Georgia (U.S. state)

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Georgia
State
CountryUnited States
Admitted to the Union1788-01-02 (4th)
CapitalAtlanta
Largest cityAtlanta
Government
 • GovernorSonny Perdue (R)
 • Upper house{{{Upperhouse}}}
 • Lower house{{{Lowerhouse}}}
U.S. senatorsSaxby Chambliss (R)
Johnny Isakson (R)
Population
 • Total8,186,453
 • Density141.4/sq mi (54.59/km2)
 • Median household income
$43,217
 • Income rank
28th
Language
 • Official languageEnglish
Latitude30°31'N to 35°N
Longitude81°W to 85°53'W

Georgia is a state in the Southern United States and was one of the Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution. It was the last of the Thirteen Colonies to be established as a colony. It was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on 2 January 1788. It seceded from the Union on 21 January 1861 and was one of the original seven Confederate states. It was readmitted to the Union on 15 July 1870. Georgia is one of the fastest-growing states in the United States, with its population increasing from 8,186,453 in 2000 to an estimated 9,072,576 people in 2005.[2] Georgia is also known as the Peach State and the Empire State of the South. The largest city, and capital, is Atlanta.

Georgia sucks.

History

Main article: History of Georgia (U.S. state)

The local moundbuilder culture, described by Hernando de Soto in 1540, completely disappeared by 1560. Early on, in the course of European exploration of the area, a number of Spanish explorers visited the inland region of Georgia.

The conflict between Spain and England over control of Georgia began in earnest in about 1670, when the English founded the Carolina colony in present-day South Carolina. Nearly a century earlier, the Spanish of Spanish Florida had established the missionary provinces of Guale and Mocama on the coast and Sea Islands of present-day Georgia. After decades of fighting, the Carolinians and allied Indians permanently destroyed the Spanish mission system during the invasions of 1702 and 1704. After 1704, Spanish control was limited to St. Augustine and Pensacola. The Florida peninsula was subjected to raids as far as the Florida Keys. The coast of Georgia was occupied by now British-allied Indians such as the Yamasee until the Yamasee War of 1715-1716, after which the region was depopulated, opening up the possibility of a new British colony. In 1724, it was first suggested the British colony there be called Province of Georgia in honor of King George II.

British interest in establishing a colony below South Carolina came from varied sources. Spanish Florida was a threat to South Carolina and a haven for runaway slaves. The French in the 1720s established a fort near present-day Montgomery, Alabama, also a threat to British interests in the region. Traders from Charleston, South Carolina, had established trading posts as far west as the Ocmulgee River, near present-day Macon, Georgia. The British trading network kept the Creek Indians allied with them; the French move threatened to wrest these Indians' trade away from the British. These strategic interests made the British government interested in establishing a new colony that would reinforce the British influence in the border country that had been open to Spanish and French penetration.

Meanwhile, many members of the British Parliament had become concerned about the plight of England's debtors. A parliamentary committee investigated and reported on conditions in Britain's debtor prisons. A group of philanthropists organized themselves to establish a colony where the "worthy poor" of England could reestablish themselves as productive citizens. This goal was seen as both philanthropic, helping these distressed people, and patriotic, simultaneously relieving Britain of the burden of the imprisoned debtors and augmenting Britain's vital mercantile empire by planting new, industrious subjects to strengthen her trade. This goal went unfulfilled as Georgia was ultimately not settled by debtors or convicts.

In 1732, a group of these philanthropists were granted a royal charter as the Trustees of the Province of Georgia. They carefully selected the first group of colonists to send to the new colony. On 12 February 1733, 113 settlers landed in the HMS Anne at what was to become the city of Savannah. This day is now known as Georgia Day, which is not a public holiday but is mainly observed in schools and by some local civic groups. James Edward Oglethorpe, one of the trustees of the colony, traveled with the first group of colonists, laid out the design of the town of Savannah, and acted as governor of the colony, although technically under the trustees there was no "governor." Oglethorpe acted as the only trustee present in the colony. When he returned to Britain, a series of disputes ended his tenure governing the colony; Georgia was then led by a series of presidents named by the trustees. In 1752, after the government failed to renew subsidies that had helped support the colony, the Trustees turned over control to the crown. Georgia became a royal colony, with a governor appointed by the British king.[3]

Georgia was one of the thirteen colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution by signing the 1776 Declaration of Independence, despite a large population of people loyal to the crown. Following the war, it became the fourth state of the United States of America after ratifying the United States Constitution on 2 January 1788. Georgia established its first state constitution in 1777. The state established new constitutions in 1788, 1799, 1861, 1865, 1868, 1877, 1945, 1976, and 1983, for a total of 10 — more constitutions than any other state, except for Louisiana, which has had 11.

Confederate history

On 18 January 1861, Georgia joined the Confederacy and became a major theater of the American Civil War.

In December 1864, a large swath of the state from Atlanta to Savannah was destroyed during General William Tecumseh Sherman's March to the Sea. This event served as the historical background for the 1936 novel Gone with the Wind and the 1939 film of the same name.

On 15 July 1870, following Reconstruction, Georgia became the last former Confederate state to be readmitted to the Union.

Capitals

Georgia has had five official state capitals: colonial Savannah, which later alternated with Augusta; then for a decade at Louisville (pronounced Lewis-ville), and from 1806 through the American Civil War, at Milledgeville. In 1868, Atlanta became the fifth capital of the state. The state's legislature also met at other temporary sites, including Macon, especially during the Civil War.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
179082,548—
1800162,68697.1%
1810251,40754.5%
1820340,98935.6%
1830516,82351.6%
1840691,39233.8%
1850906,18531.1%
18601,057,28616.7%
18701,184,10912.0%
18801,542,18030.2%
18901,837,35319.1%
19002,216,33120.6%
19102,609,12117.7%
19202,895,83211.0%
19302,908,5060.4%
19403,123,7237.4%
19503,444,57810.3%
19603,943,11614.5%
19704,589,57516.4%
19805,463,10519.0%
19906,478,21618.6%
20008,186,45326.4%

In 2006, Georgia had an estimated population of 9,363,941 which was an increase of 231,388 from the previous year, and an increase of 1,177,125 since 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 438,939 people (that is 849,414 births minus 410,475 deaths) and an increase from net migration of 606,673 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 228,415 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 378,258 people.

As of 2006, Georgia is the 9th most populous state. Its population has grown 44.5% (2,885,725) since 1990, making it one of the fastest-growing states in the country. More than half of the state's population lives in the Atlanta metro area. Nineteen Georgia counties were among the 100 fastest growing counties from 2004 to 2005.[4] The center of population of Georgia is located in Butts County, in the city of Jackson [5].

Demographics of Georgia (csv)
By race White Black AIAN* Asian NHPI*
2000 (total population) 68.34% 29.38% 0.66% 2.46% 0.12%
2000 (Hispanic only) 4.82% 0.39% 0.10% 0.05% 0.03%
2005 (total population) 67.00% 30.29% 0.67% 3.01% 0.14%
2005 (Hispanic only) 6.57% 0.43% 0.12% 0.07% 0.04%
Growth 2000–05 (total population) 8.65% 14.23% 11.72% 36.02% 25.41%
Growth 2000–05 (non-Hispanic only) 5.43% 14.12% 7.43% 35.82% 21.99%
Growth 2000–05 (Hispanic only) 50.99% 22.30% 36.34% 45.53% 36.55%
* AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native; NHPI is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Race, Language, and Age

The state's five largest ancestries are reported as African, American, British, German, and Irish. As of 2000, 90.1% of Georgia residents age 5 and older speak only English at home and 5.6% speak Spanish. French is the third most spoken language at 0.9%, followed by German at 0.8% and Vietnamese at 0.6%. As of 2004, 7.7% of its population was reported as under 5 years of age, 26.4% under 18, and 9.6% were 65 or older.[2] Also as of 2004, females made up approximately 50.6% of the population and African-Americans made up approximately 29.6%.[2]

Historically, about half of Georgia's population was composed of African-Americans who, prior to the Civil War, were almost exclusively enslaved. The Great Migration of blacks from the rural South to the industrial North from 1914-1970 reduced the population but has since grown. Today, African-Americans remain the most populous race in many rural counties in middle, east-central, southwestern, and low-country Georgia, as well as in the city of Atlanta and its core southern suburbs.

Recent immigration from Asian nations have added to the population flare. Laotian Americans and Thai Americans are leading the increase of Asians, with Chinese, Vietnamese and Indians following close behind. As of 2004, approximately 2.6% of were Asian American.[2]

White Georgians, like other Southerners, usually describe their ancestry on the census questionnaire as "American", "United States", or simply "Southern". The colonial settlement of very large numbers of Scots-Irish Americans in the mountains and piedmont, and coastal settlement by the English, have strongly influenced the state's culture. [6]

With the huge influx of new residents from the North, the term "Georgia cracker" is sometimes used informally as a proud or jocular self-description by some white residents of Georgia to indicate that their family has lived there for many generations. However, the term "white cracker" is not always used self-referentially and remains a disparaging term to many in the region.[7]

Religion

Georgia Population Density Map

Like most other Southern states, Georgia is largely Protestant Christian. The religious affiliations of the people of Georgia are as follows:

Georgia shares its Protestant heritage with much of the Southeastern United States. However, the number of Roman Catholics is growing in the state because of the influx of Northeasterners resettling in the Atlanta metro area and also because of large Hispanic immigration into the state.

Georgia's Jewish community dates to the settlement of 42 mostly Sephardic Portuguese Jews in Savannah in 1733. Atlanta also has a large, old, and established Jewish community.

Economy

Savannah's River Street is a popular destination among tourists visiting coastal Georgia.
Map showing land use in Georgia

Georgia's 2005 total gross state product was $364 billion.[8] Its per capita personal income for 2005 put it 10th in the nation at $40,155. If Georgia were a stand-alone country, it would be the 18th largest economy in the world.

Georgia's agricultural outputs are poultry and eggs, pecans, peaches, peanuts, rye, cattle, hogs, dairy products, turfgrass, and vegetables. Its industrial outputs are textiles and apparel, transportation equipment, food processing, paper products, chemical products, electric equipment. Tourism also makes an important contribution to the economy. Georgia is home to the Granite Capital of the World (Elberton). Atlanta has been the site of enormous growth in real estate, service, and communications industries.

Atlanta has a very large effect on the state of Georgia and the Southeastern United States. The city is an ever growing addition to communications, industry, transportation, tourism, and government.

Industry in Georgia is now quite diverse. Major products in the mineral and timber industry include a variety of pines, clays, stones, and sands. Textile industry is located around the cities of Rome, Columbus, Augusta, and Macon. Atlanta is a leading center of tourism, transportation, communications, government, and industry. Some industries there include automobile and aircraft manufacturing, food and chemical processing, printing, publishing, and large corporations.

Several United States military installations are located in Georgia including Fort Stewart, Hunter Army Airfield, Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Fort Benning, Moody Air Force Base, Robins Air Force Base, Naval Air Station Atlanta, Fort McPherson, Fort Gillem, Fort Gordon, Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany and Dobbins Air Reserve Base. However, due to the latest round of BRAC cuts, Forts Gillem and McPherson will be closing and NAS Atlanta will be transferred to the Georgia Air National Guard.

Georgia's personal income tax ranges from 1 percent to 6 percent within 6 tax brackets. There is a 4% state sales tax, which is not applied to prescription drugs, certain medical devices and groceries. Each county may add up to a 2% SPLOST. Counties participating in MARTA have another 1%; MARTA is one of the few metropolitan transit authorities not to receive state funding. The city of Atlanta (in three counties, Fulton, Dekalb, and Clayton) has the only city sales tax (1.25%, total 8.25%) for fixing its aging sewers among other things. Local taxes are almost always charged on groceries but never prescriptions. Up to 1% of a SPLOST can go to homestead exemptions. All taxes are collected by the state and then properly distributed according to any agreements that each county has with its cities.

Transportation

Atlanta is still a major railroad hub for CSX and Norfolk Southern, in addition to being a major airport hub now as well. Several highways and short line railroads also traverse the state.

Law and Government

State government

The Georgia Capitol Building in Atlanta with the distinctive gold dome.

The capital of Georgia is Atlanta. As with all other U.S. States and the federal government, Georgia's government is based on the separation of legislative, executive and judicial power. Executive authority in the state rests with the governor, currently Sonny Perdue (until 2011) (Republican). Perdue is the first Republican governor since Reconstruction. (See list of Georgia governors). Both the governor and lieutenant governor are elected on separate ballots to four-year terms of office. Unlike the federal government, but like many other U.S. States, most of the executive officials who comprise the governor's cabinet are elected by the citizens of Georgia rather than appointed by the governor.

Legislative authority resides in the General Assembly, composed of the Senate and House of Representatives. The Lieutenant Governor presides over the Senate, while the House of Representatives selects their own Speaker. The Georgia Constitution mandates a maximum of 56 senators, elected from single-member districts, and a minimum of 180 representatives, apportioned among representative districts (which sometimes results in more than one representative per district); there are currently 56 senators and 180 representatives. The term of office for senators and representatives is two years.

State judicial authority rests with the state Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, which have statewide authority. In addition, there are smaller courts which have more limited geographical jurisdiction, including State Courts, Superior Courts, Magistrate Courts and Probate Courts. Justices of the Supreme Court and judges of the Court of Appeals are elected statewide by the citizens in non-partisan elections to six-year terms. Judges for the smaller courts are elected by the state's citizens who live within that court's jurisdiction to four-year terms.

See also: list of Georgia governors and Georgia elected officials

Local government

Georgia has 159 counties, the most of any state except Texas (with 254). Before 1932, there were 161, with Milton and Campbell being merged into Fulton at the end of 1931. Counties have been named for prominent figures in both American and Georgia history. Counties in Georgia have their own elected legislative branch, usually called the Board of Commissioners, which usually also has executive authority in the county. Georgia's Constitution provides all counties and cities with "home rule" authority, and so the county commissions have considerable power to pass legislation within their county as a municipality would.

(See: list of Georgia counties.)

Besides the counties, Georgia only defines cities as local units of government. Every incorporated town, no matter how small, is legally a city. Georgia does not provide for townships or independent cities (though there is a movement in the Legislature to provide for townships) but does allow consolidated city-county governments by local referendum. So far, only Columbus, Augusta, Athens, and Cusseta have done this. Conyers is studying possibly becoming consolidated with Rockdale County.

There is no true metropolitan government in Georgia, though the Atlanta Regional Commission and Georgia Regional Transportation Authority do provide some services, and the ARC must approve all major land development projects in metro Atlanta.

Politics

Presidential elections results
Year Republican Democratic
2004 57.97% 1,914,254 41.37% 1,366,149
2000 54.67% 1,419,720 42.98% 1,116,230
1996 47.01% 1,080,843 45.84% 1,053,849
1992 42.88% 995,252 43.47% 1,008,966
1988 59.75% 1,081,331 39.50% 714,792
1984 60.17% 1,068,722 39.79% 706,628
1980 40.95% 654,168 55.76% 890,733
1976 32.96% 483,743 66.74% 979,409
1972 75.04% 881,496 24.65% 289,529
1968* 30.40% 380,111 26.75% 334,440
1964 54.12% 616,584 41.15% 522,557
1960 37.43% 274,472 62.54% 458,638
*State won by George Wallace
of the American Independent Party,
at 42.83%, or 535,550 votes

Until recently, Georgia's state government had the longest unbroken record of single-party dominance of any state in the Union. For over 130 years, from 1872 to 2003, Georgians only elected Democratic governors, and Democrats held the majority of seats in the General Assembly. Most of the Democrats elected throughout these years were Southern Democrats or Dixiecrats who were very conservative throughout the 60s segregationist period.

During the 1960s and 1970s Georgia made significant changes in civil rights, governance, and economic growth focused on Atlanta and was a bedrock of the emerging "New South." This characterization was solidified with the election of former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter to the U.S. Presidency in 1976.

The political dominance of Democrats ended in 2003, when then-Governor Roy Barnes was defeated by Sonny Perdue, a state legislator and former Democrat himself, in what was regarded as a stunning upset. While Democrats retained control of the State House, they lost their majority in the Senate when four Democrats switched parties. They relinquished their hold on the House in the 2004 election; currently, Republicans control all three partisan elements of the state government. Many conservative Democrats, including former U.S. Senator and governor Zell Miller, have decided to support Republicans in recent years; George W. Bush won the state in the 2004 election, and conservative initiatives such as restrictions on abortion have won broad support.

As of the 2001 reapportionment, the state has 13 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, which are currently held by 7 Republicans and 6 Democrats.

See also : United States presidential election, 2004, in Georgia

Major cities and military bases

Downtown Atlanta, Georgia
Midtown Atlanta, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia

Education

Colleges and universities

Georgia Tech's Tech Tower
The Emory University Candler Library
Anderson Hall at Savannah College of Art and Design

Professional sports teams

Club Sport League
Atlanta Braves Baseball Major League Baseball
Atlanta Falcons Football National Football League
Atlanta Hawks Basketball National Basketball Association
Atlanta Thrashers Ice hockey National Hockey League
Georgia Force (Atlanta) Arena football Arena Football League
Atlanta Vision Basketball American Basketball Association
Atlanta Silverbacks Soccer USL First Division
Atlanta Silverbacks U23's Soccer USL Premier Development League
Atlanta Silverbacks Women Soccer W-League
Atlanta Thoroughbreds Indoor football National Indoor Football League
South Georgia Peanuts (Albany) Baseball South Coast League
South Georgia Wildcats (Albany) Arena football Af2
Augusta FireBall Soccer USL Premier Development League
Augusta GreenJackets Baseball South Atlantic League
Augusta Lynx Ice hockey East Coast Hockey League
Augusta Spartans Indoor football World Indoor Football League
Cartersville Warriors Basketball World Basketball Association
Columbus Cottonmouths Ice hockey Southern Professional Hockey League
Columbus Catfish Baseball South Atlantic League
Columbus Lions Indoor football World Indoor Football League
Gwinnett Gladiators (Duluth) Ice hockey East Coast Hockey League
Macon Music Baseball South Coast League
Marietta Storm Basketball World Basketball Association
Rome Braves Baseball South Atlantic League
Rome Gladiators Basketball World Basketball Association
Rome Knights Basketball American Basketball Association
Savannah Sand Gnats Baseball South Atlantic League
Atlanta Flames (moved to Calgary, Alberta and are now the Calgary Flames) Ice Hockey National Hockey League

See also Tour de Georgia, The Masters Tournament

Miscellaneous topics

Many well-known businesses are headquartered in Georgia, including AFLAC, Arby's, BellSouth, Chick-fil-a, Coca Cola, Delta Air Lines, Home Depot, United Parcel Service (UPS), and Zaxby's.

Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the principal hub for AirTran Airways and Delta Air Lines.

Georgia's nicknames include Peach State and Empire State of the South . The state song, "Georgia on My Mind" by Hoagy Carmichael, was originally written about a woman of that name, but after Georgia native Ray Charles sang it, the state legislature voted it the state song on 24 April 1979. Ray Charles sang it on the legislative floor when the bill was passed. This act was significant in that it symbolized to many the move away from segregation and racism.

The state commemorative quarter was released on 19 July 1999. [11]

The first houses in Georgia to be designated historic state landmarks are the Owens Thomas House and the Sorrel Weed House, in the Savannah historic district.

Here is a list of the state symbols:
State tree: Southern live oak (Quercus virginiana)
State bird: brown thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)
State flower: Cherokee rose (Rosa laevigata)
State game bird: Bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus)
State wildflower: Azalea (Rhododendron spp.)
State fruit: peach (Prunus persica)
State fish: Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)
State marine mammal: Right whale
State reptile: Gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus)
State amphibian: green tree frog (Hyla cinerea)
State possum: Pogo possum
State insect: Honey bee (Apis mellifera)
State butterfly: eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
State mineral: Staurolite
State seashell: Knobbed whelk (Busycon carica)
State gem: quartz
State crop: peanut
State vegetable: vidalia sweet onion
State fossil: the shark tooth

Radio and television

Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) operates nine major educational television stations across the state as Georgia Public Broadcasting Television. See also List of television stations in Georgia. It also operates, in whole or in part, several radio stations as Georgia Public Radio (GPR). See also List of radio stations in Georgia (U.S. state).

Georgia is home to Ted Turner, who founded TBS, TNT, TCM, Cartoon Network, CNN and Headline News, among others. The CNN Center, which houses the news channel's world headquarters, is located in downtown Atlanta, facing onto Marietta Street, while the home offices of the Turner Entertainment networks are located in midtown, near the Georgia Tech campus, on Techwood Drive. A third Turner building is on Williams Street, directly across Interstate 75 and Interstate 85 from the Techwood Drive campus and is the home of Adult Swim and Williams Street Studios.

The Weather Channel's headquarters are located in the Smyrna area of metropolitan Atlanta in Cobb County.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Elevations and Distances in the United States". U.S Geological Survey. 29 April 2005. Retrieved November 3. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |year= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  2. ^ a b c d US Census Bureau Quick Facts, accessed 2006-11-30
  3. ^ Trustee Georgia, 1732-1752
  4. ^ 100 fastest growing counties, accessed November 30, 2006
  5. ^ Population Centers by State
  6. ^ Early Mountain Life, Who are Americans
  7. ^ Project 21 press release
  8. ^ Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by State, 2005
  9. ^ a b 2005 U.S. Census Bureau estimates for incorporated places in Georgia
  10. ^ 2005 U.S. Census Bureau estimates for metropolitan statistical areas
  11. ^ State symbols and emblems

Further reading

  • New Georgia Encyclopedia (2005).
  • Bartley, Numan V. The Creation of Modern Georgia (1990). Covers 1865-1990 period. ISBN 0-8203-1183-9.
  • Coleman, Kenneth. ed. A History of Georgia (1991). ISBN 0-8203-1269-X.
  • London, Bonta Bullard. (1999) Georgia: The History of an American State Montgomery, Alabama: Clairmont Press ISBN 1-56733-994-8. A middle school textbook.
  • Peirce, Neal R. The Deep South States of America: People, Politics, and Power in the Seven Deep South States (1974). Information on politics and economics 1960-72. ISBN 0-393-05496-9.
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