1. Jon and Laura 9-15-09 Our 50 States: Georgia

2. Symbols of Georgia

• The state bird is: Brown Thrasher

• The state flower is: Cherokee Rose

• The state tree is:Live Oak

3. State Flag

• The Georgia flag has three red and white stripes and the state coat of arms on a blue field in the upper left corner. Thirteen stars surrounding the seal denotes Georgia's position as one of the original thirteen colonies. On the seal three pillars supporting an arch represent the three branches of government; legislative, judicial and executive. A man with sword drawn is defending the Constitution, whose principles are wisdom, justice and moderation. The date 1776 represents the signing of the Declaration of Independence.Flag adopted May 8th, 2003

Add apicturehere. 4. State Nickname

• Georgia is known as thePeach Statebecause of the growers' reputation for producing the highest quality fruit. The peach became the official state fruit in 1995 .source: http://www.sos.state.ga.us/museum/html/state_fruit.html

5. State History

• First Inhabitants

• The area we now call Georgia has been inhabited at least 10,000 years. The earliest known residents, the Paleo and Archaic people of B.C. 10,000 to B.C. 1,000, left little evidence of their communities beyond pottery fragments and spear points. e the major tribes of Native Americans that lived in this state. Include a few interesting facts about these people.

• Exploration

• • In 1540, the Spanish explorerHernando de Sotowas probably the first European to explore what is todayGeorgia . The French made a brief appearance at this time, but were quickly expelled by Spanish forces fromFlorida .

• Settlement

• • the Spanish established a fort on St. Catherines Island, south of present-day Savannah, the first of a series of fortified positions along the coast.

6. State History, continued

• Colonial Days

• • Georgia was the last of the 13 original colonies.The object in founding the colony of Georgia was threefold: to afford an opportunity to the unfortunate poor to begin life over again, to offer a refuge to persecuted Protestants of Europe, and to erect a military barrier between the Carolinas and Spanish Florida. Colonial Georgia was made up mostly of farmers, and had few towns, Savannah being the most important.

• • Source: http://www.usahistory.info/southern/Georgia.html

7. Statehood This state became the 13th state in the United States in1733.The first Governor of the state was John A. Treutlan. 8. Government

• National Government

• • Senators:Johnny Isakton and Saxby Chambliss

• • Representatives:Jack Kingston, Sanford D. Bishop Jr, Lynn A. Westmoreland, Hank Johnson, John Lewis, Tom Price, John Linder, James Marshall, Nathan Deal, Charlie Norwood, Jr, J. Phillip Gingrey, John Barrow, David Scott.Source: http://www.unityparty.us/georgia-senators-representatives.htm

• State Government

• • Governor:Sonny Perdue

• • State legislature:The Georgia General Assembly, the formal title of the legislature, was formed in 1777.The House of Representatives and Senate operate with similar powers, except that appropriation bills must originate in the House, while confirmation of the Governors appointments rests with the Senate. The concurrence of both bodies is necessary before any bill may become a law.The House of Representatives has 180 members and the Senate has 56. Source: www.georgia.gov

9. Maps 10. Population

• How many people live in your state?9,685,744

• What ethnic populations are represented in your state and what percent of the population?

• White 65.4%

• Black 30.0%

• American Indian and Alaska Native 0.4%

• Asian 2.9%

• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0.1%

• Hispanic or Latino origin 8%

Over the past fifty years the population has increased by 6 million

11. Economy

• Chief products of the state include:

• • AgriGeorgia'sagriculturaloutputs arepoultryandeggs ,pecans ,peaches ,peanuts ,rye ,cattle ,hogs ,dairy products ,turfgrass ,tobacco , andvegetables .

• • Major products in the mineral and timber industry include a variety of pines, clays, stones, and sands.

12. Weather

• Tell about the weather in your state:In Georgia, winters are very cold, with night temperatures below freezing for much of the time, but the daytime weather is usually mild enough to sit outdoors, with only an occasional snowfall. Summers, by contrast, can be hot and humid with heat wave spells lasting days at a time.

• Some things you might say are: Hot and humid in the summer, mildly cold in the winter.

• The average high temperature in July is: 90 degrees

• The average high temperature in January is: 50 degrees

• The average yearly precipitation is: 50.78 inches

• Source: http://www.rssweather.com/climate/Georgia

13. Rivers and Body of Water Chatahoochee, Flint, Oconee Clarke Hill, Lake Hartwell, Lake Lanier, Lake Russell, Lake Sinclair 14. Natural Resources, continued

• Plant Life

• • Jonquil-tall, yellow flowers that grow wild in March and April.

• • Pecan Trees-medium sized trees that are farmed for their nuts.

• Animal Life

• • Deer

• • Bobcats

• • Turkeys

• • Raccoons

• • -All of these are animals that are wild and are popular for hunting.

15. Places to Visit The largest city, Atlanta, is located in north-central Georgia, atop aridgesoutheast of theChattahoochee River . TheAtlanta metropolitan areahas a population of 5,376,285, although the city proper has 537,958 residents. 16. Famous People

• Choose three well known residents of your state. Tell what they did to become famous.

• Kim Basinger, Athens, GA. Actress

• Julia Roberts,Smyrna, GA. Actress

• Ty Cobb, Royston, GA. Athlete

17. State Motto

• "Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation"

The bodies of water and various types of terrrains......

18. Works Cited

• List the resources you used for your research.