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Geography of
Georgia
Key terms
• Geography
• Absolute location
• Relative location
What is geography?
• Science of studying the earth and its
people
• Geography helps us understand why
Georgia’s native peoples and later
settlers chose certain parts of the state
as their home
Spatial Geography
How do we organize the land?
• 159 counties
• 5 bordering states
– What are they??? (label your map)
Places & Regions
People create regions to understand the
earth’s complexities
• GA has 5 physiographic regions
• 18 islands
• 58,910 square miles of land
• 854 square inland water miles
Physical systems of GA
Physical processes that shape the earth’s
surface
• Coastal islands (SE GA)
• Appalachian Mountains (N GA)
• Fall Line: line that separates east &
west GA
Human systems
Where Georgians migrated and settled
• Atlanta – capital
• Twiggs County – geographic center
• Port of Savannah – first major settlement
• Brasstown Bald – highest geographic
point
Environment & Society
Actions of humans that modified the
environment
• Suburban sprawl (Metro Atlanta)
• Interstates & highways
• Urban population centers
• Rural farmlands & agricultural regions
How do we use Geography?
• Interpret GA’s past, understand its
present, plan for the future
• GA’s location relative to other states
affects its growth & development
Absolute Location
• A places precise location on the earth’s
surface
– Latitude
– Longitude
• GA: 30 – 35 N latitude, 80 – 85 W longitude
Relative Location
• Where is GA located compared with
other places
– North America
– Southeastern United States
– Atlantic Coast
GA’s Physiographic Regions
• How would you describe the
Geographic Regions of Georgia?
Key terms & places
Fall line
Region
Precipitation
Wetland
Barrier Island
Continental Shelf
Appalachian Plateau
Ridge & Valley
Blue Ridge
Piedmont Plateau
Coastal Plain
Okefenokee Swamp
Appalachian Plateau Region
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GA’s smallest physiographic region
Climate: Cooler because of the mountains
Economy: tourism, forestry
Location: NW corner of GA
Soil: Limestone, shale, & sandstone
Features: Limestone caves, deep canyons, &
rock formations
Lookout Mountain, Sand Mountain,
Chickamauga
Ridge & Valley Region
• Climate: warmer than mountains
• Economy: Farming (apples & cattle) & carpet
industry
• Location: between the Blue Ridge Mountains
& Appalachian Plateau
• Soil: Limestone & clay in valleys, Sandstone
& shale on ridges
• Features: Dalton (Carpet capital of the world)
Blue Ridge Region
• Climate: Mountains provide much of the
state’s precipitation (cooler)
• Economy: tourism, forestry, vegetable
farming, apple farming
• Location: Northeastern part of state
• Soils: sandy loam & clay
• Features: GA’s highest & largest group of
mountains, Brasstown Bald (highest point),
Helen, GA & Amicalola falls
Piedmont Plateau
• Climate: mild winters; hot, humid summers
• Economy: industry, tourism, & some farming
• Location: from the mountain foothills and
goes to central part of state (fall line)
• Soil: Red clay & granite base
• Features: Chattahoochee, Flint, Oconee, &
Ocmulgee rivers
Atlanta, Athens, Stone Mountain, Kennesaw
MTN
Coastal Plain Region
• Climate: mild winters; hot, humid summers
• Economy: Farming (peanut, soybean, corn, &
pecans)
• Location: from Piedmont (fall line) to coast of
GA
• Soil: Varies from Limestone to clay
• Features: Barrier islands, wetlands,
Okefenokee Swamp, Savannah, Continental
Shelf, Naval Stores & pulp production
Okefenokee Swamp
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681 square miles
Located south of Waycross
Largest swamp in North America
Freshwater wetland
Water lies close to the surface
Barrier Islands
• Spanish Explorers called them “islands of
gold”
• Protect beaches by blocking sand, winds, &
water that could erode coastline
• 2/3’s remain wilderness areas
• Recreation & seafood gathering as well as
tourism
Shelves & Lines
• Continental Shelf: part of coastal plain that
extends into ocean
• Fall Line: natural boundary that separates the
Coastal Plain from the Piedmont Plateau
– Hilly or mountainous lands meet coastal plain
– Many water falls here because of the change in
land structure
• Fall Line water falls provide power source for many GA
communities
Georgia’s Climate
What do I need to know?
• Difference between weather & climate
• Effect of weather conditions on state
• Different types of weather phenomena
GA’s temperature
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Mild climate, subtropical feel on coast
Hot, humid summers & mild winters
Four distinct seasons
Vertical climate: cooler climate at higher
elevations (mountains)
• July is hottest month, January coldest
GA’s Precipitation
• Normal year: 40 – 52 inches of
precipitation in central & southern
regions, 65 – 76 inches in northern
regions
• July is wettest month, October is driest
• 2007 precipitation – so far
Winds & Currents
• Air masses from Gulf of Mexico &
Atlantic control warm summer months
• Air masses from Canada & Alaska
control winter weather
• Ocean currents, trade winds, &
prevailing westerlies aided travel for
early explorers
Storms over GA
• GA averages 21 tornados per year
resulting in one to three deaths
• Most tornados in GA generally occur
from March to May
2007 Drought
• Attach activity here from other PPT
Think Of Appropriate Categories
• Look at the bulleted information and create
12 categories to organize the important test
information.
• Then put your category beside each bullet.
• Hint: the five regions are in there as part of
the 12, so you really have to create 7
categories!
Possible Categories
GA’s Spatial Geography
Physical Systems
of GA
Human Systems
GA’s Weather/Climate
Okefenokee Swamp
Barrier Islands
Shelves and Lines
Example
Bullet
• Hauls big loads of dirt
• Used to get from place to
place quickly
• Can be used for
waterskiing
• Used to carry passengers
on the road
Category
Cars
Busses
Boats
Dumptrucks