An Introduction to Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta is today’s capital and largest city of the state of Georgia. It is the county seat of Fulton County, although a part of the city is located in DeKalb County. According to certain estimates, Atlanta, Georgia has a population of 425,000, with the fast growing metropolitan area totaled 4,708,297, making it the ninth largest metropolitan area in the United States and the 41st largest city proper. The Origin of the Name "Atlanta" The Atlanta, Georgia area was originally inhabited by Cherokee and Creek Indians and was first names as Standing Peachtree. It was opened to white settlement in 1823 and since then it remained mostly woods until 1836, when the area was chosen as the southern "Terminus" of a railroad from Chattanooga. It is interesting to know that a local settlement known as "Thrashersville" was renamed "Terminus", however in 1843 the town was renamed "Marthasville". This name was patterned after the wife of the governor of the state of Georgia. But, the business community was concerned that such a name wouldn’t sell, and so they named it finally as "Atlanta", which for many of the early inhabitants was a name much more marketable. Hence, from that start Atlanta, Georgia began as a transportation hub and marketing center. It was only incorporated as the "city" of Atlanta, Georgia in 1847. Atlanta’s Climate Atlanta, Georgia is geographically elevated and surrounded by a number of large bodies of water. Due to this location, Atlanta, Georgia experiences a climate much more temperate than the subtropical coastal area of the state, with extremes of hot and cold, as well as a high degree of seasonal temperature variation. Also, though somewhat offset by the urban heat island effect, Atlanta still has a climate colder than many cities in the southern part of the United States, despite its common nickname "Hotlanta". Religion The cityscape of Atlanta, Georgia is in the first place heaving with a seemingly countless amount of large denominational churches and other places of worship. Perhaps this is due to the fact that Atlanta is the unofficial capital of the "bible belt", which is a geographic region considered among the most highly religious in western civilization. It is worth noting that a large majority of the people of Atlanta profess to following a Protestant Christian faith. Aside from that, many people pointed out that religion plays a reasonably crucial role in their weekly lives. As a result, Atlanta, Georgia would arguably have the distinction of being among the most religious major cities in the United States. The city is now the seat of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, and is also a major Southern Baptist center. Economy Despite of the romantic associations, the city of Atlanta, Georgia has always been more a commercial city than an ante-bellum monument. It has been considered as the major hub of regional commerce, and the city boasts an especially strong convention and trade show business. In fact, numerous major national and international companies are stationed in Atlanta, Georgia or its nearby suburbs, and several business developments were further considered in Atlanta area.