America at 250: Georgia Uncovered — 20 Facts About the Peach State, Home to the World’s Busiest Airport and the Cradle of Civil Rights

America at 250: Georgia Uncovered — 20 Facts About the Peach State, Home to the World’s Busiest Airport and the Cradle of Civil Rights

As the United States celebrates 250 years of independence, a state-by-state journey — from one of the original thirteen colonies and the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr. to Coca-Cola, Delta and Hollywood of the South — through the numbers, the history and the emergency lifelines every traveler should carry.

As the United States marks the landmark 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026 — its semiquincentennial — our state-by-state journey reaches Georgia: one of the original thirteen colonies, the fourth state to ratify the Constitution, and today the economic engine of the modern South. Georgia was there at the founding of the nation, and it has been at the center of some of its most important chapters ever since.

Home to the world’s busiest airport, a booming corporate and film economy, and the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement’s greatest leader, Georgia blends deep history with Sun Belt dynamism. What follows is a fact-checked portrait drawn from official sources — the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, state agencies and federal registries — followed by the safety information every visitor to the Peach State should keep close at hand.

How Big Is Georgia? About 11.2 Million People Across 59,425 Square Miles

Georgia is the demographic heavyweight of the Southeast. The U.S. Census Bureau put its population at about 11.2 million in 2024, making it the eighth-most-populous state, and it continues to grow rapidly. It covers roughly 59,425 square miles, ranking 24th in area, stretching from the Appalachian Mountains in the north to the Atlantic coast and the Okefenokee Swamp in the south.

The state is dominated by metropolitan Atlanta, one of the largest and fastest-growing metro areas in the country, home to well over six million people — more than half the state’s population. The capital, Atlanta, is the commercial capital of the South. Other major centers include Savannah, the historic coastal port; Augusta, home of the Masters golf tournament; Columbus; and Athens, seat of the state’s flagship university.

A Founding Colony: The 4th State to Ratify the Constitution (1788)

Georgia was the last of the thirteen original British colonies, founded in 1732 and named for King George II. Long home to the Cherokee and Creek (Muscogee) nations — whose forced removal along the Trail of Tears in the 1830s remains a tragic chapter — Georgia grew as a plantation economy built on enslaved labor. On January 2, 1788, it became the fourth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

The Civil War hit Georgia hard: General Sherman’s 1864 “March to the Sea” cut a path of destruction and Atlanta was burned. In the 20th century, Georgia became a crucible of the Civil Rights Movement — Atlanta was the home of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and a center of organizing — and, in the decades since, a booming Sun Belt economy has made it one of the South’s most influential states.

The Economy: More Than $750 Billion GDP and a Corporate Powerhouse

Georgia’s economy is among the largest in the nation, with a GDP of more than $750 billion. Metro Atlanta is a major corporate capital: it is headquarters to global giants including Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines, The Home Depot, UPS, Aflac and Southern Company, giving the state one of the densest concentrations of Fortune 500 firms in the country.

The Port of Savannah is one of the busiest container ports in the United States, a crucial gateway for trade. Georgia is also the nation’s leading poultry producer and a major grower of peanuts, pecans and its famous peaches and Vidalia onions. And thanks to a generous tax credit, Georgia has become the “Hollywood of the South,” one of the top film- and television-production centers in the world, hosting countless major productions.

Schools and Universities: 1.75 Million Pupils and Flagship Campuses

Georgia’s public schools enroll roughly 1.75 million K-12 students across some 180 districts, making it one of the larger state systems in the country. The state’s HOPE Scholarship, funded by the Georgia Lottery, is a nationally known program that has helped hundreds of thousands of students attend college.

In higher education, the University of Georgia in Athens (the state’s flagship and one of the oldest public universities in the nation), the Georgia Institute of Technology (a world leader in engineering and computing), Georgia State University (among the largest by enrollment) and the private Emory University in Atlanta anchor a large University System of Georgia that educates hundreds of thousands of students.

Hospitals and Health Care: About 190 Hospitals

Georgia’s health-care network includes roughly 190 hospitals, anchored by major systems such as Emory Healthcare, Piedmont Healthcare, Wellstar and Northside in the Atlanta area, along with the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. Emory University Hospital is consistently ranked among the state’s best.

As in much of the South, Georgia faces challenges in rural health care, with hospital closures and access gaps in some rural counties a continuing concern. The Georgia Department of Public Health coordinates statewide public-health services.

Getting Around: The World’s Busiest Airport (108 Million Passengers)

Georgia is home to the single busiest airport on the planet: Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which served about 108.1 million passengers in 2024, more than any other airport in the world. As the primary hub of Delta Air Lines and a crossroads of the eastern United States, it is often said that “whether you’re going to heaven or hell, you have to change planes in Atlanta.”

Beyond Atlanta, Savannah and other regional airports provide commercial service, and the state has a broad network of general-aviation fields. On the ground, Georgia is a highway crossroads (I-75, I-85, I-20 and I-95 all cross the state), and the Port of Savannah links it to global shipping.

Culture: The World of Coca-Cola and a Giant Aquarium

Atlanta is the cultural heart of the modern South. Its attractions include the World of Coca-Cola, celebrating the soft drink invented in the city in 1886; the Georgia Aquarium, one of the largest aquariums in the world; the High Museum of Art; and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park, preserving the birthplace, church and tomb of the civil-rights leader. The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum honors the state’s own president.

Beyond Atlanta, Savannah’s historic squares and antebellum architecture, the coastal Golden Isles, and the mountain towns of north Georgia offer rich cultural and scenic variety. Georgia’s deep musical heritage — from gospel and soul to hip-hop, with Atlanta a global capital of the genre — is one of its greatest cultural exports.

Sport and the Outdoors: 5 Major Pro Teams and the Masters

Georgia is a major sports state, home to around five major professional franchises: the Atlanta Falcons (NFL), Atlanta Hawks (NBA), Atlanta Braves (MLB, 2021 World Series champions) and Atlanta United (MLS), among others. Augusta National hosts the Masters Tournament each spring, one of the most prestigious events in golf, and college football is a religion, with the University of Georgia Bulldogs recent national champions.

Outdoors, Georgia offers the southern Appalachian Mountains and the start of the Appalachian Trail at Springer Mountain, the vast Okefenokee Swamp, the beaches and marshes of the Golden Isles, and countless lakes and rivers for boating and fishing.

Faith and Places of Worship: Thousands of Congregations

Georgia sits within the Bible Belt, and religion is central to community life. The population is predominantly Christian, with Baptists (including the historically significant Black church tradition) forming the largest group, alongside Methodist, Pentecostal, Catholic and nondenominational communities, plus growing Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and other populations in metro Atlanta.

Because no single official registry counts every congregation, the closest reliable measures come from religious censuses and the U.S. Census Bureau’s County Business Patterns data on religious organizations, which together point to many thousands of congregations statewide. Georgia’s Black churches, in particular, played a central organizing role in the Civil Rights Movement.

The Justice System: More Than 47,000 People Incarcerated

The Georgia Department of Corrections is responsible for a large prison population — more than 47,000 people in state custody — one of the biggest state systems in the country, and the incarcerated population has been rising with the return of tougher sentencing policies. The department operates dozens of state prisons and works with county jails and probation systems; Georgia also has one of the largest community-supervision (probation) populations in the nation.

Prison conditions and staffing have drawn significant scrutiny and federal attention in recent years, and criminal-justice policy remains a prominent issue in the state.

5 Georgia Laws and Policies That Set It Apart

Georgia’s laws reflect its conservative politics and its distinctive economy:

1. Film tax credit: Georgia offers one of the most generous film- and television-production tax incentives in the world, turning the state into a top global production hub.

2. Abortion: Georgia’s LIFE Act bans most abortions after cardiac activity is detected (around six weeks), one of the stricter laws in the country.

3. Permitless carry: Since 2022, Georgia has allowed eligible adults to carry concealed firearms without a permit.

4. Election law: Georgia’s 2021 election-overhaul law (SB 202) drew national attention for changes to voting procedures, ID rules and absentee balloting.

5. Flat income tax: Georgia has moved to a flat state income tax and continued rate reductions, part of a broader tax-cutting agenda.

Famous Georgians: World-Changing Talent From the Peach State

Georgia has produced some of the most consequential Americans in history. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the towering leader of the Civil Rights Movement and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was born in Atlanta. The late President Jimmy Carter, the 39th U.S. president and Nobel laureate, was born in Plains. Baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson, who broke the sport’s color barrier, was born in Cairo, and music legends Ray Charles (Albany) and Otis Redding (Dawson) were Georgia natives.

In contemporary culture, Academy Award–winning actress Julia Roberts was born in Smyrna, and rap and cultural icon Kanye West in Atlanta — a fitting native son for a city that has become a global capital of hip-hop. From the founders of the civil-rights era to modern entertainers, Georgia’s influence on America is immense.

Who Runs Georgia? Governor Brian Kemp and State Leadership

Georgia’s executive branch is led by Governor Brian Kemp, a Republican who became the 83rd governor in January 2019 and won re-election in 2022. A businessman and former state senator who served as Georgia’s Secretary of State, Kemp has focused on economic development (landing major manufacturing investments, including electric-vehicle and battery plants), tax cuts and public safety.

Georgia’s government features several independently elected statewide constitutional officers alongside the Governor, plus appointed agency heads. Key members of state leadership include:

As listed by the State of Georgia and the Office of the Governor (gov.georgia.gov), key members of state leadership include:

Source: State of Georgia and the Office of the Governor (gov.georgia.gov). Georgia’s statewide constitutional officers are independently elected; agency heads are appointed. Officeholders change over time.

Traveling to Georgia? 1 App for Every Emergency Number

Whether you are exploring Georgia during this 250th-anniversary year, following its history, or simply passing through, one piece of preparation matters more than any other: knowing who to call in an emergency. The free InfoCons app puts that information in your pocket. Its dedicated SOS section gathers the essential emergency and consumer-protection numbers for the United States and for the individual states, so travelers and residents alike can reach the right service instantly — without searching, without roaming confusion, and without wasting the precious minutes that matter most in a crisis.

Nationwide Emergency Numbers (as listed in the InfoCons app)

Across the United States, the single universal emergency number is 911, which connects callers to police, firefighters, and ambulance services alike. For non-emergency municipal services and information in many cities, 311 is available. The app also lists 1-800-342-3377 for telecommunications complaints and 202-326-2180 for consumer-protection matters at the federal level.

Georgia Emergency and Assistance Numbers (as listed in the InfoCons app)

For Georgia specifically, the InfoCons SOS section provides a detailed directory. The core lifelines are:

Police, Ambulance, and Firefighters: 911. State police: 404-624-7451. Electricity emergency: 1-888-891-0938. Gas emergency: 1-855-216-6306.

Consumer and government services: Office of the Attorney General: 1-800-869-1123 and 404-651-8600. Department of Financial Services: 1-888-986-1633. Insurance & Safety Fire Commissioner: 1-800-656-2298 and 404-656-2070. Secretary of State: 1-844-753-7825. Public Service Commission: 1-800-282-5813 and 404-656-4501.

Support and safety: American Red Cross: 1-800-448-3543. Office of Homeland Security: 800-879-4362. Child abuse reporting: 1-855-422-4453. Domestic violence hotline: 1-800-334-2836. Animal protection: 1-800-282-5852. (The nationwide Suicide & Crisis Lifeline can be reached at any time by dialing 988.)

These numbers are provided for convenience and may change over time; in any life-threatening situation, always dial 911 first.

The InfoCons Travel Passport: 1 App, 33 Languages, Every Destination

The InfoCons app is more than an emergency directory — it is designed to function as a genuine “travel passport” for the modern consumer. Available free of charge and offered in 33 internationally spoken languages, it gives users access to accurate, transparent, and independent information wherever they go. For a traveler moving between states — or between countries — that means the emergency numbers, consumer-protection contacts, and practical guidance for each destination are all gathered in a single place, ready before you even land.

The idea is simple but powerful: your safety information should travel with you as reliably as your passport does. Whether you are exploring Georgia during this 250th-anniversary year or planning a trip abroad next month, the InfoCons app aims to be the first thing you check when you arrive somewhere new — helping you make informed decisions, protect your rights as a consumer, and know exactly whom to call if something goes wrong. Download the free InfoCons app and let your phone become your travel passport for a safer, smarter 250th-anniversary year and beyond.

A Fitting Way to Celebrate 250 Years of Independence

Georgia’s story — of a founding colony and the Trail of Tears, of Sherman’s march and Atlanta’s rebirth, of Dr. King’s dream and a Sun Belt boom powered by the world’s busiest airport — runs through the heart of the American experience. As one of the original thirteen, Georgia helped build the republic whose 250th anniversary the nation now celebrates, and it helped push that republic to live up to its founding ideals.

To visit Georgia is to trace American history from its colonial roots to its civil-rights conscience to its dynamic present. And to visit it prepared — with the InfoCons app and its emergency lifelines close at hand — is simply to travel wisely. Here is to the next 250 years — happy semiquincentennial, America.

InfoCons Communication Department