Georgia and the American Experience

1. Georgiaand the American Experience Chapter 1: Where in the World is Georgia? Study Presentation © 2005 Clairmont Press

2. Georgia and the American Experience Section 1: What is Geography? Section 2: Geographic Regions of Georgia Section 3: Georgia’s Climate

3. Section 1: What is Geography? • Essential Question - What roles do the six essential elements of geography play in our lives?

4. Section 1: What is Geography? • What geographic terms do I need to know? -- geography -- absolute location -- relative location

5. What is Geography? • Geographica (Greek origin) means “earth’s description”. • Science of studying Earth as the home of humans. • Geography helps us understand why Georgia’s native peoples and later settlers chose certain parts of the state for their home.

6. Understanding Georgia: Spatial Geography • Spatial: How Georgians organize their space and environment: • 159 counties • five bordering states

7. Understanding Georgia: Places and Regions • Places and Regions: People create regions to understand Earth’s complexities • Georgia has five physiographic regions • 18 islands • 58, 910 square miles • 854 square inland water miles

8. Understanding Georgia through Geography • Physical Systems: Physical processes that shape the earth’s surface • Coastal islands (southeast Georgia) • Appalachian Mountains (north Georgia) • Fall Line divides east and west Georgia

9. Understanding Georgia: Human Systems • Human Systems: Where Georgians migrated and settled • Atlanta (Fulton County) is the capital • Twiggs County (geographic center) • Port of Savannah (first major settlement) • Brasstown Bald (highest geographic point)

10. Understanding Georgia: Environment and Society • Environment and Society: Actions of humans modify the environment • Suburban sprawl in metropolitan Atlanta • Interstates and highways • Urban population centers • Rural farmlands and agricultural regions

11. Understanding Georgia: Uses of Geography • Uses of Geography: Interpret Georgia’s past, understand its present, plan for its future • Location from one settlement to another affects how each settlement develops • Georgia’s location relative to other states affects Georgia’s growth and economic development

12. Understanding Location • Absolute location: A precise position on Earth’s surface • Georgia is located at 30°– 35°N latitude, 80°– 85° W longitude • Georgia borders Florida (south), Alabama (west), Tennessee and North Carolina (north), and South Carolina (east).

13. Understanding Location • Relative Location: Where Georgia is located compared with other places • North America • Southeastern United States • Atlantic coast Click here to return to main menu.

14. Section 2: Geographic Regions of Georgia • ESSENTIAL QUESTION -- How would you describe the geographic regions of Georgia?

15. Section 2: Geographic Regions of Georgia • What words do I need to know? -- Fall Line -- Region -- Precipitation -- Wetland -- Barrier Island -- Continental Shelf

16. Section 2: Geographic Regions of Georgia • What regions do I need to know? -- Appalachian Plateau Region -- Ridge and Valley Region -- Blue Ridge Region -- Piedmont Plateau -- Coastal Plain Region -- Okefenokee Swamp

17. Appalachian Plateau Region • Georgia’s smallest physiographic region • Many limestone caves, deep canyons, rock formations • Cumberland Plateau (Lookout Mountain and Sand Mountain separated by limestone ridges) • Limestone, shale, and sandstone soils

18. Ridge and Valley Region • Between Blue Ridge Mountains and Appalachian Plateau • Low open valleys parallel to narrow ridges • Elevations ranges from 700 to 1600 feet above sea level • Forests and pastures dominate the region • Limestone and clay soils in the valley • Shale and sandstone on the ridges

19. Blue Ridge Region • Northeastern part of state • Contains state’s highest and largest group of mountains • Brasstown Bald, Georgia highest mountain is here • Mountains provide much precipitation (water) for the state • Sandy loam and clay soils • Hardwood forests, vegetable farming, and apples

20. Piedmont Plateau • Begins in mountain foothills and goes to state’s central part • Gently sloping hills in north, flatlands in the south • Hardwood timber, pine, and agriculture • Red clay and granite base • Chattahoochee, Flint, Ocmulgee, and Oconee rivers

21. Coastal Plain Region • Largest region, three-fifths of state • Inner Coastal Plain: Mild climate, good underground water supply, state’s major agriculture region • Outer Coastal Plain (southwest corner): rich soil for peanuts, pecans, corn, and pulp production • Low-lying freshwater wetlands

22. Okefenokee Swamp • 681 square miles • Located south of Waycross • Largest swamp in North America • Freshwater wetland • Water lies close to the surface

23. Islands of Gold • Spanish explorers called the barrier islands “islands of gold” • Protect beaches by blocking sand, winds, and water that could erode the mainland • Two-thirds remains wilderness areas • Much recreation, seafood gathering • Deep water ports for shipping

24. Shelves and Lines • Georgia’s continental shelf is portion of coastal plain that extends into the ocean • The Continental slope falls into deep plateaus and into the Atlantic Ocean depths • The Fall Line, a natural boundary, separates the Coastal Plain from the Piedmont Plateau

25. Fall Line Features • Hilly or mountainous lands meet the coastal plain • Runs from Columbus (west) through Macon to Augusta (east) • Many waterfalls caused by water from the hills cutting channels into the softer soil of the plains • Fall Line waterfalls provide power source for several Georgia communities Click here to return to main menu.

26. Section 3: Georgia’s Climate • ESSENTIAL QUESTION -- How would you describe the climate of Georgia?

27. Section 3: Georgia’s Climate • What concepts do I need to know? -- Difference between weather and climate -- Effect of weather conditions on the state -- Different types of weather phenomena

28. Georgia’s Temperature • Mild climate, subtropical feel along the coast • Hot, humid summers and mild winters • Four distinct seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter • Vertical climate (higher elevation in mountains causes colder temperatures) • July is hottest month; January is coldest

29. Georgia’s Precipitation • In normal year, Georgia gets 40-52 inches of rain in central and southern regions and 65-76 inches in the northern mountains • July is wettest month; October is driest • From 1998 to 2002, Georgia experienced a major drought (extended lack of precipitation)

30. Winds and Currents • Air masses from Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean control summer’s warm months. • Air masses from polar regions of Alaska and Canada control Georgia’s winters. • Ocean currents, trade winds, and prevailing westerlies aided travel for early explorers and settlers to Georgia.

31. Storms over Georgia • Georgia averages 21 tornadoes each year, resulting in one to three deaths • Most tornadoes in Georgia occur from March to May • Georgia’s most hurricane-like storm (in terms of lives lost) occurred in Savannah in 1893 • Called the “Sea Islands Hurricane,” the storm resulted in 1,000 deaths. Click here to return to main menu.

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