Transcript document

SS8G1: 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: 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: Fall Line, Okefenokee Swamp, Appalachian
Mountains, Chattahoochee and Savannah Rivers, and barrier islands
d.Evaluate the impact of climate on Georgia’s development
Where in the world is Georgia?
 Western and Northern
Hemispheres
 North America (Continent)
 United States (Country)
 Southeast (Region)
 Georgia (State)
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“Empire State of the South”
 Paulding (County)
 Dallas (Town)
Latitude and Longitude
 Latitude: measures
distance north and south
of Equator; lines stretch
east—west.
 Longitude: measures
distance east and west of
the Prime Meridian; lines
stretch north—south.
Georgia Facts
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Largest state EAST of the Mississippi River
21st largest state U.S.
Highest Point: Brasstown Bald
Lowest Point: Coastline
159 Counties
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Largest—Ware
Smallest—Clarke
Center—Twiggs
North: Tennessee and North Carolina
South: Florida and St. Mary’s River
East: Atlantic Ocean, South Carolina, and Savannah River
West: Alabama, Chattahoochee River
5 Regions of Georgia
 Also known as Physiographic
Regions
 Coastal Plain
 Piedmont
 Ridge and Valley
 Blue Ridge
 Appalachian Plateau
Coastal Plains
Northern boundary: Fall Line
 Largest region (60% of GA
below the Fall Line)
 Inner (Northern)
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Agricultural- clay, sand and
limestone soil
Vidalia Upland FLAT, No hills
Peanuts, peaches, pecans
 Outer (Southern)
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Coastal
Swamp/Marsh
Okefenokee Swamp
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Barrier Islands:
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Purpose: protect the beaches
Protect beaches
 Continental Shelf:
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Protects our coast from
hurricanes
Coastal Plains II
 Prehistoric ocean extended to the Fall
Line
 Fossils of shark teeth, whale bones and
various ocean life found in Coastal
Plains – phosphate, limestone bauxite
 75 miles from coast line inland is
known as
“The Pine Barrens”
 Hardly anything except pine trees grows
in this region!
 Swamps rivers, streams, estuaries, and
islands.
 Slow, meandering, widening rivers
 Tidal rivers along coastline…saltwater
and freshwater share areas during the
tides as far as 10 miles inland.
 Coastal wetlands… Okeefenokee
Swamp
Piedmont
“Foot of the Mountains” -Over 50% of the states population
 Located between the Coastal Plain
and mountains of North GA
 Encompasses 30% of state’s area
 Gently sloping and rolling hills,
streams, rivers lakes
 Business and Industry region
 Cotton, soybean, wheat, beef and
dairy cattle, chicken…
 Georgia “Red Clay”, solid rockgranite, marble, mica
Atlanta skyline…The Capitol
Blue Ridge
 Located in Northeast GA
 Highest and largest group of
mountains in Georgia , many rivers
begin here
 Landmarks:
 Tallulah Gorge
 Beginning of the Appalachian Trail
 Brasstown Bald
 Mountains act as a barrier to keep in
the warm, moist air from the gulf
causing precipitation
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Lots of rain
sleet, snow, hail
 Short growing season- less than 1%
farmland- Apples, corn, vegetables,
and hardwood timber
 Mica, feldspar gold and marble found
here!
Ridge and Valley Northwest GA-between Blue
Ridge and Appalachian Plateau
 Low open valleys and narrow,
parallel ridges
”Wrinkles”
 Flat fertile farmlands
 Hardwood forest and pastures
 Corn soybeans, wheat, cotton
 Industrial: textile and carpet
The textile industry
manufacturing
 DALTON: “Carpet Capital of the
World”
 Lots of Limestone
Discussion:
Explain the importance of the barrier islands.
2. Why do you think approximately one-half of
Georgia’s population lives in the Piedmont region?
3. Explain why the Blue Ridge region has very little
farmland.
1.
Appalachian Plateau Smallest region FAR NW Ga
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(includes only Dade County).
Lookout Mt./ Sand Mt.
Most scenic but least traveled
Called TAG Corner
 Tennessee
 Alabama
 Georgia
Gentle slopes with mountains
over valleys
Hardwood forest, pastures for
livestock, corn and soybean.
Only known source of coal in
Georgia; Iron
Key Physical Features
 Fall Line
 Stretches across GA
from Augusta through
Macon to Columbus
 Marks the transition
from Coastal Plain to
the Piedmont
 Home of Georgia’s most
important mining
operations
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Kaolin
 Appalachian Mountains
 Stretch from Canada to
Alabama
 Highest point in GA:
Brasstown Bald
Mountain—4784 ft.
above sea level
 Savannah River
 Chattahoochee River
Key Physical Features (cont.)
 Okefenokee Swamp
 Approx. 7000 years old; peatfilled bog inside a saucershaped depression that was
once part of the ocean floor
 Derives its name from
Choctaw Indian words
meaning "Land of the
Trembling Earth."
 Covers 438,000 acres. It is 38
miles in length at its longest
point by 25 miles in width at
its widest point. The swamp
is approximately 700 square
miles.
Key Physical Features (cont.)
 Savannah River
 First European explorers
reached the Savannah
River in 1540 (though
Native Americans had
been using the waterway
for many years)
 Headwaters in SC (only
river that flows into GA
from outside its borders)
 Chattahoochee River
 Cherokee: “river of the
painted rock”
 Supplies water to Atlanta
and Columbus
 Flows 436 miles; begins as
a small stream near
Brasstown Bald
 Joins the Flint River near
the FL state line, becomes
the Apalachicola River and
empties into the Gulf of
Mexico at Apalachicola
Bay
What impact does climate have on
Georgia’s development?
 Weather: day-to-day conditions
 Climate: type of weather experienced by a place over a long
period of time
 Georgia’s climate: mild with subtropical feel near coast
 Allows for lower heating/air costs for companies; less weather
related absences
 Precipitation:
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Snow—falls mainly in the mountains, melts and runs off into streams
and lakes
Rainfall—aids the growth of crops and forests
 Average rainfall—40-52” in central and southern regions; 65-76” in
the northern mountains (some in the form of snow)
 Drought: 1998-2002—harmed industries, residents
 500 year flood: September 2009
Atlanta Flooding: September 2009
 September 15-23, 2009
 Caused by continuous rain, spawned
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by moisture from the Gulf of Mexico
Est. damages: $500 million
10 deaths
20,000 homes, businesses, and other
buildings received major damage; 17
counties named ‘federal disaster
areas’
Many Georgians unprepared—
considered 500 year flood
Ticket out the Door
1.
What is the largest region of Georgia?
2.
Where is the highest point in Georgia?
3.
Explain the route of the Chattahoochee River.
4. What advantages does Georgia offer businesses in regard
to climate?
5.
Explain why many Georgians were not prepared for the
500 year flood (Sept. 2009).