After the states that start with F, the spotlight now shifts to Georgia. It stands out as the only US state that begins with the letter G. Georgia holds a place in American history through its colonial roots, its role in the Civil War, and its central importance in the civil rights movement.
Today, it draws attention as a cultural and economic force. Atlanta serves as a hub for film, music, and technology, while the mountains, rivers, and coastline show the state’s natural beauty. Georgia comes alive through food, music, history, and the energy of the people who live there.
History
Georgia began as one of the Thirteen Colonies. British settlers founded Savannah in 1733 under James Oglethorpe. Early years show a mix of plantation economy, trade, and frontier life. Revolutionary War events took place on Georgia soil. The state joined the Union soon after ratification of the Constitution in January 1788.
The antebellum years brought a plantation system built on slave labor. Civil War battles and occupation left deep scars on the landscape and on communities. Reconstruction brought political change and a long social struggle.
The twentieth century moved Georgia into new roles. Atlanta rose as a rail and commercial center. The civil rights movement found strong leaders and key moments in the state. National figures who were born or based in Georgia changed the national story on equal rights and civic power.
Geography
Georgia shows clear regional variety. The north holds mountains that reach nearly five thousand feet at Brasstown Bald. The central region sits on the Piedmont plateau with rolling hills and red clay. The south opens into a broad Coastal Plain that reaches the Atlantic.
Okefenokee Swamp appears as a vast freshwater wilderness on the border with Florida. Barrier islands and salt marshes line long stretches of coast. Rivers such as the Savannah, Chattahoochee, and Flint shape valleys and reservoirs that support cities and farms.
The climate runs from humid and warm across most of the state to cooler at higher elevations. Soil and water patterns support crops, forests, and a growing set of suburban and urban centers.
Surprising Facts
- Georgia leads the nation in peanut farming and ships large volumes of farm produce each year.
- Vidalia onion grows under a protected name tied to specific counties.
- Coca-Cola began in Atlanta, and the company still anchors part of the local economy.
- Martin Luther King Jr came into the world in Atlanta and left a lasting legacy there.
- Savannah holds one of the largest historic districts in the United States, with preserved squares and mansions.
- Pinewood and other studios put Georgia near the top for film and television production in the United States.
- Okefenokee contains rare wildlife and a unique peatland ecosystem that attracts researchers and visitors.
- The state tree is the live oak, and the state fruit is the peach.
Why Guam Is Not a State?
Guam belongs to the United States, but it is a territory, not a state. People born there are American citizens, yet they do not have full representation in Washington.
The country elects a delegate to Congress who can speak but cannot vote on final laws. The island also has no senators and no role in presidential elections.
The main reason Guam is not a state is that Congress has never granted it that status.
Some residents support statehood, others prefer independence, and many accept the current arrangement.
For now, Guam stays a territory that matters for defense, tourism, and local culture, but it does not share the full rights of the fifty states.
Final Thoughts
Georgia has a way of drawing people in. It is the taste of peaches at a summer market, the sound of music rolling out of Atlanta, and the view of moss hanging low in Savannah.
Guam carries a very different story. Life there moves at an island pace, yet its importance reaches far beyond the Pacific. It holds a unique place under the US flag, caught between local identity and national policy, shaping a daily life that feels both American and distinctly its own.
Up next are the states that start with H.