All right, so let's say I'm chatting with you about how much I love Georgia.

Wild idea, right?

How would you know if I'm talking about this Georgia, or that Georgia?

That's where geography comes in handy.

It's important to understand our geographical location because there's Georgia, the nation, and then there's Georgia, the state.

And trust me, those two are very different places.

So how can we use our geography to locate our Georgia and also distinguish its five geographic regions?

(bright music) Let's start big.

The world is divided in half in two ways, along the latitude line of the equator, and the longitude line of the Prime Meridian.

Anything north of the equator is in the Northern Hemisphere, and anything south of it is in the, well, you guessed it, Southern Hemisphere.

That's similar to the Prime Meridian.

Anything west of the Prime Meridian is in the Western Hemisphere and anything east of it is in the Eastern Hemisphere.

So let's look at the state of Georgia.

It's north of the equator, which puts it in the Northern Hemisphere and west of the Prime Meridian, also placing it in the Western Hemisphere.

There are other ways of identifying its location, too.

Our world has seven major land masses, known as continents.

Within those continents are nations, which are areas of land populated by people who share a common territory or government.

Georgia is located on the continent of North America and in the nation of the United States of America.

Georgia is considered a southern state, but to be super accurate, we're in the southeastern region of the USA.

And speaking of regions, there are actually five geographical regions in the state of Georgia.

You can't always tell when you're crossing over from one region to the next, but a few clues can help you tell them apart.

Up in the northwest corner of the state, you've got the smallest region, the Appalachian Plateau.

People also call this area the TAG corner because it connects Tennessee and Alabama to Georgia.

The Appalachian Plateau gets its name above the surrounding valleys along the Appalachian Mountains.

Imagine the sunsets here.

And the weather isn't too shabby either.

This region generally enjoys cooler temperatures.

In the winter, it can be snowy, with high averages in the 40s and lows averaging in the 20s.

In the summer months, though, temperatures can be in the 80s and 90s.

The region's cooler weather and soil aren't the best for farming, but the Appalachian Plateau does produce some corn and soybeans, and its most profitable industries are tourism and forestry.

Then next door, you've got the Valley and Ridge region.

The Valley and Ridge region is known for its extreme elevation differences with long, wide, parallel ridges separated by lush valleys.

The climate here is similar to the Appalachian Plateau, but with even cooler temperatures due to its higher elevation.

While the Valley and Ridge region produces a number of crops like corn, soybeans, timber, wheat, and cotton, the economic driver of this region is the textile industry.

In fact, the city of Dalton located in the Valley and Ridge region is nicknamed the carpet capital of the world.

And with some of Georgia's busiest highways and railroads running through this region, it's easy to get goods to and from the Valley and Ridge.

Then there's the last of the three far northern regions, the Blue Ridge region, located in the most northeast section of our state.

The Blue Ridge has some of Georgia's tallest peaks and mountains, including Brasstown Bald.

If you like colder weather, this is the place for you because the Blue Ridge boasts the coolest temperatures of all the regions in Georgia.

And if you like cold weather and rain, even better, because this region gets the most rainfall of all.

When you see pictures of the Blue Ridge region, it's no surprise that tourism is its main economic driver.

With spots like the Appalachian Trail for hikers and cute towns like Dahlonega and Helen, it's no wonder travelers are drawn to this beautiful area.

The remaining two regions of Georgia cover the largest chunks of the state.

The Piedmont region lives right in the middle, south of the three mountainous regions we just talked about.

Piedmont comes from the Latin word "pedemontium," which means "at the foot of the mountains."

And the name couldn't be more fitting because this area is full of gentle rolling hills.

The Piedmont is the economic powerhouse of the state, meaning it has more industry than any other region, and that's because it's the most populated region, home to major cities like Atlanta, Columbus, Macon, and Augusta.

After all, you need plenty of working people to cover all of that ground.

The weather in the Piedmont region is hot and humid in the summer.

I mean, why do you think visitors call it "Hotlanta"?

But the Piedmont also experiences cool winters and the occasional snowfall.

And last, but certainly not the least of our five regions, is the Coastal Plain.

This region is the largest, covering more than half of the southern part of the state.

The Coastal Plain sits below a natural drop off, called the Fall Line, which separates it from the Piedmont region.

Fun fact, the Fall Line used to be Georgia's coastline.

That's right.

50 million years ago, this region used to be completely underwater.

That's why the area is flat and the soil is sandy.

The Coastal Plain is where you'll find Georgia's agricultural heartland, swamps like the Okefenokee, and of course the coast with the most.

It has the warmest weather in the state, and snow is super uncommon here, since temperatures rarely dip below freezing.

Since the Coastal Plain enjoys warm weather, is mostly flat, gets a good amount of rain, and has sandy fertile soil, it's great for farming.

These conditions help produce all kinds of crops, like peanuts, peaches, timber, soybeans, cotton, Vidalia onions, and pecans.

But this region isn't just good for agriculture.

The Coastal Plain enjoys a thriving tourism industry thanks to its historical cities, unique landscapes, a handful of barrier islands, and natural beaches.

It's also prime for importing and exporting goods through ports like the Port of Savannah and the Port of Brunswick.

So now that we've explored the five regions of Georgia, think about which region of the state you live in.

Are you in the Blue Ridge region where the air is crisp and the views are spectacular?

Maybe you're from the bustling Piedmont with its rolling hills and big city energy, or perhaps you call the Coastal Plain home, where the sun shines bright and the crops are plentiful.

Wherever you're from, your region has its own unique story, just like you!

So what's your region, and what makes it special?

Share it with your friends or your class, or just write it down.

And remember, no matter where you are in Georgia, you are part of something pretty amazing.

(bright music)