The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) is the administrative agency of the U.S. state of Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

 that oversees the development, maintenance and operation of two deepwater seaports and two inland ports in the state. The GPA was established in 1945 by State Ports Authority Act #422 http://ports.georgia.gov/01/home/0,2197,1337118,00.html;jsessionid=BEBA568BAC2F3504B561107D965FE92D and is currently headquartered in Savannah

Savannah, Georgia

Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...

, which hosts the vast majority of Georgia's sea-based trade. In addition to trade, the GPA seeks to protect the environment of coastal Georgia and to foster the development of industry in the state.

The GPA operates four ports. Its two Atlantic seaports are the Port of Savannah

Port of Savannah

The Port of Savannah is a major U.S. seaport located at Savannah, Georgia. Its extensive facilities for oceangoing vessels line both sides of the Savannah River approximately from the Atlantic Ocean...

 and the Port of Brunswick

Port of Brunswick

The Port of Brunswick is an Atlantic seaport located in Brunswick, Georgia in the southeast corner of the state. It is one of four ports operated by the Georgia Ports Authority....

; its two inland ports, both linked to the Gulf of Mexico, are Port Bainbridge

Port Bainbridge

Port Bainbridge is an inland seaport operated by the Georgia Ports Authority and is located in Bainbridge, Georgia. It handles sea trade and cargo shipments to and from the Gulf of Mexico via Florida's Apalachicola River. The terminal facilities cover and include 9,292 square meters of warehouse...

 and Port Columbus. The Port of Savannah is based in Garden City

Garden City, Georgia

Garden City is a city in Chatham County, Georgia, United States. It lies along the Savannah River just northwest of Savannah. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 8,778...

 and the Port of Brunswick is located in Brunswick

Brunswick, Georgia

Brunswick is the major urban and economic center in southeastern Georgia in the United States. The municipality is located on a harbor near the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 30 miles north of Florida and 70 miles south of South Carolina. Brunswick is bordered on the east by the Atlantic...

. Each of these ports hosts multiple terminals. The Port of Savannah, by far the largest, is the flagship

Flagship

A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...

 port.

In 2007, the GPA purchased 175 acre (0.7082005 km²) of land for $47.5 million on Hutchinson Island, Georgia

Hutchinson Island, Georgia

Hutchinson Island is a river island in the Savannah River, north of downtown Savannah in Chatham County, Georgia, United States. The island is formed where the Back River breaks off to the north from the Savannah River...

for the development of future cargo ship terminals at the Port of Savannah.http://www.gaports.com