Unit 1

1. Unit 1 Georgia: Something For Everyone

2. Geography vs. Geology • Geography: Describes the Earth • The RELATIONSHIP between humans and their environment. • “The study of Earth as a home for Man!” • Geology: Study of the Earth • The study of the origin, characteristics, location of non-living materials which make up the Earth.

3. Why do we need HISTORY? • Geography helps us interpret the past, understand the present, and predict the future. • Georgia’s history is a timeline of human reactions to their physical surroundings! “The Fall Line”

4. HUMAN Historical Political Social Cultural Urban Demography: Race, Religion, Age, Sex, Economics… Economics Physical Cartography Maps Soil Hydrology Water Oceanography Climatology Weather, Climate Biogeography Economics Examples of Geography

5. Georgia Facts • Western and Northern Hemispheres • North America (Continent) • United States (Country) • Southeast (Region) • Georgia (State) • “Empire State of the South” • Cherokee (County) • Canton (Town) • Address Sectionalism: • Neighborhoods • Physical/Cultural • Global/Geographic • Mason-Dixon Line • Named after surveyors • Deep South/Confederacy

6. Reasons for Settlement • Pre-historic Indians and the Europeans found Georgia attractive for the following reasons: • Mild weather • Abundant natural resources (p. 31) • Various land areas • Rivers and ports

7. Latitude and Longitude • Latitude: measures distance north and south of Equator; lines stretch east—west. • Longitude: measures distance east and west of the Prime Meridian; lines stretch north—south. • p. 4 thru 9

8. Georgia Facts #2 • Largest state EAST of the Mississippi River • 21st largest state U.S. • Highest Point: Brasstown Bald • Lowest Point: Coastline • 159 Counties • Largest—Ware • Smallest—Clarke • Center—Twiggs • North: Tennessee and North Carolina • South: Florida and St. Mary’s River • East: Atlantic Ocean, South Carolina, and Savannah River • West: Alabama, Chattahoochee River

9. 5 Regions of Georgia • Also known as Physiographic Regions • Appalachian Plateau • Cumberland, Lookout • Blue Ridge • Ridge and Valley • Piedmont • Coastal Plain

10. Blue Ridge • Highest and largest group of mountains in Georgia • Acts as a barrier to keep warm, moist from the gulf causing precipitation- • Rain, sleet, snow, hail • Landmarks: • Tallulah Gorge • Helen • Brasstown Bald • Beginning of Appalachian Trail • Apples, corn, vegetables, and hardwood timber

11. Appalachian Plateau • Smallest region • TAG Corner • Tennessee • Alabama • Georgia • Hardwood forest, pastures for livestock, corn and soybean. • Only known source of coal in Georgia. • Most scenic but least traveled

12. Ridge and Valley • Low open valleys and narrow ridges- • ”Wrinkles” • Flat fertile farmlands • Harwood forest and pastures • Industrial: textile and carpet manufacturing • DALTON: “Carpet Capital of the World” The textile industry

13. Piedmont • Cherokee County/Atlanta • Gently sloping and rolling hills • “Foot of the Mountains” • Georgia “Red Clay” • Over 50% of the states population • Business and Industry • Encompasses 30% of state’s area • Cotton, soybean, wheat, beef and dairy cattle, chicken… Atlanta skyline…The Capitol

14. Coastal Plains • Largest region (60%) • Inner (Northern) • Agricultural • Vidalia Upland • Dougherty Plain • Peanuts, peaches, pecans • Outer (Southern) • Coastal • Swamp/Marsh • Okefenokee Swamp • Barrier Islands: • “Golden Isles” • Protect beaches • Continental Shelf: • Protects our coast from hurricanes

15. Coastal Plains II • Prehistoric ocean extended to the Fall Line • Fossils of shark teeth, whale bones and various ocean life found in Coastal Plains • 75 miles from coast line inland is known as “The Pine Barrens” • Hardly anything except pine trees grows in this region! • Swamps rivers, streams, estuaries, and islands. • Slow, meandering, widening rivers • Tidal rivers along coastline…saltwater and freshwater share areas during the tides as far as 10 miles inland. • Coastal wetlands…Okeefenokee Swamp • Glynn County’s wetlands inspired poet Sydney Lanier to write “The Marshes of the Glynn”

16. The Fall Line • Important to development of Georgia • Natural boundary that separates the Piedmont from the Coastal region • Settlers were forced to stop by steep falls • Waterfalls and fast running rivers excellent source of power • Columbus, Macon, Augusta…”CMA Awards”

17. Georgia Waterways • Atlantic Ocean • Inter-coastal Waterway: • Method of boat travel along the Eastern coast of the United States. • Rivers: • Chattahoochee • Savannah • Lakes: • Allatoona • Sidney Lanier (Poet)

18. Atlantic Ocean The pirates using Georgia’s coast • A little more than 100 miles of coastline • Industry: fishing, boat building, tourism… • Protected saltwater marshes and wildlife refuges • Inlets, creeks and islands where pirates hid to attack merchant ships

19. Rivers • Savannah River: • Discovered by Hernando de Soto • Spreads into 3 lakes (Man-made): • J. Strom Thurmond, Russell, Hartwell • Chattahoochee River: • “River of Painted Rocks” • Supplies water to Atlanta and cities south • One of the 10 most endangered rivers in the U.S. • All rivers provide transportation, recreation, water supply, irrigation, and replenishing soils.

20. Lakes • There are NO large natural lakes in Georgia. • Created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Georgia Power Company. “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?” • Provides recreation, reservoirs, and hydroelectric power.

21. Climate: weather over a period of time. Weather: day to day changes in temperature , precipitation, wind,… Temperature: a result of latitude, longitude, and elevation. Highest: July Coldest: January Precipitation: rain, snow, sleet, hail,… Wettest: July Driest: October Drought: far below normal rainfall…affects lake levels, water tables, hydroelectric power, recreation, and agriculture. Winds: control weather Winter: Alaska/Canada Summer: Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean Wind Currents: flow or movement of air. Jet Stream: 30,000 feet above sea level Trade Winds: explorers used to go to New World Westerlies: explorers used to go home Climate Terms (p. 33)

22. Geographic Terms • Cardinal Directions: North, south, east, and west • Intermediate Directions: Northeast, southeast, northwest, southwest • Absolute Location: Latitude and longitude • Grid work • Relative location: position of one place compared to another • Distance, direction, location • Population Density: amount of people per square mile • Metropolitan Statistical Area: has a central city of at least 50,000 people • Political Regions: legal boundaries created by the government for election purposes

23. Ocean Currents • 71% of Earth covered in water. • Current: “river” of ocean water. • Caused by the uneven cooling and heating of the Earth’s surface • Gulf Stream: current along the east coast of the U.S. going from Florida to Maine. • Ships used this to move towards Europe • Steers hurricanes away from Georgia

24. Hurricanes

25. Tornadoes

26. Georgia Wildlife

27. Wildlife (Fauna) • Whitetail Deerfound in all 159 counties of Georgia. • Endangered in early 1900s • Bald Eagle hunting forbidden! • 6 types of poisonoussnakes. • American Alligator protected by the Federal government. • Loggerhead Sea Turtles: • Laws protect them on the coast of GA and SC. • No lights facing the beach! • Guided by the MOON! Pogo The Possum

28. Georgia Trees and Plants Azalea Loblolly Pine Aloe

29. Trees and Plants (Flora) • Hardwoods (North Georgia): • Hickory, Spruce, Maple • Pines (Piedmont and Coastal Plains): • Loblolly • Cypress and Cedar (Okefenokee)

30. Flora in Industry • Economy:peaches and pecans • Tourism:azaleas, dogwood, iris… • Medicine: • Aloe (healing) • Purple cornflower (insect repellant) • Goldenrod (snakebites) • Jewelweed (itch…poison ivy, bites) • Kudzu:cascading plant…tough to kill. • Can be used in health foods and starch.

31. CREDITS • My apologies to those people whose pictures I used as I had not learned how to credit.