Alabama,
USA cherishes the title: “The Heart of
Dixie”. One of the
nation's premier
southern states, Alabama's rich history stems back to the
early 1500’s, when Spanish explorers discovered
Mobile Bay in the
Gulf of Mexico.
French colonists founded the port city of
Mobile, AL in 1703. Contrary to popular belief, it was in
Mobile that the colorful tradition of
Mardis Gras began, after the colony survived a virulent
yellow fever epidemic. The citizens held a festival in
celebration of life, which became an annual event tied in with
the Christian season of
Lent. While most people think of Mardis Gras in
New Orleans, Mobile also hosts numerous celebrations and
parades in the months of February and March.
The British controlled Alabama for a brief period, until the American Revolution. The city of Montgomery, AL, known as the “Cradle of the Confederacy”, is where the convention formed the Confederate States of America in 1861. Montgomery served as the first Confederate Capital. During the 1950’s and 60’s, Alabama was the setting for many of the Civil Rights Movement actions. The 1955 Bus Boycott started by Rosa Parks, the Freedom March from Selma to Montgomery in 1965, and the speeches of Alabama native Martin Luther King are all vital parts of both state and national history.
Today, Montgomery serves as Alabama’s county seat, with a population over 201,000. The city of Birmingham is slightly larger, with almost 243,000 residents. Mobile has just fewer than 200,000 people and the city of Hunstville, 158,000. Census 2000 recorded Alabama’s entire population as 4,447,100.
Eight universities await students of higher learning, including Auburn, Alabama A & M, Athens State and the University of Montevallo. Five major Interstate Highways make for rapid travel throughout Alabama.
Alabama maintained an agriculturally based economy until World War II, when heavy industrialization began. Alabama still ranks high in poultry, soybeans, dairy and livestock markets, but is also a major producer of paper, chemicals, automobiles and textiles. Birmingham manufactures coal, iron and steel, while also the home to the world-renowned UAB Health Systems. Alabama played a vital role in the U.S. Space Program, as the site of the first NASA Space Flight Center. The rocket used by Apollo 11 originated here.
Tourism also plays a role in Alabama’s economy, as visitors come to tour historic sites or see the sumptuous natural beauty found in the many outdoor arenas scattered through the state. More than 140 museums safeguard the past, with some dedicated to Alabama’s Native American and Afro-American heritage, Civil War artifacts, railroad history, medical history as well as the Space Program, just to mention a few. The Huntsville Botanical Gardens, Bellingrath Mansion and the outstanding Birmingham Zoo are must-see family friendly sites.
Alabama nature lovers enjoy more than 20 state parks and 4 national parks, including Horseshoe Bend National Military Park, Little River Canyon Preserve, Russell Cave National Monument and the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Sites. Alabama’s terrain runs from mountains in the North, which are the beginning foothills of the Appalachians, to pristine woodlands in the middle, and the white sand Gulf beaches at the southern tip. Alabamans enjoy hunting and fishing through out the state, and rock climbing, camping and spelunking in particular regions.
Alabama offers future opportunities equally as diverse as its history and terrain. Newcomers to Alabama can pick between major, vital cities or sleepy southern towns, beachfront or mountaintop. Here in the “Heart of Dixie”, Alabama has something for everyone.
