A large, geographically diverse state in the southeastern US, Georgia was founded in 1735 by James Oglethorpe, an Englishman who landed in Savannah and established the 13th colony in the New World.

Visitors can travel through mountains, white-water rapids and forested ridges honeycombed with caves in the north, farms and orchards in the south, to the mysterious, low-lying Okefenokee Swamp in the southeast, and an Atlantic coastline of tidal marshes.

Packed with colourful history, Georgia saw the emergence of Creek and Cherokee Indian nations and the start of the infamous Trail of Tears, the wealthy days of cotton plantations fueled by slave labour and bloody Civil War battles culminating in Union General Sherman's devastating ‘March to the Sea' and the burning of Atlanta.

The state is still the home of southern hospitality, gracious homes and a rich history and culture proudly preserved. The booming city of Atlanta - known as ‘The City in a Forest' - most dramatically expresses the transition from Old South to New. Magnolia and dogwood trees still surround handsome Georgian-style homes, yet only blocks away, dazzling contemporary buildings add to Atlanta's ever-growing skyline.

Georgia's climate ranges from the low humidity of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the subtropical southern coastal region.