City Overview
The City of Atlanta is situated in the northern half of the state of Georgia, in an area known as the Piedmont. This is a region of undulating hills wedged between the rugged mountains and the flat coastal plain. It was because of this unique geographical position that Atlanta got its start as a transportation nucleus of the south, when it was selected by the Western & Atlantic Railroad to be the site of the southern end of its tracks in 1837. The very same factors that made Atlanta such a desirable hub for railroads made it even more favourable for highways, airlines and, eventually, the convention trade. Atlanta was and is a crossroads town.
By the time the Civil War began in 1861, Atlanta was a major railroad hub, manufacturing centre and supply depot. In 1864, General William Sherman, during his infamous ‘March to the Sea’, burned all of the railroad facilities, almost every business and more than two thirds of the city’s homes, in an attempt to cripple transportation and supply lines.
Atlanta did not lie in ruins for long. Within four years of Sherman’s attack, the Georgia capital was moved from nearby Milledgeville, where it had been seated since 1804, to Atlanta, and the city launched its first campaign to attract new business.
In 1886, a local drugstore, Jacob’s Pharmacy, began selling a new headache and hangover tonic called ‘Coca-Cola’. In 1891, entrepreneur Asa Candler paid US$2300 to acquire the rights. The following year he founded the Coca-Cola Company. In 1895, this ‘brave and beautiful city,’ so called by newspaper editor Henry Grady, hosted the Cotton States and International Exposition in Piedmont Park and showed 800,000 visitors that Atlanta was heading in a new direction. One hundred and one years later, Atlanta would welcome the world to the 1996 Olympics.
Atlanta was also the birthplace of anti-segregationist leader the Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Although he is identified as the leader many others, such as Mayor Ivan Allen Jr, who was the only Southern mayor to testify before Congress in support of the pending Civil Rights Bill, played significant roles in the Civil Rights Movement.
Today, Metropolitan Atlanta sprawls over an immense area encompassing 20 counties and approximately 100 cities and towns. More than three million people live and work in the area. Atlanta proper is a city of 352 sq km (136 square miles) and 416,000 residents. Within the confines of the Perimeter, a transportation band that encircles the city, visitors will discover a diverse range of neighbourhoods, each with its own personality.
Recognised as the economic and cultural centre of the southern United States, Atlanta offers traditional charm with a modern flair. Filled with attractions and activities, including the Atlanta Cyclorama, CNN Studio Tours, the Martin Luther King Jr Historic District and Six Flags Over Georgia, metropolitan Atlanta has something for almost every visitor.
Spring and autumn are the ideal times to visit the city. In the spring, Atlanta is as pretty as any Southern Belle could hope to be. The city blazes with blossoms of Bradford pear, white dogwood and pink azaleas. Autumn is equally mild tempered and colourful. Summer is hot, humid and languid. Whilst air conditioning will counteract the worst of the heat, visitors should be prepared for the city to move at a very leisurely pace.
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City Overview