GEORGIA

State of Georgia

ORIGIN OF STATE NAME: Named for King George II of England in 1732. NICKNAME: The Empire State of the South; also, the Peach State. CAPITAL: Atlanta. ENTERED UNION: 2 January 1788 (4th). SONG: "Georgia on My Mind." MOTTO: Wisdom, Justice and Moderation. COAT OF ARMS: Three columns support an arch inscribed with the word "Constitution"; intertwined among the columns is a banner bearing the state motto. Right of center stands a soldier with a drawn sword, representing the aid of the military in defending the Constitution. Surrounding the whole are the words "State of Georgia 1776." FLAG: Three red-and-white stripes and the state coat of arms in the upper left corner on a field of blue. OFFICIAL SEAL: OBVERSE: same as the coat of arms. REVERSE: a sailing vessel and a smaller boat are offshore; on land, a man and horse plow a field, and sheep graze in the background. The scene is surrounded by the words "Agriculture and Commerce 1776." BIRD: Brown thrasher. FISH: Largemouth bass. INSECT: Honeybee. FLOWER: Cherokee rose. WILDFLOWER: Azalea. TREE: Live oak. GEM: Quartz. FOSSIL: Shark tooth. LEGAL HOLIDAYS: New Year's Day, 1 January; Robert E. Lee's Birthday, 19 January; Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., 3rd Monday in January; Washington's Birthday, 3rd Monday in February; Confederate Memorial Day, 26 April; National Memorial Day, last Monday in May; Jefferson Davis's Birthday, 3 June; Independence Day, 4 July; Labor Day, 1st Monday in September; Columbus Day, 2nd Monday in October; Veterans Day, 11 November; Thanksgiving Day, 4th Thursday in November; Christmas Day, 25 December. TIME: 7 AM EST = noon GMT.