont Plateau. This is where Georgia’s hilly & mountainous land meets the coastal plain.

The Fall Line runs from Columbus in the west through Macon and into Augusta on the east.

Rivers and creeks flowing down from the hills have cut channels in this softer soil. This drops the elevation and creates waterfalls.

Many of the early settlers were forced to stop at the Fall Line because they couldn’t travel over the steep waterfalls. Amicalola Falls

These settlers and the Indians used the falls as a power source and built settlements there.

Okefenokee Swamp This 681 acre freshwater swamp is one of the major features of the Outer Coastal Plain.

The Okefenokee is the largest freshwater swamp in North America The Okefenokee is the largest freshwater swamp in North America. It was once a part of the Atlantic Ocean floor. It’s name comes from an Indian word that means “land of the trembling earth.”

The Okefenokee’s water looks black because of tannic acid caused by decaying vegetation.

The Okenfenokee covers about a ½ million acres in Georgia’s Outer Coastal Plain. It’s home to hundreds of species of plants, animals, and reptiles many of which are endangered.

There are 70 piney woods islands located in the swamp There are 70 piney woods islands located in the swamp. It was once home to Seminole Indians and was settled by pioneers in the 1850s.

Visitors to the Okenfenokee can see 80-ft tall cypress trees, alligators, herons, egrets, cranes, and black bears.

Appalachian Mountains Georgia’s 3 northern regions are all a part of the Appalachians. The were created over 900 million years ago when the continents collided creating Pangaea.

Over millions of years, the continents slowly moved away from each other. Many of the Appalachians eroded into what became the Atlantic Ocean.

About 500 million years ago, the continents began to move back together again. This movement pushed sediment up from the ocean floor and created the second Appalachian Mountains.

The continents have collided 7 times over millions and millions of years. Each time the collision caused mountains to form. This is why the Appalachians have several sets of parallel ridges.

The Appalachians have eroded over time The Appalachians have eroded over time. Glaciers have pushed down the mountains, carved valleys and pushed eroded rock to the southeastern corner of the U.S.

Chattahoochee River The name comes from the Cherokee and means “river of the painted rock" because of the colorful river rocks.

The river flows 436 miles from the mountains of North Georgia to the Gulf of Mexico.

Parts of the Chattahoochee form a natural border between Georgia and Alabama. Gainesville, Atlanta, and Columbus are located along the river.

Manmade lakes like Lake Lanier, West Point Lake, and Lake Walter F Manmade lakes like Lake Lanier, West Point Lake, and Lake Walter F. George are a part of the river’s path.

The river supplies water to Atlanta and Columbus, as well as to Helen, Buford, LaGrange, and West Point.

Savannah River European explorers reached this river in 1540 many years after the Indians who called it the Isondega which means “blue water.”

In 1732, King George II granted to James Oglethorpe “all those lands, Countries, and Territories” between the Savannah and the Altamaha Rivers extending westward “to the South Sea.” Left: King George II Right: James Oglethorpe

Oglethorpe's settlers established the first settlement on Yamacraw Bluff overlooking the Savannah River.

Along the border of South Carolina, the river spreads into three lakes: J. Strom Thurmond Lake, Lake Russell, and Hartwell Lake.

The Savannah is the only river that flows into Georgia from outside its borders. The headwaters, or where the river begins, are in South Carolina.

Barrier Islands Georgia’s coast is an interlocking chain of marshes, rivers and tributaries that eventually flow into the Atlantic Ocean.

Georgia’s barrier islands protect the mainland from erosion.

Above: Routes of Spanish Explorers in America. They are also called “the Golden Isles” getting the name from Spanish explorers. Above: Routes of Spanish Explorers in America.

These islands offer recreation and tourism opportunities These islands offer recreation and tourism opportunities. Jekyll Island is primarily a state park while Cumberland Island is a national seashore.

Two-thirds of these islands remain a wilderness sanctuary. These feral horses on Cumberland Island are descendants of horses the Spanish brought to America.