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More About Georgia State
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g Spanish, French, and English along the South Atlantic Coast.
Today a year-round vacation mecca, the Golden Isles were at times Native American hunting lands, vast sea island plantations, fishing communities isolated after the Civil War, and rich men's private preserves. The Colony trustees brought English artisans to found strong colonies at Savannah, Brunswick, and Darien, where Scottish Highlanders introduced golf to the New World. The Cherokee made early peace with Oglethorpe and remained within the state to set up the Republic of the Cherokee Nation a century later. Gradually, however, all Native American lands of both Creek and Cherokee were ceded; the Cherokees were banished and their lands, including the capital, distributed by lottery.
From their settlements at Savannah, Brunswick, and the coastal islands, Georgia colonists followed the rivers (many of them flowing north) to found inland ports such as Augusta. Colonial boundaries were extended to the Mississippi River by the state of Georgia, but the unfortunate manipulations of land speculators in the legislature deeded all of Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and more, for sale as the Yazoo Tract for 1 1/2 cents an acre. Though repudiated by a subsequent legislature and declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, the lands were gone forever, and Georgia no longer extended from the Mississippi to the sea. It is, however, still the largest state east of the Mississippi.
Georgia's lot in the Civil War was a harsh one from the time Sherman opened his campaign in Georgia on May 4, 1864, until he achieved the Union objective of splitting the South from the Mississippi to the sea. Reconstruction ushered in the reign of carpetbaggers and a long, slow recovery.
Georgia boasts many firsts: the Savannah, the first steamship to cross the ocean (1819); America's first nuclear-powered merchant ship, the Savannah(1959); the first big American gold strike (1828); the cotton gin, invented by Eli Whitney (1793); and the first use of ether as an anesthetic (1842), by Georgia doctor Crawford Long.
Georgia produces peanuts, pecans, cotton, peaches, wood pulp, and paper products. Near Atlanta, a number of national manufacturing and commercial concerns contribute to a diversified economy. Georgia marble is prized the world over.
Georgia boasts many wonders, from its Blue Ridge vacation lands in the northwhere Brasstown Bald Mountain rises 4,784 feetto the deep "trembling earth" of the ancient and mysterious Okefenokee Swamp bordering Florida. Stone Mountain, a giant hunk of rock that rises from the plain near Atlanta, is the world's largest granite exposure. The coastal Golden Isles, set off by the mysterious Marshes of Glynn, support moss-festooned oaks that grow down to the white sand beaches. Visitors still pan for gold in the country's oldest gold mining town, Dahlonega, and find semiprecious stones in the Blue Ridge.
Historical attractions are everywhere, from the world's largest brick fort near Savannah to the late President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Little White House" at Warm Springs. There is the infamous Confederate prison at Andersonville and the still-lavish splendor of the cottage colony of 60 millionaires of the Jekyll Island Club, now a state-owned resort. The battlefield marking Sherman's campaign before Atlanta and the giant ceremonial mounds of indigenous Native Americans are equally important national shrines.
Tourism is one of Georgia's primary industries. The state's Visitor Information Centers, which are staffed year-round, offer brochures and computerized information to travelers on major highways.
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Georgia
Statistics & Vital Data |  |
| Population: | 8186453 |
| Area: | 59,441 square miles |
| Timezone: | Eastern |
| Elevation: | 0-4,784 feet |
| High
point: | Brasstown Bald Mountain (between Towns and Union counties) |
| Joined
Union: | Fourth of original 13 states (January 1, 1788) |
| State
Capital: | Atlanta |
| State
Motto: | "Wisdom, justice, and moderation" |
| State
Flower: | Cherokee Rose |
| State
Bird: | Brown Thrasher |
| State
Tree: | Live Oak |
| State
Fair: | October in Macon |
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Georgia Attractions >> |
Georgia Parks, Recreation Areas, & Historical Landmarks:
State Parks - Water-related activities, hiking, riding, various other sports, picnicking and visitor centers, as well as camping and rental cottages, are available in many of Georgia's state parks. Most parks welcome campers, and there are many comfort stations with hot showers, electric outlets, and laundry. All parks have trailer dump stations, with the exception of Providence Canyon. Camping is limited to 2 weeks at any one park. Reservations may be made up to 11 months in advance. Parks are open year-round from 7 am-10 pm. Georgia park vacationers may enjoy cottages at several state parks. These provide complete housekeeping facilities--kitchens with electric ranges and refrigerators, living rooms, 1-3 bedrooms (linens provided), porches, outdoor grills, and picnic tables. They are air-conditioned in summer and heated in winter. Domestic pets are allowed in state parks only if kept on a leash not longer than 6 feet and accompanied by owner at all times. No pets allowed in cottages, site buildings, or swimming areas. Fees are subject to change. Detailed information on state parks may be obtained from the Dept of Natural Resources, State Parks & Historic Sites, 205 Butler St SE, Suite 1352, Atlanta 30334; phone 404/656-2770. Cottages are available at Amicalola Falls, Black Rock Mountain, Cloudland Canyon, Crooked River, Elijah Clark, Florence Marina, Fort Mountain, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Georgia Veterans Memorial, Hard Labor Creek, Hart, Indian Springs, John Tanner, Little Ocmulgee, Magnolia Springs, Mistletoe, Red Top Mountain, Seminole, Stephen C. Foster, Tugaloo, Unicoi, Vogel, and Will-A-Way (in Fort Yargo) parks. Phone 800/864-7275. Cottage reservations can be made up to 11 months in advance; there is a 2-day minimum stay at cottages.
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list of all parks in Georgia >> | |
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Georgia
Weather and Climate:
Short winters and mild temperatures are the rule in Georgia. Summers are hot and humid in the southern part of the state; winters can be cold and can include snowfall in the northern regions. | |
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Fishing/Hunting
Opportunities in Georgia:
Georgia's range of fresh and saltwater fishing rivals any other state in variety. There are 26 major reservoirs totaling more than 400,000 acres, and 10 major river systems traverse the state, with thousands of miles of clear, cold-water trout streams and smaller, warm-water streams. Approximately 60,000 small lakes and ponds add to the freshwater total. Some 200 species of freshwater fish are found, 40 of which are considered desirable by game anglers, including largemouth, shoal, and striped bass, and crappie and channel catfish. Mountain streams in northern Georgia are a natural source of trout. Fishing in black-water swamp areas in southern Georgia is just as famous for lunker bass and big bream. Coastal waters are good for mackerel, redfish, speckled trout, and giant tarpon; no license required. A state fishing license is required for all freshwater fishing; nonresident: season $24; 7-day permit $7; 1-day permit $3.50; trout stamp (required to fish in trout waters or to keep trout caught): season $13. Fees subject to change. For further information on saltwater fishing contact Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Resources Division, 1 Conservation Way, Brunswick 31520-8600; 912/264-7218. For further information on freshwater fishing contact Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, 2123 US 278SE, Social Circle 30279; 770/918-6418. There is hunting from the Blue Ridge in northern Georgia to the piney woods of the south. Nonresident: season, $59; 7-day, $25; 1-day, $5.50; big game (deer, wild turkey), $118. Preserve license, $12; bow hunting permit, $25. Wildlife Management Area stamp, $73. Waterfowl stamp, $5.50 (federal stamp also required). Fees subject to change. For seasons, bag limits, other details write Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, 2111 US 278SE, Social Circle 30279; 770/918-6416. | |
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| | Additional Georgia Visitor Information:
For visitor information, including brochures and other materials, contact the Department of Industry, Trade, and Tourism, PO Box 1776, Atlanta 30301-1776; phone 404/656-3590 or 800/VISIT-GA. Visitor centers are located in Augusta, Columbus, Kingsland, Lavonia, Plains, Ringgold, Savannah, Sylvania, Tallapoosa, Valdosta, and West Point. Information available 8:30 am-5:30 pm. |
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