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Georgia Counties

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Georgia Counties

Georgia is divided into 159 counties. Under the Georgia Constitution, Counties are granted home rule to deal with issues that are local in nature. Four consolidated city-Counties — Athens (Clarke County), Augusta (Richmond County), Columbus (Muscogee County), and Cusseta (Chattahoochee County) — exist.

Georgia has the second-highest number of Counties of any state in the United States, behind Texas (254). A few Georgia Counties have changed names over time. Jasper County was originally known as Randolph County. Later, the current Randolph County came into being. Webster County was once known as Kinchafoonee County, and Bartow County was formerly known as Cass County.

Burke County, Georgia

Burke County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

County Seat: Waynesboro
Year Organized: 1777
Square Miles: 831

Court House:

P.O. Box 89
County Courthouse
Waynesboro, GA 30830-0089

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Named for English political writer, member of the British Parliament and supporter of the colonies' interests, Edmond Burke.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts:

County History

Burke County was one of Georgia's original eight counties. Originally organized as the Parish of St. George, Burke County was named for English political writer, member of the British Parliament and supporter of the colonies' interests, Edmond Burke.

Known as the "Bird Dog Capital of the World," Waynesboro was named for General Anthony "Mad Anthony" Wayne, a famous Revolutionary soldier.

Points of Interest

Georgia Power Company's Alvin W. Vogtle Nuclear Power Plant is located in the county on the Savannah River and began operation in the late 1980s.

Notable Citizens

Burke County claims ten Georgia Governors by birth, residence, or marriage. Lyman Hall, Georgia signer of the Declaration of Independence and member of the Continental Congress, had a plantation in the county. The other nine Governors with Burke County ties are John Houston, Samuel Elbert, Edward Telfair, Jared Irwin, James Jackson, David Emanuel, William Schley, Herschel V. Johnson and Hoke Smith.

Neighboring Counties:

North: Richmond County
Northeast: Aiken County, S.C.; Barnwell County, S.C.
East: Allendale County, S.C.
Southeast: Screven County
South: Jenkins County
Southwest: Emanuel County
West: Jefferson County

Cities and Towns:

- Girard	town	Incorporated Area
- Keysville	town	Incorporated Area
- Midville	city	Incorporated Area
- Sardis	town	Incorporated Area
- Waynesboro (County Seat)	city	Incorporated Area

County Resources:

County http://www.burkecounty-ga.gov/

Additional County Info http://www.georgiaplanning.com/CountyPortal/countyportal.asp?FIPS=13033

County Resources

The history of our nation was a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names given the counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic features of this country!"

But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.

Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally, act locally."