Portal:Georgia (U.S. state)

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Georgia /ˈɔːrə/ is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. Named after King George II of Great Britain, Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788. It declared its secession from the Union on January 21, 1861, and was one of the original seven Confederate states. It was the last state to be restored to the Union, on July 15, 1870.

Georgia is the 24th most extensive and the 8th most populous of the 50 United States. From 2007 to 2008, 14 of Georgia's counties ranked among the nation's 100 fastest-growing, second only to Texas. Georgia is known as the Peach State and the Empire State of the South. Atlanta is the state's capital and its most populous city.

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 Appalachian Mountains system. 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 the Atlantic Ocean.

Georgia is the most extensive state east of the Mississippi River in terms of land area, although it is the fourth most extensive (after Michigan, Florida, and Wisconsin) in total area, a term which includes expanses of water which are part of state territory.

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Piedmont Park is a 189-acre (0.76 km2) urban park in Atlanta, Georgia, located about 1 mile (1.6 km) northeast of Downtown, between the Midtown and Virginia Highland neighborhoods. Originally the land was owned by Dr. Benjamin Walker, who used it as his out-of-town gentleman's farm and residence. He sold the land in 1887 to the Gentlemen's Driving Club (later renamed the Piedmont Driving Club), who wanted to establish an exclusive club and racing ground for horse enthusiasts. The Driving Club entered an agreement with the Piedmont Exposition Company, headed by prominent Atlantan Charles A. Collier, to use the land for fairs and expositions and later gave the park its name. The park was originally designed by Joseph Forsyth Johnson to host the first of two major expositions held in the park in the late 19th century. The Piedmont Exposition opened in October 1887 to great fanfare. The event was a success and set the stage for the Cotton States and International Exposition which was held in the park seven years later in 1895. Both exhibitions showcased the prosperity of the region that had occurred during and after the Reconstruction period. In the early 20th century, a redesign plan called the Olmsted plan, was begun by the sons of New York Central Park architect, Frederick Law Olmsted. The effort led to the addition of scenic paths in the park and the joining of the park with the Ansley park system. Over the years, the park has also served as an athletic center for the city. Atlanta's first professional baseball team, the Atlanta Crackers, played in the park from 1902 to 1904. Several important intercollegiate rivalries were also forged in the park including the University of Georgia vs. Georgia Tech baseball rivalry and Georgia versus Auburn football which has been called the "Deep South's Oldest Rivalry".

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USGS map of Georgia elevations
USGS map of Georgia elevations
Credit: USGS

The geography of Georgia describes a state in the Southeastern United States in North America. The Golden Isles of Georgia lie off the coast of the state. The main geographical features include mountains such as the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians in the northwest, the Blue Ridge Mountains in the northeast, the Piedmont plateau in the central portion of the state and Coastal Plain in the south. The highest area in Georgia is Brasstown Bald which is 1,458m (4,784 ft) above sea level, while the lowest is at sea level, at the Atlantic Ocean.

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Kasim Reed

Mohammed Kasim Reed, known as Kasim Reed, (born June 10, 1969) is a Democratic politician and the 59th Mayor of Atlanta, who previously represented the 35th District of the Georgia State Senate. He was a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from 1998 to 2002. After serving as campaign manager for Shirley Franklin's successful 2001 Atlanta Mayoral campaign, he ran for the position in 2009 since Franklin was term limited. He was one of two candidates to advance from the November 3 general election to a December 1, 2009 runoff election, which he won and was officially inaugurated as Mayor of Atlanta on January 4, 2010. In college, he instituted a student fee that has added millions of dollars to the Howard University endowment since its inception in 1991. In 2003, he was involved with the effort to prevent the Georgia State Senate from considering reinserting the battle emblem of the Confederate States of America in the official State Flag of Georgia.

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Did you know?


  • ...that the highest temperature ever recorded in the U.S. state of Georgia is 112 °F (44 °C), while the lowest ever recorded is -17 °F (-27 °C)?



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You are invited to participate in WikiProject Georgia of the United States, a WikiProject dedicated to developing and improving articles about the State of Georgia.
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North AmericaUnited States
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Georgia (U.S. state)
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AtlantaEducation in GeorgiaGeorgia State RoutesGeorgia TechSouth Georgia
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U.S. RoadsGeographyAlabamaFloridaNorth CarolinaSouth CarolinaTennessee

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Atlanta's urban core viewed from the Southwest near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in 2008
Atlanta's urban core viewed from the Southwest near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in 2008
Credit: Cwolfsheep

A 2008 aerial photo of Atlanta's urban core viewed from the Southwest near Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Downtown Atlanta (in the foreground) is followed by Midtown, and then Buckhead. Sandy Springs and Dunwoody's Perimeter Center skyline is visible in the background. In 2008, the entire region had a population of 5,729,304.

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Other arms reach out to me
Other eyes smile tenderly
Still in peaceful dreams I see
The road leads back to you.
Georgia, oh Georgia, no peace I find...
Just an old sweet song
Keeps Georgia on my mind.

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