Download Coastal Plain

Physiographic
Regions of
Georgia
Region
• An area on Earth’s surface that
is defined by certain unifying
characteristics (cultural, physical,
or human)
Appalachian
Plateau
Plateau
Size/Location
300
square
miles
NW corner
(TAG-TN,AL,GA
Corner) of
Georgia
Elevation
800-2000
feet
Landforms
Broad
flat topped
mountains separated by
ridges of limestone
Limestone caves, deep
canyons, interesting rock
formations, waterfalls
Soil/Rocks,
minerals
sandstone,
shale, limestone
Resources/Crops
 Appalachian
Oak Forests cover
most of it.
 pastures
 Coal
– the only source of coal in
Georgia
Cities/Places of Interest
Sand Mountain
Lookout Mountain
Long narrow valley between
these mts.
Cloudland Canyon
Chickamauga-civil war
battle site
Ridge and
Valley
Ridge and Valley
Size/Location
 most of NW
Georgia
Elevation
 700-1600
feet
Landforms
 long, parallel ridges
 wide rolling valleys
Soil/Rocks, minerals
 sedimentary rock
 sandstone ridges
 limestone and shale valleys
Resources/Crops
 Forests, pastures
 Apple orchards, wheat,
cotton, hardwoods, pines,
 4% of Georgia’s farmland
 timber
Cities/Places of Interest
 Taylor Ridge, Pigeon Mountain
 Dalton
–Carpet industry – more
than 70 carpet
manufacturing plants
Blue Ridge
Blue Ridge
Size/Location
Elevation
• most of NE • 1600-4800
Georgia
feet
• 2000 square
miles
Landforms
• highest mountains in
Appalachian highlands
• Rivers begin here.
• steep slopes
• waterfalls
Soil/Rocks, minerals
• clay, sand
• erosion
• High precipitation –
provides water for the
entire state
Resources/Crops
• Hardwood forests
• apples
• Small vegetable farms
Cities/Places of Interest
• Chattahoochee National Forest
• Brasstown Bald (treeless on
top) 4,784 ft.
• Amicalola falls
• Tallulah Gorge
• Helen
Other Features
• Springer Mountain
– start of the Appalachian
Trail which stretches from
Georgia to Maine (2,144
miles)
Piedmont
“foot of the mountain”
Piedmont
Size/Location
 30%
of state
 between the
Coastal Plain
and the
mountains
Elevation
 500-1700
feet
Landforms
 Gently,
sloping hills,
flatlands
 valleys
 many streams and rivers
 ravines
Soil/Rocks, minerals
red clay, sandy loam
 fertile soil
 bedrock
 large areas of solid rock just
below the earth’s surface
 often exposed where soil has
washed away
 granite, gneiss, marble

Resources/Crops
 oak-hickory-pine
 marble,
forests
granite
 cotton, soybeans, wheat,
poultry, cattle
Cities/Places of Interest
 Athens
 Atlanta
 Milledgeville
 Six Flags
 Zoo Atlanta
 Stone Mountain
Other features
 60%
of Georgia’s population
lives here.
 Chattahoochee, Flint,
Ocmulgee, Oconee Rivers
Coastal
Plain
Coastal Plain
Size/Location
• 60% of state
• lower half of
the state
Elevation
• 0-400 feet
Landforms
• Two parts
–Inner Coastal Plain
–Outer Coastal Plain
• flat with low relief
• gentle slopes
• wide, deep, slow rivers
Soil/Rocks, Minerals
• Limestone, sand, clay
• Outer coastal plain --
poorly drained
• Inner Coastal plain -fertile soil, underground
water
Resources/Crops
• Outer Coastal Plain
– some swampy areas
– Used for pasture and timber
– shrimp and fish
• Inner
– crops such as peanuts, cotton, Vidalia
onions, corn, soybeans, peaches, pecans
• timber
Cities/Places of
Interest
• Savannah, Columbus,
Macon, Augusta, Albany,
Valdosta
• Okefenokee Swamp –
freshwater wetland
Other features
• once covered by ocean
• Barrier Islands
– protect beaches by blocking sand,
wind, water
– tourism, recreation, wildlife
sanctuaries
• Continental shelf
– very wide
– reduces the chance of hurricanes
Fall Line
• Point at which hilly or mountainous
lands meet the coastal plain
• Columbus, Macon, Augusta
• Waterfalls provide a power source