With its classy reputation, Georgia is certainly the Belle of the South. Not only did Georgia famously rise from the ashes of General Sherman’s March to the Sea during the Civil War, but it has also risen spectacularly from the mire of poverty and racial ignorance to become one of the wealthiest and most sophisticated states of the New South and a multicultural Mecca for aspiring young professionals and artists of all races and ethnicities.
Georgia is known as the Peach State, though South Carolina produces more peaches than it, and certainly, Georgia’s own peach is its capital and biggest city – Atlanta. Atlanta has long been a cultural hub of the South, but these days it seems to be living up to and beyond its sophisticated reputation. More than half of Georgia’s 9.3 million people live in the Atlanta metro area, and what a mix it is. About 55% of those people are white, almost 30% are African American, nearly 7% are Hispanic, and about 2% are Asian. Atlanta has a large, long-established Jewish community. Georgia is the 9th most populous state in the nation and among the fastest growing. This dynamic mélange of people gives the Atlantic metro area a vibrancy that is unparalleled in the South.
Part of what gives Atlanta its sophisticated feel is its large number of colleges and universities. The public university system has 34 campuses and independent colleges and universities, not including technical colleges. It is also home to over 34 private colleges and universities, including the elite Emory University and Spelman and Morehouse Colleges. The college scene generates many of the coolest, largest festivals in the nation, but in this regard, Georgia certainly doesn’t need any help from Atlanta’s hot, young denizens. The state has long been a breeding ground for some of the hottest acts in rock and hip hop. R.E.M, the B-52s, OutKast, Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris and Lil’ John all hail from Georgia. Such music luminaries as Ray Charles, James Brown, Little Richard, Otis Redding, Lena Horne and Gladys Knight are also from Georgia. It almost goes without saying that a person could spend every day of a year at music festival in Georgia.
Atlanta is more than just a cultural powerhouse; it is also a regional economic powerhouse and the economic engine for the entire state of Georgia. Its economy is strong and diversified across many sectors, including: agriculture; banking; technology; automotive manufacture; textile manufacture; transportation; higher education; tourism; healthcare; entertainment; and telecommunications. As well, there is a large military presence in Georgia, which is home to 13 military installations serving every branch of the U.S. armed forces. Atlanta is home to television stations TNT, TBS, CNN and the Weather Channel. The Center for Disease Control is located in Atlanta
