Alabama the Beautiful
By Scott Miller
Why Alabama?
Many people outside the Southeastern
United States don’t understand what makes
Alabama special. To understand Alabama, it’s best
to start with things that live and breath. Visitors will
experience plenty of Southern hospitality from
Alabama natives, especially when it comes to
serving up real downhome cooking. If you’re
hungry, come to Alabama for the freshest fruits,
vegetables, and fish. People who enjoy the
outdoors can experience anything from Mount
Cheaha to the Little River Canyon and the
beaches on the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the
abundant fish and wildlife.
State Facts
•
•
•
•
•
State abbreviation: AL
Capital: Montgomery
Largest City: Birmingham
Population: 4,557, 808
Residents : Alabamans or
Alabamians
• Alabama comes from the Choctaw Indian
word Alibamu, which means “I clear the
thicket”
• State motto is “We Dare Defend Our
Rights”
• Two nicknames:
– Heart of Dixie
– Yellowhammer State
State Symbols
• State bird:
Yellowhammer
• State tree: Southern
longleaf pine
• State flower: Camellia
• State song:
“Alabama” by Julia S.
Tutwiler and Edna
Gussen
State Flag
• Called the crimson cross of St. Andrews
• Adopted in 1895
• Developed from the Confederate Battle Flag
Where it’s located
• Bordered by four
states:
–
–
–
–
Mississippi
Tennessee
Georgia
Florida
• Borders one body of
water: Gulf of Mexico
• Located in the
Southeast U.S.
Alabama Industries
• Agriculture
–
–
–
–
–
–
Cotton
Corn
Peanuts
Soybeans
Poultry
Livestock
• Hydroelectric power
• Mining
–
–
–
–
Coal
Limestone
Iron
Ore
• Steel-making
• Automobile manufacturing
Historical Facts
• Spanish explorers first found Mobile Bay in 1519.
• French settlers took residence in Fort Louis de la Mobile
in 1702.
• Became the 22nd U.S. state in 1819.
• Founded the Confederacy in Montgomery in 1861.
• Rejoined the U.S. states after the Civil War in 1868.
• Known for civil rights landmarks such as the
Montgomery Bus Boycott and Freedom March during
1950s and 60s.
Famous Alabamians
• Rosa Parks – civil rights activist who was at the center of
the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Famous Alabamians
Harper Lee – Author of the famous
novel To Kill A Mockingbird
Famous Alabamians
• George Washington Carver – Famous
scientist whose work helped save
Alabama’s agriculture industry
Famous Alabamians
• Hellen Keller – well-known author and
educator who overcame physical
disabilities
Famous Alabamians
Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Satchel Paige
– Hall of Fame baseball players
Places To Visit
•
•
•
•
•
•
Tannenhill Ironworks Historical State Park
Vulcan – the world’s largest cast iron statue
Civil Rights Museum
Huntsville Space and Rocket Center
First White House of the Confederacy
Gulf of Mexico
Things to Do
• Attend a Alabama or Auburn football game
• Attend a NASCAR race
• Relax on the Gulf Coast’s beautiful white
sand beaches
• Enjoy an outdoor adventure by fishing,
horseback riding, hunting, camping or
cycling.
Bibliography
• "Alabama Facts, Maps, and State Symbols". Enchanted Learning.
April 8, 2009
<http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/states/alabama/>.
• "Alabama: History, Geography, Population, and State Facts".
InfoPlease. April 8, 2009
<http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108176.html>.
• "alabama.gov". State of Alabama. April 3, 2009
<http://www.alabama.gov/portal/index.jsp>.
• Jones, Phillip. "Alabama". Encyclopedia Britanica. Chicago:
Bolthouse, 2003.
• Smith, Mark. Alabama. New York: Penguin, 2001.