78 Georgia Facts and Weird Laws

By Sabrina E.
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What’s Georgia famous for? 

Located in the Southeastern United States, Georgia is a tourist hot spot. This state boasts the largest aquarium globally, a beautiful mountain landscape, and marvelous beaches.

Georgia’s historic sites take you back to when horse chariots were the mode of transportation.  

These historic sites offer you the opportunity to learn all there is to know about the Civil Rights Movement. 

Atlanta is popularly known as “the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement.”

The modern architectural design of Atlanta city is a touch of class and a marvel to behold.

We take you through all the aspects of Georgia facts – Politics, Government, History, Geography, Wildlife, Demographics, and Economy.

Credits: Reddit

Georgia Facts You Should Know Before Moving There

  1. Georgia is the Peach State but it’s not the leading peach-producing state.
  2. Georgia is number one in peanut production and not peaches.
  3. Coca-Cola is invented here in Knoxville, Georgia, where Dr. John Pemberton, the pharmacist, who came up with the recipe for Coca-Cola.
  4. Atlanta has not always been Atlanta. At one point it was called Marthasville.
  5. Vidalia onions are exclusively grown in Georgia.

Georgia Facts – Politics And Government

Elections in Georgia USA. Credits: Unsplash
  1. Georgia’s politics is interesting. This state has been a blue state (1868-1960) and a red state (1972-2016). The only notable exception was when a Southerner was also vying on a Democratic Party certificate.
  2. President Joe Biden won Georgia by the narrowest victory in the United States in 2020–a 0.2% lead.
  3. George Wallace of the American Independent Party won Georgia in 1968. 
  4. Georgia has 16 electoral votes in the electoral college. 
  5. Executive authority state’s authority rests with the governor.
  6. The current governor is the Republican Brian Klemp.
  7. The citizens of Georgia have the power to elect officials who make up the governor’s cabinet. 
  8. The members of the House of Representatives elect their speaker while the Lieutenant Governor presides over the Senate.
  9. Georgia’s General Assembly has 236 members –180 members in the House of Representatives and 56 senators. 
  10. Only Texas (254) has more counties than Georgia (159) in the United States. 
  11. Georgia is also known as the Empire State of the South or the Peach State.

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Georgia Facts – History

  1. Mound-building people lived in Georgia before the arrival of the Europeans–as early as 13 000 years ago.
  2. The Appalachee, Cherokee, and Choctaw made up the Native American population in this region.
  3. Hernando de Soto became the first European to explore present-day Georgia in 1540.
  4. James Oglethorpe, a member of the British Parliament, founded Georgia as a felon colony in 1732
  5. The Spanish invaded the British Colony of Georgia in 1742 during the War of the Jenkin’s Ear. 
  6. In 1752, Georgia became a crown colony with a governor appointed by the King.
  7. Georgia’s name originated from King George II of Great Britain. In 1772, King George II approved the colony charter and announced that the state was named after him. 
  8. In 1776, Georgia, with the other twelve colonies, signed Independence at the height of the American Revolution. 
  9. In 1777, the Georgia constitution was formulated and approved.
  10. The discovery of Gold in 1829 in Georgia’s northern mountains led to the Georgia gold rush.
  11. The Indian tribes were transferred to Oklahoma to give room for the large numbers of whites.
  12. According to the 2015 Equal Justice Institute report, Georgia had the second-highest extralegal executions –531, mostly blacks and makes.
  13. In 1972, Andrew Young became the first African American to be elected to the Congress after the Reconstruction era.
  14. Georgia is the 4th state to be granted statehood –Georgia joined the Union in 1788.
  15. Before statehood, Georgia was known as the Province of Georgia.
  16. The Georgia Gold Rush of 1829 was the state’s first gold rush.
  17. Georgia was the first state to lower the legal voting age by approving the 26th Amendment.

Georgia Facts – Geography

Augusta, Georgia. Credits: Unsplash
  1. The Empire State of the south is the 24th largest state by area in the US —59,425 square miles. It’s the largest state east of the Mississippi River.
  2. Water covers 1,519 square miles of the area.
  3. Augusta, Georgia, is the largest city in the state by area.
  4. This state is located in the Southeastern  United States.
  5. It borders the states of Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida.
  6. Georgia’s Atlantic Coast is known as ” armpit of the east coast.”
  7. The state has five central physiologic regions: The Cumberland Plateau, Blue Ridge Mountains, Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, Atlantic coastal plain, and Piedmont.

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Carters Lake. Credits: Unsplash@Abigail
  1. Altamaha River is the largest river in Georgia. It’s located in South Georgia.
  2. Chattahoochee River is the primary source of water for half the population of Georgia. It flows through Atlanta.
  3. The other Georgia rivers include St. Marys River, Oconee River, Ocmulgee River, and the Savannah River.
Credits: Unsplash
  1. Georgia has over 30 natural lakes and over 4000 dams. 

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Georgia Facts – Animals And Plants Life

  1. Georgia is home to diverse wildlife. 
  2. Over 16 000 animal species live in Georgia.
  3. The state is home to bats, armadillos, moles, mice, beavers, white-tailed deer, rats, squirrels, and rabbits.
  4. The Species of predators living in this state include bobcats, red foxes, bears, coyotes, mink, gray foxes, mountain lions, river otters, raccoons, opossums, and skunks. 
  5. Songbirds and birds of prey have made Georgia their home. The songbirds include blackbirds, hummingbirds, cardinals, bluebirds, doves, chickadees, Swallows, grackles, finches, robins,  mockingbirds, and sparrows.
  6. The birds of prey are  Kites, Ospreys, eagles, hawks, Falcons, vultures.
  7. The Brown Thrasher is Georgia’s official state bird.
  8. This state is home to alligators, tortoises, and snakes. 
  9. The gopher tortoise is the official state reptile.
  10. Newts, frogs, toads, mudpuppies, and salamanders make up the state’s amphibians. 
  11. Some of the endangered animal species living in this state include Gray Myotis Bat, Rusty Patched Bumble Bee, and the Eastern Indigo Snake.
  12. Over 4,000 plant species thrive in Georgia. 
  13. Georgia’s official state tree is the Southern Live Oak.
  14. The plants include sawtooth blackberry, thornless blackberry, dandelion, Elderberry, and Chickenwood. 
  15. Cherokee Rose is the official state flower of Georgia.

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Georgia Facts – Demographics

  1. Georgia ranks 8th out of the 50 United States in terms of population. It is home to over 10,711,908 people.
  2. Georgia has more counties than all the states in this region–159 counties.
  3. The capital city of Georgia is Atlanta.
  4. Atlanta is the most populous city in the country– over 420,003.
  5. Atlanta is located at the Eastern Continental Divide in north-central Georgia. 
  6. A study in 2019 showed that about 19% of Georgians live below the national poverty line.
  7. English, Irish, and Germans are the largest ancestry groups in Georgia.
  8. While Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, German, and French are spoken in this state, English remains the most spoken.
  9. Georgia is home to seven major cities with a population of over 100,000.
  10. The cities include Atlanta, Columbus, Savannah, Augusta-Richmond County, springs, Macon-Bibb County, and Athens-Clarke County. 
  11. Protestants Christians have the highest number of followers in the state. Over 60% of the population are protestants. 
  12. There are over 800 high schools in the state of Georgia. 
  13. The stone mountain is the world’s largest sculpture. 

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Georgia Facts – Economy

  1. The Peach state had a projected gross domestic product of over $15 Billion in 2021.
  2. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest airport of any state east of the Mississippi River.  
  3. Port of Savannah is one of the country’s largest and fastest-growing container seaports.
  4. Atlanta is the world’s center of the global economic system. It houses most businesses and industries, including transportation, insurance, finance, etc.
  5. Georgia is home to the center of peanut production.
  6. Agricultural products include corn, soybeans, and peanuts.
  7. Georgia is called “the Peach State” because it leads in the production of peaches in the United States.
  8. The primary mineral resources include clays, stones, and sands.
  9. Georgia is the leading producer of Kaolin Clay in the country.
  10. The University of Georgia is the state’s first college.
  11. Georgia manufactures transportation equipment.

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Famous Locations In Georgia

Credits: Me. Me
  1. In Atlanta, Georgia, Georgia Aquarium is one of the largest aquariums in the country. It has over 100 000 aquatic animals. You’ll see rare animals like the Japanese spider crabs and Australian sea dragons.
  2. Savannah Historic City presents the old city during the Civil War. It is dotted with culture, art, and museums. Forsyth Park is the largest museum in this beautiful place. 
  3. Atlanta Botanical Garden is a 30-acre garden located in Midtown Atlanta. 
  4. Martin Luther King Jr., The National Historic Site, is home to the birthplace and the grave of the civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr.
  5. Rocky City on the Lookout Mountain has beautiful nature parks along its ridge. 
  6. Chattahoochee National Forest boasts the beginning point of the famous Appalachian Trail. The national forest is named after the Chattahoochee River, which has its source in this forest. The highlights of this trial include Anna Ruby Falls. 
Wormsloe Historic Site. Credits: Unsplash
  1. World of Coca-Cola, located in Atlanta, Georgia, is where Dr. John Pemberton invented the popular drink. You’ll learn the drink’s history as well as its developments.
  2. The Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta honors Civil Rights martyrs by displaying their pictures. 
  3. Cason Callaway created Callaway Gardens. This leisure place is famous for water sports, including skiing and waterboarding. 
  4. The Stone Mountain Park features an exposed granite which is the world’s largest sculpture.
  5. Okefenokee Swamp or ” Lady of Quaking Earth” as it is known by the Indians. This region features swamp grassland, watercourses,  and cypress swamps. It is popular for floating islands.

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Famous People From Georgia

  • Kanye West, born in Atlanta, is a rapper famous as Kim Kardashian’s husband. 
  • Martin Luther King Jr, dead, was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He was a Civil Rights activist. 
  • Hulk Hogan, born Terry Gene Bollea, is a professional wrestler. 
  • President Jimmy Carter, 97 years old,” was the 39th president of the United States. 
  • Brittany Murphy, born in Atlanta, is an actress. 
  • Lil Yachty, born in 1997″ is a rapper.
  • Marla Maples, born in 1963, is an actress.
  • Gladys Knight, born in 1944, is a singer-songwriter. 
  • Dianna Agron, born in 1986, is an actress. 
  • Billy Hicks, dead, was a comedian.

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Common Misconceptions About Georgia State

Credits: Memebase

The following are some of the notions you’ve heard about this state. They paint Georgia in a bad light, but today that should end. 

Let’s debunk some myths!

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Every Georgian has a gun

No, not all Georgians have guns.

All Georgians love country music

Some people love country music, but that doesn’t mean everyone does. Plus, isn’t Atlanta famous for rap and hip-hop? 

Georgians are Republicans

Well, there are nonpolitical, liberals, and Democrats in this state. 

Weird Laws in Georgia 

Many of the laws below were passed a long time ago, but they still exist in many Georgia cities, but many of them go unenforced. It is easier to pass laws than to revoke them, so some very strange laws remain on the books. Read the Craziest Laws in the United States, if you want more.

Here are some of our favorites.

  1. You must own a rake when you are a resident of Acworth.
  2. It is illegal to tie a giraffe to a telephone pole or street lamp.
  3. It is illegal to keep donkeys in bathtubs.
  4. Using profanity in the presence of a corpse is illegal in Georgia.
  5. A chicken cannot cross a road in Quitman.
  6. It is illegal to say “Oh, Boy” in Jonesboro
  7. Though citizens may not spit out of a car or bus, it is legal to spit out of a truck.
  8. It is illegal for 2 beers to be sold for the price of 1
  9. It’s illegal to carry your ice cream cone in your back pocket on Sunday.
  10. Chicken should be eaten with the hands in Gainesville.
Chicken should be eaten with the hands in Gainesville. Image: Shutterstock

Final Thoughts

As you can see, Georgia is one of the best states in the Southeast region of the United States.

It presents you with an unparalleled opportunity to get a look inside some of the most talked-about places in the country.

Georgia Stats And Facts

CapitalAtlanta
Population2020 (10,711,908)
GovernorBrian Kemp  ( Republican Party)
Date Of AdmissionJanuary 2, 1788
U.S. SenatorsJon Ossof (D)
Raphael Warnock (D)
US House of Representatives14 (of 435 Seats) 
State NicknamePeach StateEmpire State of the South
State Motto“Wisdom, Justice, Moderation”
State SongGeorgia On My Mind by Hoagy Carmichael
State FlowerCherokee Rose
State FishLargemouth Bass
State BirdBrown Thrasher
State TreeLive Oak
State MammalRight Whale
State ReptileGopher Tortoise
State MineralStaurolite
State GemQuartz
State FossilShark Tooth
Neighbor StatesFlorida Alabama Tennessee South Carolina 

Frequently Asked Questions About The Empire State of The South

What are the five interesting facts about Georgia?

  • Georgia state is the largest east of the Mississippi River.
  • Two Georgia counties have Ben Hill county and Jeff Davis county.
  • Hart county is the only county in Georgia named after Nancy Hart.
  • Georgia has the oldest state park in the country.
  • The Cherokee written alphabet was invented in Georgia.

What are the ten things Georgia is famous for?

  • Georgia is the leading producer of Vidalia onions, pecans, and peanuts.
  • Atlanta, Georgia, is home to the world’s largest restaurant.
  • Atlanta, Georgia, is popular as the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement.
  • Atlanta rose from the ashes. General Sherman of the Union army burned it to the ground during the civil war.
  • Downtown Atlanta is home to Centennial Olympic Park.
  • Georgia State is home to Martin Luther King Jr.
  • Georgia was the first state to lower the legal voting age.
  • Stone Mountain Park claims the world’s largest exposed granite. The State Capitol is one building that was constructed using granite.
  • California Sea Lions.

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References

[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_(country)

[2] https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/geography/states/article/georgia

[3] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_from_Georgia_(U.S._state)

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Editor
Sabrina E.
Sabrina is a former campaign manager who has decided to focus her effort to help people contact senators and get help. She leads our Editorial Team with Ronald and Lawrence to curate content and resources that help us navigate the system.

1 thought on “78 Georgia Facts and Weird Laws”

  1. Ray Charles was also born in Albany, Georgia. They have a statue of him sitting at his piano. During the day you can hear his music throughout Turtle Park.

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