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Ancestry refers to the lineage or descent of a person, family, or group, tracing back through generations to identify their origins, heritage, and familial connections. It encompasses the genetic, cultural, and historical ties that link individuals to their forebears, shaping their identity and sense of belonging. Ancestry is a multifaceted concept, intertwining biology, genealogy, history, and culture, and it plays a significant role in how people understand themselves and their place in the world.

At its core, ancestry is rooted in genetics. Each individual inherits a unique combination of DNA from their parents, who in turn inherited their DNA from their own ancestors. This genetic material carries information about physical traits, predispositions to certain health conditions, and even behavioral tendencies. Advances in genetic testing, such as DNA analysis, have made it possible for individuals to trace their biological ancestry with remarkable precision. Companies like 23andMe and AncestryDNA offer services that analyze genetic markers to provide insights into a person's ethnic composition and geographic origins, often revealing surprising connections to distant relatives or previously unknown heritage.

Beyond genetics, ancestry is deeply tied to genealogy, the study of family history and lineage. Genealogical research involves constructing family trees, documenting relationships, and uncovering historical records such as birth certificates, marriage licenses, census data, and immigration documents. This process often reveals stories of migration, resilience, and adaptation, offering a window into the lives of ancestors and the challenges they faced. For many, genealogy is a way to honor their forebears and preserve their legacy for future generations.

Cultural ancestry is another critical dimension, encompassing the traditions, languages, customs, and values passed down through generations. It connects individuals to their ethnic or national heritage, shaping their cultural identity and worldview. For example, someone with Irish ancestry might celebrate St. Patrick's Day, learn traditional Irish dance, or explore the Gaelic language, while someone with Japanese ancestry might practice tea ceremonies, study calligraphy, or observe Obon festivals. Cultural ancestry fosters a sense of continuity and belonging, linking individuals to a broader community with shared experiences and values.

Historical ancestry delves into the broader context of a family's or group's past, including significant events, social conditions, and historical movements that shaped their lives. For instance, the transatlantic slave trade, the Irish Potato Famine, or the Jewish diaspora have profoundly influenced the ancestry of millions of people, leaving lasting imprints on their descendants' identities. Understanding historical ancestry often involves grappling with complex narratives of triumph and tragedy, resilience and oppression, and the interplay of individual and collective experiences.

Ancestry also has a deeply personal and emotional dimension. For many, exploring their ancestry is a journey of self-discovery, offering insights into who they are and where they come from. It can foster a sense of pride, connection, and continuity, as well as a deeper appreciation for the struggles and achievements of those who came before. At the same time, it can raise questions about identity, belonging, and the complexities of heritage, particularly for individuals with mixed or multicultural backgrounds.

In a globalized world, ancestry serves as a bridge between the past and the present, connecting individuals to their roots while also highlighting the interconnectedness of human history. It underscores the diversity and richness of human experience, reminding us that every person's story is part of a larger tapestry woven over centuries. Whether through genetic testing, genealogical research, cultural practices, or historical exploration, ancestry offers a profound way to understand ourselves and our place in the world.

A diversification score measures the diversity of ancestries in the county. As the value appoaches 100, ancestry diversity decreases and therefore increasing the risk of a lack of cultural diversity. The ancestry diversification score for this county is:

Most common ancestry not including "Unknown" is:

Ancestry Report Part I
Description	Total Population	American	Native American	Hawaiian	Caribbean (Latino)	Mexican	Central American	South American	Other Hispanic	African American	Sub- Saharan	Caribbean (Black)

Cook County	18,167	1,443	26	2	500	577	118	0	11	3,489	814	789
Georgia (in 000's)	11,288	641	21	6	209	627	187	116	51	2,374	539	501
National (in 000's)	343,251	13,890	2,213	626	11,327	38,879	6,181	4,644	3,687	25,893	7,852	7,174
Lowndes County	122,995	5,643	286	93	2,981	3,894	669	458	313	32,257	6,393	6,077
Colquitt County	47,222	6,266	92	12	1,207	6,642	979	28	286	7,037	1,750	1,606
Tift County	41,878	6,421	60	4	198	4,614	320	26	320	8,333	1,946	1,843
Berrien County	18,617	1,842	21	9	148	708	67	82	67	1,364	305	304
Brooks County	16,399	975	31	7	396	411	130	0	77	3,528	998	972

Per Cent to Total Population	Diversity Index

Cook County	14.69	7.94	0.14	0.01	2.75	3.18	0.65	0.00	0.06	19.21	4.48	4.34
Georgia	10.99	5.68	0.18	0.06	1.85	5.56	1.65	1.03	0.46	21.03	4.77	4.44
National	7.83	4.05	0.64	0.18	3.30	11.33	1.80	1.35	1.07	7.54	2.29	2.09
Lowndes County	14.11	4.59	0.23	0.08	2.42	3.17	0.54	0.37	0.25	26.23	5.20	4.94
Colquitt County	12.59	13.27	0.19	0.03	2.56	14.07	2.07	0.06	0.61	14.90	3.71	3.40
Tift County	12.99	15.33	0.14	0.01	0.47	11.02	0.76	0.06	0.76	19.90	4.65	4.40
Berrien County	18.36	9.89	0.11	0.05	0.79	3.80	0.36	0.44	0.36	7.33	1.64	1.63
Brooks County	13.92	5.95	0.19	0.04	2.41	2.51	0.79	0.00	0.47	21.51	6.09	5.93

Comparisons to State Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Cook County		139.81	77.49	19.50	148.73	57.17	39.31	0.00	13.28	91.32	93.86	97.83
Georgia		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
National		71.23	349.10	323.17	178.32	203.89	108.98	131.61	235.55	35.87	47.92	47.08
Lowndes County		80.76	125.89	133.91	130.97	56.99	32.92	36.22	55.81	124.71	108.88	111.30
Colquitt County		233.56	105.48	45.00	138.12	253.19	125.46	5.77	132.82	70.86	77.63	76.61
Tift County		269.88	77.57	16.92	25.55	198.33	46.24	6.04	167.58	94.62	97.34	99.13
Berrien County		174.16	61.07	85.61	42.96	68.46	21.78	42.84	78.93	34.84	34.32	36.78
Brooks County		104.65	102.35	75.59	130.49	45.11	47.97	0.00	102.97	102.30	127.48	133.52

Comparisons to National Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Cook County		196.28	22.20	6.03	83.40	28.04	36.07	0.00	5.64	254.59	195.87	207.79
Georgia		140.39	28.65	30.94	56.08	49.05	91.76	75.98	42.45	278.78	208.70	212.40
National		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
Lowndes County		113.38	36.06	41.44	73.45	27.95	30.20	27.52	23.69	347.66	227.22	236.39
Colquitt County		327.91	30.22	13.93	77.46	124.18	115.13	4.38	56.39	197.55	162.00	162.72
Tift County		378.90	22.22	5.23	14.33	97.27	42.43	4.59	71.14	263.78	203.14	210.56
Berrien County		244.50	17.49	26.49	24.09	33.58	19.98	32.56	33.51	97.12	71.62	78.13
Brooks County		146.92	29.32	23.39	73.18	22.13	44.02	0.00	43.72	285.19	266.04	283.59

Ancestry Report Part II
Description	Total Population	Canadian	British	Dutch	French	German	Italian	Polish	Scandinavian	Scotish/ Irish	Spanish	Other European

Cook County	18,167	46	780	54	44	315	103	13	136	977	0	39
Georgia (in 000's)	11,288	18	618	27	58	339	116	50	62	531	18	179
National (in 000's)	343,251	1,350	18,069	1,828	3,642	24,708	9,027	4,667	5,969	20,625	1,140	9,563
Lowndes County	122,995	191	6,380	229	619	3,273	933	371	459	5,636	282	1,533
Colquitt County	47,222	23	1,949	65	88	595	84	21	150	1,347	70	320
Tift County	41,878	62	1,706	93	83	519	118	49	43	1,532	50	269
Berrien County	18,617	9	943	41	87	550	135	59	35	1,390	205	140
Brooks County	16,399	40	654	17	85	427	77	32	11	947	0	100

Per Cent to Total Population	Diversity Index

Cook County	14.69	0.25	4.29	0.30	0.24	1.73	0.57	0.07	0.75	5.38	0.00	0.21
Georgia	10.99	0.16	5.47	0.24	0.52	3.01	1.02	0.44	0.55	4.70	0.16	1.59
National	7.83	0.39	5.26	0.53	1.06	7.20	2.63	1.36	1.74	6.01	0.33	2.79
Lowndes County	14.11	0.16	5.19	0.19	0.50	2.66	0.76	0.30	0.37	4.58	0.23	1.25
Colquitt County	12.59	0.05	4.13	0.14	0.19	1.26	0.18	0.04	0.32	2.85	0.15	0.68
Tift County	12.99	0.15	4.07	0.22	0.20	1.24	0.28	0.12	0.10	3.66	0.12	0.64
Berrien County	18.36	0.05	5.07	0.22	0.47	2.95	0.73	0.32	0.19	7.47	1.10	0.75
Brooks County	13.92	0.24	3.99	0.10	0.52	2.60	0.47	0.20	0.07	5.77	0.00	0.61

Comparisons to State Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Cook County		162.90	78.44	125.54	46.90	57.67	55.36	16.31	136.44	114.41	0.00	13.52
Georgia		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
National		253.05	96.17	224.93	205.47	239.40	256.78	309.89	316.91	127.83	211.82	175.45
Lowndes County		99.90	94.77	78.64	97.46	88.50	74.06	68.75	68.01	97.49	146.20	78.49
Colquitt County		31.33	75.41	58.14	36.09	41.91	17.37	10.14	57.89	60.69	94.52	42.67
Tift County		95.25	74.43	93.79	38.38	41.22	27.51	26.67	18.71	77.83	76.13	40.45
Berrien County		31.10	92.54	93.02	90.50	98.25	70.80	72.23	34.26	158.85	702.16	47.36
Brooks County		156.92	72.86	43.78	100.38	86.60	45.84	44.48	12.23	122.86	0.00	38.40

Comparisons to National Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Cook County		64.37	81.56	55.81	22.83	24.09	21.56	5.26	43.05	89.50	0.00	7.71
Georgia		39.52	103.98	44.46	48.67	41.77	38.94	32.27	31.55	78.23	47.21	57.00
National		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
Lowndes County		39.48	98.54	34.96	47.44	36.97	28.84	22.19	21.46	76.26	69.02	44.74
Colquitt County		12.38	78.41	25.85	17.56	17.50	6.76	3.27	18.27	47.47	44.62	24.32
Tift County		37.64	77.39	41.70	18.68	17.22	10.71	8.61	5.91	60.88	35.94	23.05
Berrien County		12.29	96.22	41.35	44.05	41.04	27.57	23.31	10.81	124.26	331.48	26.99
Brooks County		62.01	75.76	19.47	48.85	36.17	17.85	14.35	3.86	96.11	0.00	21.89

Ancestry Report Part III
Description	Total Population	Chinese	Filipino	Japanese	Korean	Vietnamese	South Central Asian	South East Asian	Other Asian	Middle Eastern	Other Ancestry	Unknown

Cook County	18,167	16	0	0	19	28	9	0	1	4	4,161	3,653
Georgia (in 000's)	11,288	71	30	11	66	65	197	33	25	30	1,753	1,721
National (in 000's)	343,251	4,461	3,010	793	1,541	1,913	5,452	1,643	1,229	1,931	47,322	51,000
Lowndes County	122,995	139	516	108	245	192	532	173	149	225	20,895	20,851
Colquitt County	47,222	13	2	0	68	122	39	2	123	80	9,307	6,849
Tift County	41,878	6	65	1	17	223	143	57	66	23	7,452	5,216
Berrien County	18,617	0	0	0	22	5	1	76	21	4	3,461	6,516
Brooks County	16,399	0	58	37	1	0	3	1	12	13	3,171	3,188

Per Cent to Total Population	Diversity Index

Cook County	14.69	0.09	0.00	0.00	0.10	0.15	0.05	0.00	0.01	0.02	22.90	20.11
Georgia	10.99	0.63	0.26	0.10	0.59	0.57	1.74	0.29	0.22	0.27	15.53	15.25
National	7.83	1.30	0.88	0.23	0.45	0.56	1.59	0.48	0.36	0.56	13.79	14.86
Lowndes County	14.11	0.11	0.42	0.09	0.20	0.16	0.43	0.14	0.12	0.18	16.99	16.95
Colquitt County	12.59	0.03	0.00	0.00	0.14	0.26	0.08	0.00	0.26	0.17	19.71	14.50
Tift County	12.99	0.01	0.16	0.00	0.04	0.53	0.34	0.14	0.16	0.05	17.79	12.46
Berrien County	18.36	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.12	0.03	0.01	0.41	0.11	0.02	18.59	35.00
Brooks County	13.92	0.00	0.35	0.23	0.01	0.00	0.02	0.01	0.07	0.08	19.34	19.44

Comparisons to State Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Cook County		13.93	0.00	0.00	17.76	26.93	2.84	0.00	2.50	8.30	147.52	131.89
Georgia		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
National		205.52	334.50	240.24	76.28	97.36	91.11	163.28	162.41	212.12	88.80	97.45
Lowndes County		17.87	160.01	91.33	33.84	27.27	24.81	47.98	54.93	68.99	109.42	111.19
Colquitt County		4.35	1.62	0.00	24.46	45.14	4.74	1.44	118.11	63.89	126.94	95.13
Tift County		2.27	59.20	2.48	6.90	93.03	19.59	46.43	71.46	20.71	114.61	81.69
Berrien County		0.00	0.00	0.00	20.07	4.69	0.31	139.27	51.15	8.10	119.74	229.56
Brooks County		0.00	134.89	234.67	1.04	0.00	1.05	2.08	33.18	29.90	124.54	127.51

Comparisons to National Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Cook County		6.78	0.00	0.00	23.29	27.66	3.12	0.00	1.54	3.91	166.14	135.33
Georgia		48.66	29.90	41.62	131.10	102.71	109.76	61.24	61.57	47.14	112.62	102.61
National		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
Lowndes County		8.70	47.84	38.01	44.36	28.01	27.23	29.39	33.82	32.52	123.23	114.10
Colquitt County		2.12	0.48	0.00	32.07	46.36	5.20	0.88	72.72	30.12	142.96	97.62
Tift County		1.10	17.70	1.03	9.04	95.55	21.50	28.44	44.00	9.76	129.07	83.83
Berrien County		0.00	0.00	0.00	26.32	4.82	0.34	85.29	31.49	3.82	134.85	235.57
Brooks County		0.00	40.33	97.68	1.36	0.00	1.15	1.27	20.43	14.09	140.26	130.84

Sources: STI: PopStats, Circa April 2025

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