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Georgia Studies

Terms in this set (63)

Geography -
The science of studying Earth as the home of humans.
Hemispheres -
spheres that are divided into two halves.
The Earth has 4 hemispheres -
Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western.
Longitude -
degrees east or west of the Prime Meridian
Equator -
the line that goes around the globe exactly halfway between the two poles and divides the Earth into North and South.
Prime Meridian -
the line that goes around the globe and divides the Earth into East and West.
Absolute location -
a precise position on the Earth's surface.
Georgia is located at 30º-35°N latitude, 80°-85ºW longitude.
Relative location -
where Georgia(or any state) is located compared to other places.
Georgia is located on the North American continent in the southeastern United States.
Georgia is located north of Florida and east of Alabama.
Georgia is located...
n the Western hemisphere
in the Northern hemisphere
On the continent of North America
in the southeastern region of the United States
Georgia facts-
There are 159 counties in Georgia.
Twiggs County is the geographic center of Georgia.
Atlanta is the capital of Georgia.
There are 5 states that border Georgia.
Tennessee
North Carolina
South Carolina
Florida
Alabama
What bodies of water form Georgia's borders?
The Atlantic Ocean forms the eastern border of Georgia.
The Chattahoochee River forms the border to the west between Georgia and Alabama.
The St. Mary's River forms the border between Georgia and Florida.
The Savannah River forms the border between Georgia and South Carolina.
It is unique in that it is the only river that flows into Georgia from another state.
What is a region?
A region is an area on the Earth's surface with common characteristics such as soil, vegetation climate, landforms, recreation or economic opportunities.
Georgia is divided into 5 geographic regions.
Appalachian Plateau
Ridge and Valley
Blue Ridge
Piedmont Plateau
Coastal Plain
Weather -
day to day conditions.
Climate-
the type of weather a region experiences over time.
Appalachian Plateau
Georgia's smallest physiographic region.
Located in the northwestern corner of the state.
Includes the TAG corner.
This is the point where Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia meet.
Physical characteristics - many limestone caves, deep canyons, and rock formations.
This area has poor farming due to being too rocky.
Appalachian Climate
Cooler temperatures due to higher elevation & northern latitude.
Appalachian Agriculture
forestry, grazing, and woodland.
Appalachian Economic Contributions-
Most profitable industries are tourism and forestry.
Only known source of coal in Georgia
Blue Ridge Agriculture-
Small farms can be seen on the valley floors while the ridges remain forest covered.
Ellijay - Apples
Ridge and Valley Economic Contributions-
manufacturing, cropland, forestry, grazing, and woodland.
The city of Dalton is known as the carpet capital of the world.
Blue ridge location-
contains the state's highest and largest group of mountains.
known for its rugged beauty.
Brasstown Bald (Georgia's highest mountain is here).
The beginning of the Appalachian Trail is found here.
in the northeastern part of the state.
Blue Ridge Climate-
the highest annual rainfall (over 56 inches) in the state can be found here. Because the Blue Ridge Mountains form the first barrier to the warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico.
All of this rain causes many of Georgia's rivers to form in this area, including the Chattahoochee.
Blue Ridge Physical Characteristics-
contains the state's highest and largest group of mountains.
known for its rugged beauty.
Brasstown Bald (Georgia's highest mountain is here).
The beginning of the Appalachian Trail is found here.
Blue Ridge Agriculture-
contains less than 1% of the state's prime farmland. Most land is used for forestry, grazing, and woodland.
Blue Ridge Economic contributions-
mining (especially gold mining), timber, and tourism
Piedmont Location:
Begins in the mountain foothills and goes to the state's central part.
2nd largest region in Georgia
Half of the state's population lives here. Primarily because the capital city of Atlanta.
What does Piedmont mean?
"foot of the mountains."
And is often referred to as the "heartland" of the state.
Piedmont Climate:
steamy hot summers and possible snow in the winters
Piedmont's Physical characteristics:
Gently sloping hills in the north and flatlands in the south.
Piedmont Agriculture:
Crops produced include cotton, soybeans, and wheat. Poultry/eggs, hogs, and cattle/beef are products of this region.
Piedmont Economic Contribution:
Many of the state's business and industries are located in the Piedmont region
The capital city as well as Hartsfield Jackson International Airport provide businesses and industries with a plenty of workers and easy access to transportation.
Chick-fil-a, Coca-Cola, Home Depot
The Chattahoochee River is the major river that runs through this area and provides drinking water for Atlanta
Coastal Plain
Largest Region - 3/5 of the state.
Divided into the Inner and Outer Coastal Plain
Coastal Plain Location -
located in the southern part of Georgia.
Coastal Plain Inner-
Fertile soil produces peanuts, peaches, soybeans, cotton, Vidalia onions, and pecans.
Coastal Plain Outer-
less fertile due to sandy soil. Timber is harvested
Coastal Plain Climate:
Hot steamy summers and cool winters.
Coastal Plain Physical Characteristics -
This is the major agricultural region for our state. There are low lying freshwater wetlands.
Coastal Plain Agriculture-
peanuts, pecans, peaches, corn, onions, cotton, watermelon. Naval Stores (shipbuilding products) & pulp
Coastal Plain Major cities:
Savannah & Valdosta
Coastal Plain Economic Contributions-
pulp and paper industry
Commercial fishing and seafood processing
Tourism and recreation
Deep Water Ports in Savannah and Brunswick
Coastal Plain Barrier Islands-
protect mainland Georgia from hurricanes
Coastal Plain Continental Shelf -
a portion of the continent located off of the coast that extends into the ocean. It protects Georgia from taking many direct hits from hurricanes
Fall Line-
It is the line where the hilly or mountainous land meets the coastal plain.
It divides the Piedmont Plateau from the Coastal Plain.
Runs from Columbus (west) through Macon to Augusta (east).
The sudden change in elevation creates many waterfalls along the "Fall" Line
These provide a power source for several Georgia communities.
Okefenokee Swamp
Located in the Coastal Plain
Southeast part of the state
The largest freshwater swamp in North America.
681 square miles.
Home to more than 400 species of animals.
Water lies close to the surface.
Barrier Islands
Located in the Coastal Plain.
Impact
They block much of the wind, sands, and water that could erode the mainland.
There are a lot of recreational activities and seafood industries here.
Two-thirds of the islands remain protected wilderness areas for the states' coastal wildlife population
Deep water ports for shipping are located here (Brunswick and Savannah).
Spanish called them "islands of gold."
Appalachian Mountains
Location: Georgia's three northern regions (Appalachian Plateau, Ridge and Valley, and Blue Ridge) are all part of the Appalachian Mountains.
Impact: This mountain chain runs from Georgia to Maine and provides recreational activities, forest products, and precipitation for our state.
The mountains trap the moist warm air from the Gulf of Mexico and snow is produced, which then melts and runs off into streams and lakes providing our state with water.
The highest peak in Georgia is called Brasstown Bald.
Chattahoochee River
The Chattahoochee River begins in the Blue Ridge Mountains and flows southwest through Atlanta and then over the Fall Line at Columbus.
It forms our border with Alabama.
The Chattahoochee crosses into Florida where it is called the Apalachicola River and travels down to the Gulf of Mexico.
The Chattahoochee River is a very important source of water for Georgia, Alabama, and Florida.
Savannah River
The Savannah River forms the eastern border between South Carolina and Georgia as it flows to empty into the Atlantic Ocean.
The Savannah River is the only river that starts in another state and flows into Georgia.
The river is important to both Georgia and South Carolina because it provides drinking water as well as the site for two nuclear power plant facilities.
St. Mary's River
The St. Mary's River starts in the Okefenokee Swamp and drains into the Atlantic Ocean.
It forms a portion of the border between Georgia and Florida.
Georgia's Borders
There are three rivers that help to create Georgia's borders.
The Savannah River creates Georgia's eastern border with South Carolina.
The Chattahoochee River creates Georgia's western border with Georgia.
The St. Mary's River creates Georgia's southern border with Florida.
Impact of water on Georgia's population
Georgia's waterways are used as a water source for the people of Georgia.
Farmers use our water for irrigation.
Transportation and trade are also ways that Georgia's waterways impact our population.
Deepwater ports
There are two deepwater ports in Georgia. These are located in Savannah and Brunswick.
These deepwater ports bring a great deal of income to the state through imports and exports.
Savannah is the 4th busiest container port in the U.S.
Reservoirs-
Man made lakes
Where are most reservoirs located?
Most reservoirs in Georgia are located in the northern part of the state.
Reservoirs provide:
Flood control
Hydroelectricity
Stable source of drinking water
Drought-
Drought is a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall and a shortage of water resulting from this lack of rain.
Drought negatively affects Georgia by:
-Increasing fire hazards
-Reducing water levels
-Damaging wildlife
Water Wars
Georgia, Alabama, and Florida are in the middle of a huge argument or "Water War"

The three states disagree about control of the Chattahoochee River
Border Dispute-
Georgia, Alabama, and Florida are in the middle of a huge argument or "Water War"

The three states disagree about control of the Chattahoochee River
Transportation systems-
Georgia has a strong transportation infrastructure which includes:
Airports - international and regional
2 Deep water ports
Railroads
Highways
Airport
Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is the busiest in the world.
Delta Airlines is headquartered there.
The airport is considered the largest employment center in the State of Georgia.
Railroads
There are 5,400 miles of railroad track in Georgia.
Railroad track allows goods to be shipped cross country.
Highways
Georgia has 1,200 miles of interstate highways, 17,800 miles of state highways, and 87,000 miles of paved and county roads.
Highways connect our cities allowing workers and materials to be quickly moved.
In 1956, President Eisenhower signed the National Interstate and Defense Act authorizing 41,000 miles of interstate highways to be built in order to transport troops.
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