|
 Alabama Flag
Alabama (formally, the State of Alabama)
is located in the southern region of the United States of America. 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 ranks 30th in total land area and
ranks second in the size of its inland waterways. The state ranks 23rd
in population with almost 4.6 million residents in 2006.
From the American Civil War until World War II, Alabama, like many
Southern States, suffered economic hardship, in part because of
continued dependence on agriculture. More significantly, white rural,
minority domination of the legislature until the 1960s meant that
urban, contemporary interests were consistently underrepresented. In
the years following the war, Alabama experienced significant recovery
as the economy of the state transitioned from agriculture to
diversified interests in heavy manufacturing, mineral extraction,
education, and high technology. Today, the state is heavily invested
in aerospace, education, health care, and banking, and various heavy
industries including automobile manufacturing, mineral extraction,
steel production and fabrication. |
