Georgia
is a state in the southern United States. Georgia 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 January 2, 1788.
Georgia is one of the fastest-growing states in the nation. Georgia is also
known as the Peach State and the Empire State of the South. Georgia is geographically
the largest state east of the Mississippi River. The capital and largest city
is Atlanta.
Georgia
is bordered on the south by Florida; on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and
South Carolina; on the west by Alabama; and on the north by Tennessee and
North Carolina. The northern part of the state is in the Blue Ridge Mountains,
a mountain range in the vast mountain system of the Appalachians. The central
piedmont extends from the foothills to the fall line, where the rivers cascade
down in elevation to the continental coastal plain of the southern part of
the state. The highest point in Georgia is Brasstown Bald, 4,784 feet (1,458
m); the lowest point is sea level.
The capital is Atlanta, in the north central part of Georgia, and the peach
is a symbol of the state. The state is an important producer of pecans, cotton,
tobacco, and forest products, notably the so-called "naval stores"
such as turpentine and rosin from the pine forests.
With an area of 59,441 square miles (153,951 km²), Georgia is ranked 24th in size among the 50 U.S. states. Georgia is the second largest state east of the Mississippi River in terms of land area, and the fourth largest (after Michigan, Florida, and Wisconsin) in total area, a term which includes expanses of water claimed as state territory.
The
climate of Georgia is primarily a humid subtropical climate tempered somewhat
by occasional polar air masses in the winter. Everywhere but the highest mountains
in Georgia experience hot and humid summers. The entire state, including the
mountains, receive heavy precipitation which varies from 45 inches (1143 mm)
in Central Georgia to around 75 inches (1905 mm) around the Northeast part
of the state. The degree to which the weather of a certain area of Georgia
is subtropical depends not just on the latitude, but also on how close it
is to the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico and the altitude. This is especially
true in the mountainous areas in the Northern part of the state which are
further away from ocean waters and can be up to 4500 feet or higher above
sea level. The areas near the Florida-Georgia border, extending from the entire
Georgia coastline west to the Florida panhandle experience the most subtropical
weather, with weather one might expect in Florida: hot, humid summers with
frequent afternoon thunderstorms and mild, somewhat drier winters. These areas
experience snow much less frequently than other parts of Georgia. The Georgia
Piedmont area is somewhat cooler in winter than the coastal areas. The Southern
areas of the Piedmont may receive snow every other year, while areas close
to the foothills get snow several times a year. This part of Georgia is especially
vulnerable to ice storms. The mountains of Georgia have the coolest climate
and most frequent snowfall in the state, although snowfall is less than any
other part of the Appalachian Mountains.
In spite of having moderate weather compared to many other states, Georgia can experience some extreme weather at times. The highest temperature ever recorded has been 112 °F (44.4 °C), while the lowest ever recorded is -17 °F (-27.2 °C). Georgia is one of the leading states in incidents of tornadoes. The areas closest to the Florida border can get the same small F0 and F1 tornadoes associated with summer afternoon thunderstorms. However, it is very uncommon for tornadoes to become severe. Being on the Atlantic coast, Georgia is also vulnerable to hurricanes, although the Georgia coastline has only rarely experienced a direct strike from hurricanes. More common are hurricanes which strike the Florida panhandle, weaken over land, and bring strong tropical storm winds and heavy rain to much of the Georgia interior and also hurricanes which come close to the Georgia coastline brushing the coast on the way up to the more often hit South Carolina coastline.
Metropolitan areas by population
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