Where in the world is Georgia?

1. Where in the world is Georgia? Georgia

2. Understanding Hemispheres

3. Georgia’s location within the US

4. Georgia’s Relative Location • Located in northern & western hemispheres • Continent of North America • Southeastern United States • bordered by Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida and Alabama

5. Important Definitions to Understand • Absolute Location – identify location by specific longitude and latitude points on a map or globe • What can be used to determine absolute location? • Relative location – describes where a place is compared with other places • Now work with a partner and provide the relative location of each of the following: • RMS • Lawrenceville • Gwinnett County • Georgia

6. Georgia’s 5 Geographic Regions • Georgia is divided into five geographic regions • Appalachian Plateau • Ridge and Valley • Blue Ridge • Piedmont • Coastal Plain • Inner Coastal Plain • Outer Coastal Plain • The Fall Line divides the Piedmont & Coastal Plain

7. Appalachian Plateau • Smallest and least populated of the five regions • Limestone caves, deep canyons and interesting rock formations • Location of the TAG corner (point at which Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia meet) • Location of Lookout Mountain • Only part of Georgia where coal is located

8. Ridge and Valley • Rich soils • Fruits, grains and vegetables are grown • Known for textile and carpet manufacturing • Home of Dalton “Carpet Capital of the World” • Appalachian Trail begins at Springer Mountain

9. Blue Ridge • Northeastern Georgia • Highest and largest group of mountains • Home of Brasstown Bald, highest point in elevation in Georgia • Highest annual rainfall due to the Appalachian Mountains—the first barrier to the warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico • This precipitation provides water to the rest of the state

10. Piedmont • Atlanta, the state capital, located there • Half of state’s population is located in Piedmont • Financial and transportation hub of Georgia • Characterized by gently sloping hills with primarily sandy loam and red clay soils • Piedmont means “foot of the mountain”; known as the “heartland”

11. Coastal Plain • Largest of the regions • Divided into two parts, the Inner Coastal (major agricultural region of the state) and Outer Coastal (the Atlantic coast area and barrier islands) • Okefenokee Swamp – largest freshwater swamp in North America • First area settled • Deepwater ports and major shipyards—Brunswick & Savannah

12. Fall Line • Natural boundary that separates Piedmont and Coastal Plain • Rivers and creeks flowing from the Piedmont into the Coastal Plain experience a drop in elevation at this point which creates waterfalls • Cities (Augusta, Macon and Columbus) and industry grew along the Fall Line as early settlers could not travel over the steep and rushing falls

13. Appalachian Mountains • Run through the Blue Ridge, Ridge and Valley and Appalachian Plateau regions • Home to Brasstown Bald in Blue Ridge (highest elevation point in Georgia)

14. Boundary Rivers • Chattahoochee River – forms the boundary between Georgia and Alabama • Savannah River – forms the boundary between Georgia and South Carolina • St. Mary’s River – forms part of the boundary between Georgia and Florida

15. Barrier Islands • Protect the beaches and mainland from erosion caused by wind, water and storms • Most are protected by the state and federal governments to preserve the natural environment • Known as the Golden Isles

16. Georgia’s Climate • Mild climate with humid subtropical feel along the coast • Warm summers and cool winters • Due to comfortable temperatures most of the year, many companies find Georgia a desirable location • Long growing seasons make agriculture an important aspect of Georgia’s economy • Georgia’s climate has influenced the types of homes built, industries that developed, clothing styles and crops that are grown

17. GA Lakes • GA does not have any natural lakes • All of GA’s lakes are manmade by building dams on major rivers • Most have been created to be sources of hydroelectric power as well as for recreation. LakeHartwell West Point Lake

18. Transportation in Georgia Why is Georgia so popular with businesses?

19. Interstate Highways • The Highways that link state to state across the nation. • Transport many of the goods you use every day. • Which interstate do you live near?

20. Atlanta • Major transportation hub of the southeastern U.S. • Served by 3 different interstate highways—85, 75, & 20 • Work with a partner: • List the 3 pros of highway transport • List 3 cons of highway transport

21. Air Freight/Travel • Transporting goods through the air is fast. • Hartsfield-Jackson Airport is the busiest airport in the world • Work with a partner: • List 3 pros of air freight/travel • List 3 cons of air freight/travel

22. Sea Transport • Almost everything that comes from overseas comes in on a ship. • GA is served by two different deep water ports: • Savannah • Brunswick • Work with a partner: • List 3 pros sea transport • List 3 cons of sea transport

23. Rail Transport • Goods are also transported around the US by railroads • GA has major rail lines connecting Atlanta to the coast & surrounding states • Work with a partner: • List 3 pros of rail transport • List 3 cons of rail transport

24. Think About It: Work with a partner: Create a chart • Label your chart “Transportation and My Classroom” • Create 4 subsections & label them Road, Air, Sea and Rail • List as many items in the classroom as you can under the correct subheading regarding how it got to GA, or Lawrenceville, or RMS