Few polls have been conducted in Georgia, so making predictions about the state of the primary races here is tricky.

Polls here have been suggesting that Hillary Clinton held an imposing early lead, but has recently been overtaken by Barack Obama.

Mr Obama showed in Nevada and South Carolina that he is overwhelmingly popular with African-American voters, of whom there are many in Georgia, and they could be the key to victory here for him.

PRIMARY INFORMATION Date of primary: 5 February [Super Tuesday] Election polltracker Full state profile Q&A: US primary elections

On the Republican side, the polls suggest that the Mike Huckabee surge being seen in other early primary states is also in evidence in Georgia. But his defeat in South Carolina at the hands of John McCain could be a sign that his popularity is on the wane in southern states.

Although 40% of the US's peanuts are grown here, Georgia is no longer the rural state it used to be. Atlanta is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country and voters' concerns have become correspondingly more cosmopolitan.