GEOGRAPHY OF GEORGIA: GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS

Appalachian Plateau

Smallest region Part of the

Appalachian Mountains

Contains Georgia’s only coal deposit

Caves, canyons, and rock formations are found here

Valley and Ridge

Home to several Civil War Battles

Lots of hardwood trees

Narrow ridges Valleys are fertile

for farming Large textile

industry found here

Piedmont

Rolling hills Granite and kaolin

mineral resources Largest above ground

granite mountain Red clay Most populated region Manufacturing Poultry

Blue Ridge Mountains

Part of the Appalachian Mountains

Home to the site of GA’s tallest peak: Brasstown Bald

Marble resource has helped make GA famous

Blue Ridge Mountains (continued) Apple trees

provide a big industry

Receives most of the rain

Gold was discovered here

Whitewater rafting Commercial

forests

Coastal Plains

Divided into Upper and Lower Plains- Makes up 60% of the state

Once the bottom of the ocean floor

Upper plains has the best farmland in the state

Lower plains is too sandy for farming

Flat landscape/Navigable rivers

Coastal Plains (continued)

Crops(Inner)= Peanuts, onions, peaches and pine trees

Okefenokee Swamp Important seaports Marshes Barrier Islands Sparsely populated

GEOGRAPHY OF GEORGIA: PHYSICAL FEATURES

6 Physical Features:

① Fall Line② Okefenokee Swamp③ Appalachian Mountains④ Chattahoochee River⑤ Savannah River⑥ Barrier Islands

Fall Line

Separates the Piedmont from the Coastal Plains

Waterfalls offered sources of water power and many grist mills (used to grind in wheat and corn) located on the fall line.

Cities on the fall line include: Columbus Augusta Macon

Okefenokee Swamp

Covers 700 square miles

Largest freshwater swamp in North America

Now protected by the federal government

Hundreds of species live in the area, the most well known is the American alligator

The Appalachian Mountains

Southernmost point of the Appalachian Mountains are in Georgia.

Highest peak in Georgia is Brasstown Bald

The Chattahoochee River

Begins in Blue Ridge Region

Forms border between Alabama and Georgia

Difficult to navigate between the Piedmont and Coastal Plains region

Primarily used as water source for Georgians in the Piedmont

Also used for industry and recreation

The Savannah River

Border between Georgia and South Carolina

One of Georgia’s longest waterways

Source of water, food, and transportation

Today the river is used for: Shipping Drinking water Cool nuclear power plants

in South Carolina Hydroelectric power

Barrier Islands (Sea Islands or Golden Isles)

Chain of sandy islands off the coast of Georgia

14 Barrier Islands including: Tybee, Jekyll, St. Simons, and Cumberland

Some islands are wildlife refugees, state, or national parks, and 3 ( Little Cumberland, Little St. Simons, and Little St. Catherine’s) are privately owned.

Today, they are mainly tourist and recreation destinations