WarmUp Define Geography Absolute Location Relative Location Fall

Warm-Up Define: • Geography • Absolute Location • Relative Location • Fall Line • Region • Precipitation • Wetland • Barrier Island • Continental Shelf • Climate

Unit 1 Geography SS 8 G 1 The student will describe Georgia with regard to physical features and location

What is Geography? • Geographica (Greek origin) means “earth’s description”. • Science of studying Earth as the home of humans. • Geography helps us understand why Georgia’s native peoples and later settlers chose certain parts of the state for their home.

Understanding Georgia: Spatial Geography • Spatial: How Georgians organize their space and environment: – 159 counties – five bordering states

Understanding Georgia: Places and Regions • Places and Regions: People create regions to understand Earth’s complexities • Georgia has five physiographic regions • 18 islands • 58, 910 square miles • 854 square inland water miles

Understanding Georgia: Human Systems • Human Systems: Where Georgians migrated and settled • Atlanta (Fulton County) is the capital • Twiggs County (geographic center) • Port of Savannah (first major settlement) • Brasstown Bald (highest geographic point)

SS 8 G 1 a. Locate Georgia in relation to region, nation, continent, and hemispheres

Understanding Location • Absolute location: A precise position on Earth’s surface • Georgia is located at 30°– 35°N latitude, 80°– 85° W longitude • Georgia borders Florida (south), Alabama (west), Tennessee and North Carolina (north), and South Carolina (east).

Understanding Location • Relative Location: Where Georgia is located compared with other places • Western/Northern Hemisphere • North America • Southeastern United States • Atlantic coast Click here to return to main menu.

• Largest state east of the Mississippi River • Part of the Sunbelt • Bordered by 5 states—Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina • Bordered by Atlantic Ocean.

SS 8 G 1 b. Describe the five geographic regions of Georgia; include the Blue Ridge Mountains, Ridge and Valley, Appalachian Plateau, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain

SS 8 G 1 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

Five Geographic Regions • Appalachian Plateau-5 • Ridge and Valley -1 • Blue Ridge-3 • Piedmont-2 • Coastal Plains-4

Appalachian Plateau Region • Georgia’s smallest physiographic region • Many limestone caves, deep canyons, rock formations • Cumberland Plateau (Lookout Mountain and Sand Mountain separated by limestone ridges) • Limestone, shale, and sandstone soils

Appalachian • TAG Corner • Appalachian Plateau—Lookout Mountain and Sand Mountain meet. • Appalachian Trail begins…runs 2, 144 miles all the way to Maine

Ridge and Valley Region • Between Blue Ridge Mountains and Appalachian Plateau • Low open valleys parallel to narrow ridges • Elevations ranges from 700 to 1600 feet above sea level • Forests and pastures dominate the region • Limestone and clay soils in the valley • Shale and sandstone on the ridges

Blue Ridge Region • Northeastern part of state • Contains state’s highest and largest group of mountains • Brasstown Bald, Georgia highest mountain is here • Mountains provide much precipitation (water) for the state • Sandy loam and clay soils • Hardwood forests, vegetable farming, and apples

Blue Ridge • Brevard Fault—separates Blue Ridge from Piedmont • Chattahoochee River

Piedmont • Means “at the foot of the mountains” • Gently sloping hills in north, flatlands in the south • Hardwood timber, pine, and agriculture • Red clay and granite base • Chattahoochee, Flint, Ocmulgee, and Oconee rivers

• Stone Mountain--granite • Lots of Business and Industry • Atlanta, Athens, Milledgeville

Shelves and Lines • Georgia’s continental shelf is portion of coastal plain that extends into the ocean • The Continental slope falls into deep plateaus and into the Atlantic Ocean depths • The Fall Line, a natural boundary, separates the Coastal Plain from the Piedmont Plateau

Fall Line • Fall Line-marks transition from Piedmont region to Coastal Plain region • Stretches from Augusta to Columbus

Fall Line Features • Hilly or mountainous lands meet the coastal plain • Runs from Columbus (west) through Macon to Augusta (east) • Many waterfalls caused by water from the hills cutting channels into the softer soil of the plains • Fall Line waterfalls provide power source for several Georgia communities Click here to return to main menu.

Coastal Plain Region • Largest region, three-fifths of state • Inner Coastal Plain: Mild climate, good underground water supply, state’s major agriculture region • Outer Coastal Plain (southwest corner): rich soil for peanuts, pecans, corn, and pulp production • Low-lying freshwater wetlands

Okefenokee Swamp • 681 square miles • Located south of Waycross • Largest swamp in North America • Freshwater wetland • Water lies close to the surface

Tidewater Rivers • Rivers that flow into Oceans • Freshwater mixes with salt waterestuary • Different Sea Lifeoysters • Good for growing Rice

Islands of Gold • Spanish explorers called the barrier islands “islands of gold” • Protect beaches by blocking sand, winds, and water that could erode the mainland • Two-thirds remains wilderness areas • Much recreation, seafood gathering • Deep water ports for shipping

Georgia’s Climate SS 8 G 1 a. Evaluate the impact of climate on Georgia’s development

Georgia’s Temperature • Mild climate, subtropical feel along the coast • Hot, humid summers and mild winters • Four distinct seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter • Vertical climate (higher elevation in mountains causes colder temperatures) • July is hottest month; January is coldest

Georgia’s Precipitation • In normal year, Georgia gets 40 -52 inches of rain in central and southern regions and 65 -76 inches in the northern mountains • July is wettest month; October is driest • From 1998 to 2002, Georgia experienced a major drought (extended lack of precipitation)

Winds and Currents • Air masses from Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean control summer’s warm months. • Air masses from polar regions of Alaska and Canada control Georgia’s winters. • Ocean currents, trade winds, and prevailing westerlies aided travel for early explorers and settlers to Georgia.

Storms over Georgia • Georgia averages 21 tornadoes each year, resulting in one to three deaths • Most tornadoes in Georgia occur from March to May • Georgia’s most hurricane-like storm (in terms of lives lost) occurred in Savannah in 1893 • Called the “Sea Islands Hurricane, ” the storm resulted in 1, 000 deaths. Click here to return to main menu.