The Lower Coastal Plain• No fertile farmlands• Marshy and swamplands• Center of naval stores

(products from pine sap like varnish, paint, soap, lubricants, etc.) and pulp production

The Coastal Plain

Barrier Islands

• Wetland-low lying land where water lies close to the surface

• Salt marshes• Barrier islands-protect the

mainland by blocking wind, sand, and water that would erode the mainland

• Jekyll Island and Cumberland Island are National Parks and seashores

Lower coastal Plain

The Coastal Plain

The Fall Line

• Fall Line- the point where the hilly or mountainous land meets the coastal plain• Runs from Columbus on the west, through Macon, and into

Augusta on the east• Waterfalls formed from creeks and rivers flowing from the rocky

hill country into the soft soil of the plains• The steep and rushing waters of the falls stopped many settlers

from crossing the Fall line• These waters provided a source of power for early settlers and

Native Americans and early traders

Fall Line

• Fall line is 20 miles wide• 200 millions years ago the

Fall line was the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean

• Has impacted settlement and transportation

• Climate is the type of weather a region experiences over a long period of time•Weather refers to the day to day conditions• Vertical climate- the higher the elevation the colder the

temperature• Drought-lack of precipitation that results in water shortages• Precipitation- July is the wettest month and October is the

driest

Climate

Georgia has an abundant supply of precipitation because it is so close to the ocean.

Hurricanes and Tornadoes

• Due to the shape of Georgia’s southeastern coast, we don’t feel the full impact of hurricanes like the Carolinas and Florida do.• When a cold front moves rapidly into a warm front a tornado can

form. • Hurricanes are most likely to occur in September (early Fall), and

least likely in April, (early Spring).• Georgia averages 19 tornadoes per year.• Tornadoes are most likely to form in April, (early Spring), and

least likely in October, (the Fall).

• Air is always moving on the Earth from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure = a balanced atmosphere. The act of this creates air currents on both the land and sea.• When merchants and traders replaced explorers on the seas,

theses winds became known as trade winds.• Trade Winds allowed traders to sail from Europe to America.• Prevailing westerlies are the winds that carried the merchants

back to Europe.

Trade Winds and Prevailing Westerlies

Air Currents

• Georgia is at the same latitude as China, India, Persia, and Palestine. Because of this, England’s leaders thought crops they imported from these lands could grow in Georgia. • They wanted to produce wine, silk, rice, tea, olives,

oranges, cotton, and indigo in the American colonies.• Georgia was able to produce many of these, but not

all.

The importance of Georgia’s climate

• Georgia’s climate is so important because its what drives out economy.• Cool summers in the North Georgia Mountains• Snow in the Blue Ridge during the winter• Mild winters in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain is the reason for

migration to Georgia from northern states.• Attracts military installations (GA has 11 Army, USAF, Navy, and

Marine bases).

Importance of climate

Waterways and Rivers