What Type of Land Is Found in Georgia?

Farmland

• Georgia is one of the top farming states in the United States. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says 27.6 percent of the total land area of the state is devoted to farming. Georgia farmland produces a wide array of crops such as cotton, peanuts and onions, and other key agricultural resources such as cattle and broiler chickens. Farmland in Georgia runs from the heavy, well-watered land required by cotton to the sandy, organic material-rich land that peaches prefer.

Forested Land

• More than 65 percent of Georgia--24.5 million acres--is forestland, or twice the national average, according to the Agriculture Department. Timber is the state's highest-valued agricultural product; Georgia forest lands generate more timber than that of any other state. Trees in Georgia forests include longleaf pine, southern live oak and loblolly pine.

Mountainous Regions

• The northern part of Georgia is in the Blue Ridge Mountains, which form part of the Appalachian Mountain range. The highest point of the state is Brasstown Bald, a mountain that stands 4,784 feet high. Other mountains in the state include Lookout Mountain (in the northwest corner of Georgia), Stone Mountain (said to be the largest exposed quartz monzonite rock in the world, in DeKalb County) and Sand Mountain (in the northwestern corner).

Wetlands

• Georgia is also known for its wetlands and marshes. The state has one of the highest amounts of total wetland acreage--5.3 million acres of state land is classified as wetland. Most wetlands are found in the coastal plain, where wetlands formed by floodplains are most prevalent. Georgia is home to most of the 438,000-acre Okefenokee Swamp, the world's largest peat-based wetland, which it shares with Florida.

Grasslands

• Grasslands in Georgia can be found on the coastal plain and coastal flatlands in southeastern Georgia. They can often be encountered in conjunction with those habitats where longleaf pines grow. Almost 40 species of grass may be commonly encountered in these areas in Georgia, such as broomsedge, panic grass and water grass.