The Location of Georgia Absolute and Relative

Georgia’s Location Hemispheres: Northern & Western Continent: North America Country: United States Region: South or the Southeast Border States: FL, NC, SC, AL, TN

The Southern United States Georgia is one of eleven states commonly referred to as “the south.” 4 other states are also often included within this region of the United States

The 5 Regions of Georgia Appalachian Plateau Ridge and Valley Blue Ridge Piedmont Coastal Plain

Appalachian Plateau Smallest region in GA. Sloping land with a high relief over neighboring valleys. Soil - sandstone, shale, and limestone. Resources – hardwood forests, pastures, & coal. TAG Corner – TN, AL, GA. Lookout Mtn. & Cloudland Canyon

The Ridge and Valley Low open valleys & narrow ridges. Soil – shale and sandstone on ridges & limestone and clay in the valleys. Resources – forests, pastures, apple orchards (Ellijay), and carpet factories (Dalton). Major battle ground during the Civil War (Tourism)

The Blue Ridge Region Receives the most rainfall annually (80 inches per year). Major industry is tourism. It used to be mining. Soil – sandy loam and clay (erosion problems) Resources – hardwood forests, vegetable farming, apples. Appalachian Mts. Are located in this region. Most rainfall (precipitation) in GA.

Brasstown Bald – Highest Mt. In GA

The Piedmont Region Georgia’s largest regions in population (over 4.5 million people). Region where Georgia’s major cities are located: Atlanta, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta The soil is made of well drained granite and red clay. Made up of rolling hills and flatlands (Foot of the Mountain) Economy – wheat, soybeans, poultry, corn, cattle, tourism.

The Coastal Plain Region Largest Region of the state in land. It makes up three-fifths of the state. Inner Coastal Plain – Agricultural heartland of the state (peaches, peanuts, cotton, Vidalia onion. Outer Coastal Plain – Not good for farming (soil is too wet). This region has many pine trees is close to the Atlantic Ocean, which makes it good for tourism, shipping, and seafood. Soil is limestone and clay.

Fall Line Separates the Coastal Plain and Piedmont regions. Prehistoric Coastline Impact on Georgia – Early settlers made their home hear because the waterfalls could be converted to energy. Many explores couldn’t move past the Fall Line due to the waterfalls.

Okefenokee Swamp Largest freshwater swamp in North America (700 square miles). Early Native Americans lived here (name means “Trembling Earth). The swamp was a major source of timber from 1910-1937. Tourist area today! Many animals to see. Protected area.

Savannah & Chattahoochee Rivers Chattahoochee – used primarily as a water source for Georgian’s living in the Piedmont region. Savannah – used primarily for shipping goods, but also for drinking water (Savannah & Augusta), and hydroelectric power, and to cool nuclear power plants in South Carolina.

The Appalachian Mts. The mountains stretch from Maine to Georgia. Georgia calls these mountains the Blue Ridge Mts. These mountains bring in a lot of tourism: hiking, mountain biking, skiing, camping. This brings money into the state.

The Barrier Islands These islands protect the mainland from erosion. There are 14 islands in GA. The islands are a big tourist destination (swimming, horseback riding, fishing, etc.) Fishing and paper industries are popular here.

Weather and Climate Weather – day to day conditions in the atmosphere (rainy, cloudy, sunny) Climate – weather over a long period of time (usually snowy in Antarctica; usually sunny in Hawaii). Impact – people want to settle in Georgia because it has a warm and mild climate. The climate is also great for farming.