52 Interesting Facts about Georgia

Facts About Georgia

If you’re working on a school report all about the state of Georgia, you’re in the right place. Whether you live in Georgia or you’re just curious about this awesome Southern state, we’ve rounded up some fun and interesting facts to help you learn more. From peaches and peanuts to famous people and cool places, get ready to discover what makes Georgia such a special state!

Need facts on other states? Be sure to check out all our State Facts.

Facts about Georgia

1. The Marshall House may be an operating hotel, but it’s also becoming a symbol of Savannah’s history. It was constructed in 1851. During the Civil War, the hotel was converted into a hospital for the sick and injured. Soldiers were brought in from all around to be cared for somewhere relatively safe and sheltered from battle.
2. The first publication of the Cherokee written alphabet and the first Cherokee newspaper took place in Georgia. This allowed the culture of the Cherokee tribes in the state to become widespread and preserved for the future.
3. In 1945, Georgia was the first state to allow a drop in the legal voting age from 21 to 18 years of age. 
4. Georgia received its name in honor of King George II of Great Britain. 
5. Sandy Springs is a city about 1/5 the size of Atlanta. Despite this size difference, the two cities are home to nearly the same number of large corporations. Six to be exact. This fact has dubbed Sandy Springs the Fortune 500 capital of the US.
6. Georgia is the USA’s largest peanut producer. 45% of all peanuts sold and used in the USA come from Georgia. The industry is so big it accounts for around $600 million of the state’s annual revenue.
7. The Moon River Brewing Company is considered to be one of many haunted locations in Savannah. The brewery is located in one of the oldest buildings in the city; thus, it has a long history. It’s been featured on multiple paranormal shows. 
8. Georgia contains two ancient European cities. Mtskheta and Kutaisi, both former capitals of Georgia, are among Europe’s oldest cities. Kutaisi served as the capital of the United Kingdom of Georgia from 1008CE to 1122CE and as the capital of the Imeretian Kingdom from the 15th century until 1810CE. Meanwhile, Mtskheta is most widely known as the capital of the early Georgian Kingdom of Iberia and the place where Georgia adopted Christianity in 326 CE.
9. The World’s Deepest-Known Cave is in Georgia. Veryovkina Cave in the Gagra Mountain range of the western Caucasus is the deepest cave in the world, reaching a mind-boggling depth of 2,212m (7,257ft).
10. Georgia was the first state to lower the voting age to 18. Before 1943, a person had to be 21 years old to vote in any political election.
11. Stone Mountain is the most exposed granite mountain.  It is the largest solid mass of exposed granite in the world. The mountain is only part of the granite mass. It also continues underground for 9 miles. It makes up the world’s largest sculpture. 
12. The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta is the largest aquarium in the US. It’s also the 3rd largest in the world. It’s home to over 200 types of sea creatures and over 120000 total animals.
13. Georgia’s state flower is the Cherokee rose. It was named a symbol for Georgia in 1916. It was chosen to remember the 1838 beginning of the “Trail of Tears”, which saw many Native Americans leaving their homelands after signing a treaty with the US.
14. The Georgian language is one of the most unique languages in the world and boasts its own alphabet. Though Georgian script has taken multiple forms – respectively Asomtavruli, Nuskhuri, and Mkhedruli – the latter is the standard 33-letter script used by modern Georgians today. 
15. One of the most interesting facts about Georgia is that it has a history of blood feuds, described in the dictionary as a lengthy conflict between families involving a cycle of retaliatory killings. 
16. The northern part of the state has fewer natural lake areas compared to the southern territory. While some of the smaller lakes are natural, most of the large lakes in the state, and most of the lakes in north Georgia, are artificial.
17. The southeast corner of Georgia touches the Atlantic Ocean. That means the state shares a border with six other masses of land or water.
18. In 1732, the British colonized the territory in the name of King George II. Georgia was the 13th British colony in North America, making it the last of the original settlements in US history.
19. Georgia is known for its tradition of polyphonic singing, a practice that was put on the Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2008. These are types of polyphony: complex polyphony, polyphonic dialogue, and contrasted polyphony. 
20. There are three recognized Native American tribes in Georgia. Those tribes are the Cherokee of Georgia Tribal, the Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe, and The Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokee Reservation.

21. Coca-Cola was invented in Georgia. In 1886, Atlanta pharmacist Dr. John S. Pemberton invented a syrup that would later develop into the beverage you know and love today.
22. The Fort King George State Historic Site is the oldest British fort in Georgia
23. Out of all of the states, Georgia is the leading producer of peaches, peanuts, and pecans. 
24. Atlanta is the 5th city chosen as Georgia’s state capital. The first state capital was Savannah. This was followed by Augusta, Louisville, and Milledgeville. In 1868, the capital was changed for the last time to Atlanta.
25. In Svaneti, a historic province in northwestern Georgia, you will find a landscape littered with ‘tower houses’, unique structures that served as homes as well as defense posts against invaders in the region. 
26. Cordele might be a small town of around 12000 people, but it’s made a name for itself. It’s become known as the watermelon capital of the world. Over 125 million watermelons are grown by Cordele farmers every year. These melons are then shipped around the USA.
27. Amicalola Falls is the tallest waterfall in Georgia. The waterfall stands just under 730 feet in height, making it the tallest waterfall in the state. It’s also the 3rd tallest east of the Mississippi.
28. Common nicknames for the state of Georgia include the Peach State, the Cracker State, and the Empire State of the South. 
29. Georgia was first founded in 1733 by James Oglethorpe, who landed in Savannah. It was the last of the 13 original colonies. 
30. Georgia is home to an impressive 383 different types of bird species alone. Some of these birds live in the state all year, while others only reside there during the winter when it’s too cold up north.
31. You’ll find 12 different climate zones across Georgia, making it one of the most ecologically diverse countries in the world
32. Georgia was one of the earliest countries to adopt Christianity as its state religion: in 337 AD, second only to Armenia in 301 AD.
33. The Georgian Orthodox Church, followed by the majority of Georgians, uses the old Julian calendar for religious holidays. As such, Christmas is celebrated on January 7th instead of the traditional December 25th.
34. In 1836, Wesleyan College in Georgia became the first college in the world that was given the authority to allow women to pursue a degree.
35. Georgia has 159 counties, the second-most of any state in the country (Texas has 254). 
36. Georgia’s official state bird is the brown thrasher; the state flower is the Cherokee rose. 
37. The state of Georgia first entered the Union on January 2, 1788, as the fourth state in the United States. 
38. There are more than 500 varieties of grapes in Georgia. And this is almost a quarter of all the world’s varieties, in addition, there are still varieties in Georgia that do not occur anywhere else in the world and are in danger of extinction.
39. Georgia became the fourth state to join the US Union after Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. State representatives ratified the Constitution in 1788.
40. Georgia was the headquarters for the civil rights movement and home to Martin Luther King, Jr.

41. The Okefenokee Swamp is the largest blackwater swamp in the USA.
42. The Georgian Jewish community was one of the oldest communities in the country. It is worth noting that Georgian Jews have 2,600 years of history, whereas Ashkenazi Jews emigrated to Georgia in the 19th century following Russian annexation. 
43. Indian Springs was opened in 1825 as a resort, making it the oldest state park in Georgia. It’s also one of the oldest state parks in the entire country.
44. The state of Georgia is the largest state in the eastern United States and it covers 59,425 sq mi total land area.
45. Georgia’s nickname is the Empire State of the South. Georgia is named this due to the rapid economic and territorial expansion the state has seen since it was first founded.
46. Georgia is home to the world’s largest college campus- Berry College in Rome, GA. 
47. The University of Georgia was the first university to run on state-supported funds. It was chartered in 1785. 
48. Oakland Cemetery has become something of a city landmark. As the oldest cemetery in Atlanta, it’s the resting place for some of the city’s most prominent figures.
49. Georgia is known for its peaches. It is one of the largest producers of this fruit in the country, but that’s not all. Georgia peaches are known for having a better taste and texture than peaches grown elsewhere in the US.
50. Chickamauga Battlefield in North Georgia was home to a Civil War battle that turned into one of the bloodiest battles in American history. 
51. Georgia’s population sits at around 10 million people, and it is the 8th most populous state in the United States.
52. The Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta is considered the busiest airport in the world.