Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia
State
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  Peach State; Empire State of the South
Motto(s):  "Wisdom, Justice & Moderation"[1]
Anthem: "Georgia on My Mind"
Map of the United States with Georgia highlighted
Country	United States
Before statehood	Province of Georgia
Admitted to the Union	January 2, 1788; 236 years ago (1788-01-02) (4th)
Capital (and largest city)	Atlanta
Largest county or equivalent	Fulton
Largest metro and urban areas	Atlanta
Government
• Governor	Brian Kemp (R)
• Lieutenant governor	Burt Jones (R)
Legislature	Georgia General Assembly
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	House of Representatives
Judiciary	Supreme Court of Georgia
U.S. senators	Jon Ossoff (D) Raphael Warnock (D)
U.S. House delegation	9 Republicans 5 Democrats (list)
Area
• Total	59,424.64[2] sq mi (153,909.120 km2)
• Land	57,906 sq mi (149,976 km2)
• Water	1,519 sq mi (3,933 km2)  2.6%
• Rank	24th
Dimensions
• Length	298 mi (480 km)
• Width	230 mi (370 km)
Elevation	600 ft (180 m)
Highest elevation (Brasstown Bald[3][a])	4,784 ft (1,458 m)
Lowest elevation (Atlantic Ocean[3])	0 ft (0 m)
Population  (2023)
• Total	11,029,227[2]
• Rank	8th
• Density	185.2/sq mi (71.5/km2)
• Rank	16th
• Median household income	$61,200[4]
• Income rank	29th
Demonym	Georgian
Language
• Official language	English
Time zone	UTC– 05:00 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC– 04:00 (EDT)
USPS abbreviation	GA
ISO 3166 code	US-GA
Traditional abbreviation	Ga.
Latitude	30.356–34.985° N
Longitude	80.840–85.605° W
Website	georgia.gov
Symbols of Georgia
Song	"Georgia on My Mind" by Ray Charles
Amphibian	American green tree frog Dryophytes cinereus
Bird	Brown thrasher Toxostoma rufum
Butterfly	Eastern tiger swallowtail Papilio glaucus
Fish	Largemouth bass Micropterus nigricans
Flower	Cherokee rose Rosa laevigata
Fruit	Peach Prunus persica
Insect	Western honey bee Apis mellifera
Reptile	Gopher tortoise Gopherus polyphemus
Tree	Southern live oak Quercus virginiana
Vegetable	Vidalia onion Allium cepa 'Granex'

Georgia is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the northwest, North Carolina to the north, South Carolina to the northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, Florida to the south, and Alabama to the west. Of the 50 United States, Georgia is the 24th-largest by area and eighth most populous. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, its 2023 estimated population was 11,029,227.^[2] Atlanta, a global city, is both the state's capital and its largest city. The Atlanta metropolitan area, with a population of more than 6.3 million people in 2023, is the sixth most populous metropolitan area in the United States and contains about 57% of Georgia's entire population. Other major metropolitan areas in the state include Augusta, Savannah, Columbus, and Macon.^[5]

The Province of Georgia was created in 1732 and first settled in 1733 with the founding of Savannah. Georgia became a British royal colony in 1752. It was the last and southernmost of the original Thirteen Colonies to be established.^[6] Named after King George II of Great Britain, the Georgia Colony covered the area from South Carolina south to Spanish Florida and west to French Louisiana at the Mississippi River. On January 2, 1788, Georgia became the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution.^[7]

From 1802 to 1804, western Georgia was split to form the Mississippi Territory, which later was admitted as the U.S. states of Alabama and Mississippi. Georgia declared its secession from the Union on January 19, 1861, and was one of the original seven Confederate States. Following the Civil War, it was the last state to be restored to the Union, on July 15, 1870.^[7] In the post-Reconstruction era of the late 19th century, Georgia's economy was transformed as a group of prominent politicians, businessmen, and journalists, led by Henry W. Grady, espoused the "New South" philosophy of sectional reconciliation and industrialization.^[8]

During the mid-20th century, several people from Georgia, most notably Martin Luther King Jr., were prominent leaders during the civil rights movement.^[7] Atlanta was selected as host of the 1996 Summer Olympics, which marked the 100th anniversary of the modern Olympic Games. Since 1945, Georgia has seen substantial population and economic growth as part of the broader Sun Belt phenomenon. From 2007 to 2008, 14 of Georgia's counties ranked among the nation's 100 fastest-growing.^[9]

Georgia is defined by a diversity of landscapes, flora, and fauna. The state's northernmost regions include the Blue Ridge Mountains, part of the larger Appalachian Mountain system. The Piedmont plateau extends from the foothills of the Blue Ridge south to the Fall Line, an escarpment to the Coastal Plain defining the state's southern region. Georgia's highest point is Brasstown Bald at 4,784 feet (1,458 m) above sea level; the lowest is the Atlantic Ocean . With the exception of some high-altitude areas in the Blue Ridge, the entirety of the state has a humid subtropical climate. Of the states entirely east of the Mississippi River, Georgia is the largest in land area.^[10]

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