Georgia |
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| Entered the Union: Jan. 2, 1788 (4) |
State Symbols
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| Capital: Atlanta | ||
| Origin of Name: In honor of George II of England | ||
| State Motto: Wisdom, justice, and moderation | ||
| State Song: “Georgia on My Mind ” | ||
| State Nickname: Peach State • Empire State of the South | ||
| National Forests: 2 • National Park Service Sites: 11 • State Forests: 7 • State Parks & Historic Sites: 63 | ||
| Famous for: Centennial Olympic Park, Blue Ridge Scenic Railray, Stone Mountain Park, Eternal Word Television Network | ||
| Famous Georgians: James Brown (singer), James E. Carter (President), Ray Charles (singer), Oliver Hardy (comedian), Alan Jackson (singer), DeForest Kelley (actor), Martin Luther King Jr. (civil rights leader), Gladys Knight (singer), Margaret Mitchell (novelist), Jackie Robinson (baseball), Travis Tritt (singer), Joanne Woodward (actress), Trisha Yearwood (singer) | ||
| Native Animals and Birds: Click on photos of the animals and birds on this page to find out more about them and to hear the sounds they make. | ||
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| Cherokee and Creek Indians lived in present-day Georgia when Hernando de Soto explored the region for Spain in 1540. | |||||||||
| Colonized in 1732 by James Edward Oglethorpe, Georgia was the last of the original thirteen English colonies. | |||||||||
| Historic Saint Marys Georgia is the one of the oldest cities in the nation. | |||||||||
| Stone Mountain is one of the largest single masses of exposed granite in the world. The figures of Stonewall Jackson, Jefferson Davis, and Robert E. Lee carved on the face of Stone Mountain make up the world's largest bas-relief sculpture. | |||||||||
| Georgia is a part of the southeastern region of the United States nicknamed, �The Sunbelt.� | |||||||||
| The Varsity in Atlanta is the world's largest drive-in fast food restaurant. | |||||||||
| The invention of the cotton gin allowed cotton to became a major industry in Georgia. | |||||||||
| Georgia was the first state to allow 18-year-olds to vote. | |||||||||
| Mississippi, in 1839, was the first state to allow married women full property rights. | |||||||||
| Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia, is the largest infantry camp in the world. | |||||||||
| Georgia is the nation's number one producer of peanuts and pecans. | |||||||||
| Gainesville is the Chicken Capital of the World. | |||||||||
| Georgia is the largest state east of the Mississippi River. Georgia ranks 24th in size amongst all the other states. | |||||||||
| Georgia's Ethnic Roots: African 21.6%, American 13.3%, English 8.1%, Irish 7.8%, German 7%. ("American" is likely Scots-Irish or English). | |||||||||
| Religion in Georgia: 85% Christian (76% Protestant, 8% Catholic, 1% Other), 13% No Religion, 2% Other Relgions | |||||||||
| The Weather Channel's headquarters is located in Atlanta. | |||||||||
| The NS Savannah was the first nuclear powered merchant vessel. | |||||||||
| Georgia once had three governors - simultaneously!! |
At a Glance
Georgia Quick Facts
| Entered the Union | Jan. 2, 1788 (4) |
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| Capital | Atlanta |
| Nickname | Peach State • Empire State of the South |
| State Bird | Brown Thrasher |
| State Flower | Cherokee Rose |
| State Tree | Southern Live Oak |
New for 2026
More Georgia Facts & Photos
The Okefenokee, the largest blackwater swamp in North America, spreads across about 440,000 acres of southern Georgia and has been protected as a national wildlife refuge since 1937.
Providence Canyon, Georgia's "Little Grand Canyon," was not carved by a river. Its gullies, up to 150 feet deep, began forming in the early 1800s after poor farming practices stripped the soft soil.
Cumberland Island, Georgia's largest barrier island, became a national seashore in 1972. Around 150 to 200 feral horses still roam its beaches, dunes, and ruins.
Coca-Cola was first served at Jacobs' Pharmacy in Atlanta on May 8, 1886, mixed by pharmacist John Pemberton and sold for five cents a glass.
Voices of America
In Their Own Words
“You cannot divorce religious belief and public service. I've never detected any conflict between God's will and my political duty. If you violate one, you violate the other."
"We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”
Last updated: July 2026