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Unit 1 Geography
Georgia Performance Standard (GPS)
SS8G1: The student will describe
Georgia with regard to
physical features and location.
SS8G1 a. Locate Georgia in relation to
region, nation, continent, and hemispheres.
 Both the Equator
and Prime
Meridian are
used to divide
the earth into
hemispheres.
 Hemispheres –
two halves of a
sphere.
SS8G1 a. Locate Georgia in relation to region,
nation, continent, and hemispheres.
SS8G1 a. Locate Georgia in relation to region,
nation, continent, and hemispheres.
SS8G1 a. Locate Georgia in relation to
region, nation, continent, and hemispheres.
SS8G1 a. Locate Georgia in relation to
region, nation, continent, and hemispheres.
Georgia is bordered by
five states.
Georgia is N of Florida.
Georgia is S of Tennessee
and North Carolina.
Georgia is E of Alabama.
Georgia is W of South
Carolina and the Atlantic
Ocean.
SS8G1 a. Locate Georgia in relation to region,
nation, continent, and hemispheres.
 Quick Geography Review/Quiz
 1. How many continents are on the earth’s surface?
 2. What continent is the state of Georgia located in?
 3. What nation is Georgia apart of?
 4. What are the major lines of latitude and longitude
and what do they do? Hint: multiple answers
 5. How many hemispheres are there?
 6. What hemisphere is the state of Georgia located in?
SS8G1 b. Describe the five
geographic regions of Georgia,
include the Blue Ridge Mountains,
Ridge and Valley, Appalachian
Plateau, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain.
Georgia’s 5 physiographic regions:
 1) The Appalachian Plateau
 2) The Ridge & Valley
Region
 3) The Blue Ridge Region
 4) The Piedmont Plateau
 5) The Coastal Plain
SS8G1 b. Describe the five geographic regions of Georgia,
include the Blue Ridge Mountains, Ridge and Valley,
Appalachian Plateau, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain.
 Appalachian Plateau:
 Smallest of the
regions-includes
only Dade and
Walker County

It is a maze of
limestone caves,
deep canyons, and
interesting rock
formations

Far northwestern
corner of the stateTAG Corner
SS8G1 b. Describe the five geographic regions of Georgia,
include the Blue Ridge Mountains, Ridge and Valley,
Appalachian Plateau, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain.
 Ridge and
Valley (Rome, GA):

Has low open valleys
and narrow ridges that
run parallel to the
valleys.

Forests & pastures
dominate the region,
but there are flat and
fertile farmlands.

Dalton, GA is home to
the largest textile
industry in the US.
SS8G1 b. Describe the five geographic regions of Georgia,
include the Blue Ridge Mountains, Ridge and Valley,
Appalachian Plateau, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain.
 Blue Ridge Region:
 Located in
northeastern GA

The highest and
largest group of
mountains in Georgia
is in this region.

The site for the first
US Gold Rush

Has the highest avg.
rainfall per year (Up to
80 inches in places)
SS8G1 b. Describe the five geographic regions of Georgia,
include the Blue Ridge Mountains, Ridge and Valley,
Appalachian Plateau, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain.
 Blue Ridge (cont.):

Brasstown
Bald, the
highest peak in
the state, is
located in this
region. (Almost
5000 ft. high)
SS8G1 b. Describe the five geographic regions of Georgia,
include the Blue Ridge Mountains, Ridge and Valley,
Appalachian Plateau, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain.
 Piedmont:





Begins in the mountain foothills of
GA and goes to the central part of
the state
This granite-based landform
makes up about 1/3 of the state’s
land area.
Contains rusty red soil often
called “Georgia red clay.”
About ½ of the state’s population
lives in the Piedmont region
Contains the industrial/business
heart of Georgia, Atlanta, the
states largest city.
SS8G1 b. Describe the five geographic regions of Georgia,
include the Blue Ridge Mountains, Ridge and Valley,
Appalachian Plateau, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain.
 The Coastal Plain:





Largest region, occupies
three-fifths of the state
Is divided into the Inner
Coastal Plain and the Outer
Coastal Plain.
It is the major agricultural
region of the state, with soil
that varies from limestone to
clay.
Crops include peaches,
peanuts and cotton.
The Coastal Plain region is
separated from the Piedmont
Plateau by a natural
boundary known as the Fall
Line.
c. Locate and evaluate the importance
of key physical features on the
development of Georgia; include the
Fall Line, Okefenokee Swamp,
Appalachian Mountains,
Chattahoochee and Savannah
Rivers, and barrier islands.
c. Locate and evaluate the importance of key physical features on the
development of Georgia; include the Fall Line, Okefenokee Swamp,
Appalachian Mountains, Chattahoochee and Savannah Rivers, and
barrier islands.
 The Fall Line
 Separates the Piedmont
and Coastal plain
 a boundary about 20
miles wide that runs
across Georgia.
 Called Fall Line due to its
many water falls and is
believed to represent
Georgia’s coastline for
millions of years.
 Major Cities along Fall
Line:
 1. Augusta
 2. Macon
 3. Columbus
 4. Milledgeville
c. Locate and evaluate the importance of key physical features on the
development of Georgia; include the Fall Line, Okefenokee Swamp,
Appalachian Mountains, Chattahoochee and Savannah Rivers, and
barrier islands.
 Okefenokee Swamp




Located in the
southeast corner
of Georgia
It is the largest
swamp in North
America. (Almost
covers 700 miles)
Home to more than
400 species of
animals.
Became the
Okefenokee
National Wildlife
Refuge in 1937
c. Locate and evaluate the importance of key physical features on the
development of Georgia; include the Fall Line, Okefenokee Swamp,
Appalachian Mountains, Chattahoochee and Savannah Rivers, and
barrier islands.
 Appalachian
Mountains

Southernmost part of
the Appalachian
Mountain Range and
are the Blue Ridge
Mountains in GA.

The main industry is
mining.
c. Locate and evaluate the importance of key physical features on the
development of Georgia; include the Fall Line, Okefenokee Swamp,
Appalachian Mountains, Chattahoochee and Savannah Rivers, and
barrier islands.
 Chattahoochee River
 Begins in the Blue Ridge
Mountains
 Flows southwest
towards Alabama and
into the Gulf of Mexico
 Important for Georgians
for:
 1. Drinking Water
 2. hydroelectric power
 3. recreation
c. Locate and evaluate the importance of key physical features on the
development of Georgia; include the Fall Line, Okefenokee Swamp,
Appalachian Mountains, Chattahoochee and Savannah Rivers, and
barrier islands.
 Savannah River
 Natural boundary
between Georgia and
South Carolina

Flows southeast into
the Atlantic Ocean

The dramatic drop in
elevation near the Fall
Line causes rivers to
form waterfalls.
c. Locate and evaluate the importance of key physical features on the
development of Georgia; include the Fall Line, Okefenokee Swamp,
Appalachian Mountains, Chattahoochee and Savannah Rivers, and
barrier islands.
 Barrier Islands
 Barrier islands are
found along nearly the
entire eastern
seaboard of United
States.
 They protect the
mainland from storms.
 Important for tourism,
fishing, and paper
production
d. Evaluate the impact of climate on
Georgia’s development.
 Weather – The day to day change of the
earth’s atmosphere in regard to
temperature, moisture, wind velocity and
pressure.
 Climate – the average of weather patterns
measured over a long period of time.
d. Evaluate the impact of climate on
Georgia’s development.
 Georgia, like most regions, has a vertical
climate. What do you think that means?
 Overall, Georgia has a mild climate. Winters
in Georgia are cool while summers are warm
to hot. The Coastal Plain region has longer
and hotter summers because of their
location near/in between the warm waters of
the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.
This climate is called subtropical.
 Georgia has 4 distinct seasons.
GA County Questions
 Directions: Use page 602 in your textbook to help you
answer the following questions on a sheet of paper.
 1. How many counties are there in Georgia?
 2. Identify the county in which you live in.
 3. Identify each county that borders the Atlantic Ocean
and list them.
 4. Identify the counties of Georgia that border Florida and
list them.
 5. Which counties share more than one state border?
Which states do these counties touch?