Discover Why Georgia Is Called the Empire State of the South

Written by Alan Lemus
Updated: July 1, 2023
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Georgia living in one word? Incredible. The warm Peach State is renowned for its southern hospitality but it offers much more than just that. It is a state filled with a rich history, cultural festivals, southern culinary staples, subtropical climate, fresh produce, bustling cities, picturesque landscape, beaches, and of course, the famous sweet tea.

It’s hardly surprising that the southern state is the eighth most populous state in the country, with over 10.7 million residents as of 2020. It’s the largest by land area among states east of the Mississippi River. Georgia deserves as much hype as its southern neighbor, Florida.

The state shares borders with Alabama to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, South Carolina to the northeast, and Tennessee and North Carolina to the North. Atlanta is Georgia’s capital and largest city, home to about 498,000 people according to the 2020 census. Atlanta also hosts the busiest airport in the world, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

More than 6 million people reside in the Atlanta metropolitan region, the economic and cultural hub of the American Southeast. 57% of Georgia’s total population lives in this region, ranked as the eighth most populous metro area in the United States.

Georgia also wins big in geography and ecology. The state features diverse flora, animals, and scenery. The Blue Ridge Mountains, a component of the larger Appalachian Mountains, are located in the northernmost parts of the state. 

The varied habitats within the state accommodate different species, including trees, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and protected plants.

Not only does the state have the second-highest counties in the country after Texas, but it also has a number of unique nicknames. There are distinct stories behind these nicknames, including the Peach State, Goober State, Buzzard State, and Empire State of the South. Unfortunately, however, Georgia’s legislature hasn’t chosen an official moniker for the state.

Why Is Georgia Called the Empire State of the South?

Lake Oconee, Georgia, USA from above in the afternoon.

Industry is to thank for Georgia’s nickname as the Empire State of the South.

©Sean Pavone/Shutterstock.com

Industrialization earned Georgia the nickname “Empire State of the South.” Specifically, the moniker refers to the growth of the state’s textile industry in the Antebellum Period. Cotton was the most significant single contributor to Georgia’s agricultural economy from the late 18th to the mid-20th century.  

With 150,000 bales of cotton produced in 1826, Georgia dominated the world in cotton output during the first boom of the 1820s. The state continuously outpaced the rest of the South in textile production from 1840 to 1890.

Steam-powered cotton industries were tested in antebellum towns such as Macon, Milledgeville, Madison, and Greensboro, with different degrees of success. While the steam-powered industries in Madison and Greensboro failed in the 1850s, those in Milledgeville and Macon did well enough to support the Confederacy.

Southerners launched a drive in the 1810s to build cotton mills close to the cotton fields rather than transporting their cotton to New England. They first attempted to construct textile mills in Georgia between the 1820s and 1830s.

However, the industry only thrived much later. The main drivers of this development were the cotton boom of the 1850s and more effective uses of steam and water power in fall-line cities, including Augusta, Columbus, and Macon, as well as in smaller towns, such as Athens, Roswell, and Sparta. As the South’s most industrialized state, Georgia employed 2,800 textile employees in 33 mills in 1860, with more than half of whom were women.

More Georgian mills profited around 1880, and northern companies started funding the southern businesses. The South had more affordable labor costs, reduced taxes, and a nicer climate than the North. Thus, Northern investors typically chose to move their mills there.

The inflow from investors enabled some mills to expand, and many cities developed as textile production hubs of the state. Some Georgian cities, including Augusta, Columbus, LaGrange, and Macon, quickly adopted the new industry. They all recorded tremendous growth and profitable outcomes.

Other Common Nicknames of Georgia

peach

With the delicious peaches that hail from the state, Georgia has earned itself the nickname the Peach State.

©iStock.com/takoburito

Georgia has always had a thriving agriculture sector, with over 9 million acres of farmland. Thus, its common nickname is the Peach State, more for its famed delicious peaches than its yearly production output. Franciscan monks brought peaches to the state in the 1500s.

According to the 2018 peach production data released by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Georgia is the fourth-largest producer of peaches in the country, with 25,000 tons. California (510,000 tons), South Carolina (54,600 tons), and New Jersey (32,000 tons) are well ahead of Georgia on the chart. 

Peach has been the official state fruit since 1995, and it appears on the current license plate. 

Another nickname for Georgia is the Goober State. The words “goober” and “goober pea” were once common in the South to refer to the peanut. The Bantu term goober is related to the Kongo and Kimbundu word n-guba, which means “peanut” in both languages.

The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service estimated the U.S. 2022 peanut harvest to weigh 5.57 billion pounds. Georgia accounted for over 50% of the country’s total production, with an estimated weight of 2.9 billion pounds.

Yet another nickname for the state is the Buzzard State, because state laws there protect buzzards.

Georgia State Symbols

Settlers originally populated Georgia in 1733 after its founders established it in 1732 as the Province of Georgia. It became a British royal colony in 1752 as the last and farthest South of the original Thirteen Colonies.

James Oglethorpe, the founder of the colony, named it Georgia in honor of British King George II. The monarch, who was king at the time, gave a charter to Oglethorpe stipulating that he name the colony after George. The colony spanned different regions, including South of South Carolina, Spanish Florida, and west to French Louisiana near the Mississippi River.

Georgia ratified the U.S. Constitution on January 2, 1788, making it the fourth state to do so. It was one of the first seven Confederate States, and it announced its decision to secede from the Union in January 1861. It was the final state to be admitted back into the Union after the Civil War on July 15, 1870.

The state adopted various symbols to demonstrate their significant place in Georgia’s history, culture, and peculiarities. Here are some of the recognized symbols of the state of Georgia.

1. State Seal

Great Seal of Georgia

Georgia adopted its state seal in 1799 and modified it in 1914.

©iStock.com/Danica Jovanov

The state adopted the Seal of the State of Georgia in 1799 and slightly modified the seal in 1914. 1799 was the initial year on the seal, but the state legislature changed the date to 1776 to align with the year of the Declaration of Independence’s signing.

The seal’s obverse (front face) depicts the state’s coat of arms. An arch represents the state’s Constitution. Three pillars representing the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government frame the arch.

Georgia’s militia is ready to defend the Constitution and the guiding ideals of “Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation,” which is the state motto, symbolized by the soldier beneath the arch.

Symbolizing Georgia’s export trade in cotton and tobacco, the seal’s reverse (back) portrays a scene of the Georgian coast with a ship flying the American flag docked and ready to load. A second, smaller boat represents state “internal traffic.” To the left of the scene are a man plowing and a herd of sheep. The motto “Agriculture and Commerce, 1776” is engraved around the image.

2. State Flag

Georgia’s current flag has the state seal in the upper left corner.

©iStock.com/bndart

The current Georgian flag features three equal-width bars; two red bars and one white bar in the middle. In the upper left corner is a square blue canton about two bars wide. The motto of the United States, “In God, We Trust,” is beneath the state’s coat of arms in gold at the center of the canton. A ring of 13 white stars to symbolize Georgia as one of the original Thirteen Colonies encircles the coat of arms.

The First National Flag of the Confederacy, known as the “Stars and Bars,” inspired the general layout. The flag of Georgia is one of the three state flags with the motto “In God We Trust”; the flags of Florida and Mississippi are the other two. It’s also one of the last flags with hints at the Confederacy after Mississippi voted to modify its flag design in 2020.

The state adopted this design in 2003, and the governor assented on May 8 after the approval of the state assembly. The statute approving the flag required a statewide referendum, Which took place in March 2004. The referendum resulted in its formal adoption.

3. State Song: Georgia on My Mind

The state recognized Georgia-born Ray Charles’ rendition of “Georgia on My Mind” as its official song in 1979. Although Charles made the song popular, its origins date back to 1930, when Charles was born.

Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell co-wrote the song “Georgia on My Mind” in 1930, and Hoagy Carmichael made the song’s debut recording the same year.

The legendary soul artist Ray Charles covered it for his 1960 album The Genius Hits the Road.

4. State Tree: Southern Live Oak

Live Oak

The Southern live oak grows from southeast Virginia to southern Florida along streams, city roadways, and sandy soils.

©iStock.com/Sunshower Shots

In 1937, the southern live oak (Quercus virginiana) became the state tree of Georgia. The state considers the tree as having a direct connection to the early history of Georgia, especially to the lives of some notable Georgians, including General James Edward Oglethorpe, John Wesley, and Sidney Lanier. It thrived in the coastal plains where Georgia’s founder and first settlers lived.

The tree grows from southeast Virginia to southern Florida along streams, city roadways, and sandy soils. Early Americans used Southern live oaks to build ships, which explains the historical association with strength. They had the ideal lumber for the curved parts of the ships’ hulls. 

Live oaks can withstand hurricanes. Thus, they were a constant feature in old southern coastal cities and towns. 

5. State Flower: Cherokee Rose

Close-up of a beautiful and tender Cherokee rose Rosa laevigata flower

As Georgia’s state flower, the white petals represent the Cherokee and the yellow center represents gold stolen from the land.

©alesh2/Shutterstock.com

A joint resolution of the General Assembly, signed by Governor Nathaniel Harris on August 18, 1916, made the Cherokee Rose (Rosa laevigata) the official state flower of Georgia. The hardy plant received its name from the Cherokee tribe of Native Americans, attributed to the wide geographic spread of the species.

Georgia recognized the Cherokee rose due to the symbolism of the Cherokee people’s expulsion from the state along the modern-day “Trail of Tears.” The white petals represent the Cherokee clans, while the yellow center symbolizes the gold stolen from the land.

The Cherokee rose is a tough plant with abundant thorns that blooms in the early spring (and, under the right circumstances, occasionally again in the fall).

Hardy and covered in thorns, the Cherokee rose blooms in the early spring and, sometimes, in the fall if the growing conditions are perfect. 

6. State Vegetable: Vidalia Onion

Macro image of Vidalia onions also known as sweet onions with selective focus on foreground top onion.

Sweet onion is another name for Vidalia onions, the state vegetable of Georgia.

©RoJo Images/Shutterstock.com

Vidalia onion is renowned for being the sweetest in the world. The unique onion got its name from the Georgian town of Vidalia, where it was first grown in the early 1930s. Thus, it was only fitting that the state designated Vidalia Onion as its official vegetable in 1990.

Although there are sweeter cultivars of this onion, Vidalia onions are unusually sweet due to the low sulfur content of the soil in which they are cultivated. Unfortunately, they can only be successfully produced in a limited area of southern Georgia.

Vidalia onions are harvested at the peak of their sweetness in spring, typically from mid-April to mid-June. The town hosts a four-day onion festival every year in May.

7. State Crop: Peanut

peanuts

Georgia’s state crop is peanuts.

©iStock.com/White Bear Studio

This is a no-brainer; the country’s largest peanut producer named the crop its official state crop in 1995. Boiled peanut is a popular snack in the state, and most of the harvest goes into peanut butter processing. Georgia not only grows more peanuts than any other state but produces almost fifty percent of the total United States peanut crop. They also lead the nation in the export of this popular nut.

8. State Wildflower: Native Azalea

azalea

The varieties of azaleas serve as the state wildflower of Georgia.

©PatGallery/Shutterstock.com

Georgia chose the azalea to be the state’s official wildflower in 1979, but Governor Nathan Deal modified The Act in 2013 to include all native azaleas (of the Rhododendron genus). The colorful wildflowers bloom in different colors, including pink, white, scarlet, purple, and red. Although the state chose no particular azalea variety to symbolize Georgia, the resolution mentions wide native varieties in each state county.

9. State Amphibian: American Green Tree Frog

American green tree frog with lush ginger foliage

Fourth graders are to thank for Georgia even having a state amphibian at all.

©LorraineHudgins/Shutterstock.com

Georgia is second only to North Carolina in terms of amphibian species variety. The green tree frog is widespread across the state. Georgia officially recognized it as the state amphibian in 2005.

A fourth-grade class at Armuchee Elementary School developed the concept of designating an official amphibian for the state. In 2002, as they studied government and science, the fourth graders discovered that Georgia lacked an official amphibian. So they chose the green tree frog (Hyla cinerea) over other species in the state. However, this choice wasn’t legally backed until May 2005, when Governor Sonny Perdue signed the bill. 

The green tree frog inhabits the southeast and central United States, and its range extends from southeast Florida to Maryland’s eastern shores. Their body color can range from bright lime green to vivid yellowish-olive depending on the environment or temperature.

10. State Bird: Brown Thrasher

birds with beautiful songs: brown thrasher

Brown thrashers have great variety in their repertoire of vocalizations and songs.

©iStock.com/johnandersonphoto

Governor Eugene Talmadge proclaimed the brown thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) the official bird of Georgia in 1935. 35 years later, with the help of the Garden Clubs of Georgia, the Georgia General Assembly received and approved a resolution designating the brown thrasher as the state bird of Georgia on March 20, 1970.

The bird has an incredible repertoire of vocalizations that imitate other birds and even human kissing sounds. It has a brown color on its upper side, two distinct white wing bars, and a creamy white breast speckled with brown.

11. State Butterfly: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

photograph of an eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly. The butterfly is feeding from a purple flower. The butterfly is light oranger and biack striped.

Eastern

tiger

swallowtails are striking to see and are one of the most widespread butterfly species in the eastern United States.

©Maria T Hoffman/Shutterstock.com

In 1988, Georgia selected one of the most widespread butterfly species in the eastern United States as its state butterfly. The eastern tiger swallowtail also ranges north to southern Ontario in Canada.

This butterfly gets its name from the black stripes on their yellow wings, similar to a tiger’s, and the tail-like extensions toward the end of their wings. Males typically maintain the usual black-striped, bright yellow pattern, while the female coloration is less showy —  yellow spots on brown to black wings. 

Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), sweet bay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana), and wild black cherry (Prunus serotina) are its common host plants. 

12. State Cold Water Game Fish: Southern Appalachian Brook Trout

A beautiful southern Appalachian brook trout

While southern Appalachian brook trout are small, they are beautiful fish.

©iStock.com/Devin Davenport

Southern Appalachian brook trout is a brook trout subspecies exclusive to the region spanning northern Georgia and southern Virginia. They have unique features and many regard them as the world’s most exquisite fish.

Although smaller than the northern strain, their beauty appeals to many anglers and makes up for what they lack in size. They are soft to the touch and especially beautiful when colored in purples and greens for the fall spawn. Unfortunately, they can’t survive in contaminated water bodies. 

Georgia adopted the southern Appalachian brook trout as the official state cold water game fish in 2006. It’s also the official freshwater fish of North Carolina.

13. State Dog: Adoptable Dog

All adoptable dogs make up the state dog of Georgia.

©Lisjatina/Shutterstock.com

The official state canine of Georgia isn’t limited to a particular breed but rather is any adoptable dog. The state’s General Assembly defines an adoptable dog as any dog in the care of an animal shelter, humane society, or other public or private animal refuge open to adoption by the public.

The state made that selection in 2016 to increase public awareness of shelter animals in need and the rescue organizations that provide for them.

Colorado also designated rescue dogs and cats as the state pet.

14. State Fish: Largemouth Bass

Largemouth bass is an incredible sport fish.

With 265 freshwater species in Georgia, only Tennessee and Alabama top the Peach State in terms of freshwater fish.

©Ryno Botha/Shutterstock.com

Georgia’s native fish population is abundant and diverse, just like other southeastern states. According to the state’s Native Fish Coalition, there are 265 freshwater fish species. Only Alabama and Tennessee surpass that number.

The largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) was recognized as the official state fish in 1970. The famed 22 pounds 4-ounce Largemouth Bass caught by Georg Perry in Montgomery Lake in 1932 is responsible for Georgia’s prominence in freshwater fishing. The state held the world record for the biggest largemouth bass ever caught for about eight decades. Georgia has many calm, vegetated waters, ideal for largemouth bass to thrive.

This species is the official state fish of Mississippi and the official state freshwater fish of Alabama and Florida.

15. State Game Bird: Bobwhite Quail

Birds that eat ticks: Quail

The bobwhite quail became Georgia’s official state game bird in 1970.

©iStock.com/twildlife

The state has a long history of being an established destination for quail hunting. Further, bobwhite quails have been featured in its wildlife history. The state’s wildlife license plate also depicts this bird.

On March 20, 1970, Georgia designated the bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) as its official state game bird. According to the Joint Resolution of the Georgia General Assembly, “Georgia has long been hailed as the ‘Quail Capitol [sic] of the World,’ and it seems to be only fitting and proper that the Bobwhite Quail (of the genus Colinis) be given the recognition it is due.”

The bird is a chunky quail, also known as northern bobwhite. Males have a brown crest, white throat, and black and white striped face. Female bobwhites have white, black, and brown spots all over, buff patches on the throat, and striped eyes. 

16. State Insect: Honeybee

detail of honeybee in Latin Apis Mellifera, european or western honey bee sitting on the violet or blue flower

To recognize how important honeybees are to the ecosystem, Georgia chose the insect as its state insect in 1975.

©Daniel Prudek/Shutterstock.com

In 1975, Georgia chose the honeybee as the official state insect to recognize the insect’s economic benefits. It produces honey and helps pollinate over 50 Georgian crops. In addition, the honeybee is so crucial that it’s the official state insect of 17 other states, such as Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

17. State Marine Mammal: Northern Right Whale

Northern right whale breaches in water

Northern right whales are the only great whale species indigenous to Georgia’s waters.

©iStock.com/Kara Capaldo

The northern right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) is an endangered species that Georgia adopted as the state marine mammal in 1985. This large mammal has faced threats to its existence due to whalers naming it the right whale long ago. To them, they were the “right” whale for hunting because of their slow swimming pace close to the surface and abundant blubber. Thus, that made them the most endangered large whale species in the world.

It’s the only great whale species indigenous to Georgian waters. The only known calving grounds for northern right whales are the warm coastal waters of Georgia and Florida. They migrate from the icy waters of New England and Nova Scotia and arrive between late November and early December to reproduce and raise their young. 

18. State Mammal: White-Tailed Deer

A white-tailed deer fawn standing in a meadow

As ubiquitous as they are, the white-tailed deer became the state mammal in 2015.

©Paul Tessier/Shutterstock.com

After realizing that Georgia was one of only three states without an official state mammal, a group of elementary school students from Reese Road Leadership Academy in Muscogee County worked to get the white-tailed deer named the official state mammal in 2015.

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) live within the forests and coastal marshes of the state. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) estimated the white-tailed deer population to be 1.2 million in 2015. You can easily identify them by their reddish-brown coat in the summer, which fades into a grayish-brown in the winter.

19. State Reptile: Gopher Tortoise

A gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) emerges from its burro. The gopher tortoise is an endangered species found in the southern United States.

Native to Georgia is the gopher

tortoise

, the state reptile.

©iStock.com/mjf795

The official state reptile is the Georgia-native gopher tortoise, as legislated by the state in 1989. They are one of the oldest living species in the state and a keystone species. They dig up to 40-foot-long burrows that protect them from predators and the weather. Other animals have sought protection in these burrows, thus making gopher tortoises crucial for the survival of other species.

However, there are reports of dwindling numbers and possible extinction outside protected areas.

20. State Saltwater Fish: Red Drum

Red drum fish, Redfish (Sciaenops ocellatus) on a white background

Georgia named the red drum the official state saltwater fish in 2006.

©IrinaK/Shutterstock.com

The large, bronze-colored red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) has, at least, a black mark at the tail’s base. It is distributed across the Georgian coast, including inshore, nearshore, docks, and flats.

Red drum is known by other names such as redfish, bull reds, and spot-tail bass. It was designated Georgia’s state saltwater fish in 2006. It’s also the official saltwater fish of Texas.

Conclusion

The nicknames and symbols of the state of Georgia are more than just emblems. They embody the history, cultural heritage, and pride of the state. Thanks to early industrialization and the booming economy, Georgia has solidified its status as a regional powerhouse in the American South. 

The photo featured at the top of this post is © RodClementPhotography/Shutterstock.com


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About the Author

Alan is a freelance writer and an avid traveler. He specializes in travel content. When he visits home he enjoys spending time with his family Rottie, Opie.

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