Atlanta, Georgia

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as a railway junction, and rapidly developed into an important commercial town. In recent years it has become a major economic and cultural centre in the American south-east and an important hub of air traffic. Internationally famed businesses (e.g. Coca-Cola and the CNN new network) have their headquarters here. A brief high point of this development was the staging of the 26th Summer Olympic Games in 1996 - although sadly these have gone down in history more as the olympiads of troubles and shameless commercialism. Those visiting Atlanta should not expect to find a romantic southern state, even though Margaret Mitchell wrote "Gone with the Wind" here, but rather a vibrant American city with southern charm, as exemplified in Atlanta Station - all as a result of Coco-Cola, perhaps the most American of all American things.

History A military outpost was established in 1814 in the Indian village of Standing Peachtrees on the east bank of the Chattahoochee River, and in 1837 this became the terminus of the Western and Atlantic Railroad. The settlement that grew up was at first known simply as Terminus; then in 1843 it was renamed Marthasville in honour of the daughter of the then governor. Only two years later, in 1845, it was given its present name of Atlanta. During the Civil War it was an important Confederate stronghold, supply base and hospital centre. In 1864 the Union General William Sherman, noted for his ruthless conduct of the war, captured the town and reduced it to rubble. These events were described by Margaret Mitchell in her best-selling novel "Gone with the Wind", which won her the Pulitzer Prize. In 1868 Atlanta became capital of the young state of Georgia. In 1886 the soft drink with the largest world sale was created in Atlanta. Large areas of the city were destroyed by a great fire in 1917. In 1929 Martin Luther King was born in Atlanta. After the Second World War Atlanta enjoyed a huge economic upswing, and today it can almost bear comparison with New York and Chicago.

Atlanta is the fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States, between 2000 and 2006 it grew 20.5%. The climate in Atlanta is humid subtropical with hot, humid summers and mild winters. The city receives abundant rainfall which is common in the southeastern states.

There is lots to see and do in Atlanta including enjoying the arts, sports, history and other entertainment. Highlights are the World of Coca-Cola, the Georgia Aquarium, the Children's Museum of Atlanta, Centennial Olympic Park and Six Flags Over Georgia.