Difference between revisions of "Atlanta, Georgia" - New World Encyclopedia

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{{Images OK}}{{Submitted}}{{Approved}}{{Copyedited}}
 
{{Infobox Settlement
 
{{Infobox Settlement
|official_name            = City of Atlanta
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<!--See the Table at Infobox Settlement for all fields and descriptions of usage—>
|settlement_type          = City
+
<!-- Basic info  ---------------->
|nicknames               = Hotlanta,<ref>{{cite web  | last = Shelton  | first = Stacy  | title = 'Hotlanta' not steamiest in Georgia this summer | publisher = ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' | date=  2007-09-23  | url = http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2007/09/22/heat_0923.html  | accessdate = 2007-09-28 }}</ref> The A-T-L<ref name=A-T-L/>
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| name                    = Atlanta
|motto                    =  
+
| official_name            = City of Atlanta
<!-- images and maps  ----------->
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| settlement_type          = [[City]]
|image_skyline            = Atlanta Skyline from Buckhead.jpg  
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| nickname               = [[Nicknames of Atlanta|Hotlanta, The ATL, ATL, The A]],<ref name=nicknames>"Hotlanta" and "The ATL" in [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AT&p_theme=at&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=1215879443CB5810&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM "Love it or loathe it, the city's nickname is accurate for the summer", ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'', June 16, 2008] Retrieved March 9, 2012.
|imagesize                =  
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"The ATL" in [http://books.google.com/books?id=JwvE1F2zyXoC&pg=PA401 Jeff Campbell, ''Lonely Planet:USA'', p. 401] Retrieved March 9, 2012.</ref>
|image_caption            = City skyline from Buckhead
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[[Nicknames of Atlanta|City in a Forest]]<ref>[http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/atlanta-may-no-longer-be-the-city-in-a-forest/nDLGr/ "Atlanta May No Longer Be the City in a Forest", ''WSB-TV''] Retrieved March 9, 2012.</ref>
|image_flag              =
+
| motto                    = ''Resurgens'' (Latin for ''rising again'')
|flag_size                =  
+
| image_skyline            = Atlanta Skyline from Buckhead.jpg  
|image_seal              = Seal of Atlanta, Georgia.png
+
| imagesize                =  
|seal_size                =
+
| image_caption            = City skyline from Buckhead
|image_shield            =
+
| image_flag              = Flag of Atlanta, Georgia.png
|shield_size              =
+
| flag_size                =
|image_blank_emblem      =
+
| image_seal              = Seal of Atlanta.png
|blank_emblem_type        =
+
| image_map                = Fulton_County_Georgia_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Atlanta_Highlighted.svg
|blank_emblem_size        =
+
| mapsize                  = 250px
|image_map                = Fulton_County_Georgia_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Atlanta_Highlighted.svg
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| map_caption              = City highlighted in [[Fulton County, Georgia|Fulton County]], location of Fulton County in the [[Georgia (U.S. state)|state of Georgia]]
|mapsize                  = 250px
 
|map_caption              = Location in Fulton and DeKalb counties and the state of Georgia
 
|image_map1              =
 
|mapsize1                =
 
|map_caption1            =
 
|image_dot_map            =
 
|dot_mapsize              =
 
|dot_map_caption          =
 
|dot_x                    =
 
|dot_y                    =
 
|pushpin_map              = <!-- the name of a location map as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Location_map —>
 
|pushpin_label_position  = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none —>
 
|pushpin_map_caption      =
 
|pushpin_mapsize          =
 
 
<!-- Location ------------------>
 
<!-- Location ------------------>
|subdivision_type        = Country
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| coordinates_region      = US-GA
|subdivision_name         = United States
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| subdivision_type         = Country
|subdivision_type1        = State
+
| subdivision_type1        = State
|subdivision_name1       = Georgia
+
| subdivision_type2       = [[List of counties in Georgia (U.S. state)|County]]
|subdivision_type2        = Counties
+
| subdivision_name        = [[:United States of America]]
|subdivision_name2        = Fulton, DeKalb
+
| subdivision_name1       = [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]
|subdivision_type3       =  
+
| subdivision_name2       = [[Fulton County, Georgia|Fulton]] and [[DeKalb County, Georgia|DeKalb]]
|subdivision_name3        =
+
| leader_title            = Mayor
|subdivision_type4       =  
+
| leader_name              = [[Kasim Reed]]
|subdivision_name4        =
+
| established_title        = Terminus
<!-- Politics ----------------->
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| established_date        = 1837
|government_footnotes    =
+
| established_title2      = Marthasville
|government_type          =
+
| established_date2        = 1843
|leader_title            = Mayor
+
| established_title3      = City of Atlanta
|leader_name              = Shirley Franklin (D)
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| established_date3        = 1847
|leader_title1            = <!-- for places with, say, both a mayor and a city manager —>
 
|leader_name1            =
 
|leader_title2            =
 
|leader_name2            =
 
|leader_title3            =
 
|leader_name3            =
 
|leader_title4            =
 
|leader_name4            =
 
|established_title        = Terminus
 
|established_date        = 1837
 
|established_title2      = Marthasville
 
|established_date2        = 1843
 
|established_title3      = City of Atlanta
 
|established_date3        = 1847
 
 
<!-- Area    --------------------->
 
<!-- Area    --------------------->
|area_magnitude          = 1 E8
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| area_magnitude          = 1 E8
|unit_pref                =  Imperial
+
| unit_pref                =  Imperial
|area_footnotes          =  
+
| area_footnotes          =
|area_total_km2          = 343.0
+
| area_total_km2          = 343.0
|area_land_km2            = 341.2
+
| area_land_km2            = 341.2
|area_water_km2          = 1.8
+
| area_water_km2          = 1.8
|area_total_sq_mi        = 132.4
+
| area_total_sq_mi        = 132.4
|area_land_sq_mi          = 131.8
+
| area_land_sq_mi          = 131.8
|area_water_sq_mi        = 0.7
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| area_water_sq_mi        = 0.6
|area_water_percent      =  
+
| area_water_percent      =
|area_urban_km2          =  
+
| area_urban_km2          =
|area_urban_sq_mi        = 1962.9
+
| area_urban_sq_mi        = 1963
|area_metro_km2          =  
+
| area_metro_km2          =
|area_metro_sq_mi        = 8376
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| area_metro_sq_mi        = 8376
|area_blank1_title        =
 
|area_blank1_km2          =
 
|area_blank1_sq_mi        =
 
 
<!-- Population  ----------------------->
 
<!-- Population  ----------------------->
|population_as_of        = 2007
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| population_as_of        = 2010
|population_footnotes    =  
+
| population_footnotes    =
|population_note          =  
+
| population_note          =
|population_total        = 519145
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| population_total        = 420,003
|population_density_km2  = 1514
+
| population_density_km2  = 1552
|population_density_sq_mi = 3921
+
| population_metro        = 5,268,860 ([[United States metropolitan area|9th]])
|population_metro        = 5278904
+
| population_density_metro_km2    = 243
|population_density_metro_km2    = 243
+
| population_urban                = 4,750,000
|population_density_metro_sq_mi  = 630
+
| population_density_urban_km2    = 935
|population_urban                = 3499840
+
| population_csa 0
|population_density_urban_km2    = 688
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|population_demonym = Atlantan<ref>The term "Atlantans" is widely used by both [http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2008/06/23/focus2.html local media] and [http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/weather/03/17/atlanta.tornado/index.html national media].</ref>
|population_density_urban_sq_mi  = 1783
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|demographics_type1 = Race and ethnicity - City (2010)
|population_blank1_title          =  
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|demographics1_title1 = Black
|population_blank1                =  
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|demographics1_title2 = White
|population_density_blank1_km2    =  
+
|demographics1_title3 = White (non-Hispanic)
|population_density_blank1_sq_mi  =  
+
|demographics1_title4 = Asian
 +
|demographics1_title5 = Hispanic (any race)
 +
|demographics1_info1 = 54.0%
 +
|demographics1_info2 = 38.4%
 +
|demographics1_info3 = 36.3%
 +
|demographics1_info4 = 3.1%
 +
|demographics1_info5 = 5.2%
 +
|demographics_type2 =Language spoken at home - City (2008)
 +
|demographics2_title1 = English
 +
|demographics2_title2 = Spanish
 +
|demographics2_title3 = Other [[Indo-European languages]]
 +
|demographics2_title4 = Asian languages
 +
|demographics2_info1 = 83.3%<ref name=acs2008lang>Percent of the population five years and older, language spoken at home. U.S. Census 2008 American Community Survey</ref>
 +
|demographics2_info2 = 8.8%<ref name=acs2008lang/>
 +
|demographics2_info3 = 3.9%<ref name=acs2008lang/>
 +
|demographics2_info4 = 2.8%<ref name=acs2008lang/>
 
<!-- General information  --------------->
 
<!-- General information  --------------->
|timezone                = EST
+
| timezone                = [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
|utc_offset              = -5
+
| utc_offset              = -5
|timezone_DST            = EDT
+
| timezone_DST            = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
|utc_offset_DST          = -4
+
| utc_offset_DST          = -4
|latd = 33 |latm = 45 |lats = 18 |latNS = N
+
| elevation_footnotes      = <!--for references: use<ref> </ref> tags—>
|longd = 84 |longm = 23 |longs = 24 |longEW = W
+
| elevation_m              = 225 to 320
|elevation_footnotes      = <!--for references: use<ref> </ref> tags—>
+
| elevation_ft            = 738 to 1050
|elevation_m              = 225-320
 
|elevation_ft            = 738-1050
 
 
<!-- Area/postal codes & others -------->
 
<!-- Area/postal codes & others -------->
|area_code                = 404, 678, 770, 470
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| area_code                = [[Area code 404|404]], [[Area code 470|470]], [[Area code 678|678]], [[Area code 770|770]]
|blank_name              = FIPS code
+
| postal_code_type        = [[ZIP code|ZIP code(s)]]
|blank_info              = 13-04000{{GR|2}}
+
| postal_code              = 30060, 30301-30322, 30324-30334, 30336-30350, 30353
|blank1_name              = GNIS feature ID
+
| blank_name              = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank1_info              = 0351615{{GR|3}}
+
| blank_info              = 13-04000{{GR|2}}
 +
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
 +
| blank1_info              = 0351615{{GR|3}}
 +
| website                  = [http://www.atlantaga.gov/ atlantaga.gov]
 +
| footnotes                =
 +
}}
  
----
+
'''Atlanta''' is the capital and the largest [[city]] in the [[U.S.]] state of [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] with a population of 420,003 as of 2010, and is the core city of the ninth most populous United States metropolitan area at 5,268,860.
|blank2_name              = Major Airport
 
|blank2_info              = Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport- ATL (Major/International)
 
|website                  = [http://www.atlantaga.gov/ atlantaga.gov]
 
|footnotes                =
 
}}
 
  
'''Atlanta''' is the capital and the largest city in the U.S. state of [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] with a population of 519,145,<ref name=CensusCity>{{cite web | publisher=United States Census Bureau | title=Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places Over 100,000, Ranked by July 1, 2007 Population | date=July 10, 2008 | url=http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2007-01.csv | format=Comma-separated values | accessdate = 2008-07-10 }}</ref> and the core city of the ninth most populous United States metropolitan area at 5,278,904,<ref name=CensusMSA>[http://www.census.gov/popest/metro/tables/2007/CBSA-EST2007-01.csv Table 1. Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2007], U.S. Census Bureau, 2007. Retrieved 31 March 2008.</ref> with a combined statistical area of 5,626,400.<ref name=CensusCSA>{{cite web | publisher=United States Census Bureau | title=Combined statistical area population and estimated components of change: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2007  | date=July 10, 2008 | url=http://www.census.gov/population/estimates/metro_general/2007/CSA-EST2007-alldata.csv | format=Comma-separated values | accessdate = 2008-07-10 }}</ref> Atlanta is a world city<ref>{{cite journal|last=Taylor|first=Peter J.|year=2005|title=Leading World Cities: Empirical Evaluations of Urban Nodes in Multiple Networks|journal=Urban Studies|publisher=Sage Journals|volume=42|issue=9|pages=1593–1608|url=http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/rb/rb146.html|accessdate=2008-09-29}}</ref> that ranks as the [[List of United States cities by population|33rd-largest]] in the United States. It is the [[county seat]] of [[Fulton County, Georgia|Fulton County]], although a small portion of the city extends into [[DeKalb County, Georgia|DeKalb County]]. Residents of the city are known as '''Atlantans'''.<ref>The term "Atlantans" is widely used by both [http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2008/06/23/focus2.html local media] and [http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/weather/03/17/atlanta.tornado/index.html national media].</ref>
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Atlanta has in recent years undergone a transition from a city of regional commerce to a city of international influence, and it has been among the fastest growing cities in the developed world for much of the 1990s and 2000s. Between 2000 and 2006, the metropolitan area grew by 20.5 percent, making it the fastest growing [[metropolitan area]] in the nation.
  
Atlanta has in recent years undergone a transition from a city of regional commerce to a city of international influence, and has been among the fastest growing cities in the [[developed]] world for much of the 1990s and 2000s.<ref>{{cite press release  | title = Atlanta's International Influence  | publisher = Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce  | date=  2006-10  | url = http://www.metroatlantachamber.com/images/ht_international.pdf  | accessdate = 2007-08-27 |format=PDF}}</ref> Between 2000 and 2006, the metropolitan area grew by 20.5%, making it the fastest growing metropolitan area in the nation.<ref>{{cite web  | title = Demographia United States Metropolitan Areas 2000–2006 (County Based)  | publisher = Demographia  | date=  2007-03-23  | url = http://www.demographia.com/db-metmic2004.pdf  | accessdate = 2007-09-28 |format=PDF}}</ref><ref name="nyt-022500">{{cite news | last=Apple, Jr. | first=R.W. | publisher=[[The New York Times]] | title=ON THE ROAD: A City in Full: Venerable, Impatient Atlanta | date=February 25, 2000 | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=travel&res=9C0DE3DF1E30F936A15751C0A9669C8B63  | accessdate = 2007-09-28 }}</ref> The [[Metro Atlanta|Atlanta Metropolitan Area]] is the central [[metropolis]] of the [[Southeastern United States]] and is also the largest metropolitan area in the emerging [[Megalopolis (city type)|megalopolis]] known as the Piedmont Atlantic MegaRegion (PAM).<ref> www.mi.vt.edu/uploads/megacensusreport.pdf </ref><ref>http://www.cqgrd.gatech.edu/megaregions/PAM.php</ref>
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In the 1960s, Atlanta was a major organizing center of the [[African-American Civil Rights Movement|Civil Rights Movement]], with Dr. [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]] and students from Atlanta's historically black colleges playing major roles. Two of the prominent organizations—[[Southern Christian Leadership Conference]] and [[Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee]]—were based in Atlanta.
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{{toc}}
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The city is a major cable [[television]] programming center, including the headquarters of the [[Cable News Network]].  
  
==Geography==
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==Geography and cityscape==
[[Image:AtlantaSnow.jpg|thumb|right|Atlanta's Piedmont Park, with a blanket of winter snow.]]
 
  
 
===Topography===
 
===Topography===
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|343.0|km2|sqmi|1|abbr=on}}. {{convert|341.2|km2|sqmi|1|abbr=on}} of it is land and {{convert|1.8|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}} of it is water. The total area is 0.51% water. At about {{convert|1050|ft|m|0}} above mean sea level (the airport is at {{convert|1010|ft|m|0}}), Atlanta sits atop a [[ridge]] south of the [[Chattahoochee River]]. Atlanta has the highest average elevation of any major city east of [[Denver]].
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The city of Atlanta has a total area of {{convert|343.0|km2|sqmi|1|abbr=on}}. Located about {{convert|1050|ft|m|0}} above mean sea level, it sits atop a ridge south of the [[Chattahoochee River]]. Atlanta has the highest average elevation of any major city east of [[Denver, Colorado|Denver]].
 +
 
 +
The Eastern Continental Divide line runs through Atlanta. Rainwater that falls on the south and east side runs eventually into the [[Atlantic Ocean]], while rainwater on the north and west side of the divide ends up in the [[Gulf of Mexico]] via the Chattahoochee River.  
  
The [[Eastern Continental Divide]] line enters Atlanta from the south, proceeding to downtown. From downtown, the divide line runs eastward along DeKalb Avenue and the [[CSX]] rail lines through Decatur.<ref name=divide>{{cite web  | last = Yeazel  | first = Jack  | title = Eastern Continental Divide in Georgia  | date=  2007-03-23  | url = http://www.gpsinformation.org/jack/Divide/Divide.html  | accessdate = 2007-07-05 }}</ref> Rainwater that falls on the south and east side runs eventually into the [[Atlantic Ocean]] while rainwater on the north and west side of the divide runs into the [[Gulf of Mexico]]<ref name=divide/> via the [[Chattahoochee River]]. That river is part of the [[ACF River Basin]], and from which Atlanta and many of its neighbors draw most of their water. Being at the far northwestern edge of the city, much of the river's natural habitat is still preserved, in part by the [[Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area]]. Downstream however, excessive water use during droughts and pollution during floods has been a source of contention and legal battles with neighboring states [[Alabama]] and [[Florida]].<ref>{{cite web  | title = Florida, Alabama, Georgia water sharing  | publisher = WaterWebster  | date =  | url = http://www.waterwebster.com/FloridaAlabamaGeorgia.htm  | format = news archive  | accessdate = 2007-07-05 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web  | title = Fact Sheet&nbsp;– Interstate Water Conflicts: Georgia&nbsp;—Alabama&nbsp;—Florida  | publisher = Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce  | date =  | url = http://www.metroatlantachamber.com/macoc/initiatives/img/tri-statefactsheet.pdf  | format = PDF  | accessdate = 2007-07-05 }}</ref>
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Being at the far northwestern edge of the city, much of the river's natural habitat is still preserved, in part by the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. Downstream however, excessive [[water]] use during [[drought]]s and [[pollution]] during floods has been a source of contention and legal battles with neighboring states [[Alabama]] and [[Florida]].
  
 
===Climate===
 
===Climate===
Atlanta has a humid subtropical climate, with hot, humid summers and mild, but occasionally chilly winters by the standards of the United States. The highest temperature recorded in the city is {{convert|105|°F|°C|0}}, reached in July 1980. January is the coldest month, with an average high of {{convert|52|°F|°C|0}}, and low of {{convert|33|°F|°C|0}}. The coldest temperature ever recorded was {{convert|-9|°F|°C|0}} in February 1899. Atlanta's elevation keeps a more temperate climate than other southern cities of the same latitude due to its elevation being {{convert|1050|ft|m}} above sea level.
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Atlanta has a humid subtropical climate, with hot, humid [[summer]]s and mild, but occasionally chilly [[winter]]s by the standards of the [[United States]]. January is the coldest month, with an average high of {{convert|52|°F|°C|0}} and low of {{convert|33|°F|°C|0}}. Atlanta's elevation ensures it has a more temperate [[climate]] than other southern cities of the same latitude.
  
Like the rest of the southeastern U.S., Atlanta receives abundant [[rain|rainfall]], which is relatively evenly distributed throughout the year. Average annual rainfall is {{convert|50.2|in|mm|0}}. [[Snow|Snowfall]] averages about {{convert|2|in|cm|0}} annually. Frequent [[ice storm]]s can cause more problems than snow
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Like the rest of the [[Southeastern United States|southeastern U.S.]], Atlanta receives abundant [[rain|rainfall]], which is relatively evenly distributed throughout the year. Average annual rainfall is {{convert|50.2|in|mm|0}}. [[Snow|Snowfall]] averages about {{convert|2|in|cm|0}} annually. Frequent [[ice]] storms can cause more problems than snow. In 2008, however, northern [[Georgia]] experienced [[drought]] conditions, and most localities imposed [[water]] use restrictions as water levels in [[lake]]s and [[stream]]s across the state dropped.
  
In 2007, the American Lung Association ranked Atlanta as having the 13th highest level of particle pollution in the United States. The combination of [[air pollution|pollution]] and pollen levels caused the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America to name Atlanta as the worst American city for asthma sufferers to live in.
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In 2007, the [[American Lung Association]] ranked Atlanta as having the 13th highest level of particle [[pollution]] in the United States. The combination of [[air pollution|pollution]] and [[pollen]] levels caused the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America to name Atlanta as the worst American city for [[asthma]] sufferers to live in.
  
==Cityscape==  
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===Cityscape===
 +
Atlanta's skyline is punctuated with highrise buildings, the tallest of which—the Bank of America Plaza—is the 30th-tallest building in the world at {{convert|1023|ft|m|0}}. It is also the tallest building in the United States outside those of [[Chicago]] and [[New York City]].
  
{{wide image|PanATL1.jpg|900px|<center>Panoramic view of the central Atlanta [[skyline]], spanning [[Midtown Atlanta|Midtown]] (left) and [[Downtown Atlanta|Downtown]] (right).</center>}}
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Unlike many other southern cities such as Charleston, Savannah, and [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]], Atlanta chose not to retain its historic Old South [[architecture|architectural]] characteristics. Instead, Atlanta viewed itself as the leading city of a progressive "New South" and opted for expressive modern structures.
 
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{{wide image|PanATL1.jpg|900px|<center>Panoramic view of the central Atlanta skyline, spanning Midtown (left) and Downtown (right).</center>}}
Atlanta's skyline is punctuated with highrise and midrise buildings. Its tallest landmark&nbsp;– the Bank of America Plaza&nbsp;– is the 30th-tallest building in the world at {{convert|1023|ft|m|0}}. It is also the tallest building in the United States outside of [[Chicago]] and [[New York City]].
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===Urban development===
 
[[Image:Atlanta may 08 033.jpg|thumb|right|Midtown Atlanta]]
 
[[Image:Atlanta may 08 033.jpg|thumb|right|Midtown Atlanta]]
Unlike many other Southern cities such as Charleston, Savannah, and New Orleans, Atlanta chose not to retain its historic Old South architectural characteristics. Instead, Atlanta viewed itself as the leading city of a progressive "New South" and opted for expressive modern structures.
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Atlanta is in the midst of a construction and retail boom, with over 60 new high-rise or mid-rise buildings either proposed or under construction as of April 19, 2006.  
 
 
===Urban development===
 
[[Image:Album 23 186.jpg|thumb|right|Rapid urbanization has increased the demand for residential units within the City of Atlanta; this construction is along the "Midtown Mile".]]
 
 
 
Businesses continue to move into the Midtown district. The district's newest tower, 1180 Peachtree, opened in 2006 at a height of {{convert|645|ft|m|0}}, and achieved a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification that year from the U.S. Green Building Council. Atlanta has been in the midst of a construction and retail boom, with over 60 new highrise or midrise buildings either proposed or under construction as of April 19, 2006.  
 
  
In spite of civic efforts such as the opening of [[Centennial Olympic Park]] in downtown in 1996, Atlanta ranks near last in area of park land ''per capita'' among cities of similar population density, with {{convert|8.9|acre|m2}} per thousand residents (36 m²/resident) in 2005.<ref>{{cite web  | title = Total Parkland per 1,000 Residents, by City  | publisher = Center For City Park Excellence  | date=  2006-06-19  | url = http://www.tpl.org/content_documents/ccpe_TotalAcresperResidents.pdf  | format = PDF | accessdate= 2007-06-28 |archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20070628105538/http://www.tpl.org/content_documents/ccpe_TotalAcresperResidents.pdf |archivedate= 2007-09-28 }}</ref> The city has a reputation, however, as a "city of trees" or a "city in a forest";<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.frommers.com/destinations/atlanta/0002010001.html|title=Introduction to Atlanta | publisher= Wiley Publishing, Inc. | work= Frommer's |accessdate=2007-06-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.atlantamagazine.com/article.php?id=207 |title= City Observed: Power Plants |accessdate=2007-09-28 |last= Warhop |first= Bill |work= Atlanta |publisher= Atlanta Magazine |archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20070607192757/http://www.atlantamagazine.com/article.php?id=207 |archivedate= 2007-06-07}}</ref> beyond the central Atlanta and Buckhead business districts, the skyline gives way to a sometimes dense canopy of woods that spreads into the suburbs. Founded in 1985, [[Trees Atlanta]] has planted and distributed over 68,000 shade trees.<ref>{{cite web  | title = About Us  | publisher = Trees Atlanta  | url = http://www.treesatlanta.org/aboutus.html  | accessdate = 2007-09-28 }}</ref>
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Atlanta ranks near last in area of park land per capita among cities of similar population density. The city has a reputation, however, as a "city of trees" or a "city in a forest"; beyond the business districts, the skyline gives way to a sometimes dense canopy of woods that spreads into the suburbs. Founded in 1985, Trees Atlanta has planted and distributed over 68,000 shade trees.
  
The city's northern district, [[Buckhead (Atlanta)|Buckhead]], is 8 miles north of downtown Atlanta and features wealthy neighborhoods, such as Peachtree Battle, Tuxedo Park, and Chastain Park, and is consistently ranked as one of the most affluent neighborhoods in America. Atlanta's East Side is quickly emerging as an intown destination as a result of the rapid [[gentrification]] it has undergone in the current decade. It boasts hip and urban neighborhoods with [[craftsman]] bungalows, [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] mansions, and new infill. Some of the more established neighborhoods include [[Inman Park]], [[Candler Park]], [[Lake Claire]], and [[Little Five Points]]. The more affordable neighborhoods of [[Kirkwood]], [[Old Fourth Ward]], [[East Atlanta]], [[Cabbagetown]], [[Reynoldstown]] and [[Edgewood]] also have much to offer.<ref>http://www.atlantaintownpaper.com/issue2/index.php?issue=2008_06#</ref> In the city's Southwestern section, [[Collier Heights]] is home for the wealthy and elite African-American population of the city, and features neighborhoods such as Cascade Heights and Peyton Forest.<ref>{{cite web
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The city's northern district of Buckhead, eight miles north of downtown Atlanta, features wealthy neighborhoods. It is consistently ranked as one of the most affluent neighborhoods in America. Atlanta's East Side boasts hip and urban neighborhoods. In the city's southwestern section, Collier Heights is home to the wealthy and elite [[African-American]] population of the city.
  | last = Guerrero
 
  | first = Lucio
 
  | authorlink =
 
  | coauthors =
 
  | title = Lake Forest No. 3 on list of best homes for rich
 
  | work = Chicago Sun-Times online edition
 
  | publisher = Chicago Sun-Times
 
  | date = 2001-03-13
 
  | url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20010313/ai_n13893847
 
  | format =
 
  | accessdate = 2008-12-01 }}</ref>
 
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
[[Image:Early atlanta indian trails.jpg|thumb|left|A map showing roads and Indian trails circa 1815, with late 19th century Fulton County and City of Atlanta outlines overlaid.]]
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[[Image:Early atlanta indian trails.jpg|thumb|225px|A map showing roads and Indian trails circa 1815, with late nineteenth century Fulton County and City of Atlanta outlines overlaid.]]
{{main|History of Atlanta}}
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[[Image:Peachtree1907.jpg|thumb|225px|In 1907, Peachtree Street, the main street of Atlanta, was busy with streetcars and automobiles.]]
{{see also|Atlanta in the Civil War}}
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[[Image:Atlanta etc. 019.jpg|thumb|225px|Atlanta's Inman Park neighborhood was the city's first planned suburb. Today, it features several mansions and many colorful restored bungalows.]]
The land where the city of Atlanta now resides was once an American Indian village called Standing Peachtree. The land that became the Atlanta area was sold by the Cherokee and Creeks to white settlers in 1822, with the first area settlement being [[Decatur]]. Soon, an informal trading post sprang up as the first white settlement, called Thrashersville.  
 
  
On December 21, 1836, the [[Georgia General Assembly]] voted to build the [[Western and Atlantic Railroad]] to provide a trade route to the [[Midwestern United States]].<ref name=W&ARR>{{cite web  | title = Creation of the Western and Atlantic Railroad  | work = About North Georgia  | publisher = Golden Ink  | url = http://ngeorgia.com/railroads/warr01.html  | accessdate = 2007-11-12 }}</ref> Following the [[Trail of Tears|forced removal]] of the [[Cherokee Nation]] between 1838 and 1839 the newly depopulated area was opened for the construction of a railroad. The area around the eastern terminus to the line began to develop first, and so the settlement was named "Terminus" in 1837. By 1842, the settlement had six buildings and 30 residents and the town was renamed "Marthasville".<ref name=shorthistory>{{cite web  | title = A Short History of Atlanta: 1782–1859  | publisher = CITY-DIRECTORY, Inc. | date = 2007-09-22  | url = http://www.city-book.com/Overview/history/history1.htm  | accessdate = 2007-12-01 }}</ref> However, some felt the name to be too quaint. The Chief Engineer of the Georgia Railroad, [[J. Edgar Thomson]], suggested that the area be renamed "[[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantica]]-[[Pacific Ocean|Pacifica]]," which was quickly shortened to "Atlanta".<ref name=shorthistory/> The residents approved, and the town was incorporated as Atlanta on December 29, 1847.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ourgeorgiahistory.com/date/December_29|title=Georgia History Timeline Chronology for December&nbsp;29  | publisher = Our Georgia History |accessdate=2007-08-30}}</ref>
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The region where Atlanta and its suburbs were built was originally [[Creek people|Creek]] and [[Cherokee]] [[Native American]] territory. In 1813, the Creeks, who had been recruited by the British to assist them in the [[War of 1812]], attacked and burned [[Fort Mims]] in southwestern [[Alabama]]. The conflict broadened and became known as the [[Creek War]]. In response, the [[United States]] built a string of forts along the [[Ocmulgee River|Ocmulgee]] and [[Chattahoochee River]]s, including Fort Daniel on top of Hog Mountain in present-day [[Dacula, Georgia]], and Fort Gilmer. Fort Gilmer was situated next to an important Indian site called "Peachtree Standing," named after a large tree which is believed to have been a [[pine]] tree (the name referred to the pitch or sap that flowed from it). The word "pitch" was misunderstood for "peach," thus the site's name. The site traditionally marked a Native American meeting place at the boundary between Creek and Cherokee lands, at the point where [[Peachtree Creek]] flows into the Chattahoochee. The fort was soon renamed Fort Peachtree.<ref>''Our Georgia History.'' [http://ourgeorgiahistory.com/lists/georgia_forts.html Georgia's Forts] Retrieved December 18, 2008.</ref>
  
By 1854, another railroad connected Atlanta to [[LaGrange, Georgia|LaGrange]], and the town grew to 9,554 by 1860.<ref>{{cite web  | last = Storey  | first = Steve  | title = Atlanta & West Point Railroad  | publisher = Georgia's Railroad History & Heritage  | url = http://railga.com/atlwp.html  | accessdate = 2007-09-28 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web  | title = Atlanta Old and New: 1848 to 1868  | work = Roadside Georgia  | publisher = Golden Ink  | url = http://roadsidegeorgia.com/city/atlanta02.html  | accessdate = 2007-11-13 }}</ref>
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The Creek land in the eastern part of the metro area (including Decatur) was opened to white settlement in 1823. In 1835, leaders of the [[Cherokee]] nation ceded their land to the government in exchange for land out west under the [[Treaty of New Echota]], an act that eventually led to the [[Trail of Tears]].
  
[[Image:Atlanta1864.jpg|thumb|left|A [[Slavery|slave auction]] house on Whitehall Street]] During the [[American Civil War]], Atlanta served as an important railroad and military supply hub. In 1864, the city became the target of a [[Atlanta campaign|major Union invasion]]. The area now covered by Atlanta was the scene of several battles, including the [[Battle of Peachtree Creek]], the [[Battle of Atlanta]], and the [[Battle of Ezra Church]]. On September 1, 1864, [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] General [[John Bell Hood]] evacuated Atlanta after a four-month siege mounted by Union General [[William Tecumseh Sherman|William T. Sherman]] and ordered all public buildings and possible Confederate assets destroyed. The next day, Mayor [[James Calhoun]] surrendered the city, and on September 7 Sherman ordered the civilian population to evacuate. He then ordered Atlanta burned to the ground on November 11 in preparation for his march south, though he spared the city's churches and hospitals.<ref name=shorthistory2>{{cite web  | title = A Short History of Atlanta: 1860–1864  | publisher = CITY-DIRECTORY, Inc. | date=  2007-09-22  | url = http://www.city-book.com/Overview/history/history2.htm  | accessdate = 2007-12-01 }}</ref>
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In 1836, the Georgia General Assembly voted to build the Western and Atlantic Railroad to provide a trade route to the [[Midwestern United States|Midwest]]. Following the forced removal of the Cherokee between 1838 and 1839 the newly depopulated area was opened for the construction of a [[railroad]]. It was suggested that the area be renamed "Atlantica-Pacifica," which was quickly shortened to "Atlanta." The town was incorporated as Atlanta on December 29, 1847. The population had grown to 9,554 by 1860.
  
The rebuilding of the city was gradual. From 1867 until 1888, U.S. Army soldiers occupied McPherson Barracks in southwest Atlanta to ensure [[Reconstruction era (United States)|Reconstruction era]] reforms. To help the newly freed slaves, the [[Freedmen's Bureau]] worked in tandem with a number of freedmen's aid organizations, especially the American Missionary Association. In 1868, Atlanta became the fifth city to serve as the state capital.<ref>{{cite web  | last = Jackson  | first = Edwin L. | title = The Story of Georgia's Capitols and Capital Cities  | publisher = Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia  | url = http://www.cviog.uga.edu/Projects/gainfo/capital.htm#anchor671763  | accessdate = 2007-11-13 }}</ref> [[Henry W. Grady]], the editor of the ''[[Atlanta Constitution]]'', promoted the city to investors as a city of the "New South," one built on a modern economy, less reliant on agriculture. However, as Atlanta grew, ethnic and racial tensions mounted. The [[Atlanta Race Riot]] of 1906 left at least 27 dead<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.1906atlantaraceriot.org/|title=Atlanta Race Riot | publisher= The Coalition to Remember the 1906 Atlanta Race Riot |accessdate=2006-09-06}}</ref> and over 70 injured.
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During the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], Atlanta served as an important [[railway|railroad]] and military supply hub. In 1864, the city became the target of a major Union invasion. The area now covered by Atlanta was the scene of several battles. Union General [[William Tecumseh Sherman|William T. Sherman]] ordered that Atlanta be burned to the ground in preparation for his march south, though he spared the city's churches and hospitals.
  
[[Image:Peachtree1907.jpg|thumb|left|In 1907, Peachtree Street, the main street of Atlanta, was busy with streetcars and automobiles.]]On December 15, 1939, Atlanta hosted the premiere of [[Gone With the Wind]], the movie based on Atlanta-born [[Margaret Mitchell]]'s best-selling novel. Stars [[Clark Gable]], [[Vivien Leigh]], and [[Olivia de Haviland]] were in attendance, and it was held at Loew's Grand Theatre.<ref>[http://ngeorgia.com/ang/Atlanta_Premiere_of_Gone_With_The_Wind Atlanta Premiere of Gone With The Wind<!-- Bot generated title —>]</ref>
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The rebuilding of the city was gradual. In 1868, Atlanta became the fifth city to serve as the state capital. As Atlanta grew, however, ethnic and racial tensions mounted. The Atlanta [[race riot]] of 1906 left at least 27 dead and over 70 injured.
  
During [[World War II]], manufacturing such as the [[Bell Aircraft]] factory in the suburb of [[Marietta, Georgia|Marietta]] helped boost the city's population and economy. Shortly after the war, the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] was founded in Atlanta.<ref>{{cite web  | title = Commemorating CDC's 60th Anniversary | work =  CDC Website | publisher = Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)  | url = http://www.cdc.gov/about/history/60th.htm  | accessdate = 2008-04-18 }}</ref>
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On December 15, 1939, Atlanta hosted the premiere of ''Gone With the Wind,'' the [[film|movie]] based on Atlanta-born [[Margaret Mitchell]]'s best-selling novel.  
  
In the wake of the landmark [[U.S. Supreme Court]] decision ''[[Brown v. Board of Education]]'', which helped usher in the [[Civil Rights Movement]], racial tensions in Atlanta began to express themselves in acts of violence. On October 12, 1958, [[Bombing of the Hebrew Benevolent Congregation Temple|a Reform Jewish temple on Peachtree Street was bombed]]; the synagogue's rabbi, Jacob Rothschild, was an outspoken advocate of integration.<ref>{{cite book
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During [[World War II]], [[manufacturing]] such as the Bell Aircraft [[factory]] in the suburb of Marietta helped boost the city's population and economy. Shortly after the war, the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] was founded in Atlanta.
  | last = Greene
 
  | first = Melissa Faye
 
  | authorlink =
 
  | coauthors =
 
  | title = The Temple Bombing
 
  | publisher = Da Capo Press
 
  | year = 2006
 
  | location = Cambridge, Massachusetts
 
  | isbn = 9780306815188}}</ref> A group of anti-Semitic white supremacists calling themselves  the "Confederate Underground" claimed responsibility.
 
  
[[Image:Atlanta etc. 019.jpg|thumb|right|Atlanta's [[Inman Park]] neighborhood was the city's first planned suburb. Today, it features several mansions and many colorful restored [[bungalows]].]]
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===Civil Rights Movement===
 +
In the wake of the landmark [[U.S. Supreme Court]] decision ''[[Brown v. Board of Education]],'' which helped usher in the [[African-American Civil Rights Movement]], racial tensions in Atlanta began to express themselves in acts of [[violence]].  
  
In the 1960s, Atlanta was a major organizing center of the [[African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968)|Civil Rights Movement]], with Dr. Martin Luther King and students from Atlanta's historically black colleges and universities playing major roles in the movement's leadership. Two of the most important civil rights organizations—[[Southern Christian Leadership Conference]] and [[Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee]]—had their national headquarters in Atlanta.  
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In the 1960s, Atlanta was a major organizing center of the Civil Rights Movement, with Dr. [[Martin Luther King]] and students from Atlanta's historically black colleges and universities playing major roles in the movement's leadership. Two of the most important civil rights organizations—[[Southern Christian Leadership Conference]] and [[Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee]]—had their national headquarters in Atlanta.
Despite some racial protests during the Civil Rights era, Atlanta's political and business leaders labored to foster Atlanta's image as "the city too busy to hate." In 1961, Mayor [[Ivan Allen Jr.]] became one of the few Southern white mayors to support desegregation of Atlanta's public schools.<ref>{{cite journal
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  | last = Hornsby
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Despite some racial protests during the Civil Rights era, Atlanta's political and business leaders labored to foster Atlanta's image as "the city too busy to hate." In 1961, Mayor Ivan Allen Jr. became one of the few Southern white mayors to support [[desegregation]] of Atlanta's public schools.
  | first = Alton
 
  | authorlink =
 
  | coauthors =
 
  | title = Black Public Education in Atlanta, Georgia, 1954–1973: From Segregation to Segregation
 
  | journal = The Journal of Negro History
 
  | volume = 76
 
  | issue = 1
 
  | pages = 21–47
 
  | publisher = Association for the Study of African-American Life and History, Inc.
 
  | date = Winter&nbsp;—Autumn, 1991
 
  | id = ISSN 00222992 }}</ref>
 
  
Black Atlantans demonstrated growing political influence with election of the first African-American mayor in 1973. They became a majority in the city during the late 20th century but suburbanization, rising prices, a booming economy and new migrants have decreased their percentage in the city from a high of 66.8 percent in 1990 to about 54 percent in 2004. New immigrants such as Latinos and Asians are also altering city demographics, in addition to an influx of white residents.<ref name="nyt-031106">{{cite news | publisher=[[The New York Times]] | first=Shaila | last=Dewan | date=March 11, 2006 | title=Gentrification Changing Face of New Atlanta | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/11/national/11atlanta.html?ei=5090&en=bf1cb813a14f4341&ex=1299733200&adxnnl=0&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1142054955-6bzVsYXnlCDNwbMJEoswIg&pagewanted=all }}</ref>
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Black Atlantans demonstrated growing political influence with the election of the first African-American mayor in 1973. They became a majority in the city during the late twentieth century, but suburbanization, rising prices, a booming economy, and new migrants have decreased their percentage in the city from a high of 66.8 percent in 1990 to about 54 percent in 2004. New immigrants, such as Latinos and Asians, are also altering city demographics, in addition to an influx of white residents.
  
In 1990, Atlanta was selected as the site for the [[1996 Summer Olympics]]. Following the announcement, Atlanta undertook several major construction projects to improve the city's parks, sports facilities, and transportation. Atlanta became the third American city to host the Summer Olympics. The games themselves were marred by numerous organizational inefficiencies, as well as the [[Centennial Olympic Park bombing]].<ref>{{cite web
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In 1990, Atlanta was selected as the site for the 1996 Summer Olympics. Following the announcement, Atlanta undertook several major construction projects to improve the city's parks, sports facilities, and transportation. Atlanta became the third American city to host the Summer Olympics. The games themselves were marred by the Centennial Olympic Park bombing.
  | last =
 
  | first =
 
  | authorlink =
 
  | coauthors =
 
  | title = Olympic Games Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., 1996
 
  | work = Encyclopædia Britannica online
 
  | publisher = Encyclopædia Britannica
 
  | date =
 
  | url = http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-249564/Olympic-Games
 
  | format =
 
  | accessdate = 2008-01-02 }}</ref>
 
  
Contemporary Atlanta is sometimes considered a poster child for cities worldwide experiencing rapid growth and urban sprawl.<ref name="koolhaas">{{cite book |last=Koolhaas |first=Rem | authorlink=Rem Koolhaas |coauthors=Bruce Mau |title=S,M,L,XL |year=1996 |publisher=Monacelli Press |location=New York City |isbn=1-885254-86-5 }}</ref><ref name="nyt-022500" /> However, the city has recently been commended by bodies such as the Environmental Protection Agency for its eco-friendly policies.<ref name="EPA">{{cite web | last=Carl | first=Terry | publisher=[[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]] | title=EPA Congratulations Atlanta on Smart Growth Success| date=November 18, 2005 | url=http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/9f9e145a6a71391a852572a000657b5e/0e30c482fa56b3ac852570d00057768b!OpenDocument  | accessdate = 2008-04-15 }}</ref>
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Contemporary Atlanta is sometimes considered a poster child for cities experiencing rapid growth and urban sprawl. However, the city has been commended by bodies such as the [[Environmental Protection Agency]] for its eco-friendly policies.
  
==Culture==
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==Government and politics==
[[Image:IMG 4805.JPG|thumb|The Sweet Auburn district is preserved as the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site.]]
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[[Image:Atlanta City Hall from HABS.jpg|thumb|left|175px|Atlanta City Hall]]
[[Image:Ab30 (55).jpg|thumb|Atlanta's Piedmont Park is the city's largest park. A portion of the park is seen here with the Midtown Atlanta Skyline.]]
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[[Image:GeorgiaCapitolBuilding.jpg|2936x1940, 457KB|thumb|225px|The Georgia State Capitol]]
  
===Tourism===
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Atlanta is governed by a [[mayor]] and a city council. The city council consists of 15 representatives—one from each of the city's 12 districts and three at-large positions. The mayor may veto a bill passed by the council, but the council can override the veto with a two-thirds majority.  
Atlanta features the world's largest aquarium,<ref>{{cite web  | title = Big window to the sea  | url = http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/11/21/new.ga.aquarium/index.html  | publisher = CNN | accessdate = 2008-01-01 }}</ref>  the [[Georgia Aquarium]], which officially opened to the public on November 23, 2005. The new [[World of Coca-Cola]], opened adjacent to the Aquarium in May 2007, features the history of the world-famous soft drink brand and provides visitors the opportunity to taste different Coca-Cola products from around the world. [[Underground Atlanta]], a historic shopping and entertainment complex lies under the streets of downtown Atlanta. [[Atlantic Station]], a huge new urban renewal project on the northwestern edge of Midtown Atlanta, officially opened in October 2005.
 
[[Image:TheVarsity Atlanta-GA.jpg|left|thumb|[[The Varsity]] has been an Atlanta landmark for over 75 years.]]
 
Atlanta hosts a variety of museums on subjects ranging from history to fine arts, natural history, and beverages. Museums and attractions in the city include the Atlanta History Center; the Carter Center; the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site; the Atlanta Cyclorama and Civil War Museum; historic house museum Rhodes Hall; and the Margaret Mitchell House and Museum. Children's museums include The Fernbank Science Center and Imagine It! Children's Museum of Atlanta.
 
  
Piedmont Park hosts many of Atlanta's festivals and cultural events.<ref name=piedmonthist>{{cite web  | title =  Park History  | publisher = Piedmont Park Conservancy  | url = http://www.piedmontpark.org/history/history.html  | accessdate = 2007-07-07 }}</ref> [[Atlanta Botanical Garden]] sits next to the park. [[Zoo Atlanta]], in [[Grant Park (Atlanta)|Grant Park]], features a [[panda]] exhibit. Just east of the city rises [[Stone Mountain]], the largest piece of exposed [[granite]] in the world.<ref name="stone_mountain_encyclopedia">{{cite web  | last = Stewart  | first = Bruce E. | title = Stone Mountain  | work = The New Georgia Encyclopedia  | publisher = Georgia Humanities Council and the University of Georgia Press  | date=  2004-05-14  | url = http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-2145  | accessdate = 2007-09-28 }}</ref>
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Every mayor elected since 1973 has been black. [[Maynard Jackson]] served two terms and was succeeded by [[Andrew Young]] in 1982. Jackson returned for a third term in 1990 and was succeeded by Bill Campbell. In 2001, [[Shirley Franklin]] became the first woman to be elected mayor and the first African-American woman to serve as mayor of a major southern city. She was re-elected for a second term in 2005, winning 90 percent of the vote.  
  
===Entertainment and performing arts===
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Atlanta city politics during the Campbell administration suffered from a notorious reputation for corruption, and in 2006 a federal jury convicted the former mayor on three counts of tax evasion in connection with [[gambling]] income he received during trips he took with city contractors.
{{see also|Popular music artists from Atlanta}}
 
[[Image:Fox Theatre Atlanta.jpg|thumb|The [[Fox Theatre (Atlanta)|Fox Theatre]].]]
 
[[Image:10 The High.jpg|thumb|left|The [[High Museum of Art]], a division of the [[Woodruff Arts Center]] in [[Midtown Atlanta]].]]
 
  
Atlanta's classical music scene includes the [[Atlanta Symphony Orchestra]], [[Atlanta Opera]], [[Atlanta Ballet]], [[New Trinity Baroque]], the [[Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra]],and the [[Atlanta Boy Choir]]. Classical musicians include renowned conductors such as the late [[Robert Shaw (conductor)|Robert Shaw]] and the Atlanta Symphony's [[Robert Spano]].
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As the state capital, Atlanta is the site of most of Georgia's state government. The Capitol, located downtown, houses the offices of the governor, lieutenant governor, and secretary of state, as well as of the General Assembly. Atlanta is also the county seat of Fulton County, with which it shares responsibility for the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System.
  
The city has a well-known and active live music scene, though recently rapid gentrification and early venue closing times have hurt small clubs and other music venues.
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The city has been on the top 25 most dangerous large cities list, ranking worst in 1994; it is currently ranked as the 17th most dangerous big city. According to [[crime]] statistics for Atlanta, crime in the city is well above the national average.
  
The most famous galleries in the city include the renowned [[High Museum of Art]], the [[Atlanta Institute for the Arts]], and the [[Georgia Museum of Contemporary Art]].
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==Economy==
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[[Image:Newworldofcocacola.jpg|thumb|225px|The World of Coca-Cola museum reopened near the Georgia Aquarium in 2007.]]
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[[Image:FedReserve Atlanta.jpg|thumb|225px|Federal Reserve Bank in Midtown Atlanta.]]
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[[Image:CDC HDR I.jpg|thumb|225px|Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adjacent to Emory University.]]
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[[Image:downtownconnectoratlantaaerial.jpg|thumb|225px|The Downtown Connector]]
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Atlanta ranks third in the number of Fortune 500 companies headquartered within city boundaries, behind [[New York City]] and [[Houston, Texas|Houston]]. Several major national and international companies are headquartered in Atlanta or its nearby suburbs, including three Fortune 100 companies: Coca-Cola Company, Home Depot, and United Parcel Service. Other headquarters for some major companies in Atlanta and around the metro area include Arby's, Chick-fil-A, Earthlink, Equifax, Georgia-Pacific, Oxford Industries, Southern Company, SunTrust Banks, and Waffle House. Over 75 percent of the Fortune 1000 companies have a presence in the Atlanta area, and the region hosts offices of about 1,250 multinational corporations.
  
===Sports===
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As of 2006 Atlanta Metropolitan Area ranked as the tenth largest cybercity (high-tech center) in the United States, with 126,700 high-tech jobs.<ref>''Atlanta Business Chronicle''. June 24, 2008. [http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2008/06/23/daily21.html?jst=b_ln_hl AeA ranks Atlanta 10th-largest U.S. cybercity] Retrieved December 18, 2008.</ref>
[[Image:Turner field Braves.jpg|thumb|right|[[Turner Field]]]]
 
  
Atlanta is home to several professional sports franchises, including teams from [[U.S. cities with teams from four major sports|all four different major league sports in the U.S.]] The [[Atlanta Braves]] of [[Major League Baseball]] and the [[Atlanta Falcons]] of the [[National Football League]], have played in the city since 1966. The Braves began playing in 1871 as the Boston Red Stockings, and is the oldest continually operating professional baseball team of Major League Baseball.<ref name="braves_oldest_team">"[http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/atl/history/story_of_the_braves.jsp The Story of the Braves]." ''Atlanta Braves.'' Retrieved on April 29, 2008.</ref> The Braves won the [[World Series]] in 1995, and had an unprecedented run of 14 straight divisional championships from 1991 to 2005.
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Delta Air Lines is the city's largest employer and the metro area's third largest.  
  
The [[Atlanta Falcons]] are an [[American football]] team of the [[National Football League]] have played in Atlanta since 1966. The team currently plays at the [[Georgia Dome]]. They have won the division title three times, and one conference championship&nbsp;– going on to lose to the [[Denver Broncos]] in [[Super Bowl XXXIII]] on January 31, 1999. Atlanta hosted [[Super Bowl XXVIII]] in 1994 and [[Super Bowl XXXIV]] in 2000.<ref name="falcons">"[http://www.atlantafalcons.com/People/Alumni/History.aspx History: Atlanta Falcons]." ''Atlanta Falcons.'' Retrieved on April 29, 2008.</ref>
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===Finance===
 +
Atlanta has a sizable [[finance|financial]] sector. SunTrust Banks, the seventh largest [[bank]] by asset holdings in the United States, has its home office downtown. The [[Federal Reserve System]] has a district headquarters in Atlanta; the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, which oversees much of the [[Deep South]], relocated from downtown to midtown in 2001. City, state and civic leaders harbor long-term hopes of having the city serve as the home of the secretariat of a future Free Trade Area of the Americas.
  
The [[Atlanta Hawks]] of the [[National Basketball Association]] have played in Atlanta since 1968. The team's history goes back to 1946, when they were known as the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, playing in the area now known as the [[Quad Cities]]  ([[Moline, Illinois|Moline]] and [[Rock Island, Illinois]], and [[Davenport, Iowa]]). The team then moved to Milwaukee in 1951, and to St. Louis in 1955, where they won their sole [[NBA Finals|NBA Championship]] as the St. Louis Hawks. In 1968, they came to Atlanta.<ref name="hawks_history">"[http://www.nba.com/hawks/history/00400483.html A Franchise Rich With Tradition: From Pettit To 'Pistol Pete' To The 'Human Highlight Film']." ''Atlanta Hawks.'' Retrieved on April 29, 2008.</ref> In October 2007, the [[Women's National Basketball Association]] (WNBA) announced that Atlanta would receive an expansion franchise, beginning league play in May 2008. The new team is the [[Atlanta Dream]], and will play in [[Philips Arena]]. The new franchise is not affiliated with the Atlanta Hawks.<ref>{{cite web|title = The WNBA Is Coming to Atlanta in 2008|work = WNBA.com|publisher = WNBA Enterprises, LLC|date = 2008-01-22|url = http://aol.wnba.com/atlanta/|accessdate = 2008-03-21}}</ref>
+
The [[automobile|auto]] [[manufacturing]] sector in metropolitan Atlanta has suffered setbacks recently, including the closure of General Motors' Doraville Assembly plant in September 2008 as part of the company's cost-cutting measures and the shutdown of Ford Motor Company's Atlanta Assembly plant in Hapeville in 2006. Kia, however, has broken ground on a new assembly plant near West Point, Georgia.
 
 
From 1972–1980, the [[Calgary Flames|Atlanta Flames]] played [[ice hockey]] in the [[National Hockey League]] (NHL). The team moved to [[Calgary]], [[Alberta]], Canada in 1980, due to financial difficulties of the owner, and became the Calgary Flames. On June 25, 1997, Atlanta was awarded an NHL expansion franchise, and the [[Atlanta Thrashers]] became the city's newest  ice hockey team. The Thrashers play at [[Philips Arena]]. The team began play on September 18, 1999, losing to the [[New York Rangers]] 3-2 in overtime in a preseason game. The Thrashers first home victory came on October 26, 1999, defeating the Calgary Flames.<ref name="thrashers_history">"[http://thrashers.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NHLPage&id=13738 History]." ''Atlanta Thrashers.'' Retrieved on April 29, 2008.</ref>
 
 
 
Atlanta is also home to the [[Atlanta Silverbacks]] of the [[United Soccer Leagues]] First Division (men) and W-League (women). The city is also being considered for a potential expansion team in [[Major League Soccer]].<ref name="league_goals">{{cite web|last = Falkoff|first = Robert|title = Commissioner outlines league goals|publisher = Major League Soccer, L.L.C|date = 2007-11-16|url = http://www.mlsnet.com//news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20071116&content_id=129731&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp|accessdate = 2008-03-21}}</ref> The [[Atlanta Chiefs]] won the championship of the now-defunct [[North American Soccer League]] in 1968. In golf, the final [[PGA Tour]] event of the season that features elite players, [[The Tour Championship]], is played annually at [[East Lake Golf Club]].<ref>Before the 2007 season, this was the last event of the PGA Tour season. However, a revamping of the Tour calendar in 2007 created a season-long points race known as the [[FedEx Cup]] to determine the Tour's season champion. The Tour Championship, now held in late September, is the final event in the FedEx Cup, although the Tour season continues into November with the [[PGA Tour Fall Series|Fall Series]].</ref> This golf course is used because of its connection to the great amateur golfer [[Bobby Jones (golfer)|Bobby Jones]], an Atlanta native.
 
 
 
Atlanta has a rich tradition in collegiate athletics. The [[Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets]] participate in seventeen intercollegiate sports, including [[American football|football]] and [[basketball]]. Tech competes in the [[Atlantic Coast Conference]], and is home to [[Bobby Dodd Stadium]], the oldest continuously used on campus site for [[college football]] in the southern United States, and oldest currently in Division I FBS.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ramblinwreck.cstv.com/genrel/071001aaa.html|title=Bobby Dodd Stadium At Historic Grant Field :: A Cornerstone of College Football for Nearly a Century|work=RamblinWreck.com|publisher=Georgia Tech Athletic Association|accessdate=2007-03-24}}</ref> The stadium was built in 1913 by students of [[Georgia Institute of Technology|Georgia Tech]]. Atlanta also played host to the second intercollegiate football game in the South, played between [[Auburn University]] and the [[University of Georgia]] in [[Piedmont Park]] in 1892; this game is now called the [[Deep South's Oldest Rivalry]].<ref name="auburn-georgia">"[http://www.georgiadogs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=8800&ATCLID=676604 Georgia And Auburn Face Off In Deep South's Oldest Rivalry]." ''[http://www.georgiadogs.com/ georgiadogs.com].'' November 6, 2006. Retrieved on April 29, 2008.</ref> The city hosts college football's annual [[Chick-fil-A Bowl]] (Formerly known as The Peach Bowl) and the [[Peachtree Road Race]], the world’s largest {{nowrap|10 km}} race.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2005/11/14/focus3.html| title=Peachtree race director deflects praise to others| publisher=Atlanta Business Chronicle|accessdate= 2008-01-01}}</ref>
 
 
 
Atlanta was the host city for the Centennial [[1996 Summer Olympics]]. [[Centennial Olympic Park]], built for 1996 Summer Olympics, sits adjacent to [[CNN Center]] and [[Philips Arena]]. It is now operated by the [[Georgia World Congress Center]] Authority. Atlanta hosted the [[NCAA Final Four]] Men's Basketball Championship most recently in April 2007.
 
 
 
{|class="wikitable"
 
!Club
 
!Sport
 
!League
 
!Venue
 
|-
 
|[[Atlanta Falcons]]
 
|[[American Football]]
 
|[[National Football League]]
 
|[[Georgia Dome]]
 
|-
 
|[[Atlanta Braves]]
 
|[[Baseball]]
 
|[[Major League Baseball]], [[National League|NL]]
 
|[[Turner Field]]
 
|-
 
|[[Atlanta Hawks]]
 
|[[Basketball]]
 
|[[National Basketball Association]]
 
|[[Philips Arena]]
 
|-
 
|[[Atlanta Thrashers]]
 
|[[Ice Hockey]]
 
|[[National Hockey League]]
 
|[[Philips Arena]]
 
|-
 
|[[Atlanta Dream]]
 
|[[Basketball]]
 
|[[Women's National Basketball Association]]
 
|[[Philips Arena]]
 
|-
 
|[[Atlanta Silverbacks]]
 
|[[Football (Soccer)|Soccer (Football)]]
 
|[[USL First Division]]
 
|[[Silverbacks Park]]
 
|-
 
|[[Georgia Force]]
 
|[[Arena Football]]
 
|[[Arena Football League]]
 
|[[Arena at Gwinnett Center]]
 
|-
 
|[[Gwinnett Gladiators]]
 
|[[Ice Hockey]]
 
|[[ECHL]]
 
|[[Arena at Gwinnett Center]]
 
|-
 
|[[Atlanta Vision]]
 
|[[Basketball]]
 
|[[American Basketball Association (21st century)|ABA]]:[[Blue Conference]]
 
|The Sampson's Center
 
|}
 
  
 
===Media===
 
===Media===
{{Main|Media in Atlanta}}
+
The Atlanta metro area is served by many local [[television]] stations and is the eighth largest designated market area (DMA) in the United States with 2,310,490 homes (2.0 percent of the total).<ref name="nielsen">''Watershed Publishing''. September 22, 2007. [http://www.marketingcharts.com/television/us-television-households-increase-13-for-2007-2008-season-1385/nielsen-us-tv-2007-2008-top-50-dmajpg/ Nielsen Reports 1.3% increase in U.S. Television Households for the 2007-2008 Season] Retrieved December 18, 2008.</ref> There are also numerous local [[radio]] stations serving every genre.
  
The [[Atlanta metro area]] is served by many local television stations and is the eighth largest [[designated market area]] (DMA) in the U.S. with 2,310,490 homes (2.0% of the total U.S.).<ref name="nielsen"> "[http://www.marketingcharts.com/television/us-television-households-increase-13-for-2007-2008-season-1385/nielsen-us-tv-2007-2008-top-50-dmajpg/ Nielsen Reports 1.3% increase in U.S. Television Households for the 2007-2008 Season]." ''[[Nielsen Media Research]].'' (September 22, 2007) Retrieved on April 29, 2008.</ref> There are also numerous local radio stations serving every genre of music, sports
+
The city is a major cable television programming center. [[Ted Turner]] began the [[Turner Broadcasting System]] media empire in Atlanta and established the headquarters of the [[Cable News Network]] at CNN Center, adjacent today to Centennial Olympic Park. As his company grew, its other channels&nbsp;– the Cartoon Network, Boomerang, TNT, Turner South, CNN International, CNN en Español, CNN Headline News, and CNN Airport Network&nbsp;– centered their operations in Atlanta as well (Turner South has since been sold). The Weather Channel, owned by Landmark Communications, has its offices in the nearby suburb of Marietta.
  
==Economy==
+
Cox Enterprises, a privately held company, has substantial media holdings in and beyond Atlanta. Its Cox Communications division is the nation's third-largest [[cable television]] service provider; the company also publishes over a dozen daily [[newspaper]]s in the United States, including ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.''
{{seealso|List of major companies in Atlanta}}
 
[[Image:Newworldofcocacola.jpg|thumb|The [[World of Coca-Cola]] museum reopened at a new location near the [[Georgia Aquarium]] on May 26, 2007.]]
 
[[Image:FedReserve Atlanta.jpg|thumb|right|[[Federal Reserve Bank]] in [[Midtown Atlanta]].]]
 
[[Image:downtownconnectoratlantaaerial.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Downtown Connector]]]]
 
[[Image:CDC HDR I.jpg|thumb|right|[[Center for Disease Control and Prevention]], headquartered adjacent to [[Emory University]].]]
 
  
One of seven American cities classified as [[Global city#Gamma world cities (minor world cities)|Gamma world cities]], Atlanta ranks third in the number of [[Fortune 500]] companies headquartered within city boundaries, behind [[New York City]] and [[Houston]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2007/cities/|title=Fortune 500, 2007 | date= 2007-04-08 | publisher= CNNMoney.com |accessdate=2007-06-26}}</ref> Several major national and international companies are headquartered in Atlanta or its nearby suburbs, including three Fortune 100 companies: [[The Coca-Cola Company]], [[Home Depot]], and [[United Parcel Service]] in adjacent [[Sandy Springs, Georgia|Sandy Springs]]. The headquarters of [[AT&T Mobility]] (formerly Cingular Wireless), the largest [[mobile phone]] service provider in the United States,<ref>{{cite web  | last = Taylor  | first = Paul  | title = Cingular profits quadruple on subscriber growth  | work = The Financial Times  | publisher = The Financial Times Limited  | date=  2006-10-19  | url = http://www.ft.com/cms/s/5559f4ea-5f99-11db-a011-0000779e2340.html  | accessdate = 2007-09-28 }}</ref> can be found a short distance inside the Perimeter beside [[Georgia State Route 400]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.cingular.com/about/ |title=About Wireless Services from AT&T, Formerly Cingular| publisher = AT&T Knowledge Ventures |accessdate=2007-06-26}}</ref> [[Newell Rubbermaid]] is one of the most recent companies to relocate to the metro area; in October 2006, it announced plans to move its headquarters to Sandy Springs.<ref>{{cite web  | last = Woods  | first = Walter  | title = Rubbermaid building new HQ, adding 350 jobs  | work = The Atlanta Journal-Constitution  | date=  2006-10-17  | archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20061113071442/http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/stories/2006/10/17/1017rubbermaid_.html  | archivedate = 2006-11-13  | url = http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/stories/2006/10/17/1017rubbermaid_.html  | accessdate = 2007-09-28 }}</ref> Other headquarters for some major companies in Atlanta and around the metro area include [[Arby's]], [[Chick-fil-A]], [[Earthlink]], [[Equifax]], [[Georgia-Pacific]], [[Oxford Industries]], [[Southern Company]], [[SunTrust Banks]], and [[Waffle House]]. Over 75% of the [[Fortune 1000]] companies have a presence in the Atlanta area, and the region hosts offices of about 1,250 multinational corporations. As of 2006 Atlanta Metropolitan Area ranks as the 10th largest cybercity(high-tech center) in the US, with 126,700 high-tech jobs.<ref>[http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2008/06/23/daily21.html?jst=b_ln_hl AeA ranks Atlanta 10th-largest U.S. cybercity<!-- Bot generated title —>]</ref>
+
===CDC===
 +
Atlanta is also home to the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC), with a staff of nearly 15,000 in 170 occupations, including: engineers, [[entomology|entomologists]], [[epidemiology|epidemiologists]], [[biology|biologists]], physicians, veterinarians, behavioral scientists, nurses, medical technologists, economists, health communicators, toxicologists, chemists, computer scientists, and statisticians.
  
[[Delta Air Lines]] is the city's largest employer and the metro area's third largest.<ref>{{cite web  | publisher = Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce  | title = Atlanta's top employers, 2006  | url=http://www.metroatlantachamber.com/macoc/business/img/TopEmployers2006.pdf  | accessdate = 2007-08-08 |format=PDF}}</ref>  Delta operates the world's largest airline hub at [[Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport]] and, together with the hub of competing carrier [[AirTran Airways]], has helped make Hartsfield-Jackson the world's busiest airport, both in terms of passenger traffic and aircraft operations. The airport, since its construction in the 1950s, has served as a key engine of Atlanta's economic growth.<ref name="allen">{{cite book |last=Allen |first=Frederick |title=Atlanta Rising |year=1996 |publisher=Longstreet Press |location=Atlanta, Georgia |isbn=1-56352-296-9 }}</ref>
+
===Transportation===
 +
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest airport as measured by passenger traffic and by aircraft traffic, provides air service between Atlanta and many national and international destinations.  
  
Atlanta has a sizable financial sector. [[SunTrust Banks]], the seventh largest bank by asset holdings in the United States,<ref>{{cite web  | title = The Largest Banks in the U.S. | publisher = The New York Job Source  | date=  2006-06-30  | url = http://nyjobsource.com/banks.html  | format = chart  | accessdate = 2007-08-22 }}</ref> has its home office on Peachtree Street in downtown.<ref>{{cite web  | last = Sarath  | first = Patrice  | title = SunTrust Banks, Inc. | publisher = Hoovers  | url = http://hoovers.com/suntrust/—ID__11416—/free-co-factsheet.xhtml  | accessdate = 2007-08-22 }}</ref> The [[Federal Reserve System]] has a district headquarters in Atlanta; the [[Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta]], which oversees much of the [[deep South]], relocated from downtown to midtown in 2001.<ref>{{cite web  | last = Bowers  | first = Paige  | title = Beers built marble monument for Fed. Reserve  | work = Atlanta Business Chronicle  | publisher = American City Business Journals, Inc  | date=  2001-12-07  | url = http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2001/12/10/focus9.html  | accessdate = 2007-09-28 }}</ref> [[Wachovia]] announced plans in August 2006 to place its new [[credit card|credit-card]] division in Atlanta,<ref>{{cite web  | last = Rauch  | first = Joe  | title = Wachovia to put headquarters of card subsidiary in Atlanta  | work = Birmingham Business Journal  | publisher = American City Business Journals, Inc  | date=  2006-08-21  | url = http://birmingham.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2006/08/21/daily3.html?jst=pn_pn_lk  | accessdate = 2007-09-28 }}</ref> and city, state and civic leaders harbor long-term hopes of having the city serve as the home of the secretariat of a future [[Free Trade Area of the Americas]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atlantagateway.org/|title=Atlanta: gateway to the future | publisher= Hemisphere, Inc. | accessdate=2007-06-26}}</ref>
+
With a comprehensive network of freeways that radiate out from the city, Atlantans rely on their cars as the dominant mode of transportation in the region. Atlanta is mostly encircled by Interstate 285, a beltway locally known as "the Perimeter" which has come to mark the boundary between the interior of the region and its surrounding [[suburb]]s.
  
The auto manufacturing sector in metropolitan Atlanta has suffered setbacks recently, including the planned closure of the [[General Motors]] [[Doraville Assembly]] plant in 2008, and the shutdown of [[Ford Motor Company]]'s [[Atlanta Assembly]] plant in [[Hapeville, Georgia|Hapeville]] in 2006. [[Kia Motors|Kia]], however, has broken ground on a new assembly plant near [[West Point, Georgia|West Point]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]].<ref>{{cite news  | last = Duffy  | first = Kevin  | title = Supplier to build at Kia site in West Point  | work = Atlanta Journal-Constitution  | date=  2007-08-09  | url = http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/stories/2007/08/08/mobis_0809.html  | accessdate = 2007-08-22 | archiveurl = | archivedate= }}</ref>
+
Three major [[interstate]] [[highway]]s converge in Atlanta; Two combine to form the Downtown Connector through the middle of the city. The combined highway carries more than 340,000 [[vehicle]]s per day and is one of the ten most congested segments of interstate highway in the United States.
  
The city is a major [[cable TV|cable television]] programming center. [[Ted Turner]] began the [[Turner Broadcasting System]] media empire in Atlanta, where he bought a UHF station that eventually became [[TBS (TV network)|WTBS]]. Turner established the headquarters of the [[Cable News Network]] at [[CNN Center]], adjacent today to [[Centennial Olympic Park]]. As his company grew, its other channels&nbsp;– the [[Cartoon Network]], [[Boomerang (TV channel)|Boomerang]], [[Turner Network Television|TNT]], [[Turner South]], [[CNN International]], [[CNN en Español]], [[CNN Headline News]], and [[CNN Airport Network]]&nbsp;– centered their operations in Atlanta as well (Turner South has since been sold). [[The Weather Channel (United States)|The Weather Channel]], owned by [[Landmark Communications]], has its offices in the nearby suburb of [[Marietta, Georgia|Marietta]].
+
This strong [[automobile|automotive]] reliance has resulted in heavy [[traffic]] and contributes to Atlanta's [[air pollution]], which has made Atlanta one of the more polluted cities in the country. The Clean Air Campaign was created in 1996 to help reduce pollution in metro Atlanta.
 +
{| align="right" width="450"
 +
|[[Image:MARTA - N3 Station.jpg|thumb|150px|Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority provides public transportation in Atlanta]]
 +
|[[Image:Atlanta 75.85.jpg|thumb|150px|The Downtown Connector, with the downtown skyline in the background]]
 +
|[[Image:Beltline from Woodward Bridge in Piedmont Park.JPG|thumb|150px|Part of the future Beltline in Piedmont Park]]
 +
|}
 +
In recent years, the Atlanta metro area has ranked at or near the top of the longest average commute times in the U.S. Also the Atlanta metro area has ranked at or near the top for worst traffic in the country.
  
[[Cox Enterprises]], a privately held company controlled by siblings [[Barbara Cox Anthony]] and [[Anne Cox Chambers]], has substantial media holdings in and beyond Atlanta. Its [[Cox Communications]] division is the nation's third-largest cable television service provider;<ref>{{cite web  | title = About Cox  | publisher = Cox Communications, Inc  | url = http://www.cox.com/about/  | accessdate = 2007-08-22 }}</ref> the company also publishes over a dozen daily newspapers in the United States, including ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution''. [[WSB (AM)|WSB]]&nbsp;– the flagship station of Cox Radio&nbsp;– was the first [[AM radio]] station in the South.
+
Notwithstanding heavy automotive usage, Atlanta's subway system, operated by Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), is the seventh busiest in the country. MARTA also operates a [[bus]] system within Fulton, DeKalb, and Gwinnett Counties. Clayton, Cobb, and Gwinnett counties each operate separate, autonomous transit authorities, using buses but no trains.
 
 
Atlanta is also home to the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC). Adjacent to Emory University, with a staff of nearly 15,000 (including 6,000 contractors and 840 Commissioned Corps officers) in 170 occupations, including: engineers, entomologists, epidemiologists, biologists, physicians, veterinarians, behavioral scientists, nurses, medical technologists, economists, health communicators, toxicologists, chemists, computer scientists, and statisticians. Headquartered in DeKalb County, CDC has 10 other offices throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. In addition, CDC staff are located in local health agencies, quarantine/border health offices at ports of entry, and 45 countries around the world. Originally established in 1946 as the Communicable Disease Center, its primary function was to combat [[malaria]], the deep southeast being the heart of the U.S. malaria zone at the time.
 
  
==Law and government==
+
Atlanta began as a [[railroad]] town and it still serves as a major rail junction, with several freight lines belonging to Norfolk Southern and CSX intersecting below street level in downtown. It is the home of major classification yards for both railroads, Inman Yard on the NS and Tilford Yard on the CSX.
{{see also|List of mayors of Atlanta}}
 
[[Image:Atlanta City Hall from HABS.jpg|thumb|[[Atlanta City Hall]]]]
 
[[Image:GeorgiaCapitolBuilding.jpg|2936x1940, 457KB|thumb|right|The [[Georgia State Capitol]] in Atlanta]]
 
 
 
Atlanta is governed by a [[mayor]] and a city council. The city council consists of 15 representatives—one from each of the city's twelve districts and three at-large positions. The mayor may veto a bill passed by the council, but the council can override the veto with a two-thirds majority. The mayor of Atlanta is [[Shirley Franklin]].
 
 
 
Every mayor elected since 1973 has been black.<ref>{{cite web
 
  | author = Lawrence Kestenbaum
 
  | title = Mayors of Atlanta, Georgia
 
  | publisher = The Political Graveyard  | date =
 
  | url = http://www.politicalgraveyard.com/geo/GA/ofc/atlanta.html
 
  | accessdate = 2008-03-07}}</ref> [[Maynard Jackson]] served two terms and was succeeded by [[Andrew Young]] in 1982. Jackson returned for a third term in 1990 and was succeeded by [[Bill Campbell (mayor)|Bill Campbell]]. In 2001, Shirley Franklin became the first woman to be elected Mayor of Atlanta, and the first African-American woman to serve as mayor of a major southern city.<ref>{{cite web
 
  | author = Josh Fecht and Andrew Stevens
 
  | title = Shirley Franklin: Mayor of Atlanta
 
  | publisher = City Mayors  | date = 2007-11-14
 
  | url = http://www.citymayors.com/usa/atlanta.html
 
  | accessdate = 2008-01-27}}</ref> She was re-elected for a second term in 2005, winning 90% of the vote. Atlanta city politics during the Campbell administration suffered from a notorious reputation for corruption, and in 2006 a federal jury convicted former mayor [[Bill Campbell (mayor)|Bill Campbell]] on three counts of tax evasion in connection with gambling income he received while Mayor during trips he took with city contractors.<ref>{{cite web
 
  | last =
 
  | first =
 
  | authorlink =
 
  | coauthors =
 
  | title = Atlanta's former mayor sentenced to prison
 
  | work = CNN online
 
  | publisher = CNN
 
  | date = June 13, 2006
 
  | url = http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/06/13/mayor.sentenced/index.html
 
  | format =
 
  | accessdate = 2008-01-02}}</ref>
 
 
 
As the [[state capital]], Atlanta is the site of most of Georgia's state government. The [[Georgia State Capitol]] building, located downtown, houses the offices of the [[Governor of Georgia|governor]], lieutenant governor and secretary of state, as well as the [[Georgia General Assembly|General Assembly]]. The [[Georgia Governor's Mansion|Governor's Mansion]] is located on [[Pace's Ferry|West Paces Ferry Road]], in a residential section of Buckhead. Atlanta is also home to [[Georgia Public Broadcasting]] headquarters and [[Peachnet]], and is the county seat of Fulton County, with which it shares responsibility for the [[Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System]].
 
 
 
===Crime===
 
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's annual Uniform Crime Report, Atlanta recorded 90 homicides in 2005, down from 151 in 2004. Violent crime in 2005 was the lowest since 1969.{{Failed verification|date=May 2008}}<ref>{{cite web  | last =  | first =  | title = Atlanta's violent crime at lowest level since '69  | work = The Atlanta Journal-Constitution  | date =  | url = http://www.ajc.com/search/content/metro/stories/2006/09/27/metcrime0927a.html  | accessdate = 2006-09-29 | archiveurl= | archivedate= }}</ref> However, Atlanta's incident rate for violent crimes is somewhat higher than for most other major U.S. cities.<ref>{{cite web| last = Sugg  | first = John |url=http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A255192 | title=Crime is up and the Mayor is out| publisher= Creative Loafing | accessdate= 2008-05-05}}</ref>
 
 
 
Atlanta's Mayor Franklin is a member of the [[Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition]],<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/about/members.shtml| title=Mayors Against Illegal Guns: Coalition Members | publisher= Mayors Against Illegal Guns | accessdate= 2007-09-28}}</ref> an organization formed in 2006 and co-chaired by [[New York City]] mayor [[Michael Bloomberg]] and [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]] mayor [[Thomas Menino]].
 
 
 
The city has been on the top 25 most dangerous large cities list by [[Morgan Quitno]], ranking worst in 1994;<ref>[http://www.morganquitno.com/1st_safest.htm The First Safest/Most Dangerous City Listing]. Morgan Quitno Press. Lawrence, Kansas, United States. 1994.</ref> it is currently ranked as the 17th most dangerous big city. According to the crime statistics at City Data [http://www.city-data.com/city/Atlanta-Georgia.html] for Atlanta, the crime in the city is well above national average.
 
  
 
==Demographics==
 
==Demographics==
As of July 2006, the Atlanta metropolitan area had an estimated population of 5,138,223.<ref name=msa2006>{{cite web |url=http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metro_general/2006/CBSA-EST2006-01.xls |title=Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006 | format=[[Microsoft Excel]] |publisher=United States Census Bureau| accessdate = 2007-09-03 }}</ref> The racial makeup of the city was 55.7% black, 37.2% white, 2.3% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 3.7% from other races, and .9% from two or more races. 5.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.<ref>http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=&_geoContext=&_street=&_county=Atlanta&_cityTown=Atlanta&_state=04000US13&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010</ref>
 
  
The median income for a household in the city was $51,482 and the median income for a family was $55,939.
+
[[Image:Ab30 (55).jpg|thumb|225px|Atlanta's Piedmont Park is the city's largest park. A portion of the park is seen here with the Midtown Atlanta Skyline.]]
 +
[[Image:Church on North Ave and Peachtree St.JPG|thumb|225px|North Avenue Presbyterian Church, on the southeast corner of North Avenue and Peachtree Street]]
 +
[[Image:10 The High.jpg|thumb|225px|The High Museum of Art, a division of the Woodruff Arts Center in Midtown Atlanta]]
  
According to a 2000 daytime population estimate by the Census Bureau,<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/daytime/daytimepop.html| title=Estimated Daytime Population| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| accessdate=2006-04-02| date=December 6, 2005}}</ref> over 250,000 more people commuted to Atlanta on any given workday, boosting the city's estimated daytime population to 676,431. This is an increase of 62.4% over Atlanta's resident population, making it the largest gain in daytime population in the country among cities with fewer than 500,000 residents.
+
As of July 2007, the Atlanta metropolitan area had an estimated population of 5,278,904. The racial makeup of the city was 55.7 percent black, 37.2 percent white, 2.3 percent Asian, 0.2 percent American Indian, 3.7 percent from other races, and .9 percent from two or more races; 5.9 percent of the population were [[Hispanic]] or Latino of any race.<ref>''US Census Bureau''. [http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=ChangeGeoContext&geo_id=16000US1304000&_geoContext=&_street=&_county=Atlanta&_cityTown=Atlanta&_state=04000US13&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=ACS_2007_3YR_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry= Atlanta city, Georgia] Retrieved December 18, 2008. </ref>
  
According to census estimates, [[Metropolitan Atlanta]] is the fastest growing area in the nation since 2000 by numerical increase.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://money.cnn.com/2007/04/05/real_estate/fastest_growing_metro_areas/index.htm | title=Atlanta tops in population growth | publisher=CNNMoney | accessdate= 2008-01-01 }}</ref>
+
According to census estimates, Metropolitan Atlanta is the fastest growing area in the nation since 2000 by numerical increase.<ref>Les Christie, April 5, 2007, [http://money.cnn.com/2007/04/05/real_estate/fastest_growing_metro_areas/index.htm Atlanta tops in population growth] ''CNNMoney.com''. Retrieved December 18, 2008.</ref>
  
Atlanta is also seeing a unique and drastic demographic increase in its white population, and at a pace that outstrips the rest of the nation. The white share of the city's population, says Brookings Institution, grew faster between 2000 and 2006 than that of any other U.S. city. It increased from 31 percent in 2000 to 35 percent in 2006, a numeric gain of 26,000, more than double the increase between 1990 and 2000. The trend seems to be gathering strength with each passing year. Only [[Washington, D.C.]] saw a comparable increase in white population share during those years.<ref>http://www.governing.com/articles/0807atlanta.htm Governing Magazine: Atlanta and the Urban Future, July 2008</ref>
+
Atlanta is also seeing a unique and drastic demographic increase in its white population, and at a pace that outstrips the rest of the nation. The white share of the city's population, says Brookings Institution, grew faster between 2000 and 2006 than that of any other U.S. city. It increased from 31 percent in 2000 to 35 percent in 2006, a numeric gain of 26,000, more than double the increase between 1990 and 2000. The trend seems to be gathering strength with each passing year. Only [[Washington, D.C.]] saw a comparable increase in white population share during those years.<ref>Rob Gurwitt. July 2008. [http://www.governing.com/articles/0807atlanta.htm Atlanta and the Urban Future] ''Governing Magazine: Atlanta and the Urban Future''. Retrieved December 18, 2008. </ref>
  
Atlanta is also home to the fastest growing millionaire population in the United States. The number of households in Atlanta with $1 million or more in investable assets, not including primary residence and consumable goods, will increase 69% through 2011, to approximately 103,000 households.<ref>{{cite news
+
Atlanta is also home to the fastest growing millionaire population in the United States. The number of households in Atlanta with $1 million or more in investable assets, not including primary residence and consumable goods, is projected to increase 69 percent through 2011, to approximately 103,000 households.<ref>Ed Lightsey, January 2007, [http://www.georgiatrend.com/features-economic-development/200701-radar.shtml Trend Radar January 2007] ''Georgia Trend''. Retrieved December 18, 2008.</ref>
  | last = Lightsey
 
  | first = Ed
 
  | coauthors =
 
  | title = Trend Radar January 2007
 
  | work = Georgia Trend Online
 
  | pages =
 
  | language =
 
  | publisher = Georgia Trend
 
  | date = January 2007
 
  | url = http://www.georgiatrend.com/features-economic-development/200701-radar.shtml
 
  | accessdate = 2008-01-02 }}</ref>
 
  
 
===Surrounding municipalities===
 
===Surrounding municipalities===
{{main|Metro Atlanta}}
+
The population of the Atlanta region spreads across a metropolitan area of {{convert|8376|sqmi|km2|0}} – a land area larger than that of [[Massachusetts]]. Because Georgia contains more counties than any other state east of the [[Mississippi River]], area residents live under a heavily decentralized collection of governments. As of the 2000 census, fewer than one in ten residents of the metropolitan area lived inside Atlanta city proper.<ref>''The Brookings Institution''. November 2003. Atlanta in Focus: A Profile from Census 2000.</ref>
 
 
The population of the Atlanta region spreads across a metropolitan area of {{convert|8376|sqmi|km2|0}} – a land area larger than that of [[Massachusetts]].<ref name="MACOC-growth">{{cite web  | title = Atlanta MSA Growth Statistics  | publisher = Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce  | date=  05-2006  | url = http://www.metroatlantachamber.com/macoc/business/img/MSAGrowthStatsReport2006.pdf  | accessdate = 2007-09-28 |format=PDF}}</ref> Because Georgia contains more counties than any other state east of the [[Mississippi River]] (an accident of history explained by the now-defunct [[County Unit System|county unit system]] of weighing votes in [[primary election]]s),<ref>{{cite web  | title = States, Counties, and Statistically Equivalent Entities  | work = Geographic Areas Reference Manual  | publisher = U.S. Department of Commerce  | date=  11-1994  | url = http://www.census.gov/geo/www/GARM/Ch4GARM.pdf  | accessdate = 2007-09-28 |format=PDF}}</ref> area residents live under a heavily decentralized collection of governments. As of the 2000 census, fewer than one in ten residents of the metropolitan area lived inside Atlanta city proper.<ref>{{cite web  | title = Atlanta in Focus: A Profile from Census 2000 | publisher = The Brookings Institution  | date=  11-2003 | url = http://www.brookings.edu/es/urban/livingcities/atlanta.htm | accessdate = 2007-09-28 }}</ref>
 
  
 
===Religion===
 
===Religion===
{{Main|Religion in Atlanta}}
+
There are over 1000 places of worship within the city of Atlanta. [[Protestant]] Christian faiths are well represented in Atlanta, the city historically being a major center for traditional Southern denominations such as the [[Baptist|Southern Baptist Convention]], the [[Methodist|United Methodist Church]], and the [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian Church (USA)]]. There are a large number of "mega churches" in the area, especially in suburban areas.
[[Image:Church on North Ave and Peachtree St.JPG|thumb|right|North Avenue Presbyterian Church, on the southeast corner of [[North Avenue (Atlanta)|North Avenue]] and Peachtree Street]]
 
  
There are over 1,000 places of worship within the city of Atlanta.<ref name=infoplease>{{cite web|url=http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108481.html|title=Atlanta, Ga. | work= Information Please Database | publisher= Pearson Education, Inc | accessdate=2006-05-17}}</ref> [[Protestant]] Christian faiths are well represented in Atlanta,<ref>{{cite web
+
Atlanta contains a large, and rapidly growing, [[Roman Catholic]] population which grew from  311,000 in 2000 to 650,000 in 2007.<ref name="archatl.com">''Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta''. [http://www.archatl.com/about/stats.html Archdiocese of Atlanta - Statistics] Retrieved December 18, 2008.</ref> As the see of the 84-parish Archdiocese of Atlanta, Atlanta serves as the metropolitan see for the Province of Atlanta. The archdiocesan cathedral is the Cathedral of Christ the King. Also located in the metropolitan area are several [[Eastern Catholic Churches|Eastern Catholic]] parishes.
  | last =
 
  | first =
 
  | authorlink =
 
  | coauthors =
 
  | title = Top 15 Reporting Religious Bodies: Atlanta, GA
 
  | work =
 
  | publisher = Glenmary Research Center
 
  | date = 2002-10-24
 
  | url = http://ext.nazarene.org/rcms/016.html
 
  | format =
 
  | accessdate = 2008-04-29 }}</ref> the city historically being a major center for traditional Southern denominations such as the [[Southern Baptist Convention]], the [[United Methodist Church]], and the [[Presbyterian Church (USA)]]. There are a large number of "mega churches" in the area, especially in suburban areas.
 
  
Atlanta contains a large, and rapidly growing, [[Roman Catholic]] population which grew from  311,000 in 2000 to 650,000 in 2007.<ref name="archatl.com">http://www.archatl.com/about/stats.html</ref> As the see of the 84 parish [[Archdiocese of Atlanta]], Atlanta serves as the [[Metropolitan bishop|metropolitan see]] for the Province of Atlanta. The archdiocesan cathedral is the [[Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta|Cathedral of Christ the King]] and the current archbishop is the [[Most Rev. Wilton D. Gregory]].<ref name="archatl.com"/><ref name = "qhvzfl">{{cite web
+
The city hosts the [[Greek Orthodox]] Annunciation Cathedral, the see of Metropolis of Atlanta.
  | last = Nelson
 
  | first = Andrew
 
  | authorlink =
 
  | coauthors =
 
  | title = Catholic Population Officially Leaps To 650,000
 
  | work = The Georgia Bulletin
 
  | publisher =
 
  | date = 2007-09-06
 
  | url = http://www.georgiabulletin.org/local/2007/09/06/pop/
 
  | format =
 
  | accessdate = 2007-12-19  }}
 
</ref> Also located in the metropolitan area are several [[Eastern Catholic Churches|Eastern Catholic]] parishes.
 
  
The city hosts the [[Greek Orthodox]] Annunciation Cathedral, the see of Metropolis of Atlanta and its bishop, Alexios.
+
Atlanta is also the see of the [[Episcopalian|Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta]], which includes all of northern [[Georgia]], much of middle Georgia and the Chattahoochee River valley of western Georgia. This Diocese is headquartered at the Cathedral of St. Philip in Buckhead.
  
Atlanta is also the see of the [[Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta]], which includes all of northern Georgia, much of middle Georgia and the [[Chattahoochee River]] valley of western Georgia. This Diocese is headquartered at the [[Episcopal Cathedral of Saint Philip, Atlanta|Cathedral of St Philip]] in Buckhead and is led by the [[Right Reverend]] [[J. Neil Alexander]].<ref>{{cite web
+
Atlanta serves as headquarters for several regional church bodies also. The Southeastern Synod of the [[Lutheranism|Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]] maintains offices in downtown Atlanta; ELCA parishes are numerous throughout the metro area. There are eight [[Church of Christ|United Church of Christ]] congregations in the Atlanta metro area.
  | last =
 
  | first =
 
  | authorlink =
 
  | coauthors =
 
  | title = The Episcopal Church in Georgia
 
  | work =
 
  | publisher = The Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta
 
  | date =
 
  | url = http://www.episcopalatlanta.org/bishop/index.html
 
  | format =
 
  | accessdate = 2007-12-26 }}</ref>
 
  
Atlanta serves as headquarters for several regional church bodies also. The Southeastern Synod of the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]] maintains offices in downtown Atlanta; ELCA parishes are numerous throughout the metro area. There are eight [[United Church of Christ]] congregations in the Atlanta metro area, one of which, First Congregational in the [[Sweet Auburn]] neighborhood, is noted for being the church with which former mayor Andrew Young is affiliated.
+
Traditional African-American denominations such as the [[National Baptist Convention]] and the [[African Methodist Episcopal Church]] are strongly represented in the area. These churches have several seminaries that form the Interdenominational Theological Center complex in the Atlanta University Center.  
  
Traditional African-American denominations such as the [[National Baptist Convention]] and the [[African Methodist Episcopal Church]] are strongly represented in the area. These churches have several seminaries that form the [[Interdenominational Theological Center]] complex in the [[Atlanta University Center]].  
+
The headquarters for the [[Salvation Army]]'s United States Southern Territory is located in Atlanta. The denomination has eight churches, numerous social service centers, and youth clubs located throughout the Atlanta area.
  
The headquarters for The [[Salvation Army]]'s United States Southern Territory is located in Atlanta.<ref>{{cite web  | title = About The Salvation Army  | publisher = The Salvation Army  | url = http://www.salvationarmysouth.org/about.htm  | accessdate = 2007-09-21 }}</ref> The denomination has eight churches, numerous social service centers, and youth clubs located throughout the Atlanta area.
+
The city has a temple of the [[Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] located in the suburb of Sandy Springs, Georgia.  
  
The city has a [[Temple#Temples in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .26 related movements|temple]] of [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints]] located in the suburb of [[Sandy Springs, Georgia]].  
+
Metropolitan Atlanta is also home to a vibrant [[Jewish]] community, estimated to include 120,000 individuals in 61,300 households, making Atlanta's Jewish population the 11th largest in the United States, up from 17th largest in 1996. There also are an estimated 75,000 [[Muslim]]s in the area and approximately 35 [[mosque]]s.
  
Metropolitan Atlanta is also home to a vibrant Jewish community estimated to include 120,000 individuals in 61,300 households.<ref name=Jewish>{{cite web  | title = Jewish Community Centennial Study 2006  | publisher = Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta  | url = http://www.shalomatlanta.org/page.html?ArticleID=121291  | accessdate = 2007-09-28 }}</ref> This study places Atlanta's Jewish population as the 11th largest in the United States, up from 17th largest in 1996.<ref name=Jewish/> There also are an estimated 75,000 [[Muslims]] in the area and approximately 35 [[mosques]].<ref>[http://www.alfarooqmasjid.org/Community.aspx]</ref>
+
==Education==
 +
[[Image:Emory Quad.jpg|250px|thumb|Main Quad on [[Emory University]]'s Druid Hills Campus.]]
  
==Education==
 
 
===Elementary and secondary schools===
 
===Elementary and secondary schools===
[[Image:Ab30 (147).jpg|thumb|right|Part of the Henry W. Grady High School Campus in Midtown Atlanta.]]
+
The public school system (Atlanta Public Schools) is run by the Atlanta Board of Education. As of 2007, the system had an active enrollment of 49,773 students attending a total of 106 schools: including 58 elementary schools (three of which operate on a year-round calendar), 16 middle schools, 20 high schools, and 7 charter schools. The school system also supports two alternative schools for middle and/or high school students, two single-gender academies, and an adult learning center.
  
The public school system (Atlanta Public Schools) is run by the Atlanta Board of Education. As of 2007, the system had an active enrollment of 49,773 students attending a total of 106 schools: including 58 elementary schools (three of which operate on a year-round calendar), 16 middle schools, 20 high schools, and 7 charter schools. The school system also supports two alternative schools for middle and/or high school students, two single-gender academies, and an adult learning center.
 
 
===Colleges and universities===
 
===Colleges and universities===
[[Image:Emory Quad.jpg|250px|thumb|Main Quad on [[Emory University]]'s Druid Hills Campus.]]
+
Atlanta has more than 30 institutions of higher education, including [[Georgia Institute of Technology]], a predominant engineering and research university that has been ranked in the top ten public universities since 1999 by ''US News & World Report,'' and [[Georgia State University]]. The city also hosts the Atlanta University Center, the largest consortium of historically black colleges and universities in the country. Its members include [[Clark Atlanta University]], [[Morehouse College]], [[Spelman College]], and the [[Interdenominational Theological Center]]. Adjoining the AUC schools, but independent from them, is the [[Morehouse School of Medicine]].
Atlanta has more than 30 institutions of higher education, including [[Georgia Institute of Technology]], a predominant engineering and research university that has been ranked in the top ten public universities since 1999 by ''US News & World Report'', and [[Georgia State University]]. The city also hosts the Atlanta University Center, the largest consortium of historically black colleges and universities in the country. Its members include [[Clark Atlanta University]], [[Morehouse College]], [[Spelman College]], and the [[Interdenominational Theological Center]]. Adjoining the AUC schools, but independent from them, is the [[Morehouse School of Medicine]].
 
  
Suburban Atlanta contains several colleges, including [[Emory University]], an internationally prominent liberal arts and research institution that has been consistently ranked as one of the top 20 schools in the United States by ''US News & World Report''.
+
Suburban Atlanta contains several colleges, including [[Emory University]], an internationally prominent liberal arts and research institution that has been consistently ranked as one of the top 20 schools in the United States by ''US News & World Report.''
  
==Transportation==
+
==Culture==
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest airport as measured by passenger traffic and by aircraft traffic, provides air service between Atlanta and many national and international destinations.  
+
[[Image:TheVarsity Atlanta-GA.jpg|225px|thumb|The Varsity has been an Atlanta landmark for over 75 years.]]
 +
[[Image:Turner field Braves.jpg|thumb|225px|Turner Field]]
  
With a comprehensive network of freeways that radiate out from the city, Atlantans rely on their cars as the dominant mode of transportation in the region&nbsp;– a fact that leads some travel guides to call the city "the [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] of the South."<ref>{{cite web  | title = Atlanta: Smart Travel Tips  | work = Fodor's  | publisher = Fodor's Travel  | url = http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mgresults.cfm?destination=atlanta@15&cur_section=tra&pg=2  | accessdate = 2007-09-28 }}</ref> Atlanta is mostly encircled by Interstate 285, a beltway locally known as "the Perimeter" which has come to mark the boundary between the interior of the region and its surrounding [[suburb]]s.
+
===Tourism===
 +
Atlanta features the world's largest [[aquarium]], the Georgia Aquarium, which opened in 2005.<ref>Peggy Mihelich, November 23, 2005, [http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/11/21/new.ga.aquarium/index.html Big window to the sea] ''CNN.com''. Retrieved December 18, 2008.</ref> It also hosts a variety of [[museum]]s on subjects ranging from [[history]] to fine arts, natural history, and beverages. Museums and attractions in the city include the Atlanta History Center; the [[Jimmy Carter|Carter Center]]; the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site; the Atlanta Cyclorama (a circular painting depicting the Battle of Atlanta) and Civil War Museum; and the Margaret Mitchell House and Museum.  
  
[[Image:MARTA - N3 Station.jpg|thumb|right|Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority provides public transportation in Atlanta]]
+
Piedmont Park hosts many of Atlanta's festivals and cultural events. Atlanta [[Botany|Botanical Garden]] sits next to the park.  
[[Image:Atlanta 75.85.jpg|thumb|right|The Downtown Connector, with the downtown skyline in the background]]
 
Three major [[interstate highways]] converge in Atlanta; Two combine to form the Downtown Connector through the middle of the city. The combined highway carries more than 340,000 vehicles per day and is one of the ten most congested segments of interstate highway in the United States.
 
  
This strong automotive reliance has resulted in heavy [[traffic]] and contributes to Atlanta's [[air pollution]], which has made Atlanta one of the more polluted cities in the country. The Clean Air Campaign was created in 1996 to help reduce pollution in metro Atlanta.
+
The most famous galleries in the city include the renowned High Museum of Art, the Atlanta Institute for the Arts, and the Georgia Museum of Contemporary Art.
  
In recent years, the Atlanta metro area has ranked at or near the top of the longest average commute times in the U.S. Also the Atlanta metro area has ranked at or near the top for worst traffic in the country.
+
===Entertainment and performing arts===
 +
Atlanta's [[classical music]] scene includes the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Opera, Atlanta Ballet, New Trinity Baroque, the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, and the Atlanta Boys Choir. The city has a well-known and active live music scene.
  
Notwithstanding heavy automotive usage, Atlanta's subway system, operated by Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), is the seventh busiest in the country. MARTA also operates a [[bus]] system within Fulton, DeKalb, and Gwinnett Counties. Clayton, Cobb, and Gwinnett counties each operate separate, autonomous transit authorities, using buses but no trains.
+
===Sports===
 +
Atlanta is home to several professional [[sports]] franchises, including teams from all four different major league sports in the United States. The Atlanta Braves of [[Major League Baseball]] and the Atlanta Falcons of the [[National Football League]], have played in the city since 1966. The Atlanta Hawks of the [[National Basketball Association]] have played in Atlanta since 1968. On June 25, 1997, Atlanta was awarded a [[National Hockey League]] expansion franchise, and the Atlanta Thrashers became the city's newest ice hockey team.  
  
[[Image:Beltline from Woodward Bridge in Piedmont Park.JPG|thumb|right|Part of the future Beltline in Piedmont Park]]
+
In [[golf]], the final PGA Tour event of the season that features elite players, The Tour Championship, is played annually at East Lake Golf Club. This golf course is used because of its connection to the great amateur golfer [[Bobby Jones (golfer)|Bobby Jones]], an Atlanta native.
The proposed Beltline would create a greenway and public transit system in a circle around the city from a series of mostly abandoned rail lines. This rail right-of-way would also accommodate multi-use [[trail]]s connecting a string of existing and new parks. In addition, there is a proposed [[streetcar]] project that would create a streetcar line along Peachtree Street from downtown to the Buckhead area as well as possibly another East-West MARTA line.
 
  
Atlanta began as a railroad town and it still serves as a major rail junction, with several freight lines belonging to Norfolk Southern and CSX intersecting below street level in downtown. It is the home of major classification yards for both railroads, Inman Yard on the NS and Tilford Yard on the CSX.
+
Atlanta has a rich tradition in collegiate athletics. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets participate in seventeen intercollegiate sports, including football and basketball.
  
 
==Looking to the future==
 
==Looking to the future==
October 2005 marked the opening of Atlantic Station, a former [[brownfield]] steel plant site redeveloped into a mixed-use urban district. In early 2006, Mayor Franklin set in motion a plan to make the 14-block stretch of Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta (nicknamed "Midtown Mile") a street-level shopping destination envisioned to rival Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive or Chicago's Magnificent Mile.
+
===Transportation===
 +
The city is growing again—in population and employment, and this growth is projected to continue at an accelerated pace: from 480,000 people in 2006 to 780,000 in 2030; and from 395,000 jobs to 570,000. From a [[transportation]] point of view, the challenge is to accommodate this growth while maintaining the quality of life desired by an increasingly diverse population. The imperative is to strengthen the connection between land use and transportation. The Connect Atlanta Plan seeks to accomplish this overarching goal. Its recommendations include building 95 miles of [[railway|rail]] transit and high-frequency [[bus]] transit, adding 200 miles of [[bicycle]] lanes, some new streets to better connect the existing [[road]] network, and road widening projects. But funding must be found, including from state and regional sources, which is going to be a challenge in a recession.<ref>''Connect Atlanta Plan.'' [http://www.connectatlantaplan.com/FAQs.html What are the goals of the Connect Atlanta Plan?] Retrieved December 15, 2008.</ref>
 +
 
 +
===Growth and decay===
 +
[[Image:Fox Theatre Atlanta.jpg|thumb|215px|The Fox Theatre]]
 +
But not all areas of the city are prospering. As part of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, Atlanta was allocated $12.3 million in 2008 to help acquire and redevelop foreclosed properties that might otherwise become sources of abandonment and blight.
 +
 
 +
One of the areas experiencing rapid growth is Midtown Atlanta, which includes about one-third of the city's high-rises. As residents begin to return to the city following decades of suburban retreat, Midtown offers an attractive mix of amenities and attractions, as well as proximity to downtown offices and destinations. A new bridge over the Downtown Connector connects Midtown to a new multibillion-dollar mixed-use development called Atlantic Station, on the former site of the Atlantic Steel company, which has been transformed into the site of new housing, office, and retail space after years of decontamination. With a 7,300-space parking garage underneath, the shopping area is pedestrian friendly, and many of the streets are often closed off for special events.
 +
 
 +
The Midtown Alliance is a group of volunteers, employees, and business and community members formed in 1978 that works toward improving the overall quality of life in Midtown. Activities include improving neighborhood safety, developing area arts and education programs, and building community leaders. The master plan, called Blueprint Midtown, is credited with fueling the economic resurgence that has helped the once downtrodden Midtown area transform into a popular neighborhood
 +
 
 +
===Crime===
 +
Violent [[crime]]s, however, increased by 7 percent from 2006 to 2007, with the city recording its highest number of [[homicide|murders]] and aggravated assaults in four years, according to statistics released by the [[FBI]]. Property crimes rose 12.4 percent in the same period. The numbers of violent crimes and murders also rose in most of metro Atlanta's largest counties.<ref>Mike Morris, September 15, 2008, Metro Atlanta had increase in crime in ‘07 ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution''.</ref>
  
 
==Notes==
 
==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}
+
<references/>
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
{{refbegin}}
+
* Allen, Frederick. 1996. ''Atlanta rising: the invention of an international city, 1946-1996.'' Atlanta: Longstreet Press. ISBN 1563522969.
*Atlanta and Environs: A Chronicle of Its People and Events: Years of Change and Challenge, 1940–1976 by Franklin M. Garrett, Harold H. Martin
+
* Craig, Robert M. 1995. ''Atlanta architecture.'' Gretna: Pelican Pub. ISBN 0882899619.
*''Atlanta, Then and Now''. Part of the Then and Now book series.
+
* Garrett, Franklin M., and Harold H. Martin. 1954. ''Atlanta and environs.'' New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co. ISBN 0820309133.
*{{cite book
+
* Roth, Darlene R., and Andy Ambrose. 1996. ''Metropolitan frontiers: a short history of Atlanta.'' Atlanta, GA: Longstreet Press. ISBN 1563522845.
  | last = Craig
+
* Sjoquist, David L. 2000. ''The Atlanta paradox.'' The multi-city study of urban inequality. New York: Russell Sage Foundation. ISBN 0871548089.
  | first = Robert
+
* Stone, Clarence N. 1989. ''Regime politics: governing Atlanta, 1946-1988.'' (Studies in government and public policy.) Lawrence: University Press of Kansas. ISBN 0700604154.
  | authorlink =
 
  | coauthors =
 
  | title = Atlanta Architecture: Art Deco to Modern Classic, 1929–1959
 
  | publisher = Pelican
 
  | year = 1995
 
  | location = Gretna, LA
 
  | isbn = 0-88289-961-9 }}
 
*Darlene R. Roth and Andy Ambrose. ''Metropolitan Frontiers: A short history of Atlanta''. Atlanta: Longstreet Press, 1996. An overview of the city's history with an emphasis on its growth.
 
*Sjoquist, Dave (ed.) ''The Atlanta Paradox.'' New York: Russell Sage Foundation. 2000.
 
*Stone, Clarence. ''Regime Politics: Governing Atlanta, 1946–1988.'' University Press of Kansas. 1989.
 
*Elise Reid Boylston. ''Atlanta: Its Lore, Legends and Laughter''. Doraville: privately printed, 1968. Lots of neat anecdotes about the history of the city.
 
*Frederick Allen. ''Atlanta Rising''. Atlanta: Longstreet Press, 1996. A detailed history of Atlanta from 1946 to 1996, with much about City Councilman, later Mayor, William B. Hartsfield's work in making Atlanta a major air transport hub, and about the American Civil Rights Movement as it affected (and was affected by) Atlanta.
 
{{refend}}
 
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
* [http://www.atlantaga.gov/ Official Website]
+
All links retrieved August 21, 2023.
* [http://www.atlantawatershed.org/ Atlanta Department of Watershed Management]
+
 
* [http://www.atlantapd.org/index.asp?nav=MW Atlanta Police Department]
+
* [http://www.atlantaga.gov/ City of Atlanta Online]
* [http://www.atlanta.net Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau]
+
* [http://www.atlantawatershed.org/ City of Atlanta: Department of Watershed Management]
*[http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Home.jsp Entry in the New Georgia Encyclopedia]
+
* [http://www.atlanta.net Atlanta]
* [http://www.atlantatimemachine.com/ Atlanta Time Machine]
+
* [http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Home.jsp The New Georgia Encyclopedia]
* [http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/atlanta/ Atlanta, Georgia, a National Park Service ''Discover Our Shared Heritage'' Travel Itinerary]
+
 
  
 
[[Category:Geography]]
 
[[Category:Geography]]
 
[[Category:United States]]
 
[[Category:United States]]
{{Credit|255985552}}
+
[[Category:Cities]]
 +
{{Credit|Atlanta,_Georgia|255985552}}

Latest revision as of 06:05, 21 August 2023

Atlanta
—  City  —
City of Atlanta
City skyline from Buckhead
City skyline from Buckhead
Flag of Atlanta
Flag
Official seal of Atlanta
Seal
Nickname: Hotlanta, The ATL, ATL, The A,[1] City in a Forest[2]
Motto: Resurgens (Latin for rising again)
City highlighted in Fulton County, location of Fulton County in the state of Georgia
City highlighted in Fulton County, location of Fulton County in the state of Georgia
Country United States of America
State Georgia
County Fulton and DeKalb
Terminus 1837
Marthasville 1843
City of Atlanta 1847
Government
 - Mayor Kasim Reed
Area
 - City 132.4 sq mi (343.0 km²)
 - Land 131.8 sq mi (341.2 km²)
 - Water 0.6 sq mi (1.8 km²)
 - Urban 1,963 sq mi (5,084.1 km²)
 - Metro 8,376 sq mi (21,693.7 km²)
Elevation 738 to 1,050 ft (225 to 320 m)
Population (2010)
 - City 420,003
 - Density 4,019.7/sq mi (1,552/km²)
 - Urban 4,750,000
 - Urban Density 2,421.6/sq mi (935/km²)
 - Metro 5,268,860 (9th)
 - Metro Density 629.4/sq mi (243/km²)
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code(s) 30060, 30301-30322, 30324-30334, 30336-30350, 30353
Area code(s) 404, 470, 678, 770
FIPS code 13-04000GR2
GNIS feature ID 0351615GR3
Website: atlantaga.gov

Atlanta is the capital and the largest city in the U.S. state of Georgia with a population of 420,003 as of 2010, and is the core city of the ninth most populous United States metropolitan area at 5,268,860.

Atlanta has in recent years undergone a transition from a city of regional commerce to a city of international influence, and it has been among the fastest growing cities in the developed world for much of the 1990s and 2000s. Between 2000 and 2006, the metropolitan area grew by 20.5 percent, making it the fastest growing metropolitan area in the nation.

In the 1960s, Atlanta was a major organizing center of the Civil Rights Movement, with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and students from Atlanta's historically black colleges playing major roles. Two of the prominent organizations—Southern Christian Leadership Conference and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee—were based in Atlanta.

The city is a major cable television programming center, including the headquarters of the Cable News Network.

Geography and cityscape

Topography

The city of Atlanta has a total area of 343.0 km² (132.4 sq mi). Located about 1,050 feet (320 m) above mean sea level, it sits atop a ridge south of the Chattahoochee River. Atlanta has the highest average elevation of any major city east of Denver.

The Eastern Continental Divide line runs through Atlanta. Rainwater that falls on the south and east side runs eventually into the Atlantic Ocean, while rainwater on the north and west side of the divide ends up in the Gulf of Mexico via the Chattahoochee River.

Being at the far northwestern edge of the city, much of the river's natural habitat is still preserved, in part by the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. Downstream however, excessive water use during droughts and pollution during floods has been a source of contention and legal battles with neighboring states Alabama and Florida.

Climate

Atlanta has a humid subtropical climate, with hot, humid summers and mild, but occasionally chilly winters by the standards of the United States. January is the coldest month, with an average high of 52 °F (11 °C) and low of 33 °F (1 °C). Atlanta's elevation ensures it has a more temperate climate than other southern cities of the same latitude.

Like the rest of the southeastern U.S., Atlanta receives abundant rainfall, which is relatively evenly distributed throughout the year. Average annual rainfall is 50.2 inches (1,275 mm). Snowfall averages about 2 inches (5 cm) annually. Frequent ice storms can cause more problems than snow. In 2008, however, northern Georgia experienced drought conditions, and most localities imposed water use restrictions as water levels in lakes and streams across the state dropped.

In 2007, the American Lung Association ranked Atlanta as having the 13th highest level of particle pollution in the United States. The combination of pollution and pollen levels caused the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America to name Atlanta as the worst American city for asthma sufferers to live in.

Cityscape

Atlanta's skyline is punctuated with highrise buildings, the tallest of which—the Bank of America Plaza—is the 30th-tallest building in the world at 1,023 feet (312 m). It is also the tallest building in the United States outside those of Chicago and New York City.

Unlike many other southern cities such as Charleston, Savannah, and New Orleans, Atlanta chose not to retain its historic Old South architectural characteristics. Instead, Atlanta viewed itself as the leading city of a progressive "New South" and opted for expressive modern structures.

Panoramic view of the central Atlanta skyline, spanning Midtown (left) and Downtown (right).
Panoramic view of the central Atlanta skyline, spanning Midtown (left) and Downtown (right).

Urban development

Midtown Atlanta

Atlanta is in the midst of a construction and retail boom, with over 60 new high-rise or mid-rise buildings either proposed or under construction as of April 19, 2006.

Atlanta ranks near last in area of park land per capita among cities of similar population density. The city has a reputation, however, as a "city of trees" or a "city in a forest"; beyond the business districts, the skyline gives way to a sometimes dense canopy of woods that spreads into the suburbs. Founded in 1985, Trees Atlanta has planted and distributed over 68,000 shade trees.

The city's northern district of Buckhead, eight miles north of downtown Atlanta, features wealthy neighborhoods. It is consistently ranked as one of the most affluent neighborhoods in America. Atlanta's East Side boasts hip and urban neighborhoods. In the city's southwestern section, Collier Heights is home to the wealthy and elite African-American population of the city.

History

A map showing roads and Indian trails circa 1815, with late nineteenth century Fulton County and City of Atlanta outlines overlaid.
In 1907, Peachtree Street, the main street of Atlanta, was busy with streetcars and automobiles.
Atlanta's Inman Park neighborhood was the city's first planned suburb. Today, it features several mansions and many colorful restored bungalows.

The region where Atlanta and its suburbs were built was originally Creek and Cherokee Native American territory. In 1813, the Creeks, who had been recruited by the British to assist them in the War of 1812, attacked and burned Fort Mims in southwestern Alabama. The conflict broadened and became known as the Creek War. In response, the United States built a string of forts along the Ocmulgee and Chattahoochee Rivers, including Fort Daniel on top of Hog Mountain in present-day Dacula, Georgia, and Fort Gilmer. Fort Gilmer was situated next to an important Indian site called "Peachtree Standing," named after a large tree which is believed to have been a pine tree (the name referred to the pitch or sap that flowed from it). The word "pitch" was misunderstood for "peach," thus the site's name. The site traditionally marked a Native American meeting place at the boundary between Creek and Cherokee lands, at the point where Peachtree Creek flows into the Chattahoochee. The fort was soon renamed Fort Peachtree.[3]

The Creek land in the eastern part of the metro area (including Decatur) was opened to white settlement in 1823. In 1835, leaders of the Cherokee nation ceded their land to the government in exchange for land out west under the Treaty of New Echota, an act that eventually led to the Trail of Tears.

In 1836, the Georgia General Assembly voted to build the Western and Atlantic Railroad to provide a trade route to the Midwest. Following the forced removal of the Cherokee between 1838 and 1839 the newly depopulated area was opened for the construction of a railroad. It was suggested that the area be renamed "Atlantica-Pacifica," which was quickly shortened to "Atlanta." The town was incorporated as Atlanta on December 29, 1847. The population had grown to 9,554 by 1860.

During the Civil War, Atlanta served as an important railroad and military supply hub. In 1864, the city became the target of a major Union invasion. The area now covered by Atlanta was the scene of several battles. Union General William T. Sherman ordered that Atlanta be burned to the ground in preparation for his march south, though he spared the city's churches and hospitals.

The rebuilding of the city was gradual. In 1868, Atlanta became the fifth city to serve as the state capital. As Atlanta grew, however, ethnic and racial tensions mounted. The Atlanta race riot of 1906 left at least 27 dead and over 70 injured.

On December 15, 1939, Atlanta hosted the premiere of Gone With the Wind, the movie based on Atlanta-born Margaret Mitchell's best-selling novel.

During World War II, manufacturing such as the Bell Aircraft factory in the suburb of Marietta helped boost the city's population and economy. Shortly after the war, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was founded in Atlanta.

Civil Rights Movement

In the wake of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education, which helped usher in the African-American Civil Rights Movement, racial tensions in Atlanta began to express themselves in acts of violence.

In the 1960s, Atlanta was a major organizing center of the Civil Rights Movement, with Dr. Martin Luther King and students from Atlanta's historically black colleges and universities playing major roles in the movement's leadership. Two of the most important civil rights organizations—Southern Christian Leadership Conference and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee—had their national headquarters in Atlanta.

Despite some racial protests during the Civil Rights era, Atlanta's political and business leaders labored to foster Atlanta's image as "the city too busy to hate." In 1961, Mayor Ivan Allen Jr. became one of the few Southern white mayors to support desegregation of Atlanta's public schools.

Black Atlantans demonstrated growing political influence with the election of the first African-American mayor in 1973. They became a majority in the city during the late twentieth century, but suburbanization, rising prices, a booming economy, and new migrants have decreased their percentage in the city from a high of 66.8 percent in 1990 to about 54 percent in 2004. New immigrants, such as Latinos and Asians, are also altering city demographics, in addition to an influx of white residents.

In 1990, Atlanta was selected as the site for the 1996 Summer Olympics. Following the announcement, Atlanta undertook several major construction projects to improve the city's parks, sports facilities, and transportation. Atlanta became the third American city to host the Summer Olympics. The games themselves were marred by the Centennial Olympic Park bombing.

Contemporary Atlanta is sometimes considered a poster child for cities experiencing rapid growth and urban sprawl. However, the city has been commended by bodies such as the Environmental Protection Agency for its eco-friendly policies.

Government and politics

Atlanta City Hall
The Georgia State Capitol

Atlanta is governed by a mayor and a city council. The city council consists of 15 representatives—one from each of the city's 12 districts and three at-large positions. The mayor may veto a bill passed by the council, but the council can override the veto with a two-thirds majority.

Every mayor elected since 1973 has been black. Maynard Jackson served two terms and was succeeded by Andrew Young in 1982. Jackson returned for a third term in 1990 and was succeeded by Bill Campbell. In 2001, Shirley Franklin became the first woman to be elected mayor and the first African-American woman to serve as mayor of a major southern city. She was re-elected for a second term in 2005, winning 90 percent of the vote.

Atlanta city politics during the Campbell administration suffered from a notorious reputation for corruption, and in 2006 a federal jury convicted the former mayor on three counts of tax evasion in connection with gambling income he received during trips he took with city contractors.

As the state capital, Atlanta is the site of most of Georgia's state government. The Capitol, located downtown, houses the offices of the governor, lieutenant governor, and secretary of state, as well as of the General Assembly. Atlanta is also the county seat of Fulton County, with which it shares responsibility for the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System.

The city has been on the top 25 most dangerous large cities list, ranking worst in 1994; it is currently ranked as the 17th most dangerous big city. According to crime statistics for Atlanta, crime in the city is well above the national average.

Economy

The World of Coca-Cola museum reopened near the Georgia Aquarium in 2007.
Federal Reserve Bank in Midtown Atlanta.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adjacent to Emory University.
The Downtown Connector

Atlanta ranks third in the number of Fortune 500 companies headquartered within city boundaries, behind New York City and Houston. Several major national and international companies are headquartered in Atlanta or its nearby suburbs, including three Fortune 100 companies: Coca-Cola Company, Home Depot, and United Parcel Service. Other headquarters for some major companies in Atlanta and around the metro area include Arby's, Chick-fil-A, Earthlink, Equifax, Georgia-Pacific, Oxford Industries, Southern Company, SunTrust Banks, and Waffle House. Over 75 percent of the Fortune 1000 companies have a presence in the Atlanta area, and the region hosts offices of about 1,250 multinational corporations.

As of 2006 Atlanta Metropolitan Area ranked as the tenth largest cybercity (high-tech center) in the United States, with 126,700 high-tech jobs.[4]

Delta Air Lines is the city's largest employer and the metro area's third largest.

Finance

Atlanta has a sizable financial sector. SunTrust Banks, the seventh largest bank by asset holdings in the United States, has its home office downtown. The Federal Reserve System has a district headquarters in Atlanta; the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, which oversees much of the Deep South, relocated from downtown to midtown in 2001. City, state and civic leaders harbor long-term hopes of having the city serve as the home of the secretariat of a future Free Trade Area of the Americas.

The auto manufacturing sector in metropolitan Atlanta has suffered setbacks recently, including the closure of General Motors' Doraville Assembly plant in September 2008 as part of the company's cost-cutting measures and the shutdown of Ford Motor Company's Atlanta Assembly plant in Hapeville in 2006. Kia, however, has broken ground on a new assembly plant near West Point, Georgia.

Media

The Atlanta metro area is served by many local television stations and is the eighth largest designated market area (DMA) in the United States with 2,310,490 homes (2.0 percent of the total).[5] There are also numerous local radio stations serving every genre.

The city is a major cable television programming center. Ted Turner began the Turner Broadcasting System media empire in Atlanta and established the headquarters of the Cable News Network at CNN Center, adjacent today to Centennial Olympic Park. As his company grew, its other channels – the Cartoon Network, Boomerang, TNT, Turner South, CNN International, CNN en Español, CNN Headline News, and CNN Airport Network – centered their operations in Atlanta as well (Turner South has since been sold). The Weather Channel, owned by Landmark Communications, has its offices in the nearby suburb of Marietta.

Cox Enterprises, a privately held company, has substantial media holdings in and beyond Atlanta. Its Cox Communications division is the nation's third-largest cable television service provider; the company also publishes over a dozen daily newspapers in the United States, including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

CDC

Atlanta is also home to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with a staff of nearly 15,000 in 170 occupations, including: engineers, entomologists, epidemiologists, biologists, physicians, veterinarians, behavioral scientists, nurses, medical technologists, economists, health communicators, toxicologists, chemists, computer scientists, and statisticians.

Transportation

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest airport as measured by passenger traffic and by aircraft traffic, provides air service between Atlanta and many national and international destinations.

With a comprehensive network of freeways that radiate out from the city, Atlantans rely on their cars as the dominant mode of transportation in the region. Atlanta is mostly encircled by Interstate 285, a beltway locally known as "the Perimeter" which has come to mark the boundary between the interior of the region and its surrounding suburbs.

Three major interstate highways converge in Atlanta; Two combine to form the Downtown Connector through the middle of the city. The combined highway carries more than 340,000 vehicles per day and is one of the ten most congested segments of interstate highway in the United States.

This strong automotive reliance has resulted in heavy traffic and contributes to Atlanta's air pollution, which has made Atlanta one of the more polluted cities in the country. The Clean Air Campaign was created in 1996 to help reduce pollution in metro Atlanta.

Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority provides public transportation in Atlanta
The Downtown Connector, with the downtown skyline in the background
Part of the future Beltline in Piedmont Park

In recent years, the Atlanta metro area has ranked at or near the top of the longest average commute times in the U.S. Also the Atlanta metro area has ranked at or near the top for worst traffic in the country.

Notwithstanding heavy automotive usage, Atlanta's subway system, operated by Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), is the seventh busiest in the country. MARTA also operates a bus system within Fulton, DeKalb, and Gwinnett Counties. Clayton, Cobb, and Gwinnett counties each operate separate, autonomous transit authorities, using buses but no trains.

Atlanta began as a railroad town and it still serves as a major rail junction, with several freight lines belonging to Norfolk Southern and CSX intersecting below street level in downtown. It is the home of major classification yards for both railroads, Inman Yard on the NS and Tilford Yard on the CSX.

Demographics

Atlanta's Piedmont Park is the city's largest park. A portion of the park is seen here with the Midtown Atlanta Skyline.
North Avenue Presbyterian Church, on the southeast corner of North Avenue and Peachtree Street
The High Museum of Art, a division of the Woodruff Arts Center in Midtown Atlanta

As of July 2007, the Atlanta metropolitan area had an estimated population of 5,278,904. The racial makeup of the city was 55.7 percent black, 37.2 percent white, 2.3 percent Asian, 0.2 percent American Indian, 3.7 percent from other races, and .9 percent from two or more races; 5.9 percent of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[6]

According to census estimates, Metropolitan Atlanta is the fastest growing area in the nation since 2000 by numerical increase.[7]

Atlanta is also seeing a unique and drastic demographic increase in its white population, and at a pace that outstrips the rest of the nation. The white share of the city's population, says Brookings Institution, grew faster between 2000 and 2006 than that of any other U.S. city. It increased from 31 percent in 2000 to 35 percent in 2006, a numeric gain of 26,000, more than double the increase between 1990 and 2000. The trend seems to be gathering strength with each passing year. Only Washington, D.C. saw a comparable increase in white population share during those years.[8]

Atlanta is also home to the fastest growing millionaire population in the United States. The number of households in Atlanta with $1 million or more in investable assets, not including primary residence and consumable goods, is projected to increase 69 percent through 2011, to approximately 103,000 households.[9]

Surrounding municipalities

The population of the Atlanta region spreads across a metropolitan area of 8,376 square miles (21,694 km²) – a land area larger than that of Massachusetts. Because Georgia contains more counties than any other state east of the Mississippi River, area residents live under a heavily decentralized collection of governments. As of the 2000 census, fewer than one in ten residents of the metropolitan area lived inside Atlanta city proper.[10]

Religion

There are over 1000 places of worship within the city of Atlanta. Protestant Christian faiths are well represented in Atlanta, the city historically being a major center for traditional Southern denominations such as the Southern Baptist Convention, the United Methodist Church, and the Presbyterian Church (USA). There are a large number of "mega churches" in the area, especially in suburban areas.

Atlanta contains a large, and rapidly growing, Roman Catholic population which grew from 311,000 in 2000 to 650,000 in 2007.[11] As the see of the 84-parish Archdiocese of Atlanta, Atlanta serves as the metropolitan see for the Province of Atlanta. The archdiocesan cathedral is the Cathedral of Christ the King. Also located in the metropolitan area are several Eastern Catholic parishes.

The city hosts the Greek Orthodox Annunciation Cathedral, the see of Metropolis of Atlanta.

Atlanta is also the see of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, which includes all of northern Georgia, much of middle Georgia and the Chattahoochee River valley of western Georgia. This Diocese is headquartered at the Cathedral of St. Philip in Buckhead.

Atlanta serves as headquarters for several regional church bodies also. The Southeastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America maintains offices in downtown Atlanta; ELCA parishes are numerous throughout the metro area. There are eight United Church of Christ congregations in the Atlanta metro area.

Traditional African-American denominations such as the National Baptist Convention and the African Methodist Episcopal Church are strongly represented in the area. These churches have several seminaries that form the Interdenominational Theological Center complex in the Atlanta University Center.

The headquarters for the Salvation Army's United States Southern Territory is located in Atlanta. The denomination has eight churches, numerous social service centers, and youth clubs located throughout the Atlanta area.

The city has a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located in the suburb of Sandy Springs, Georgia.

Metropolitan Atlanta is also home to a vibrant Jewish community, estimated to include 120,000 individuals in 61,300 households, making Atlanta's Jewish population the 11th largest in the United States, up from 17th largest in 1996. There also are an estimated 75,000 Muslims in the area and approximately 35 mosques.

Education

Main Quad on Emory University's Druid Hills Campus.

Elementary and secondary schools

The public school system (Atlanta Public Schools) is run by the Atlanta Board of Education. As of 2007, the system had an active enrollment of 49,773 students attending a total of 106 schools: including 58 elementary schools (three of which operate on a year-round calendar), 16 middle schools, 20 high schools, and 7 charter schools. The school system also supports two alternative schools for middle and/or high school students, two single-gender academies, and an adult learning center.

Colleges and universities

Atlanta has more than 30 institutions of higher education, including Georgia Institute of Technology, a predominant engineering and research university that has been ranked in the top ten public universities since 1999 by US News & World Report, and Georgia State University. The city also hosts the Atlanta University Center, the largest consortium of historically black colleges and universities in the country. Its members include Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, and the Interdenominational Theological Center. Adjoining the AUC schools, but independent from them, is the Morehouse School of Medicine.

Suburban Atlanta contains several colleges, including Emory University, an internationally prominent liberal arts and research institution that has been consistently ranked as one of the top 20 schools in the United States by US News & World Report.

Culture

The Varsity has been an Atlanta landmark for over 75 years.
Turner Field

Tourism

Atlanta features the world's largest aquarium, the Georgia Aquarium, which opened in 2005.[12] It also hosts a variety of museums on subjects ranging from history to fine arts, natural history, and beverages. Museums and attractions in the city include the Atlanta History Center; the Carter Center; the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site; the Atlanta Cyclorama (a circular painting depicting the Battle of Atlanta) and Civil War Museum; and the Margaret Mitchell House and Museum.

Piedmont Park hosts many of Atlanta's festivals and cultural events. Atlanta Botanical Garden sits next to the park.

The most famous galleries in the city include the renowned High Museum of Art, the Atlanta Institute for the Arts, and the Georgia Museum of Contemporary Art.

Entertainment and performing arts

Atlanta's classical music scene includes the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Opera, Atlanta Ballet, New Trinity Baroque, the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, and the Atlanta Boys Choir. The city has a well-known and active live music scene.

Sports

Atlanta is home to several professional sports franchises, including teams from all four different major league sports in the United States. The Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball and the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League, have played in the city since 1966. The Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association have played in Atlanta since 1968. On June 25, 1997, Atlanta was awarded a National Hockey League expansion franchise, and the Atlanta Thrashers became the city's newest ice hockey team.

In golf, the final PGA Tour event of the season that features elite players, The Tour Championship, is played annually at East Lake Golf Club. This golf course is used because of its connection to the great amateur golfer Bobby Jones, an Atlanta native.

Atlanta has a rich tradition in collegiate athletics. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets participate in seventeen intercollegiate sports, including football and basketball.

Looking to the future

Transportation

The city is growing again—in population and employment, and this growth is projected to continue at an accelerated pace: from 480,000 people in 2006 to 780,000 in 2030; and from 395,000 jobs to 570,000. From a transportation point of view, the challenge is to accommodate this growth while maintaining the quality of life desired by an increasingly diverse population. The imperative is to strengthen the connection between land use and transportation. The Connect Atlanta Plan seeks to accomplish this overarching goal. Its recommendations include building 95 miles of rail transit and high-frequency bus transit, adding 200 miles of bicycle lanes, some new streets to better connect the existing road network, and road widening projects. But funding must be found, including from state and regional sources, which is going to be a challenge in a recession.[13]

Growth and decay

The Fox Theatre

But not all areas of the city are prospering. As part of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, Atlanta was allocated $12.3 million in 2008 to help acquire and redevelop foreclosed properties that might otherwise become sources of abandonment and blight.

One of the areas experiencing rapid growth is Midtown Atlanta, which includes about one-third of the city's high-rises. As residents begin to return to the city following decades of suburban retreat, Midtown offers an attractive mix of amenities and attractions, as well as proximity to downtown offices and destinations. A new bridge over the Downtown Connector connects Midtown to a new multibillion-dollar mixed-use development called Atlantic Station, on the former site of the Atlantic Steel company, which has been transformed into the site of new housing, office, and retail space after years of decontamination. With a 7,300-space parking garage underneath, the shopping area is pedestrian friendly, and many of the streets are often closed off for special events.

The Midtown Alliance is a group of volunteers, employees, and business and community members formed in 1978 that works toward improving the overall quality of life in Midtown. Activities include improving neighborhood safety, developing area arts and education programs, and building community leaders. The master plan, called Blueprint Midtown, is credited with fueling the economic resurgence that has helped the once downtrodden Midtown area transform into a popular neighborhood

Crime

Violent crimes, however, increased by 7 percent from 2006 to 2007, with the city recording its highest number of murders and aggravated assaults in four years, according to statistics released by the FBI. Property crimes rose 12.4 percent in the same period. The numbers of violent crimes and murders also rose in most of metro Atlanta's largest counties.[14]

Notes

  1. "Hotlanta" and "The ATL" in "Love it or loathe it, the city's nickname is accurate for the summer", Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 16, 2008 Retrieved March 9, 2012. "The ATL" in Jeff Campbell, Lonely Planet:USA, p. 401 Retrieved March 9, 2012.
  2. "Atlanta May No Longer Be the City in a Forest", WSB-TV Retrieved March 9, 2012.
  3. Our Georgia History. Georgia's Forts Retrieved December 18, 2008.
  4. Atlanta Business Chronicle. June 24, 2008. AeA ranks Atlanta 10th-largest U.S. cybercity Retrieved December 18, 2008.
  5. Watershed Publishing. September 22, 2007. Nielsen Reports 1.3% increase in U.S. Television Households for the 2007-2008 Season Retrieved December 18, 2008.
  6. US Census Bureau. Atlanta city, Georgia Retrieved December 18, 2008.
  7. Les Christie, April 5, 2007, Atlanta tops in population growth CNNMoney.com. Retrieved December 18, 2008.
  8. Rob Gurwitt. July 2008. Atlanta and the Urban Future Governing Magazine: Atlanta and the Urban Future. Retrieved December 18, 2008.
  9. Ed Lightsey, January 2007, Trend Radar January 2007 Georgia Trend. Retrieved December 18, 2008.
  10. The Brookings Institution. November 2003. Atlanta in Focus: A Profile from Census 2000.
  11. Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta. Archdiocese of Atlanta - Statistics Retrieved December 18, 2008.
  12. Peggy Mihelich, November 23, 2005, Big window to the sea CNN.com. Retrieved December 18, 2008.
  13. Connect Atlanta Plan. What are the goals of the Connect Atlanta Plan? Retrieved December 15, 2008.
  14. Mike Morris, September 15, 2008, Metro Atlanta had increase in crime in ‘07 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Allen, Frederick. 1996. Atlanta rising: the invention of an international city, 1946-1996. Atlanta: Longstreet Press. ISBN 1563522969.
  • Craig, Robert M. 1995. Atlanta architecture. Gretna: Pelican Pub. ISBN 0882899619.
  • Garrett, Franklin M., and Harold H. Martin. 1954. Atlanta and environs. New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co. ISBN 0820309133.
  • Roth, Darlene R., and Andy Ambrose. 1996. Metropolitan frontiers: a short history of Atlanta. Atlanta, GA: Longstreet Press. ISBN 1563522845.
  • Sjoquist, David L. 2000. The Atlanta paradox. The multi-city study of urban inequality. New York: Russell Sage Foundation. ISBN 0871548089.
  • Stone, Clarence N. 1989. Regime politics: governing Atlanta, 1946-1988. (Studies in government and public policy.) Lawrence: University Press of Kansas. ISBN 0700604154.

External links

All links retrieved August 21, 2023.

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