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If you travel from northern Georgia to the Atlantic coast, you will see a range of beautiful landscapes. The Blue Ridge Mountains, part of the Appalachian Mountains, reach down across Georgia's northern border. Covered with pine trees, some of these mountains are more than 4,500 feet (1,370 m) above sea level.
South of the mountains are the rolling hills of the Piedmont region. This is the most densely populated section of the state, with large cities like Atlanta and Athens. The Coastal Plains make up the southern two-thirds of Georgia. The rich soils of this region produce some of the state's most important crops.
A unique subtropical swamp called the Okefenokee lies on the southern border. The swamp has moss-covered trees, water lilies, and animals like flying squirrels and alligators. Georgia's 59,441 square miles (153,951 sq km) of total area make it the 24th largest state.
Here are some more interesting facts about Georgia:
- Georgia was named for King George II of England.
- Early Native American ceremonial and burial mounds can be found in Georgia. The largest is 63 feet (19 m) tall.
- Coca-Cola went on sale for the first time in Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta on May 8, 1886.
- Juliette Low founded the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. in Savannah in 1912.
- Georgia's Capitol has a gold dome. The gold for the dome came from Dahlonega, Georgia, the site of one of the first gold rushes in North America.
- Manatees, an endangered species, live off the Georgia coast and usually weigh about 3,000 pounds (1,361 kg).
- The images of three Confederate Civil War leaders -- Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and "Stonewall" Jackson -- are carved into Stone Mountain 825 feet (250 m) above the ground.
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