| Georgia is a southern state of the 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 became the fourth state after ratifying the United States Constitution on January 2, 1788. Georgia's population in 2000 was 8,186,453 (U.S. Census); it is one of the fastest-growing states in the nation, with an estimated 9,072,576 people in 2005. Georgia is also known as the Peach State and the Empire State of the South.
Geography
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 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.
Georgia is also the largest state, in land area, east of the Mississippi River, since West Virginia seceded from Virginia during the Civil War.
Areas under the control of the National Park Service include:
* Andersonville National Historic Site in Andersonville
* Appalachian National Scenic Trail
* Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area near Atlanta
* Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park at Fort Oglethorpe
* Cumberland Island National Seashore near Saint Marys
* Fort Frederica National Monument on St. Simons Island
* Fort Pulaski National Monument in Savannah
* Jimmy Carter National Historic Site near Plains
* Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park near Kennesaw
* Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site in Atlanta
* Ocmulgee National Monument at Macon
* Trail of Tears National Historic Trail
Demographics
As of 2005, Georgia has an estimated population of 9,072,576, which is an increase of 154,447, or 1.7%, from the prior year and an increase of 885,760, or 10.8%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 376,105 people (that is 718,764 births minus 342,659 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 425,510 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 192,844 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 232,666 people.
Georgia is the 9th most populous state. Its population has grown 36% (2.35 million) from its 1990 levels, 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.
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