Augusta << aw GUHS tuh >>, Georgia (pop. 202,081; met. area pop. 611,000), lies on the state’s eastern boundary, about 125 miles (201 kilometers) from the mouth of the Savannah River. Augusta’s metropolitan area includes nearby Aiken, South Carolina.
Augusta’s chief industries produce bricks, detergents, fertilizer, food products, golf carts, hospital products, newsprint, and paper products. Augusta is on the eastern edge of one of the world’s greatest kaolin belts. Several plants near Augusta process kaolin, a white clay used for making fine pottery and as a coating on high-quality paper. Nearby Fort Eisenhower, a United States Army training center, is a major contributor to the economy of metropolitan Augusta. The city has several large hospitals and is an important center for medical research. Augusta is the home of Paine College and Augusta University. The Masters Tournament, one of the world’s major golf competitions, is held every spring at the Augusta National Golf Club.
James Oglethorpe, who founded the Georgia colony, ordered Augusta established in 1736. The Georgia legislature made Augusta the capital of the state from 1786 to 1795. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), Augusta served as ordnance (weapons) center of the Confederacy. In 1996, Augusta and Richmond County were merged under a mayor-commission-administrator form of government.
