1. Georgia’s Geographic Regions

2. What makes a region? A region is the basic unit of study in geography A region can be defined by common characteristics that are usually- cultural, human or physical The five regions in Georgia include: – Appalachian Plain – Ridge and Valley – Blue Ridge – Piedmont Plateau – Coastal Plain Can you name a region that you studied in 7 th grade social studies? What made it a region ?

3. Appalachian Plateau Region Located in the Northwest corner Smallest of the 5 regions AKA: The TAG region because it connects the states of Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia at one point. Includes Dade and Walker counties Includes: Cloudland State Park, Lookout Mountain, and the site of a major Civil War battle (Tennessee) Economy: – Activities included mining, but limited agriculture (farming) due to poor soil. – Coal was an important product.

4. Appalachian Region http://www.gpb.org/georgiastories /videos/geology_of_georgia

5. The Ridge and Valley Region Characterized by low open valleys and narrow ridges. Includes: The cities of Cartersville, Calhoun, and Dalton Economy: Dalton has a large textile and carpet industry. Other: Major battle ground for the Civil War and a major transportation route between Georgia and Tennessee.

6. Ridge and Valley Region

7. The Blue Ridge Region Located in the northeastern part of Georgia Geography: Location of Georgia’s largest mountains including Brasstown Bald, Georgia’s highest point. Also the source of Georgia’s rivers. Includes the southernmost point of the Appalachian Trail and the city of Dahlonega, site of America’s first Gold Rush. Economy: mining was once the primary industry, but today it is tourism. Receives the states most precipitation with 80 inches of rain annually.

8. The Blue Ridge Region

9. The Piedmont Region Located in the middle of the state Georgia’s most populous region with more than half of the state’s population Includes: Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Macon, and Stone Mountain Economy: Industry, manufacturing and agriculture (mostly poultry). With large amounts of granite, mining has also been important.

10. The Piedmont Region

11. The Coastal Plain Region Largest region in Georgia. Divided into two areas: – Inner Coastal: agricultural heartland of the state with peaches, peanuts, cotton, and Vidalia Onions – Outer Coastal: Home to Georgia’s oldest city, Savannah. Due to the abundance of pine trees, naval stores were an important industry in the state. Today, the trees are used in pulp and paper products. Being on the Atlantic Coast, tourism, shipping, and seafood are also important industries.

12. What’s a Naval Store? http://www.gpb.org/georgiastories/story/nav al_stores http://www.gpb.org/georgiastories/story/nav al_stores

13. Lesson Two (SS8G1b) – Describe the five geographic regions of Georgia; include the Blue Ridge Mountains, Valley and Ridge, Appalachian Plateau, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain. What do you remember about… Georgia ’ s physiographic regions??? 1. Contains GA ’ s highest peak, Brasstown Bald A. Piedmont 2. Contains most of GA ’ s peanut and cotton farms B. Valley & Ridge 3. The smallest physiographic regionC. Coastal Plain 4. Has GA ’ s highest amount of annual rainfall D. Blue Ridge 5. The most populated of GA ’ s regions. E. Appalachian Plateau 6.Contains mountain ridges with valleys between 7.Contains GA ’ s only source of a fossil fuel (coal) 8.The location of GA ’ s capital and largest city 9. The largest of GA ’ s regions, in terms of land area SS8G1 – The student will describe Georgia with regard to physical features and location. D. C. A. E. B. A. D. E.