Physical Georgia

Physical Georgia Geography of our state

Georgia-What do you KNOW? Georgia

Where We Are

Georgia’s Location • We are in the Northern and Western Hemispheres. • Our continent is North America. • Our country is the United States. • Our region is the Southeast.

Absolute and Relative • Absolute location shows exactly where something is found. • Ex: Georgia’s coordinates are 32 N latitude and 83 W longitude. • Relative location shows where something is in relation to something else. • Ex: Georgia is North of Florida

Physical Regions in Georgia

The Appalachian Plateau • Smallest physiographic region. • Lookout Mountain and Chickamauga. • Land used for hardwood forest and pasture.

Lookout Mountain

Valley and Ridge • Rich soil in valleys grows fruits, grains and vegetables. • Known for textile and carpet manufacturing.

Carpet and Farms

The Blue Ridge Mountains • A Part of Appalachian Mountains. • Brings tourism and timber products. • Appalachian Trail-Starts in Georgia and ends in Maine. • Brasstown Bald-Georgia’s highest mountain at 4786 ft.

The Appalachian Trail & Blue Ridge Mountains

The Coastal Plain • Once covered by ocean. • Largest physiographic region. • Lower Coastal Plain- Poor soils for agriculture. • Upper Coastal Plain-Rich soils for agriculture- (cotton, soybeans, and peanuts)

Coastal Plain Agriculture and tourism

The Piedmont • Means “at the foot of the mountains.” • Where almost half the population lives. • Major Cities: Atlanta, Columbus, Athens, Augusta. • Characterized by rolling hills. • Granite and marble are mined.

Atlanta and Stone Mountain

Terms to Know • Region • Fall Line • Aquifer • Climate • Weather • Drought • Precipitation • Barrier Island Use your BYLD Device to look up these terms. Some students may use the computers.

The Fall Line • The Fall Line separates coastal plain and piedmont. • Many waterfalls along rivers of coastal plain. • Numerous cities such as Augusta , Macon and Columbus grew up where rivers crossed it and boats could no longer navigate. • Kaolin, a whiteclay used in paints and porcelain is found there.

Five Regions QuizNumber a lined piece of paper from 1-10 and answer each question using True or False (not T or F) • The Piedmont is the largest physiographic region in Georgia. • The upper Coastal Plain has rich soils for agriculture. • Most of Georgia’s major cities are found in the Coastal Plain. • The Appalachian Trail begins in the Blue Ridge Mountains. • The Appalachian Plateau includes Lookout Mountain. • Brasstown Bald is the highest point in the state of Georgia. • Marble and granite are mined in the Valley and Ridge region. • Atlanta is located in the Piedmont region. • Carpet manufacturing is important in the Coastal Plain region • Georgia is located on the continent of South America.

Chattahoochee River • Important for drinking water, recreation, and hydroelectric power. • Powered mills during Civil War era. • Water rights are disputed between Georgia, Alabama and Florida

Savannah River • Boundary between South Carolina and Georgia. • Savannah is one of the nation’s busiest ports. • Important for drinking water, recreation, and hydroelectric power.

St. Mary’s River • Forms the southern border between Georgia and Florida.

Okefenokee Swamp • Okefenokee means “land of the trembling earth” • Largest swamp in North America covers 700 square miles of Southeast Georgia. • It is a National Wildlife Refuge that protects a unique and healthy ecosystem.

Barrier Islands • Form a barrier between the mainland and the ocean. • Protect the coast from major storms like hurricanes. • Tourists come to the many resorts and beaches.

Climate in Georgia • Mild climate-Cool winters and warm summers. • Coastal Plain and Piedmont are more humid and tropical. • Blue Ridge Mountains are cooler and get the most rain. • Rainiest season is summer.

Impact of Climate on Georgia • Climate-Average weather condition over long period of time. • Mild climate encourages year round agriculture such as cotton, forestry and chickens. • Mild climate brings major tourism to the state.

Physical Georgia