Discover Georgia – The fourth state of the original thirteen states of the USA
Georgia was the fourth state to be ratified in the Constitution on January 2, 1788.
The first 13 states of the United States of America were comprised of the original British colonies established between 17th and 18th centuries.
Today, the American flag prominently displays 13 horizontal red and white stripes representing the original thirteen colonies.
Fast Facts
- Nickname: The Peach State
- Statehood: 1788; 4th state
- Capital: Atlanta
- Biggest City: Atlanta
- Abbreviation: GA
- State Bird: Brown Thrasher
- State Flower: Cherokee Rose
History
- The first people arrived in what is now Georgia at least 13,000 years ago. By 1,000 B.C. Native American tribes including the Apalachee, Cherokee, and Choctaw lived there.
- In 1733 Georgia was established as the 13th colony, and in 1788 it became the fourth U.S. state. But at the start of the Civil War in 1861, Georgia left the Union and wouldn’t return until the end of the war in 1865.
Why is it called Georgia?
- Georgia was named after King George II, who approved the colony’s charter in 1732.
- Georgia got its nickname as the Peach state because Cherokee Indians grew peaches there in the mid-1700s, and today the state produces about 2.6 million bushels a year, making it the third biggest producer of peaches in the United States, behind California and South Carolina.
Geography
- Georgia is bordered by Tennessee in the north, South Carolina and the Atlantic Ocean in the east, Florida in the south, and Alabama in the west.