According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the state of Georgia has more than 7.7 million acres of wetlands, including the Okefenokee Swamp, one of the largest freshwater wetlands in the nation with a mixture of marshes, forested uplands, aquatic beds and forested and scrub-shrub wetlands. The diverse wetlands include areas of mountain seepage and estuarine tidal flats. The state's coastal plain contains the most wetland acres.
The central part of Georgia features the rolling hills of Piedmont Plateau, the southern part of the state is mostly flat coastal plain and the northern part of the state is mountainous. The Blue Ridge Mountains, part of the large Appalachian Mountain range, ends in the northern part of the state. The Blue Ridge Mountains are 60 miles across in some places. Other mountains in the Blue Ridge area include Blood Mountain, Tray Mountain and Rabun Bald.
Georgia features more than 10 million acres of farmland, with more than 47,846 farms on this land. Georgia's top agricultural exports, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service, include broilers, cotton, chicken, eggs and peanuts. The state produces the most amount of broilers, young chickens that weigh less than 2 1/2 pounds. Farmland production injects billions of dollars into the state each year.
A total of 36.8 million acres, or 66 percent, of Georgia's land is forested. That percentage is twice the national average. Forestry makes up one of the largest sectors of the state's economy, generating $19.7 billion dollars annually. Of the 38.6 million acres of land, 23.8 million acres are commercial forest land. Individuals make up the largest percentage of commercial forest landowners, at 72 percent. Corporations own 21 percent of forested land, while government owns 7 percent. According to the Georgia Forestry Association, the forestry economy generates 177,000 jobs.
Grassland, another part of Georgia's land makeup, is primarily located in the southern part of the state. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, grassland is defined as land that contains forbs and shrubs for which grazing is the primary use. The U.S. Department of Agriculture runs a Grassland Reserve Program, which is intended to held grassland owners and operators protect private graze, range and pasture land throughout the state.
