had been acquired by Russia toward the close of the eighteenth century. See Georgian Language; Georgians.
GEORGIA (named in honor of George II. of England). A South Atlantic State, and one of the original thirteen States of the American Union (Map: United States, J 4). It is bounded on the north along the parallel of latitude 35° N. by Tennessee and North Carolina, on the east by South Carolina and the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Florida, and on the west by Alabama. Georgia is the largest State east of the Mississippi, the area being 59,475 square miles, of which 495 square miles is water. The extreme length from north to south is 320 miles, and the greatest breadth 259 miles.
Topography. The State lies in both the Appalachian and coastal plain regions, so that the surface is divided between highlands and lowlands. The eastern chain (Blue Ridge) of the Appalachians, after crossing the North Carolina boundary, terminates in the northern part of the State. It has an elevation of from 3000 to 5000 feet, the latter limit being attained by only a few peaks, of which the highest is Sitting Bull Mountain, 5046 feet above the sea. Bordering the Blue Ridge on the west is the Cohutta group, a continuation of the Unaka Mountains of Tennessee, while the northwestern corner of the State is crossed by the Lookout and Sand Mountain ranges of the Alleghanies, which terminate in Alabama. An area of about 6000 square miles in northern Georgia has an elevation of 1000 feet or more. South of the Appalachian foothills there is a broad area of uplift, the Piedmont plateau, sloping toward the Atlantic, and terminating near the middle of the State in the coastal plain. From the southern limit of the plateau region to the Florida and Atlantic borders, the surface is little diversified except where dissected by erosion into low hills and stream-valleys. The lands bordering directly on the coast are flat, and but slightly raised above sea-level. The Okefinokee Swamp, which extends across the State line into Florida, occupies an area 45 miles long by 30 miles wide. It contains several open lakes, but there are numerous islands and intersecting ridges that support heavy forests. Chickamauga National Military Park (q.v.) is situated in the northwest corner of the State.
Georgia has an extensive drainage system, including a few rivers of moderate size. The Savannah River, on the eastern boundary, drains most of the eastern section. It is navigable for ocean-going craft to Savannah, and for boats of 150 tons to Augusta. The Altamaha, with its headstreams, the Oconee and the Ocmulgee, flows through the central part, and its waters are open to navigation by light-draught boats as far as Milledgeville and Macon. Western Georgia lies largely within the basin of the Appalachicola, which is formed by the confluence of the Flint and Chattahoochee rivers, both rising in the northern part of the State. Boats ascend the Flint to Albany, and the Chattahoochee to Columbus. Among the other important streams are the Ogeechee, Satilla, and the Withlacoochee. When the rivers pass from the plateau region to the coastal plain, cataracts and waterfalls are usually present; they are located approximately along a line running through Augusta, Macon, and Columbus, and are the source of the industrial activity of these cities.
Climate and Soil. The climate of Georgia shows a wide range between the mountains, where the average annual temperature falls below 40° F., and the extreme south, where the average reaches 70°. In southern Georgia the climate resembles that of northern Florida; the winters are mild with few frosts and rarely snow, the summers long and hot. The northern part has a salubrious climate, the winters and summers being free from extremes. The mean temperatures for the year in the leading cities are as follows: Atlanta, 61°; Augusta, 64°; Athens, 63°; Rome, 62°; Americus, 68°; and Brunswick, 69°. The rainfall is greatest in the extreme north, and smallest in the eastern part, averaging about 49 inches for the whole State.
The soils exhibit a diversity of characters, corresponding to the difference in composition of the underlying rocks from which they have been derived. In the northern part sands and clays predominate, but in the extreme northwestern section, which is underlaid largely by limestone, the soil is loamy and possesses great fertility. Within the limits of the coastal plain the surface varies from sand to loam and heavy clay. The bottom lands along the rivers contain sufficient organic matter to make them extremely productive.
For Flora and Fauna, see paragraphs under United States.
Geology. The State falls within three geological provinces or regions: the Paleozoic region in the northwest, which conforms approximately to the area occupied by the western chains of the Appalachians; the region of crystalline rocks, comprising the remainder of northern Georgia, and extending southward of a line running through Augusta, Macon, and Columbus; and the coastal plain. In the Paleozoic region the rocks are mostly sandstones, limestones, and shales. The region of crystalline rocks is underlaid by granite and gneisses of Archaean age. Within the coastal plain the formations are loosely textured sands, clays, marls, and limestones, and belong to recent geological periods, the Tertiary and Quaternary.
Mineral Resources. Gold was found in White County in 1829, and ten years later the gold-mining industry had reached such importance that a branch mint was established at Dahlonega. Both quartz and placer mines occur, but most of the output at the present time is made from the former type of deposits, which occur along the southern slopes of the Blue Ridge. Iron ore is mined at several localities in the Paleozoic region, where there are also valuable deposits of ochre, manganese, and bauxite under exploitation. Among non-metallic products, coal, clay marble, and granite are most important. The coal-fields are located in Dade and Walker counties, and are an extension of the Warrior field of Alabama. Brick-clays and fire-clays are widely distributed throughout the State, but mining is limited practically to localities near the larger towns. The marble industry for several years past has steadily grown in importance, owing to the reputation which Georgia marble has gained all over the United States as a valuable building and ornamental stone. Various qualities of granite suitable for building, street-
