alabama Cotton THE HEART OF DIXIE Alabama is part of the Deep South This southeastern region is often called Dixie Alabama is a land brimming with civil rights history Southern cooking farms and factories It is also a place of natural beauty The Appalachian Mountains are in the northeast The warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico are along the state’s southern shoreline Outdoor lovers can explore forested mountains deep caves and hundreds of miles of inland waterways Farm products ruled Alabama’s economy before the Civil War Cotton was king Most of it was harvested by African American slaves Today the state’s farms share the spotlight with many other goods and services They include medical research iron and steel products coal mines and automobile factories Alabama is even home to the nation’s largest space research center ALABAMA The U S Space Rocket Center is in Huntsville Alabama 4
Little River Falls flows in Alabama’s Little River Canyon National Preserve
alabama QUICK FACTS Name The word Alabama comes from the Native American Choctaw language It probably means clearers of the thicket or herb gatherers State Capital Montgomery population 200,481 Date of Statehood December 14 1819 22nd state Population 4,849,377 23rd-most populous state Area Total Land and Water 52,420 square miles 135,767 sq km 30th-largest state Largest City Birmingham population 212,247 Nicknames The Heart of Dixie The Yellowhammer State The Cotton State Motto We Dare Defend Our Rights State Bird Yellowhammer State Flower Camellia 6 ALABAMA
the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA State Rock Marble State Tree Southern Longleaf Pine State Song Alabama Highest Point Mount Cheaha in Talladega County 2,413 feet 735 m Lowest Point Gulf of Mexico 0 feet 0 m Average July High Temperature 91 F 33 C Record High Temperature 112 F 44 C in Centreville on September 5 1925 Average January Low Temperature 34 F 1 C Record Low Temperature 27 F 33 C in New Market on January 30 1966 Average Annual Precipitation 56 inches 142 cm Number of U S Senators 2 Number of U S Representatives 7 U S Postal Service Abbreviation AL QUICK FACTS 7
