1. Archaic Indians - (8000 B.C.E-1000B.C.E.) Second oldest Native American culture in Georgia; nomadic hunters who hunted smaller game; credited with developing grooved axes, fish hooks, and pottery.

 

2. Appalachian Mountains - a mountain chain that stretches from Georgia to Maine

 

3. Appalachian Plateau - Georgia’s smallest region located in the northwestern corner of the state.

 

4. Barrier islands - several islands off Georgia’s coast; inhabited by Native Americans; the Spanish built several missions on these islands.

 

5. Christopher Columbus - Famed Italian explorer Christopher Columbus discovered the "New World" of the Americas on an expedition sponsored by King Ferdinand of Spain in 1492.

 

6. Coastal Plain - Georgia’s largest region which makes up 3/5 of the state.

 

7. Fall Line - a geographic boundary that separates the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions; named for decrease in elevation

 

8. Hernando De Soto - (1496-1542) Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition through the Southeastern United States; credited as being the first European in Georgia.

 

9. Missions- churches set up by the Spanish in hopes of converting Native Americans to Christianity.

 

10. Mississippian Indians - (800 C.E.-1600 C.E.) the last major prehistoric Native American culture in Georgia; known for being large scale framers and mound builders who traded throughout North America.

 

11. Paleo Indians - (12,000 B.C.E.-8000 B.C.E.) the first humans in Georgia; nomadic hunters and gathers who hunted large game such as wooly mammoth and giant bison.

 

12. Piedmont Region - Georgia’s most populated region known for its red clay; also known as “foot of the mountains”

 

13. Valley and Ridge - Georgia region characterized by low open valleys and narrow ridges.

 

14. Woodland Indians - (1000 B.C.E.-700 C. E.) the third prehistoric Native American culture in Georgia; credited for the development of the bow and arrow, pottery for storage, and intensification of horticulture, as well as building small mounds.