1. Georgia’s Geography
SS8G1 The student will describe Georgia with regard to physical features and location.
a. Locate Georgia in relation to region, nation, continent, and hemispheres.
b. Describe the five geographic regions of Georgia; include the Blue Ridge Mountains, Valley and Ridge, Appalachian Plateau, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain.
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.

2. Let’s locate Georgia in relation to region, nation, continent, and Hemisphere.

3. A sphere can be divided into two halves called “hemispheres.”
Earth is a sphere.
A sphere can be divided into two
halves called “hemispheres.”

4. Equator
Divides the northern and southern hemispheres

5. Prime Meridian
Divides the eastern and western hemispheres

6. Continents
There are 7 continents: Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, Antarctica, North America, and South America

7. Georgia is on the Northern AND Western hemispheres
Northern Hemisphere
Western Hemisphere

8. Georgia is on the North American continent.

9. Georgia is one of the 50 states in the United States of America

10. Georgia is in the southeastern region of the US.

11. Pop Quiz
Read this question silently and think about the answer in your head: What is the highest peak in Georgia?
a. Amicalola Falls
b. Brasstown Bald
c. Cloudland Canyon
d. Tallulah Gorge

12. Answer to today’s question
B – Brasstown Bald

13. Essential Questions
Which North American regions are found in Georgia and what are some distinguishing characteristics of each?
What is the relative location of these regions within the boundaries of the State?

14. Georgia Performance Standards
SS8G1 The student will describe Georgia with regard to physical features and location. b. Describe the five geographic regions of Georgia; include the Blue Ridge Mountains, Valley and Ridge, Appalachian Plateau, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain.

15. The Regions of Georgia
© 2010 Clairmont Press

16. Geographic Regions of Georgia
Appalachian Plateau
Blue Ridge Mountains
Piedmont
Ridge and Valley
Coastal Plains

17. What is Physical Geography?
The study of the natural features of the earth's surface, especially in its current aspects, including land formations, climate, currents, and distribution of flora and fauna. Also called physiography

18. Georgia has 5 geographic regions.
Appalachian Plateau
Valley and Ridge
Blue Ridge
Piedmont
Coastal Plain
The characteristics of each region make unique contributions to our state.

19. Appalachian Plateau Region
Also called the TAG corner because Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia connect
Smallest region in GA
Mining was an important economic activity in the region.
Coal was the most important product.

20. Appalachian Plateau the location of Cloudland State Park.
Northwest corner of Georgia
Ellison’s Cave is 12th largest cave

21. Valley and Ridge Region
long ridges of mountains, separated by long valleys.
Chickamauga – (Civil War battle)
Valleys have fertile land good for farming.
Roads and streams follow the valleys. A few roads cross the ridges to connect roads in the valleys.
traditionally a mining region, with the valleys being used for agriculture.
Natural resources – farmland, rock, and timber

22. Valley and Ridge
Lower elevation than Appalachian Plateau
Soil good for forests, pastures, and crops such as grain and apples
Industry includes textiles and carpet (Dalton is the carpet capital of the world)

23. Blue Ridge Mountains Region
The Blue Ridge range is a part of the larger Appalachian Mountains.
The mountains are more rugged and the valleys randomly arranged as compared to the Ridge and Valley region.
Most roads follow the winding valleys.
Elevations of 1,600 to 4,700 feet above sea level give the region a cooler climate.
Brasstown Bald (4,784 feet) is tallest mountain.
Appalachian Trail begins here.
Gold has been found in the region, and marble is an important natural resource.
Tourists come to hike, view wildlife, canoe, raft, and enjoy trees in their fall colors.
Highest rainfall amounts in GA

24. Blue Ridge Highest mts. in the state.
Provides water for the entire state through precipitation from trapping warm moist Gulf air
Sandy loam and clay soil good for hardwoods, vegetable farming and apples
Home to Amicalola Falls, Tallulah Gorge, and Helen
1800’s gold was found – first gold rush in US
Cherokee Native Americans lived here until forced off their land

25. Blue Ridge Images
Brasstown Bald: You can see 3 states from this point. Can you name them?
Amicalola Falls

26. Think….
What are the significant physical features of Georgia that have impacted its development?

27. Piedmont Region
The Piedmont is known for its rolling hills between the mountains and Coastal Plain.
Plentiful granite and clay soil with fertile farms.
Many Georgians live in the region.
Rivers flow through the Piedmont, including the Chattahoochee and Savannah.
Southern boundary is the Fall Line.
Changes in rock type cause the ground to fall away, creating waterfalls at the “fall” line across the state.

28. Lakes and Rivers of Georgia
Cities grew along the Fall Line since ships could navigate from the Atlantic to this point (Augusta: Savannah River; Milledgeville: Oconee River; Macon: Ocmulgee River; Columbus: Chattahoochee River).

29. Piedmont Piedmont means “foot of the mountain”
Begins in the mountain foothills of N. Georgia and goes to the central part of the state.
Rolling farmland
Soil is sandy loam and red clay suitable for growing hardwoods, pine, and agriculture.
Granite mining and cotton production important in region
Cotton belt before the Civil War, now wheat, soybeans, corn, poultry, and cattle.
Some of the most densely populated cities and crossed by Chattahoochee, Flint, Ocmulgee, and Oconee rivers.

30. Piedmont Largest populated region Rolling Hills
Chattahoochee River flows through this region
Stone Mountain is located in this region
Atlanta is located in this region

31. Piedmont Images Georgia’s Flint River starts in Clayton County.
Why do you think most of Georgia’s major cities are located in the Piedmont region?
Stone Mountain
Sandy loam and red clay make good soil for agriculture.
Why do you think most of Georgia’s rivers start in the Piedmont region?

32. Coastal Plain Region
the southern half of state and is the largest region.
Lower coastal plain has Georgia’s barrier islands, 100 miles of coastline, marshes, and the Okefenokee Swamp.
Flatland makes for highways that are straight and level.
Home to many types of wildlife.
Farming is important to the region’s economy.
Loblolly and slash pines are grown in the region today for lumber.
Tybee Island, GA

33. Coastal Plain Region Once covered by the Atlantic
Aquifers are the largest source of fresh water
Low, flat, marshland
Okefenokee Swamp located in region
Rivers in this region are used for shipping and recreation
You live in this region.

34. Coastal Plain There are two parts to Georgia’s coastal plain:
The Inner Coastal Plain
The Outer Coastal Plain

35. The Inner Coastal Plain
Good supply of underground water
Major agricultural region: Vidalia Onions, peanuts, pecans, and corn
Pecans
GA Peanuts
Vidalia Onions
Corn

36. The Outer Coastal Plain
Soil not good for agriculture but trees provide naval stores and pulp production
Deep harbors & barrier islands also provide for tourism/recreation, fishing industry, and ports for importing/exporting goods.
Location of the earliest visits by explorers, first forts for protection, and Georgia’s first settlements.

37. Outer Coastal Plain Images
Fort Frederica National Monument, on St. Simons Island, Georgia, preserves the archaeological remnants of a fort and town built by James Oglethorpe between 1736 and 1748
Trees are used to
produce pulp and naval stores. The processed goods are then shipped from our shores.
Our shores continue to bring visitors to our state.

38. Early map of Savannah

39. Western GA in the Coastal Plains
Jimmy Carter’s boyhood
Farm is located in Plains, GA
Jimmy Carter is the 39th president of the United States and the only president ever elected from the state of Georgia.

40. Western GA in the Coastal Plains
Andersonville, a Civil War prison

41. Western GA in the Coastal Plains
Providence Canyon

42. Georgia Performance Standards
SS8G1 The student will describe Georgia with regard to physical features and location.
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.

43. Okefenokee Swamp
Covers 681 square miles making it the largest swamp in North America
Freshwater wetland (wetland: low-lying land area where water lies close to the surface)
Native Americans from the Archaic period lived here
Area is protected by the federal government

44. Okefenokee Swamp
See the Okefenokee like never before:

45. Another type of wetland
Salt Marshes:
A wetland that is influenced by tides
Georgia ranks 4th in the nation in wetland acres
A marsh at low tide The same marsh at high tide.

46. Georgia’s Barrier Islands “Islands of Gold”
Barrier islands protect the mainland from wind, sand, and water that cause erosion.
Georgia has 18 barrier islands.
These islands are tourist destinations but 2/3 of the land remains wilderness sanctuaries.

47. Barrier Islands

48. Fall Line
natural boundary between the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions

49. Appalachian Mountains
The southernmost point of the Appalachian Mountains is located in Georgia.
Georgia’s highest peaks are in here.
In the southern states these mountains are often called the Blue Ridge due to the blue haze that appears around their peaks.
The highest peak in Georgia is Brasstown Bald, w/ an elevation over 4700 ft. above sea level.

50. Appalachian Mountains

51. Chattahoochee River
begins in Blue Ridge region of GA and ends at the Gulf of Mexico
forms part of the border b/t Alabama and Georgia
Native Americans & European settlers long used the river as a food and water source.
Today, river is used as water source, for industry, and for recreation

52. Chattahoochee River

53. Savannah River forms the border between Georgia and South Carolina
One of Georgia’s longest waterways
The river has been a source of water, food, and transportation for thousands of years.
Historically, it was used for three reasons:
Transportation – cultures could move to other places easier
Settlement – allowed cultures to settle near a steady source of food
Economic – allowed cultures to trade with others

54. Savannah River continued…
Today, the river is navigable for over 200 miles between the city of Savannah and Augusta
In addition to shipping, the river, today, is used as a major source of drinking water for Savannah and Augusta, to cool two nuclear power plants in South Carolina, and to generate hydroelectric power.

55. Savannah River

56. Do Now 1. What river is the primary source of water for Atlanta?
a. Altamaha
b. Chattahoochee
c. Flint
d. Savannah

57. Answer to Today’s Question
B – Chattahoochee River