The state of Alabama is located in the southeastern part of the United States and borders Georgia, Tennessee, the Gulf of Mexico and Florida. Also, its western border runs along the Mississippi River. What else should you know about this part of America, and how it can be interesting?
At a Glance
The state of Alabama (USA) is the 13th among all other states in terms of its area. It also ranks second in terms of the volume of inland waters in its territory. By the way, despite the fact that the area of the state is quite large, the population there is not too numerous. If Alabama is in 13th place in terms of territory, as mentioned earlier, then in terms of population it is only in 23rd place. Interestingly, these places are called the "Oatmeal State" - of course, this is an unofficial name. This nickname is explained by the fact that numerous oatmeal birds live in Alabama. But this is not the only name. The state of Alabama (USA) is also called the "Heart of the South". Interestingly, its official tree is long-coniferous pine, and the flower is camellia. The official language is English, but amongSpanish is also spoken. The cities in Alabama are not very large, the largest being Birmingham with approximately 250,000 people.
History
The beginning of the history of the state dates back to the thousandth year BC. At that time, of course, the name “Alabama” did not exist, but in those places where it is now located, trade was actively conducted, and various peoples lived. By the way, the name of the state comes from the word Alibamu - that was the name of the Muscogee tribes that inhabited these territories for centuries. If we talk about a relatively new time, then for some time Alabama was part of Georgia. But in 1819 it became part of the United States. During the war years: from the beginning of the Civil War until the end of World War II, the state of Alabama experienced serious economic difficulties. This is because people here are highly dependent on the development of agriculture. However, after the end of World War II, the state began to show more interest in other activities - heavy industry, technology and, of course, education.
Economy
The economic component of the state's activities is quite an interesting topic. Alabama actively invests in education, banking, medicine, and space research. The extraction of mineral resources, the manufacture of cars, the factory business - all this also cannot do without his financial support. The state of Alabama, I must say, in our time is quite strong and independent from an economic point of view.view - its total GDP a few years ago was $170 million! And this, by the way, is about 30 thousand per person. And this figure is only growing. So, for example, in 1999 this figure was just over $18,000. But it should be noted that taxation in Alabama is very regressive (by American standards). About five percent is charged per person, although sometimes less - it all depends on the earnings of each individual citizen. If we talk about the sales tax, it is 4 percent. Its size can also vary depending on the city, for example, in Mobile it is 9%. And finally, the tax on the sale of shares is 51%. By the way, the state of Alabama is one of the few states where taxes on medical care and food are still levied. So in addition to the pluses in the form of a solid income, there are also minuses.
About the cities of the state
As already mentioned, Alabama is not too big cities. So, for example, in the city of Tuskegee, a little more than 11 thousand people live with an area of 40 square meters. km. Athens has 21,000 inhabitants, Anniston 23,000, and Bessemer 27,000. Although, of course, as in any other state, there are medium-sized cities and quite large ones. Dothan, Houston County, for example, has a population of over 67,000. Although, despite the fact that there are not very many people here and it is rather quiet, tourists still come to the state with pleasure. For the most part, these are lovers of a relaxing holiday, who have enough fuss in everyday life. So if you want to relax andto enjoy the silence, it is worth coming to Alabama. Photos of small and cozy cities will not leave indifferent lovers of solitude.
Capital
The center of the state of Alabama and concurrently its capital is the city of Montgomery. It is located right on the banks of the river of the same name. The city was founded in 1817, and acquired city status in 1819. By the standards of Alabama, Montgomery can be considered a metropolitan area, since more than 210 thousand people live here. If we talk about national color, it should be noted that about 49% of the local population are black, about 48% are white, a little more than one percent are Asians, and very little (about 0.3%) are Indians. An interesting fact is that the capital of the state of Alabama is the center of woodworking, as well as the cotton industry. Even in the city, computer technologies are well developed - in our time there is no way without it. In the capital there is a large Dennelly airport and a BBC base. In addition, Montgomery is a major educational and scientific city. It is here that people from all over the state go to get a good education. Prestigious universities include Huntingdon College, Troy State University Montgomery, Faulkner University and many other universities and colleges.
Sights of the capital
The central part of the state is full of interesting places, and they should be paid attention if you managed to come to Alabama. There are many of them, but I would like to mention the most popular and significant. For example, the White House of the Confederation, located in the center of the capital, or the house of J. Davis. There are also plenty of funmuseums - the name of Francis Scott Fitzgerald, or the Museum of Fine Arts, which presents real works of fine art. And, of course, architecture lovers will not be indifferent to the State Capitol.
Alabama Attractions
But not only in the capital there is something to see. If possible, the city of Birmingham is definitely worth paying attention to. It is the largest in the entire state. It is there, on Mount Red Mountain, that the monument to the God of Fire rises. This is by no means a quirk of the locals, but a tribute to history. After all, a city was founded next to a mineral deposit - valuable iron ore and coal. There is something to see in Birmingham - these are the Japanese and botanical gardens, the zoo and much more.
There is also a city in the state like Huntsville. There is a very special atmosphere here. After all, Huntsville is a city of astronautics. Everyone in the space camp can experience space overloads - for this there is all the necessary equipment and simulators. But if you don’t want to go anywhere, study and get acquainted with history, but have a desire to enjoy solitude with nature, then you can just admire the local landscapes. For example, visit De Soto Park - this picturesque place is located next to the Little River in the northeastern part of the state. And in general, I must say that Alabama has a lot of beautiful parks, reserves and beaches. It is they who attract visitors who regularly come here to rest and leave with a lot of vivid impressions and emotions.
