Alabama General Information
Sweet home Alabama, where the skies are so blue – there has never been a more beautiful declaration of love to the most typical southern state. The rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, one of the most important representatives of Southern Rock, has created a special memory for the state of Alabama with this world-famous song. Alabama, also known as the “Heart of Dixie”, “Cotton State” or “Yellowhammer State”, is known for its cotton cultivation and the typical southern accent. The name “Yellowhammer State” can be traced back to the symbol of the state, the golden hammer.
The “heart of the south” combines the beauty of nature with the vastness of the ocean and the cultural diversity of many interesting cities. Unlike other US states, Alabama has been largely spared from mass tourism to this day. Montgomery, the capital of Alabama, was Dixieland’s first capital at the beginning.
The summers in Alabama are very hot, humid and long, whereas the winters are quite mild but also very rainy. Despite all of this, Alabama has amazingly popular ski resorts. Spring or late autumn is recommended as the ideal travel time. But especially in spring, at the time of the azalea bloom (also called “Azalea Trials”), a trip to Alabama is recommended. What the Indian Summer does for the New England states is is the azalea bloom for Alabama. Southern Alabama is characterized by beautiful beaches along the Gulf Coast. The “Cotton State” has a total of 85 km of coastline. In some regions you can even find wine-growing areas. The landscape is characterized by the imposing Appalachian Mountains, the Piedmont plateau with its red clay soil, as well as by sandy coastal areas and lush forests.
In the spirit of the “Grand Old South”, Alabama is typically conservative. This is particularly noticeable in the mentality of the residents. Regardless, a trip to Alabama should not be missed. Especially those interested in history can walk in historical footsteps and get an insight into the history of the Indian and Afro-American residents.
There is a lot to see and do in Alabama, whether it’s sports museums, historic houses, idyllic golf courses, exquisite eateries, shopping opportunities that leave nothing to be desired, or fantastic sandy beaches – there is something for everyone here.
GENERAL
Abbreviated as AL on ABBREVIATIONFINDER.ORG, Alabama is a US state with a population of 4,447,100 (as of the 2000 census), which is one of the southern states. The name “Alabama” is derived from the Indian tribe of the “Alibamu”, a tribe from the Muskogee language family. Translated, “Alibamu” means “here we live”. Another possibility would be that the name is derived from the word for “tribal center” of the Creek Indians.
Capital
Montgomery
Biggest town
Birmingham
Most important port city
Mobile
Area
Rank (within the US): 30th out of 50 states
Total: 135,765 km²
Land: 131,426 km²
Water (%): 4th, 338 km² (3.20%)
Residents
Rank (within the US): 23rd out of 50 states
Total (2000): 4,447,100
Density: 34 / km²
State membership
Place: 22nd
Since: December 14, 1819
Governor
Robert Julian Bentley, Republican, since 2011
GEOGRAPHY
Time zone: Central: UTC -6 / -5
Latitude: 30 ° 13’N to 35 ° N
Longitude 84 ° 51’W to 88 ° 28’W
Width: 306 km
Length: 531 km
Highest position: 734 m
Average location: 152 m
Lowest position: 0 m
At 133,667 km², Alabama is the 29th largest state in the USA. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Mississippi to the west, and Florida to the southeast. In the northwest are the Appalachians, otherwise Alabama is a flat state that is mostly covered by forest. In the south lies the Gulf of Mexico, into which the main Alabama River flows. Alabama is divided into 67 counties.
HISTORY
The first Indians set foot on Alabamian soil around 8,000 to 9,000 years ago. Until the first Europeans came to Alabama, the Cherokee and Chicksaw Indians lived in the north. The Choctaw and Creek Indians lived in the south. In 1519 the Spanish explorer Alonso Alvarez landed at “Mobile Bay”.
In 1541 the Spaniard Hernando de Soto came to Alabama from the Appalachians. In 1699 the French came from the south and founded the first colony and in 1702 the city of Fort Louis, which was the capital of the French colony of Louisiana until 1722. In 1711 the city of Mobile was founded. In 1763 the English conquered Alabama and in 1779 the Spanish conquered the southern part of Alabama. In 1798, Alabama, with the exception of the city of Mobile, became a member of the Mississippi Territory.
Mobile only became part of the territory in 1813. Four years later, in 1817, the Americans occupied Alabama and initially used it as a separate territory. In 1819 Alabama finally became the 22nd state in the United States.
POPULATION
With 4.4 million residents, Alabama is the 23rd largest state in the USA. 32% of the population are black.
ECONOMY
Plants and fruits are grown mainly on the seashore and on the river plain of the Alabama River. These are corn, cotton, sugar cane, tobacco, tropical fruits, potatoes and forage crops. Mostly cattle and pigs are bred. Alabama consists of 50% pine and deciduous forests, which is why Alabama also has a large forest and timber industry. In the cities, especially in the industrial city of Birmingham, there is a cotton, electrical, cement and chemical industries.
Alabama has also been producing petroleum since 1944.
Alabama Counties and County Seats
According to Countryaah, there are a total of 67 counties in the state of Alabama.
- Autauga County (County Seat: Prattville)
- Baldwin County (County Seat: Bay Minette)
- Barbour County (County Seat: Clayton)
- Bibb County (County Seat: Centreville)
- Blount County (County Seat: Oneonta)
- Bullock County (County Seat: Union Springs)
- Butler County (County Seat: Greenville)
- Calhoun County (County Seat: Anniston)
- Chambers County (County Seat: Lafayette)
- Cherokee County (County Seat: Centre)
- Chilton County (County Seat: Clanton)
- Choctaw County (County Seat: Butler)
- Clarke County (County Seat: Grove Hill)
- Clay County (County Seat: Ashland)
- Cleburne County (County Seat: Heflin)
- Coffee County (County Seat: Elba)
- Colbert County (County Seat: Tuscumbia)
- Conecuh County (County Seat: Evergreen)
- Coosa County (County Seat: Rockford)
- Covington County (County Seat: Andalusia)
- Crenshaw County (County Seat: Luverne)
- Cullman County (County Seat: Cullman)
- Dale County (County Seat: Ozark)
- Dallas County (County Seat: Selma)
- DeKalb County (County Seat: Fort Payne)
- Elmore County (County Seat: Wetumpka)
- Escambia County (County Seat: Brewton)
- Etowah County (County Seat: Gadsden)
- Fayette County (County Seat: Fayette)
- Franklin County (County Seat: Russellville)
- Geneva County (County Seat: Geneva)
- Greene County (County Seat: Eutaw)
- Hale County (County Seat: Greensboro)
- Henry County (County Seat: Abbeville)
- Houston County (County Seat: Dothan)
- Jackson County (County Seat: Scottsboro)
- Jefferson County (County Seat: Birmingham)
- Lamar County (County Seat: Vernon)
- Lauderdale County (County Seat: Florence)
- Lawrence County (County Seat: Moulton)
- Lee County (County Seat: Opelika)
- Limestone County (County Seat: Athens)
- Lowndes County (County Seat: Hayneville)
- Macon County (County Seat: Tuskegee)
- Madison County (County Seat: Huntsville)
- Marengo County (County Seat: Linden)
- Marion County (County Seat: Hamilton)
- Marshall County (County Seat: Guntersville)
- Mobile County (County Seat: Mobile)
- Monroe County (County Seat: Monroeville)
- Montgomery County (County Seat: Montgomery)
- Morgan County (County Seat: Decatur)
- Perry County (County Seat: Marion)
- Pickens County (County Seat: Carrollton)
- Pike County (County Seat: Troy)
- Randolph County (County Seat: Wedowee)
- Russell County (County Seat: Phenix City)
- St. Clair County (County Seat: Ashville and Pell City)
- Shelby County (County Seat: Columbiana)
- Sumter County (County Seat: Livingston)
- Talladega County (County Seat: Talladega)
- Tallapoosa County (County Seat: Dadeville)
- Tuscaloosa County (County Seat: Tuscaloosa)
- Walker County (County Seat: Jasper)
- Washington County (County Seat: Chatom)
- Wilcox County (County Seat: Camden)
- Winston County (County Seat: Double Springs)
