Welcome to Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the Southern United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west.  Alabama is known as The Heart of Dixie and the Yellowhammer state. The capital is Montgomery and the largest city is Birmingham.   Until World War II, Alabama, like many Southern states, remained mired in poverty. In the following years, Alabama would emerge as a growing economic power as the economy of the state transitioned from agriculture to diversified interests in heavy manufacturing, mineral extraction, education, and high technology. Man walked on the moon using rockets developed in Alabama. Today, the state is heavily invested in the aerospace, education, health care, banking, and various heavy industries including automobile manufacturing and mineral extraction.  The city of Mobile is a busy seaport on the Gulf of Mexico, and with inland waterway access to the Midwest via the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.   The climate of Alabama is best described as being a humid subtropical climate. This is especially true in the southern part of the state with its close proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, while the Northern parts of the state, especially in the Appalachian Mountains in the Northeast; tend to be much closer to a Continental climate. Generally, Alabama has very hot summers and mild winters with copious precipitation throughout the year. March is typically the wettest month and October is the driest month.   Alabama has five major interstate roads that cross it: I-65 runs north-south roughly through the middle of the state; I-59/I-20 travels from the central west border to Birmingham, where I-59 continues to the north-east corner of the state and I-20 continues east towards Atlanta; I-85 goes from the border of Georgia and ends in Montgomery, providing a main thoroughfare to Atlanta; and I-10 traverses the southernmost portion of the state, running from west to east through Mobile. Another interstate road, I-22, is currently under construction. When completed (est. 2012), it will connect Birmingham with Memphis, Tennessee.

Fast Facts Population - (2005) 4,557,808 Capital - Montgomery Largest city - Birmingham Area - 52,419 sq mi Time zone - Central Daylight Savings Time - yes State tax rate - 4% Web site - www.alabama.gov