Basic Information About Georgia

Georgia is the largest state east of the Mississippi River by land area, covering 59,425 square miles. With about 11 million residents, it is the eighth most populous state. The state capital and largest city is Atlanta.

Nickname: The Peach State — though Georgia now produces fewer peaches than California or South Carolina, the peach remains deeply embedded in the state's identity and appears on the state quarter.

Statehood: January 2, 1788 — the fourth state to ratify the Constitution and one of the original 13 colonies.

State Flower: Cherokee Rose — a white rose that is actually native to China but has been naturalized throughout the South.

State Bird: Brown Thrasher.

State Tree: Southern Live Oak.

Climate: Georgia ranges from humid subtropical in the south and coast to a cooler, more continental climate in the mountains of North Georgia. Summers are hot and humid throughout; winters are mild in most of the state but can bring occasional snow and ice storms in North Georgia and the Atlanta area.

Geography: Georgia divides into five geographic regions: the Blue Ridge Mountains in the northeast, the Ridge and Valley region in the northwest, the Piedmont plateau in the middle, the Coastal Plain in the south, and the Atlantic Coast with its barrier islands (the Golden Isles).

History: Georgia was the last of the original 13 colonies to be established (1733). It was a major site of Civil War battles, including the Atlanta Campaign and Sherman's March to the Sea. The Civil Rights Movement had deep roots in Georgia — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta.

Economy: Atlanta is the economic engine of the Southeast. Georgia has become a major film production hub (more films are made in Georgia than in California by some measures), a logistics hub, and a technology center. Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines, Home Depot, and CNN are all headquartered in metro Atlanta.