Information and history of the state of Georgia

Hernando de Soto, the Spanish explorer, first traveled parts of Georgia in 1540. British claims later conflicted with those of Spain. After obtaining a royal charter, Gen. James Oglethorpe established the first permanent settlement in Georgia in 1733 as a refuge for English debtors. In 1742, Oglethorpe defeated Spanish invaders in the Battle of Bloody Marsh.

The Province of Georgia was one of the Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution by signing the 1776 Declaration of Independence. After the war, Georgia became the fourth state of the Union by ratifying the Constitution on January 2, 1788.

The largest state in the southeast, Georgia is typical of the changing South with an ever-increasing industrial development.

Some Georgia Symbols

1. State Bird	2. State Mammal	3. State Flower	4. State Butterfly	5. State Fruit
6. State Tree	7. State Gemstone	8. State Fossil	9. State Fish	10. State Reptile

1. Brown Thrasher - Georgia's governor first proclaimed the brown thrasher as the state bird in 1935, and it was finally recognized by the Geogia legislature as the official state bird in 1970. The brown thrasher is a large bird with a long, curved bill and a very long tail.
2. Right Whale- Georgia designated the right whale as official state marine mammal in 1985. Georgia's coastal waters are a calving area for the right whale, and it's the only great whale native to Georgia waters.
3. Cherokee Rose - Georgia designated the Cherokee rose as the official state floral emblem in 1916. The name "Cherokee Rose" is derived from the Cherokee Indians who widely distributed the plant.
4. Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly - The lovely eastern tiger swallowtail is one of the most common and widely distributed swallowtail butterflies, found throughout eastern USA and Canada.
5. Peach - Georgia designated the peach as the official state fruit in 1995. Georgia is known as "The Peach State" because of its reputation for producing the highest quality fruit.
6. Live Oak - Georgia designated the live oak as official state tree in 1937. Coastal towns and cities in the south often have hurricane-resistant live oaks arching over the streets in historic neighborhoods.
7. Quartz - Quartz was designated as the official state gem of Georgia in 1976. Quartz is common in Georgia and can be found in a wide variety of colors.
8. Shark Tooth - Georgia designated the shark tooth as the official state fossil in 1976. A fairly common fossil on the Georgia coastal plain, the fossilized shark tooth is prized by collectors. These prehistoric shark teeth are found in a range of colors - most common are black or gray, less common are the white, brown, blue, and reddish-brown teeth.
9. Largemouth Bass - The largemouth bass was designated the official state fishof Georgia in 1970. This black bass lives in quiet, vegetation-rich waters.
10. Gopher Tortoise - Georgia designated the endangered gopher tortoise as the official state reptile in 1989. Native to Georgia, the gopher tortoise belongs to a group of land tortoises that originated in North America 60 million years ago.

Did you know?

• The world's largest sculpture is located on the face of Stone Mountain. The figures of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and Generals Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee are depicted as well as Lee's horse, Traveler.
• Georgia is the largest state east of the Mississippi River.
• Georgia is often called the Empire State of the South and is also known as the Peach State and Cracker State.
• In Gainesville, the Chicken Capital of the World it is illegal to eat chicken with a fork.
• Georgia is the nations number one producer of the three Ps--peanuts, pecans, and peaches.
• Coca-Cola was invented in May 1886 by Dr. John S. Pemberton in Atlanta, Georgia. The name "Coca-Cola" was suggested by Dr. Pemberton's bookkeeper, Frank Robinson. He penned the name Coca-Cola in the flowing script that is famous today. Coca-Cola was first sold at a soda fountain in Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta by Willis Venable.