At·lan·ta  (āt-lān'tə)  The capital and largest city of Georgia, in the northwest part of the state. It was founded in 1837 at the end of the railroad line as Terminus and renamed Atlanta in 1845. Almost entirely burned on November 15, 1864, before the start of Union general William Tecumseh Sherman's march to the sea, the city was rapidly rebuilt and became the permanent state capital in 1877. Population: 486,000. At·lan'tan n. |