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About Alabama (AL) State
 

HISTORY
Native American Indian Tribes such as the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, Koasati and Mobile, initially inhabited the territory presently known as “Alabama”. The early 1700’s brought European explorers to the area, where they established the City of Mobile. The Europeans went on to settle many more cities until 1763, when the British took control. Between 1763 and 1783 the Alabama territory passed hands from the British to the Spaniards and finally to America. Lack of a coastline within the territory delayed statehood until 1814, when Andrew Jackson captured Mobile from the Spanish. Subsequently, in 1819, Alabama became the 22nd state admitted to the Union.

Large, lavish slave plantations that produced cotton drove Alabama’s early economy, while the majority of the residents survived as poor subsistence farmers. In 1861, Alabama abandoned the Union and affiliated themselves with the Confederate States of America sending nearly 120,000 soldiers to fight in the Civil War. In 1865, all slaves claimed back their freedom; however, racial tensions would continue to cause problems until the passage of the Civil Rights laws of 1964 and 1965. Today, Alabama consists of a diverse population with a thriving economy driven by the manufacturing and service sectors.

DEMOGRAPHICS
According to the 2000 Census data, Alabama’s population was 4,447,100. Montgomery, the state capital, accounts for 201,568 of that total, while Birmingham, AL’s largest city, is home to nearly 243,000 residents. Estimates in 2005 projected the state population as 4,557,808. This total indicates an increase of 32,433 (0.7%) from the estimates of the previous year and a growth of 110,457 (2.5%) since the last official census in 2000. The estimated data from 2005 also documents a natural increase since the 2000 census of 77,418 individuals (319,544 births minus 242,126 deaths) and a surge in population due to net migration of 36,457 people into Alabama. International immigration accounts for a net increase of nearly 26,000 people, while migration from within the U.S.A. resulted in an increase of 10,521 individuals.

Alabama’s five largest groups of ancestry are American (17.0%), English (7.8%), Irish (7.7%), German (5.7%) and Scots-Irish (2.0%). The ancestral category designated as ‘American' also includes those of African American and Native American descent. At the time of the 2000 Census, Alabama reported 108,000 foreign-born residents, which accounted for 2.4% of the state population. Estimates indicate that nearly 24,000 (or 22.2%) of those individuals were illegal aliens.

GEOGRAPHY
Alabama, also known as the “Heart of Dixie”, claims nearly 53,000 square miles of the Southern United States. Surface water accounts for just over three percent of AL’s total area. Alabama ranks as the nation’s 30th largest state in area. States that share their borders with Alabama include Tennessee in the north, Florida in the south, Georgia in the east and Mississippi in the west. The largest urban areas in AL include Auburn, Birmingham, Decatur, Dothan, Gadsden, Hoover, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa.

The average elevation in Alabama ranges anywhere from zero (sea level) to just over 1,800 feet in the Appalachian Mountains. At 2,407 feet, Mount Cheaha is the highest point in the state. The majority of Northern Alabama features a mountainous landscape. The Tennessee River, also located in the north, carves a massive valley into the Appalachians, revealing an abundance of creeks, lakes and rivers. Most of the remaining landscapes in AL feature scenic plains that gently decline towards the Gulf of Mexico and Mississippi River. Among Alabama’s most popular parks, are Horseshoe Bend National Military Park, Little River Canyon National Preserve, Natchez Trace Parkway, Russell Cave National Monument, the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail and the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site.

ECONOMY
Alabama has a prosperous economy that was responsible for a total gross state product of $132 billion in 2003 (according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis). Residents of Alabama earn a per capita income of nearly $27,000 per year. The State of AL collects anywhere from 2% to 5% in personal income tax, depending on the individual’s filing status and income earned. In addition, Alabama has a general sales tax rate of four percent.

Industrial outputs contributing to the thriving financial situation of AL include apparel, automobiles, iron and steel products, lumber, mining, paper products, plastic products, rubber, transportation equipment and wood products. Aerospace and electronic products also play an important role in the economy. Concentrated mostly in the Huntsville area, these facilities include NASA’s George C. Marshall Space Flight Center and Redstone Arsenal, which is home to the U.S.

 Army Missile Command. The busy seaport in Mobile affords access to additional business markets via the Gulf of Mexico and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. Alabama is home to the nation’s second largest inland waterway system.

AGRICULTURE
Alabama boasts a thriving base of agriculture that significantly contributes to the total gross state product. Agricultural outputs include cattle, cotton, dairy products, eggs, grains, peaches, poultry and soybeans. Although AL holds the reputation as “The Cotton State”, it ranks somewhere between the nation’s eighth and tenth in cotton production.

TRANSPORTATION
Five major interstate highways run through the State of Alabama. These include Interstate Highways 10, 20, 59, 65 and 85. Interstate 10 flows from west to east in southernmost AL. Interstates 59 and 20 run from the center of AL’s western border through to

Birmingham, at which point I-59 treks off towards the northeastern corner of AL and I-20 continues eastbound. Interstate 65 flows in a north-south direction through the midsection of the state and I-85 runs from Montgomery to the border of Georgia.

Alabama is home to the busy seaports of Decatur, Guntersville, Mobile, Muscle Shoals and Tuscaloosa. In addition, several major commercial airports service the state. These include Birmingham International Airport, Huntsville International Airport and the Tuscaloosa Regional Airport.

EDUCATION
Alabama is home to fourteen 4-year public universities. These outstanding facilities for higher learning include Alabama A&M University, Alabama State University, Auburn University and the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Residents also have numerous top-notch private colleges and universities from which to choose. These include Birmingham Southern College, Regions University and Tuskegee University.

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City Information (Alabama State)
Anniston | Auburn | Birmingham | Decatur | Dothan | Florence | Gadsden | Hoover | Huntsville | Mobile | Montgomery | Tuscaloosa

Counties in Alabama State
Autauga | Baldwin | Barbour | Bibb | Blount | Bullock | Butler | Calhoun | Chambers | Cherokee | Chilton | Choctaw | Clarke | Clay | Cleburne | Coffee | Colbert | Conecuh | Coosa | Covington | Crenshaw | Cullman | Dale | Dallas | DeKalb | Elmore | Escambia | Etowah | Fayette | Franklin | Geneva | Greene | Hale | Henry | Houston | Jackson | Jefferson | Lamar | Lauderdale | Lawrence | Lee | Limestone | Lowndes | Macon | Madison | Marengo | Marion | Marshall | Mobile | Monroe | Montgomery | Morgan | Perry | Pickens | Pike | Randolph | Russell | Shelby | St. Clair | Sumter | Talladega | Tallapoosa | Tuscaloosa | Walker | Washington | Wilcox | Winston