North Georgia
Encyclopedia
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
y to mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
ous northern region of the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
. At the time of the arrival of settler
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
s from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, it was inhabited largely by the Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
. The counties of North Georgia were often scenes of important events in the history of Georgia
History of Georgia (U.S. state)
The history of Georgia spans pre-Columbian time to the present day.-Pre-Columbian:Before European contact, Native American cultures are divided into four lengthy archeological time periods: Paleo, Archaic, Woodland and Mississippian....
. It was the site of many American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
battles, including the Battle of Lookout Mountain
Battle of Lookout Mountain
The Battle of Lookout Mountain was fought November 24, 1863, as part of the Chattanooga Campaign of the American Civil War. Union forces under Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker assaulted Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga, Tennessee, and defeated Confederate forces commanded by Maj. Gen. Carter L. Stevenson....
and the Battle of Chickamauga
Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign...
, leading up to the Atlanta Campaign
Atlanta Campaign
The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...
. Today, particularly in the northeast portion of the region, tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
feeds the local economy.
North Georgia encompasses the North Georgia mountains
North Georgia mountains
The Georgia Mountains Region or North Georgia mountains or Northeast Georgia is an area that starts in the northeast corner of Georgia, United States, and spreads in a westerly direction. The mountains in this region are in the Blue Ridge mountain chain that ends in Georgia...
(far northeast and northwest) region of the state, and the Atlanta metropolitan area, although often it is used to describe only the region north of the metro area
Metro Area
Metro Area is a Brooklyn-based dance music production team composed of Morgan Geist and Darshan Jesrani.- History :Geist grew up in Wayne, New Jersey, while Jesrani is from upstate New York...
, especially in newscasts from the Atlanta media market
Media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
(which reach nearly all of the northern third of the state). To the south lies middle Georgia or central Georgia
Central Georgia
Central Georgia refers to the region containing the metropolitan region surrounding the city of Macon, in Bibb County in the U.S. state of Georgia....
, with upstate South Carolina to the east, western North Carolina
Western North Carolina
Western North Carolina is the region of North Carolina which includes the Appalachian Mountains, thus it is often known geographically as the state's Mountain Region. It is sometimes included with upstate South Carolina as the "Western Carolinas", which is also counted as a single media market...
to the northeast, east Tennessee
East Tennessee
East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely...
to the north, and northeast Alabama
Northeast Alabama
Northeast Alabama includes the cities of Anniston, Gadsden, Talladega, and their surrounding areas in the state of Alabama. The county inclusion varies, usually only consisting of the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Area and Gadsden Metropolitan Statistical Area...
to the west. Part of metro Chattanooga extends into the far northwest from Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, while most of the rest of the region is associated more with Atlanta-area mass media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
.
The highest of Georgia's part of the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
are near the North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
border, including Brasstown Bald
Brasstown Bald
Brasstown Bald is the highest natural point in the state of Georgia, USA, with a summit elevation of 4,784 feet above mean sea level....
, the highest point in the state. The northwest contains part of the Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone
Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone
The Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone is a geographic area subject to frequent small earthquakes which stretches from northeast Alabama to southwest Virginia. The Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone is also known as the East Tennessee Seismic Zone and the Southern Appalachian Seismic Zone...
, and small earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
s felt as far away as Atlanta have occurred. The foothills
Foothills
Foothills are geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range. They are a transition zone between plains and low relief hills to the adjacent topographically high mountains.-Examples:...
gradually flatten out toward the south, and much of metro Atlanta is hilly as well, especially to the north and west of the city.
Major river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s include the upper Chattahoochee River
Chattahoochee River
The Chattahoochee River flows through or along the borders of the U.S. states of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers and emptying into Apalachicola Bay in the Gulf of...
, upper Savannah River
Savannah River
The Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. Two tributaries of the Savannah, the Tugaloo River and the Chattooga River, form the northernmost part of the border...
, Etowah River
Etowah River
The Etowah River is a waterway that rises northwest of Dahlonega, Georgia, north of Atlanta. Its name is the Cherokee version of the original Muskogee word Etalwa, which means a "trail crossing". On Matthew Carey's 1795 map the river was labeled "High Town River"...
, far upper Flint River
Flint River (Georgia)
The Flint River is a river in the U.S. state of Georgia. The river drains of western Georgia, flowing south from the upper Piedmont region south of Atlanta to the wetlands of the Gulf Coastal Plain in the southwestern corner of the state. Along with the Apalachicola and the Chattahoochee rivers,...
, upper Coosa River
Coosa River
The Coosa River is a tributary of the Alabama River in the U.S. states of Alabama and Georgia. The river is about long altogether.The Coosa River is one of Alabama's most developed rivers...
, and upper Oconee River
Oconee River
The Oconee River is a river which has its origin in Hall County, Georgia, and terminates where it joins the Ocmulgee River to form the Altamaha River near Lumber City at the borders of Montgomery County, Wheeler County, and Jeff Davis County. South of Athens, two forks, known as the North Oconee...
. Smaller tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
rivers are the Little River
Little River (northern Georgia)
The Little River is a tributary of the Etowah River in the U.S. state of Georgia in the United States.The Little River is located mostly in Cherokee County, and forms the jagged part of the Cherokee/Fulton county line, and part of the more recent Milton city limit.The river flows generally from...
, Chestatee River
Chestatee River
The Chestatee River is a river in the Appalachian Mountains of northern Georgia, USA. It begins at the confluence of Dicks Creek and Frogtown Creek The Chestatee River (variant spellings Chestatie, Chestetee, Chostatee, Chosteta, none in modern use) is a river in the Appalachian Mountains of...
, Chattooga River
Chattooga River
The Chattooga River is the main tributary of the Tugaloo River. Its headwaters are located southwest of Cashiers, North Carolina, and it stretches to where it has its confluence with the Tallulah River within Lake Tugalo, held back by the Tugalo Dam...
, Tallulah River
Tallulah River
The Tallulah River is a river in Georgia and North Carolina. It begins in Clay County, North Carolina, near Standing Indian Mountain in the Southern Nantahala Wilderness and flows south into Georgia, crossing the state line into Towns County. The river then travels through Rabun County and ends in...
, Tugalo River, Oostanaula River
Oostanaula River
The Oostanaula River is a principal tributary of the Coosa River, about long, in northwestern Georgia in the United States. Via the Coosa and Alabama rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mobile River, which flows to the Gulf of Mexico. Its name is said to come from a Cherokee Indian term...
, Coosawattee River
Coosawattee River
The Coosawattee River is a river located in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Georgia.The river begins at the confluence of the Ellijay River and Cartecay River in the city of Ellijay in Gilmer County. The river flows west through the foothills of the north Georgia mountains.In Murray...
, Cartecay River
Cartecay River
The Cartecay River is a river that runs through Ellijay, Georgia. It is the site of a class II whitewater run.The Cartecay and Ellijay rivers meet in Ellijay to form the Coosawattee River...
, Ellijay River
Ellijay River
The Ellijay River is a river in Georgia. It ends in the town of Ellijay at its confluence with the Cartecay River, forming the Coosawattee River.- References :*USGS Hydrologic Unit Map - State of Georgia...
, Conasauga River
Conasauga River
The Conasauga River is a river that runs through southeast Tennessee and northwest Georgia. The Conasauga River is long and is home to 90 species of fish and 25 species of freshwater mussels...
, Toccoa River, Sweetwater Creek
Sweetwater Creek (west of Atlanta)
Sweetwater Creek is a stream in the U.S. state of Georgia, west of Atlanta. It begins in southwestern Paulding County, flowing generally eastward into southwestern Cobb County, then turning south into eastern Douglas County...
, upper Tallapoosa River
Tallapoosa River
The Tallapoosa River runs from the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains in Georgia, in the United States, southward and westward into Alabama. It is formed by the confluence of McClendon Creek and Mud Creek in Paulding County, Georgia. Lake Martin at Alexander City, Alabama is a large and...
, upper Yellow River
Yellow River (Georgia)
The Yellow River is a tributary of the Ocmulgee River in the U.S. state Georgia.The river rises north of Lawrenceville in Gwinnett County and flows south through the outer eastern suburbs of Atlanta, passing through the easternmost corner of DeKalb County before entering Rockdale County...
, Nottely River
Nottely River
The Nottely River is a river in the United States. The river originates in the Blue Ridge Mountains in northern Georgia. The river flows for into the artificial Hiwassee Reservoir in North Carolina...
, and small headwaters of the far upper Hiawassee River and Little Tennessee River
Little Tennessee River
The Little Tennessee River is a tributary of the Tennessee River, approximately 135 miles long, in the Appalachian Mountains in the southeastern United States.-Geography:...
. Were it not for an 19th century surveying
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
error that failed to place the state's northern border at exactly 35°N, it would also touch the Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
.
Notable North Georgia locations
- Helen, GeorgiaHelen, GeorgiaHelen is a city located on the Chattahoochee River in White County in the north of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the city's population was 420.-History:...
- an old time tourist attraction town modeled on a small hamlet in BavariaBavariaBavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... - Unicoi State ParkUnicoi State ParkUnicoi State Park & Lodge is a 1,050-acre state park located immediately north-northeast of Helen, Georgia in the northeastern portion of the state. The centerpiece of the park is Unicoi Lake on Smith Creek. The park is especially popular in October, when the autumn leaves in the forest change...
- New EchotaNew EchotaNew Echota was the capital of the Cherokee Nation prior to their forced removal in the 1830s. New Echota is 3.68 miles north of present-day Calhoun, Georgia, and south of Resaca, Georgia. The site is a state park and an historic site....
- former capital of the CherokeeCherokeeThe Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
Nation - Dahlonega, GeorgiaDahlonega, GeorgiaDahlonega is a city in Lumpkin County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 5,242....
- site of the first American gold rushGold rushA gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
in the 1820s - Rome, GeorgiaRome, GeorgiaLocated in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Rome is the largest city and the county seat of Floyd County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Rome, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Floyd County...
- Jasper, GeorgiaJasper, GeorgiaJasper is a city in Pickens County, Georgia, United States. The population was 3,684 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Pickens County...
- home of the Marble FestivalMarble FestivalThe Georgia Marble Festival is held on the 1st weekend in October every year. It is held in Jasper, Georgia in Pickens County. It is sponsored by the Pickens County Chamber of Commerce. The festivities start with the Marble Festival Road Race. The festival is held at Lee Newton park. There are... - Ellijay, GeorgiaEllijay, GeorgiaEllijay is a city in Gilmer County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,584 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Gilmer County.Ellijay lies where two rivers, the Ellijay and the Cartecay, come together to form the Coosawattee River...
- Blue Ridge, GeorgiaBlue Ridge, GeorgiaBlue Ridge is a city in Fannin County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,210 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Fannin County.-Geography:Blue Ridge, GA is located at ....
- Blairsville, GeorgiaBlairsville, Georgia-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 659 people, 226 households, and 101 families residing in the city. The population density was 619.7 people per square mile . There were 261 housing units at an average density of 245.4 per square mile...
- home of the Sorghum Festival - Gainesville, GeorgiaGainesville, Georgia-Severe Weather:Gainesville sits on the very fringe of Tornado Alley, a region of the United States where severe weather is common. Supercell thunderstorms can sweep through any time between March and November, but are concentrated most in the spring...
- Dalton, GeorgiaDalton, GeorgiaDalton is a city in Whitfield County, Georgia, United States. It is the county seat of Whitfield County and the principal city of the Dalton, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of both Murray and Whitfield counties. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 33,128...
- an important carpet-producing city - Athens, GeorgiaAthens, GeorgiaAthens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
- home of The University of Georgia, the oldest state-chartered university in the United States - Chickamauga, GeorgiaChickamauga, GeorgiaChickamauga is a city in Walker County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,245 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
- LaFayette, GeorgiaLaFayette, GeorgiaLaFayette is a city in Walker County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the city population was 6,702. The city is the county seat of Walker County.LaFayette is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
Famous North Georgians
- Joseph E. BrownJoseph E. BrownJoseph Emerson Brown , often referred to as Joe Brown, was the 42nd Governor of Georgia from 1857 to 1865, and a U.S. Senator from 1880 to 1891...
(born in South Carolina, raised in Union CountyUnion County, GeorgiaUnion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 17,289. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 20,968. The county seat is Blairsville.Its Sole commissioner is Lamar Paris, who has served since 2001....
). - Zell MillerZell MillerZell Bryan Miller is an American politician from the US state of Georgia. A Democrat, Miller served as Lieutenant Governor from 1975 to 1991, 79th Governor of Georgia from 1991 to 1999, and as United States Senator from 2000 to 2005....
(born in Young HarrisYoung Harris, GeorgiaYoung Harris is a city in Towns County, Georgia, United States. The population was 604 at the 2000 census. Young Harris is home to Young Harris College, after which it was named.-Geography:Young Harris is located at ....
in Towns CountyTowns County, GeorgiaTowns County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on March 6, 1856. As of the 2000 census, the population was 9,319. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 10,894. Its county seat is Hiawassee.-History:...
) - Ty CobbTy CobbTyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
(born in Banks County, GeorgiaBanks County, GeorgiaBanks County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2010, the population is 18,395. The county seat is Homer.-History:*The Georgia General Assembly passed legislation to create Banks County on February 1, 1859, from Franklin and Habersham Counties.*The county is named for Richard...
, raised in Royston, GeorgiaRoyston, GeorgiaRoyston is a city in Franklin, Hart, and Madison counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population was 2,493 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Royston is located at ....
). - Ernest VandiverErnest VandiverSamuel Ernest Vandiver Jr. was an American politician who was the 73rd Governor of the US state of Georgia from 1959 to 1963.-Early life and career:...
(raised in Lavonia, GeorgiaLavonia, GeorgiaLavonia is a city in Franklin County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,827 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lavonia is located at ....
).
See also
- Georgia (U.S. state)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...
- Upland SouthUpland SouthThe terms Upper South and Upland South refer to the northern part of the Southern United States, in contrast to the Lower South or Deep South.-Geography:There is a slight difference in usage between the two terms...
- List of Appalachian Regional Commission counties#Georgia