Atlanta is the capital and the most populous city in the state of Georgia. Atlanta was founded in 1837 as the end of the Western and Atlantic railroad line. A rail line was built between Atlanta and Chattanooga and 138 mile markers were placed. The Zero Milepost still stands next to Underground Atlanta today on the basement level of the Georgia Railroad Freight Depot. The city was dubbed "Terminus," and the termination point is now Five Points in downtown Atlanta. “Terminus" was renamed "Marthasville" in honor of Martha Lumpkin, daughter of Georgia Gov. Wilson Lumpkin. "Marthasville" was renamed "Atlanta," a feminine form of Atlantic, probably created by Steven Harriman Long, a Western and Atlantic Railroad engineer.

Atlanta has four distinct seasons and a temperate climate. Summers can be hot and humid with heat wave spells lasting days at a time. Average temperatures for summer show up as fairly low, however, but this is somewhat misleading. Winter in Atlanta runs from November through to March and the coldest months are December, January and February, when daytime temperatures are around 12°C (53°F) and nighttimes temperatures can drop to below freezing. Atlanta receives abundant rainfall, which is evenly distributed throughout the year.

Atlanta is home to over four hundred Fortune 500 companies and is the headquarters for such commercial giants as Coca-Cola (Since 1886), CNN and United Parcel Service. Service industries employ the largest number of workers, but trade and manufacturing are also important elements.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, known as Atlanta Airport is located seven miles south of the central business district of Atlanta. Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) is Atlanta's public transportation system, including trains and buses, serving the city of Atlanta and Fulton and Dekalb counties. There are five main train lines: Northeast, North, South, East, and West. All five lines meet at the center at Five Points station. Buses cover much of the metro area including many areas not serviced by trains, but they come less frequently. Car rentals are available both from the airport and from well-known car hire companies in central Atlanta.

The 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. In recent years, the Atlanta metro area has ranked at or near the top of the longest average commute times in the U.S. The Clean Air Campaign was created to help reduce pollution in metro Atlanta. Atlanta has a reputation as being one of the most dangerous cities for pedestrians, when the Gone with the Wind author Margaret Mitchell was struck by a speeding car and killed while crossing Peachtree Street.

Education is one of Atlanta’s highest priorities. Atlanta has more than 30 institutions of higher education, including the Georgia Institute of Technology, a predominant engineering and research university that have been ranked in the top ten public universities, and Georgia State University. Atlanta Public Schools is accountable for focusing its talents and resources on ensuring that its students are successful in school and in life. The organization’s vision is one system, one goal, one focus student success.

The Greater Atlanta area is full of attractions for all ages. One of the most popular historic attractions in Atlanta is the famous Martin Luther King Historic area. This region of the city includes the Baptist chapel where the civil rights leader preached and many of the other important places in his life including the motel where he was staying when he was assassinated.

Located in an outstanding architectural landmark, High Museum of Art museum displays a collection that includes a growing body of contemporary art, sculpture and decorative arts, five centuries of European painting and sculpture and tribal African art such as masks and ceremonial figures.

Georgia Aquarium officially opened its doors to the public on November 23 in 2005. As the world’s largest aquarium, it holds over 6 million gallons of water and was specially designed to house whale sharks alongside tens of thousands of other coral reef and open ocean creatures. Through a path of more than sixty exhibits, the Aquarium tells a global water story, with features modeled after the greatest zoos and aquariums in the world. Another striking feature of the aquarium is its 30m (100ft) long tunnel, one of the largest aquarium windows in the world with views into whale shark habitat.