| Georgia is a state in the southern region of the | | | | where the best, and sometimes the only, way to |
| United States of America. | | | | enjoy your time is to sip iced tea and have a chat on |
| Settlement in Georgia, the thirteenth British colony | | | | the porch. |
| named after King George II, started in 1733 at | | | | Atlantas main rival as a tourist destination is the |
| Savannah, intended as a haven of Christian principles | | | | Georgia coast, stretching south from beautiful old |
| for poor Britons, with both alcohol and slavery | | | | Savannah via the sea islands to the semitropical |
| banned. However, under pressure from planters, | | | | Okefenokee Swamp, inland near Florida. In the |
| slavery was introduced in 1752, and by the time of | | | | northeast, the Appalachian foothills are particularly |
| the Civil War almost half the population were black | | | | fetching in fall, while Athens has a reputation for |
| slaves. Little fighting took place on Georgian soil until | | | | producing offbeat rock groups such as REM. Further |
| Shermans troops marched in from Tennessee, | | | | south, the agricultural heartlands are rich in musical |
| burned Atlanta to the ground and laid waste to all | | | | history, but only Macon and ancient Ocmulgee |
| property on the way to the coast. The economy | | | | provide reasons to stop. |
| successfully reestablished itself after the war, | | | | The climate of Georgia is extremely diverse, |
| attracting substantial investment in the latter years | | | | considering the nations small size. There are two main |
| of the nineteenth century. | | | | climatic zones, roughly separating Eastern and |
| Today, bustling Atlanta stands as the unofficial capital | | | | Western parts of the country. The Greater Caucasus |
| of the South. The city where Dr Martin Luther King Jr | | | | Mountain Range plays an important role in moderating |
| was born, preached and is buried bears little relation | | | | Georgias climate and protects the nation from the |
| to Gone with the Wind stereotypes, and its forward | | | | penetration of colder air masses from the north. The |
| looking energy is upheld as a role model for other | | | | Lesser Caucasus Mountains partially protect the |
| cities with large black populations though it does still | | | | region from the influence of dry and hot air masses |
| suffer high levels of urban poverty and violent crime. | | | | from the south as well. |
| The bright lights of its capital Atlanta are a wild | | | | Play a game of golf on one of over 400 golf courses |
| aberration. Apart from some beaches and towns on | | | | in the state. Georgia is a paradise for outdoor |
| the highly indented coastline, this overwhelmingly rural | | | | enthusiasts due to its temperate climate. |
| state is composed of slow, easygoing settlements | | | | |