52 Interesting Facts About Georgia (United States)

Last updated on February 7th, 2023

Georgia is the 8th most populous and the 24th most extensive of the 50 states of the United States. It is a state in the Southeastern United States. The state attained statehood on January 2, 1788, becoming the 4th state to join the union. It shares its border with five states (Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.)  Georgia (nicknamed: Empire State of the South, Peach State) has 159 counties. The state’s capital is Atlanta. The abbreviation for Georgia is GA. With these interesting facts about Georgia, let us learn about its history, geography, people, economy, culture, and more.

Facts about Georgia State

1. Georgia is the youngest of the 13 states that formed the United States originally.[1]

2. Georgia has more soil types than any other state.[1]

3. Blairsville is the place to go for people who love sorghum. Thanks to its soil conditions and unique climate, it is the sole region in Georgia that grows sorghum, particularly for making syrup. Try to time your visit to this place during October when the Blairsville Sorghum Festival is celebrated.

4. Georgia was the headquarters for the civil rights movement and home to Martin Luther King, Jr.[1]

Georgia on the map

5. A city located in North Fulton County, Georgia, Roswell saw the first telephone service in 1901. This is obvious, right? Wait, the first telephony service unveiled here in 1901 featured only one digit. Now you can appreciate how far telephoning technology has come.

6. Few people know a unique fact about the Roswell Mill that it was powered by Vickery Creek dam. The waterfall is active even today. A hole in the wall permits you to hide in under the cover of water. Burned during the Civil war as an act of economic warfare, slaves were used to build this mill.

7. Modern amenities and history combine in Roswell to form a mosaic of memories you will cherish forever. The city’s 640-acre Historic District is filled with fantastic shopping centers, arts, theaters, restaurants, festivals, ghost walks, and the Southern Trilogy home tours.

8. Did you know that a federal holiday was established in 1986 for every third Monday in January to be set aside in recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who was born in Atlanta, Georgia on Jan. 15, 1929?[8]

9. Sandy Springs: known as the investor’s eye-catcher, Sandy Springs is home to more Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 companies per capita than any other city in the nation. Some of the global leaders located here are UPS, First Data, Veritiv, Newell Rubbermaid, Centene and Axiall, Mercedes Benz, Cox Communications, and CBS among others.

10. Did you know that the cotton gin was invented in Georgia by Eli Whitney in 1793? The cotton gin is a machine that is used to pull cotton fibers from the cotton seed. The machine helped ease of the burden from the workers by making the task much simpler and efficient.[2]

11. Georgia is the largest of the U.S. states east of the Mississippi River.[3]

Martin-luther-king-quote. Interesting facts about Georgia state.

12. Georgia is named after George II, who was king of Britain when Europeans first settled there in 1733.[3]

13. The Georgia Aquarium in downtown Atlanta is one of the world’s largest aquarium. The aquarium holds more than 10 million US gallons of marine and salt water, and it houses more than a hundred thousand animals. Some of the species available in the aquarium include Whale shark, Beluga whale, California sea lions, African penguins, etc.[18]

14. Interestingly, Coca-Cola, the favorite drink of billions of people across the globe, was also invented in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1886, Dr. John Pemberton invented “Coca-Cola” in what remains the most famous scripts in history. The first product of Coca Cola trademark was sold in Jacob’s Pharmacy at a soda fountain. This name has since remained the most sought-after brand in the soft drinks and beverages industry worldwide.[3]

Flag of Georgia

Flag of Georgia (U.S. state)
The current flag of Georgia. Image credit – Wikipedia.org

15. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is the world’s largest airport in terms of the total number of passengers it handles every year.[4]

16. Did you know that the 1996 Summer Olympics were held in Atlanta, Georgia? The games held in Atlanta are also referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games, as they marked the centenary of the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens. Moreover, these Games were the fourth Summer Olympics to be hosted by the United States.[5,6]

17. Atlanta, the capital city of the state, played a key role in the overall progress and development of the state.[1]

18. Atlanta is the home of famous rappers like Killer Mike, Waka Flocka, CeeLoGreen, Childish Gambino, Gucci Mane, Ludacris, and Outkast. It has also produced pop and rock music singers such as Attractive Eighties Woman, The Changelings, Shawn Mullins, The Black Crowes, Indigo girls, and bands like Light Pupil Dilate, and Maserati.

19. Johns Creek is where the first gold rush was documented in the foothills of Northern Georgia, a land occupied by the Cherokee Indians who would, later on, be driven away by the Federal government in the 1830s. These developments are featured in what is popularly known as the “Trail of Tears.”

20. Georgia has had five capitals. 1. Savannah (1777-1785), 2. Augusta (1786-1789), 3. Louisville (1789-1807), 4. Milledgeville (1807-1867), 5. Atlanta (1868-present.)[8]

21. Located near the South Carolina border, Augusta boasts of being home to the oldest independent African-American church to have been established, Springfield Baptist Church. It is at this site that the congregation still meets and the origin of Morehouse College.

22. Numerous different perspectives and histories of its community members influence the culture of Augusta. The rural surroundings of the city and the area’s large African American have affected the types of culture and festivals produced within the city. The annual Masters Golf tournament held every year in April also plays a major influence on the city’s culture.

23. Georgia is rich in marble. The marble from the state was used to build the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., and the capitols of many states.[7]

Lincoln Memorial. facts about Georgia state.
Lincoln Memorial in the morning in Washington DC, USA.

24. Did you know the city of Savannah was primarily a Christmas gift to President Lincoln during the Civil War? The Union General Sherman was amazed by the ambience, greenery, and bounty beauty of Savanah. Unlike other cities he had destroyed, he persevered Savanah, no wonder it retains its lush look to date.

25. Savannah is a long-standing city which is famous for its rich and vibrant history, well-preserved architecture, and its beautiful coastal landscapes. It is the only city where you can take your cocktails with you so long as you are within its historic district boundaries.

26. Behind Texas (254), Georgia (159) has the second most counties in the United States.

27. In May 2019, Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed HB 481, the most extreme abortion ban in the country. The law illegalizes abortion after about six weeks (so-called heartbeat bill, it outlaws abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detectable.) The law also takes into account the termination of pregnancies by the women. The law will take effect in 2020 and at present, there is strong opposition from the public.[9,14]

28. You could fit Georgia into Alaska 11 times![10]

29. After several years of a quest to amend the city’s name, the council of South Fulton held a meeting on November 13, 2017, and unanimously voted to change the city name (Renaissance). However, the name was later changed by the veto powers of the Mayor a month later. This is why it still remains South Fulton City.

Double-barreled cannon in Athens, Georgia.
A photograph of the Double-barreled cannon in Athens, Georgia, United States. Image via Wikipedia.org. Interesting facts about Georgia, United States. 

30. Athens is where the first twin-barreled cannon was created and displayed at the seat of the City Hall. Historians say this innovation was a massive failure in the history of war since it was never used in actual combat.

31. Named by Fortune magazine as the number one retirement destination, Athens is among the classic cities of the south. It boasts of a historic downtown, a low cost of living, as well as sunny weather. It is famous worldwide for its music bands such as the Pylon, Drivin’ and Cryin’, Widespread Panic, the B-52s, and the REM.

32. Named after Nancy Hart, Hart County is the only county in Georgia named after a woman.[21]

33. According to many people, Macon city is greatly known for its popular local chain, NuWay Weiners, which sells “chili” burgers and hotdogs. But do not be slayed by the chili aspect yet. Those who founded this joint originated from Greece, which is why the recipe is largely made of Greek ingredients. Perhaps every person visiting the city is compelled to have a fan taste of this secret recipe known only to Macon.

34. According to legend, the elders of the Creek Nation have cursed the banks of the Ocmulgee River. The rumor about this curse started spreading when the Government of the US relocated the Creek Nation to the “Indian Territory” in the year 1830. According to the curse, people who settled along the banks of the River would have to stay there forever.

35. Did you know that before becoming the 39th president of the United States, Jimmy Carter was a peanut farmer? He was also awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. He was born on October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia.[11]

36. The peanut state has plenty of peanut statues erected throughout the state. You could find one in Ashburn and another in Plains. The one in Plains is 13 feet tall and was made for a 1976 political visit to Evansville by Jimmy Carter.[12,13]

Peanut statue in Ashburn, Georgia. Georgia state facts.
Peanut statue in Ashburn, Georgia. Image credit Tom Gill

37. When Georgia was founded in 1772, it included much of the present-day Alabama and Mississippi.[1]

38. Fort Benning, considered, one of the best army installations in the world, is located in Columbus, Georgia. It is named after Henry L. Benning, a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the Civil War.[16]

39. Hosted in Atlanta, Georgia, the International Production & Processing Expo is the world’s largest annual poultry, meat and feed industry event of its kind.[17]

organically grown vidalia sweet onion
Group of fresh organically grown vidalia sweet onion in the farmer market. This is named as Georgia’s official state vegetable in 1990.

40. Georgia outranks other states in the production of Vidalia onions – known as the sweetest onions in the world. The state is also the topmost producer of peanuts, pecans, and peaches.[3]

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