Atlanta

Atlanta and Its History

As stories have revealed, the city of Atlanta was first founded in 1837 as the end of the Western and Atlantic railroad line. It was born with its first name, Marthasville in honor of the then-governor's daughter. The city was also nicknamed Terminus for its rail location, and then changed soon to Atlanta, which means the 'feminine' of Atlantic - as in the railroad.

Atlanta, since its beginning, is a fast growing city. Today, it remains as one of the most well-known transportation hubs, not just in the United States but in the whole world. As you may know, the Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport is one of the country's busiest in daily passenger flights. In fact, several direct flights to South America, Europe and Asia have transformed metro Atlanta easily reachable to the over 1,000 international businesses that have been operating in the city. Those flights are even what made the more than 50 countries that have representation in the city through consulates, trade offices, and chambers of commerce accessible. With all these developments, it's no wonder that the city became a banking center and is highly considered these days as the world headquarters for 13 Fortune 500 companies.

For more than four decades, the city of Atlanta has been significantly associated to the civil rights movement. It was noted the Civil Rights leaders during the early days have moved forward, and they were the visionaries who saw a new south, which is the new Atlanta. With a strong belief in peace, they made monumental sacrifices for that peace, and it is them who are responsible for Atlanta's rise. They have lifted the city into a fast-pace modern city which opened its doors to the victorious and successful 1996 Olympics.

It is interesting to know that throughout the history of the city, the die hard Southerners view the place as the heart of the Old Confederacy. Because of this notion, Atlanta has become the best example of the New South - a fast-paced modern community that stood proud of its heritage.

Two decades ago, Atlanta has undergone unprecedented growth. That time, the population of the official city remains suspended, at about 420,000. However, the metro population has grown in the past decade by nearly 40 percent, from 2.9 million to 4.1 million inhabitants. As the city had claimed, a good measure of this development is the ever changing downtown skyline, along with skyscrapers constructed in the Midtown, Buckhead, as well as the outer perimeter business districts.

Since the late 1970s, dozens of incredible skyscrapers designed and developed bu luminaries such as Philip Johnson, I. M. Pel, and Marcel Breuer have reshaped the city's profile. Atlanta is now deemed as the Capital city of the southeast, a city of the future with strong bonds to its past.

The old in new Atlanta is now well-known throughout the world as the soul of the city, the heritage that improves the quality of life in a contemporary community. It is further interesting to know that during the turbulent 60s, the city was known as "the city too busy to hate", but today, in the 21st century, Atlanta is "the city not too busy to care".