Incorporate in Georgia
Georgia State Facts
Official name: State of Georgia.
State nickname: "Peach State" and "Empire State of the South"
Total area: 58,977 sq mi, 152,750 sq km.
Capitol: Atlanta
State flower: Cherokee rose
State bird: brown thrasher
State fish: Largemouth Bass
State song: “Georgia on my mind”
State tree: live oak
State motto: "Wisdom, justice, and moderation"
The Georgia flag has three red and white stripes and the state coat of
arms on a blue field in the upper left corner. Thirteen stars surrounding
the seal denotes Georgia's position as one of the original thirteen colonies.
On the seal three pillars supporting an arch represent the three branches
of government; legislative, judicial and executive. A man with sword drawn
is defending the Constitution, whose principles are wisdom, justice and
moderation. The date 1776 represents the signing of the Declaration of
Independence.
Like most State flags, Georgia's has a long history. The Bonnie Blue Flag--a white star in the center of a blue field--was flown in Georgia in 1861, as was a flag of white with a red star. Neither is known to have had any official standing, however. Georgia also used a flag featuring three pillars supporting a pediment and arch, a design element taken from the state seal, but there is no indication that the flag was used after the Civil War (1861-65). Finally, on October 17, 1879, the first official state flag was established. It resembled the Stars and Bars of the Confederacy by having three equal red-white-red stripes, but instead of a canton there was a vertical blue stripe along the hoist. That design continued in use until 1905, when the state seal was added to the blue stripe. The state seal (and consequently the flag) of Georgia underwent a number of variations.
On July 1, 1956, a distinctive new flag was adopted. It retained the seal and blue stripe at the hoist, but the Confederate Battle Flag was substituted for the three horizontal stripes. Opponents of the design claimed that it recalled black slavery and other racist policies and was therefore offensive, while its proponents argued that it was a symbol of Southern heritage. As a compromise, a new state flag was adopted on January 31, 2001. It shows the state seal in gold surrounded by thirteen white stars on a blue field. At the bottom, a gold ribbon with the words "Georgia's History" provides the background for three earlier state flags flanked by current and previous versions of the U.S. flag. The words "In God We Trust" were added beneath the ribbon. The flag pictured here was adopted May 8th, 2003.
About Georgia
Georgia became the 4th state to enter the union on Jan. 2, 1788. It was named in honor of England's King George II.
The fall of Atlanta during the Civil War marked the beginning of the end of the South's cessation plans. Today Atlanta, the birthplace of the Rev. martin Luther King, is the State's capital and an important business and financial center and is considered the economic and cultural center of the Southeast, but that wasn't always the case.
Georgia's first capital was Savannah (1777-78) and then Augusta (1779-80). Next came Heard's Fort, and an assortment of sites in Wilkes County (1780-81). Augusta got its turn (1781-82), and then Ebenezer. The capital then moved back to Savannah again (1782), and then back to Augusta (1783), and then Savannah, then Augusta (1784), then Savannah (1785), and back to Augusta (1786-96). Next up came Louisville (1796-1806), Milledgeville (1807-1864), Macon (1864-1865), Milledgeville again (1865-68), 1and, finally, Atlanta (1868-present). Phew! That's more moves than you'll find in a Kung-Fu movie.
Here are some more fun facts about Georgia courtesy of the Georgia Secretary of State, and Here's a link to the U.S. Bureau of Census' facts on Georgia.
Georgia's Business Climate
Georgia, and a number of counties, offer economic assistance in the form of tax relief, utility discounts, job tax credits, and other economic incentives to attract business to the State.
Georgia is proud of their extensive transportation system including the most advanced rail system in the Southeast, almost 5,000 miles of track, most of which is run by CSX and Norfolk Southern.
Nearly 40 trucking companies come in and out of Georgia and, together, make 82 percent of the U.S. industrial market and 79 percent of the nation's largest consumer markets available within two days.
Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport, the world's busiest, has over 1,500 flights daily to U.S. destinations and the world. Georgia's famed deepwater ports handle more than 13 million tons of cargo annually.
Sporting a good climate, a relatively low cost of living, and an above average educated workforce, Georgia is an outstanding State to base your new business in. For more information on doing business in Georgia, visit the Georgia Secretary of State's Corporation web site.