Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is a city located in Chatham County, Georgia. The population was 131,510 for the city and 257,889 for the metropolitan area in the 2000 census. It is located at latitude 32°5'0" North, longitude 81°6'0" West. The city is the county seat of Chatham County 6, and was the colonial and first state capital of Georgia.
Savannah is often considered the epitome of Southern charm and hospitality. It is also notable in Georgia for its large St. Patrick's Day celebration, the second largest in the United States behind Boston.
The Zip Codes for Savannah all begin with 314.
As of 2004, the Mayor of Savannah is Otis Johnson.
Savannah is served by Savannah International Airport, which also serves Hilton Head.
History
Savannah is Georgia's oldest city, founded by British general James Oglethorpe between the Savannah River and the eastern shore on February 12, 1733 when Georgia itself was founded.
Savannah was the first colony in Georgia, and the region's mild climate offered perfect conditions for growing cotton and peach trees. The number of peach trees led to the state's nickname: today Georgia is called "the Peach State".
The production of cotton helped the city to achieve wealth and prosperity. The port of Savannah was one of the most frequented in the United States and Savannah's inhabitants had the opportunity to consume the world's finest goods, imported by foreign merchants. Savannah grew to be one of the richest cities in the United States. Cotton was exported to places all over the world. Wonderful mansions were built in the downtown area and British botanists were invited to refine the city's unique look with grapes for wine and mulberry trees for silk, from the old continent. The Georgia climate made it impossible for these plants to grow.
In 1740 George Whitefield founded the Bethesda orphanage, which is now the oldest extant orphanage in the U.S.A.
In 1818 shipping and business stopped when the city fell under quarantine due to a yellow fever epidemic. Many ships never came back to Savannah, dealing a harsh blow to the local cotton industry.
Savannah's port has always been a mainstay of the city's economy. Most goods that were produced in the New World had to pass the city's port before they could be shipped to England.
In 1864, the city was captured by Northern troops and Savannah ran the risk of being burned down by the northerners like so many southern cities before but General Sherman thought that the city was too beautiful and so he gave it to Abraham Lincoln as a Christmas gift.
The downtown area again ran the risk of being demolished in the 1950s when the city ran short of money but seven Georgia women created the Savannah Foundation, which was able to preserve the city from destruction. This foundation continues to help revitalize historic Savannah. Downtown has been restored to its former beauty and now it entertains visitors from all over the world. The city's popularity as a tourist destination was increased by the novel and subsequent movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which were set in Savannah.
The city was the first American city to be planned on a system of squares—there are 24 in Savannah today. Many of these squares contain small parks, treasured by residents, and also serve to slow traffic by breaking up long stretches of straight road. It was also the site of the first lighthouse on the southern Atlantic coast. It is served by Savannah International Airport.
The city's position offers visitors access to the coastal islands, a popular tourist destination.
Geography
Savannah is located at 32°3'3" North, 81°6'14" West (32.050706, -81.103762)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 202.3 km² (78.1 mi²). 193.6 km² (74.7 mi²) of it is land and 8.7 km² (3.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 4.31% water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 131,510 people, 51,375 households, and 31,390 families residing in the city. The population density is 679.4/km² (1,759.5/mi²). There are 57,437 housing units at an average density of 296.7/km² (768.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 38.86% White, 57.08% African American, 0.23% Native American, 1.52% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.93% from other races, and 1.30% from two or more races. 2.23% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 51,375 households out of which 28.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.2% are married couples living together, 21.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% are non-families. 31.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.45 and the average family size is 3.13.
In the city the population is spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 13.2% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there are 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 84.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $29,038, and the median income for a family is $36,410. Males have a median income of $28,545 versus $22,309 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,921. 21.8% of the population and 17.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 31.4% are under the age of 18 and 15.1% are 65 or older.
Metropolitan Area
The Savannah metropolitan area consists of three counties, all of them in Georgia.
Squares
As mentioned above, Savannah is divided into 24 squares. Here are the names of those 24 squares.
- Calhoun Square
- Chatham Square
- Chippewa Square
- Columbia Square
- Crawford Square
- Elbert Square
- Ellis Square
- Franklin Square
- Greene Square
- Johnson Square
- Lafayette Square
- Liberty Square
- Madison Square
- Monterey Square
- Ogelthorpe Square
- Orleans Square
- Pulaski Square
- Reynolds Square
- Telfair Square
- Troup Square
- Warren Square
- Washington Square
- Whitefield Square
- Wright Square
- Learn more about Savannah Squares
Famous People from Savannah
- Juliette Gordon Low, (1860-1927), Founder of Girl Scouts of the USA
- Conrad Aiken, (1889-1973), poet
- Charles Coburn, (1877-1961), actor
- Johnny Mercer, (1909-1976), songwriter
- Flannery O'Connor, (1925-1964), writer
- Stacy Keach, (b. 1941), actor
- Clarence Thomas, (b. 1948), Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
- Diana Scarwid, (b. 1955), actor
External Links
Referenced By
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