DOG

Geography is the study of what?Define Relative Location.Define Absolute Location.(True or False) The equator separates the northern

hemisphere from the southern hemisphere.(True or False) The prime meridian divides the

northern and southern hemispheres.

Georgia Studies

Unit One: Regions and FeaturesGPS. SS8G1.b,cAugust 10,2010

Geographic Regions of Georgia

• GA is divided into five geographical regions

• The first three regions are in the mountains and foothills of the state and form part of the Appalachian Mountain range

• The other two regions include the coastal area, farming areas, and a mid-state area

Blue Ridge Mountains

• Located in the northeast part of Georgia• Electricity created through hydroelectric

power• Hydroelectric power is created by damming

river water and using its energy to make electricity

• Blue Ridge Mountains

Appalachian Valley and Ridge

• Valley area is known for rich soil (fruits, grains, and vegetables are grown)

• Beef cattle graze in the broad valleys• Area is known for textile and carpet

manufacturing• Ridge areas are made of sandstone rock and

separate the valleys

• Appalachian Valley and Ridge

Appalachian Plateau

• Very poor farming are because of its sandy soil• Located in the northwest corner of the state• Wooded with thin valleys• Made up of two flat topped mountains that

form the Chickamauga and Lookout valleys• Cliffs that are 200 to 300 feet high are at the

bottom of the mountains

Piedmont

• Located in the central area of Georgia• Where almost half of the people live• Major cities: Atlanta, Athens, Augusta,

Columbus, and Macon• Its southern boundary, the fall line, meets with

the Coastal Plain

DOG

1. Name one characteristic of the Appalachian Plateau.2. What part of Georgia is the Valley and Ridge

located?3. ( True of False) The Blue Ridge Mountains are a

great place to farm and raise live stock.4. (Fill in the blank) The _______ has mountains and is

located in the North Eastern part of the state.5. Describe the TAG corner.6. Where is the Piedmont region located?

Coastal Plain

• Southern area of Georgia• Makes up half the state• Lies along the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of

Mexico• Two coastal areas: the Atlantic Coastal Plain

and the East Gulf Coastal Plain• Both plains are good farming regions

Coastal Plain cont’d…

• East Coastal Plain has rich soil and many crops are grown here: soybeans, peanuts, and tobacco

• Atlantic Coastal Plain: onions, peanuts, sweet potatoes, tobacco, and watermelons

• The region (the Coastal Plain) has 100 miles of coast on the Atlantic Ocean

Region Video

The Fall Line

• About 20 miles wide• Separates Georgia’s Piedmont and Coastal

Plain regions• Called the fall line because of the number of

waterfalls• Major cities: Columbus, Macon, Milledgeville,

and Augusta

The Fall Line cont’d…

North• Crystal rocks• Clay soil

South• Sedimentary rocks• Sandy soil

Okefenokee Swamp

• Home to more than 400 species of animals• Largest swamp in North America• Almost 700 miles of the southeast corner of

GA are covered by the swamp• Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge created

in 1937 by President Franklin Roosevelt (protected the swamp and stopped logging companies from cutting down trees)

Okefenokee Swamp cont’d

• Since 1910, logging companies had cut down trees including some of the largest and oldest in the nation

• Swamp exists in its natural state without roads; helps keep the ecosystem healthy

Okefenokee Joe

DOG

1. What is the fall line?2. What part of the state is the Okefenokee

Swamp located?3. How many families of species of animals live in

the Okefenokee Swamp.4. What year did Roosevelt turn the Okefenokee

Swamp into a National Wildlife Refuge and explain why.

5. Use your text book and define wetland.

Appalachian Mountains• Southernmost part of the

Appalachian Mountain chain is the Blue Ridge Mountain chain

• Approximately 100 miles extend into Georgia

• Highest peak is Brasstown Bald in Towns County

• 4,786 feet above sea level• Highest and wettest areas in

Georgia• Gets more than 80 inches of

rain every year

Rivers of Georgia

Chattahoochee River• Located high in the Blue

Ridge Mountains• Flows southwest toward

Alabama and into the Gulf of Mexico

• Important to Georgia for both drinking and recreational purposes

Savannah River• Natural boundary between

Georgia and South Carolina• Begins at Lake Hartwell and

flows southwest towards Savannah

• Empties into the Atlantic Ocean

• Shipping channel for Port of Savannah, one of the nation’s busiest ports for ocean-bound ships

Savannah River cont’d…

• Important to life in Georgia• Hydroelectric dams give power to the area• Source of drinking water for Augusta,

Savannah, nearby smaller towns, and South Carolina

• Pollution is a concern for the health of the river

Rivers of Georgia cont’d…

Barrier Islands

• Form a barrier between the mainland and the ocean

• Guards Georgia coastline (rows of islands)• Formed by wind, waves and currents• Also called the Golden Isles• Jekyll, Sea Island, St. Simons, and Tybee Island (big

on tourism)• Industries include paper production and fishingNational Wildlife Refuge

Barrier Islands cont’d…

Lesson Practice

Question 1

1. Which of the following regions is a poor farming area?

A. Appalachian Valley and RidgeB. Blue Ridge MountainsC. Appalachian PlateauD. Coastal Plain

Question 2

2. Which of the following geographic regions has the most people?

A. PiedmontB. Blue Ridge MountainsC. Coastal PlainD. Appalachian Valley and Ridge

Question 3

3. Which of the following is true of the Coastal Plain?

A. Its main source of power comes from hydroelectric dams

B. It is known for carpet manufacturingC. It has many major citiesD. It has rich soil for growing peanuts

Question 4

4. Which of the following physical features made it difficult to travel by river?

A. The Okefenokee SwampB. The fall lineC. The Appalachian MountainsD. The barrier islands

Answers

1. C2. A3. D4. B