Alabama is located in the southeastern region of the United States. At 51,998 square miles, it ranks as the 29th largest state in land area. The 1990 census placed the population of the state at 4,319,200 people. The University of Alabama has a large selection of state maps online. History: With its ratification of the Constitution in 1819, Alabama was admitted to the Union as the 22nd state. However, the history of the area goes back another 300 years. The first known European contact with what would become Alabama occurred in 1519 when Alonso Alvarez de Pineda sailed in Mobile Bay. The Spanish did not really explore the area for another two decades, when Hernando de Soto led an expedition into the region about 1540. Conflict between the Spanish and local Indian tribes, as well as French and English explorers, kept the Spanish from establishing a colony, and in 1702 the French established Fort Louis, the first permanent European presence, near present day Mobile. In 1763 the Treaty of Paris, which ended the French and Indian War, gave Mobile to the British and established British supremacy in the area. Montgomery was named permanent state capital in 1846, and it was there in January 1861 that the Ordinance of Secession was passed, forming the Confederate States of America. Montgomery was named as the capital of the fledgling nation and Jefferson Davis became the first president of the Confederacy. Admiral Farragut's blockade of Mobile Bay in August of 1864, coupled with Sherman's march to the sea in Georgia cut off the two major seaports of the Confederacy and harkened the end of the bloodiest conflict in American history. In 1915 the boll weevil devastated the state's one crop cotton economy, forcing a diversification in agriculture. FDR's New Deal touched the northern part of the state as the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) brought work to the northern part of the state during the deepest darkest hours of the Depression. The construction of locks and dams along the Tennessee River brought commercial barge navigation, as well as electricity, to the rural areas along the river. The 1950s and 60s were tumultuous times for the country, and Alabama was on the front lines of yet another struggle. When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus, the 381-day bus boycott brought the Civil Rights movement to the front page of newspapers across the country. The boycott, coupled with other actions like the Freedom March from Selma to Montgomery in 1965, led to greater opportunities for all U.S. citizens. Geography: Although the Coastal Plain covers more half of Alabama, the remainder of the state has mixed terrain. In the north the Cumberland Plateau pushes south across the state line. A wedge of the Piedmont Plateau juts into the east-central part of the state. Swamps, bayous and beaches are found in the southern extremities. Except for the Tennessee, which dips into northern Alabama on its way to meet the Ohio at Paducah, Kentucky, Alabama's rivers all flow to the Gulf of Mexico. From the Appalachian region, the Coosa and Tallapoosa flow southward, converging at the Alabama in Montgomery. In turn the Alabama merges with the Tombigbee above Mobile for a final run to the Gulf. The most widely known of Alabama's variable soils is the distinctive Black Belt, a swath of rich black prairie soil crossing the state's center. Its even marl and limestone composition has been long associated with cotton production. The fertile area of east central Alabama, known as the Wiregrass for its native grass with wiry roots, is ideal for the cultivation of peanuts. Particularly vital to the state's development are several seams of iron ore collectively known as the Big Seam, the largest such deposit in the Southeast. Discovered near Birmingham, the Big Seam's bounty helped propel Alabama into the industrial age. Economy: In terms of the state's economy, Alabama has come full circle. The economy was initially based on small industry and some iron manufacturing, but soon the dominance of King Cotton precluded attempts at diversification. After the boll weevil dethroned the king, manufacturing again became productive. Other leading industries are tourism, mining and agriculture. Forestry and stock raising are big business in Alabama. Large pine forests feed the state's pulp and paper mills. Cotton remains a major crop, in addition to soybeans, peanuts, corn, pecans, watermelons and peaches. Beef and dairy cattle graze on pastureland throughout the state, and the coastal fishing industry harvests red snapper, flounder, mullet, shrimp, crab and oysters. One of the largest employers in Birmingham is the medical community. The production of textiles, chemicals, pulp and paper, clothing, tires, plastics and allied industries has grown throughout the state. Alabama's high-tech and space industries are increasingly important as well. Huntsville, with NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center is leading the way; the federal government also pumps a large sum of money into research at the University of Alabama - Huntsville. The opening of the Tennessee - Tombigbee Waterway further expanded the state's shipping potential. The 234 mile waterway, which links Mobile to inland ports on the Tennessee and Ohio rivers and their major tributaries, cuts hundreds of miles and several days off of travel from shipments that previously were routed to the Mississippi River via New Orleans. Home Rules People Contact Webmaster Links
Alabama is located in the southeastern region of the United States. At 51,998 square miles, it ranks as the 29th largest state in land area. The 1990 census placed the population of the state at 4,319,200 people. The University of Alabama has a large selection of state maps online.
History:
With its ratification of the Constitution in 1819, Alabama was admitted to the Union as the 22nd state. However, the history of the area goes back another 300 years. The first known European contact with what would become Alabama occurred in 1519 when Alonso Alvarez de Pineda sailed in Mobile Bay. The Spanish did not really explore the area for another two decades, when Hernando de Soto led an expedition into the region about 1540. Conflict between the Spanish and local Indian tribes, as well as French and English explorers, kept the Spanish from establishing a colony, and in 1702 the French established Fort Louis, the first permanent European presence, near present day Mobile.
In 1763 the Treaty of Paris, which ended the French and Indian War, gave Mobile to the British and established British supremacy in the area.
Montgomery was named permanent state capital in 1846, and it was there in January 1861 that the Ordinance of Secession was passed, forming the Confederate States of America. Montgomery was named as the capital of the fledgling nation and Jefferson Davis became the first president of the Confederacy. Admiral Farragut's blockade of Mobile Bay in August of 1864, coupled with Sherman's march to the sea in Georgia cut off the two major seaports of the Confederacy and harkened the end of the bloodiest conflict in American history.
In 1915 the boll weevil devastated the state's one crop cotton economy, forcing a diversification in agriculture. FDR's New Deal touched the northern part of the state as the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) brought work to the northern part of the state during the deepest darkest hours of the Depression. The construction of locks and dams along the Tennessee River brought commercial barge navigation, as well as electricity, to the rural areas along the river.
The 1950s and 60s were tumultuous times for the country, and Alabama was on the front lines of yet another struggle. When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus, the 381-day bus boycott brought the Civil Rights movement to the front page of newspapers across the country. The boycott, coupled with other actions like the Freedom March from Selma to Montgomery in 1965, led to greater opportunities for all U.S. citizens.
Geography:
Although the Coastal Plain covers more half of Alabama, the remainder of the state has mixed terrain. In the north the Cumberland Plateau pushes south across the state line. A wedge of the Piedmont Plateau juts into the east-central part of the state. Swamps, bayous and beaches are found in the southern extremities.
Except for the Tennessee, which dips into northern Alabama on its way to meet the Ohio at Paducah, Kentucky, Alabama's rivers all flow to the Gulf of Mexico. From the Appalachian region, the Coosa and Tallapoosa flow southward, converging at the Alabama in Montgomery. In turn the Alabama merges with the Tombigbee above Mobile for a final run to the Gulf.
The most widely known of Alabama's variable soils is the distinctive Black Belt, a swath of rich black prairie soil crossing the state's center. Its even marl and limestone composition has been long associated with cotton production. The fertile area of east central Alabama, known as the Wiregrass for its native grass with wiry roots, is ideal for the cultivation of peanuts.
Particularly vital to the state's development are several seams of iron ore collectively known as the Big Seam, the largest such deposit in the Southeast. Discovered near Birmingham, the Big Seam's bounty helped propel Alabama into the industrial age.
Economy:
In terms of the state's economy, Alabama has come full circle. The economy was initially based on small industry and some iron manufacturing, but soon the dominance of King Cotton precluded attempts at diversification. After the boll weevil dethroned the king, manufacturing again became productive. Other leading industries are tourism, mining and agriculture.
Forestry and stock raising are big business in Alabama. Large pine forests feed the state's pulp and paper mills. Cotton remains a major crop, in addition to soybeans, peanuts, corn, pecans, watermelons and peaches. Beef and dairy cattle graze on pastureland throughout the state, and the coastal fishing industry harvests red snapper, flounder, mullet, shrimp, crab and oysters.
One of the largest employers in Birmingham is the medical community. The production of textiles, chemicals, pulp and paper, clothing, tires, plastics and allied industries has grown throughout the state. Alabama's high-tech and space industries are increasingly important as well. Huntsville, with NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center is leading the way; the federal government also pumps a large sum of money into research at the University of Alabama - Huntsville. The opening of the Tennessee - Tombigbee Waterway further expanded the state's shipping potential. The 234 mile waterway, which links Mobile to inland ports on the Tennessee and Ohio rivers and their major tributaries, cuts hundreds of miles and several days off of travel from shipments that previously were routed to the Mississippi River via New Orleans.
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