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is a city in Hall County in Georgia, United States of America. The population was 25,578 at the 2000 census. Census estimates for 2007 show a population of 34,818. The city is the county seat of Hall County. Because of its large number of poultry processing plants, it is often called the chicken capital of the world. Gainesville is the principal city of and is included in the Gainesville, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Gainesville, Georgia-Alabama (part) Combined Statistical Area.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.1 square miles (75.4 km²), of which, 27.1 square miles (70.2 km²) of it is land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km²) of it (6.94%) is water.
Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, parts of Gainesville lie along the shore of one of the nation's most popular inland water destinations, Lake Lanier. Named after Georgia author and musician Sidney Lanier, the lake was created in 1958 when The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dammed the Chattahoochee River near Buford, Georgia and flooded an Appalachian mountain valley. Although created primarily for hydro-electricity and flood-control, it also serves as a reservoir providing water to the city of Atlanta. Lake Lanier is also a very popular recreational attraction for all of North Georgia.