Download G1c Georgia`s Key Physical Features

Georgia’s Key Physical Features
Appalachian
Mountains
The Fall Line
Barrier Islands
Okefenokee
Swamp
The Fall Line
•Natural Boundary;
Separates the Piedmont
and Coastal Plain
•Stretches from
Columbus, through
Macon, into Augusta
•Elevation drops &
creates waterfalls
•Early settlers found
waterfalls a source of
power
•Prehistoric
ocean shoreline
•Location of mining
operations; kaolin – clay
used in paints, rubber,
cement, fertilizers – most
important use in paper (gloss)
Okefenokee Swamp
•Located in Coastal Plain
•It is a freshwater wetland;
home to prehistoric Indians
•Pioneers move here &
herded cattle, fished and
hunted
•Railroads appeared
around 1830 & sawmills,
turpentine stills and stores
sprang up
•Logging became a big
industry until 1929 when it
became a National Wildlife
Refuge
Appalachian Mountains
•Stretch from Canada in the NE to
Alabama in the SW
•Large areas of commercial forests
•Marble industry one of the largest
employers.
•Coal is found in this region;
$1.6 billion a year
•Popular tourist spot
Chattahoochee River
•436 miles from North
Georgia to the Gulf of Mexico
•Southern section is border
between GA & Alabama
Alabama
Georgia
•Home of Prehistoric Native
Americans – food source and
Florida
travel
•Industrial power source &
water source
•Lake Sidney Lanier is a
reservoir on the river –
Georgia’s largest city,
Atlanta gets its drinking
water from this river system
Savannah River
•314 miles; border
between Georgia & South
Carolina
South
Carolina
Georgia
•Important seaport;
industrial power source
•Attracted early settlers and
industry as Georgia grew
Barrier Islands
•Chain of sea islands; form a wall
that blocks waves and winds from
hitting the mainland
•Recreation & tourism boosts
Georgia’s economy
Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway
•1,000 mile inland
waterway that runs from
New York to Miami,
Florida
•Important shipping lane
for cargo ships
Georgia’s Ports
•Savannah & Brunswick
are major deepwater ports
•Savannah’s seaport
concentrates on
containerized cargo
•Brunswick’s seaport
concentrates on auto
shipping, farm
machinery and luxury
tour buses
•Exceeds $1.8 Billion in
yearly income & over
81,000 jobs
Major Lakes
•Most of Georgia’s
lakes are manmade.
•Lakes provide
hydroelectric power,
water storage
reservoirs & recreation
facilities.
Georgia’s Water Supply
•Southern half of Georgia
has groundwater; stored in
underground layers of rocks
& gravel called aquifers.
•Water is not an endless
resource; conservation is
important.
•North Georgia does not
have easily accessible
groundwater due to the
bedrock.
•North Georgia relies on
surface water; reservoirs
(holding tanks) constructed
to help water needs