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Alabama Quick Facts
- On December 14th of 1819 Alabama became the 22nd U.S. state.
- Alabama's state abbreviation is "AL".
- The capital of Alabama is Montgomery.
- The largest city, measured by population, in this state is Birmingham; whereas the largest city measured by total land area is Huntsville.
- With a total area of 52,419 square miles (135,765 square kilometers) Alabama is the 30th largest state.
- With an estimated population (2023 U.S. Census Bureau estimate) of 5,108,468 people Alabama is the 24th most populated state.
- Alabama is bordered by Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Mississippi to the west, and Tennessee to the north.
- Residents of this state are called Alabamans.
- The state motto of this southeast state is "Audemus jura nostra defendere", meaning "We dare defend our rights".
- The state song is "Alabama".
- Alabama has several nicknames including the Yellowhammer State, the Cotton State, and the Heart of Dixie.
- The highest point in this state is Mount Cheaha; it is 2,413 feet (735 meters) above sea level.
- The state flower is the Camellia.
Interesting Alabama Facts
- Alabama gets its name from the Alabama tribe that lived in the region that is now the state of Alabama.
- Major Rivers in this state include the Tombigbee River, Alabama River, Chattahoochee River, and the Tennessee River.
- Major Alabama lakes include Guntersville Lake, Martin Lake, Wilson Lake, Lewis Smith Lake, and West Point Lake.
- Famous people born in Alabama include civil rights leader and U.S. Congressman John Lewis, civil rights activist Rosa Parks, Olympian Jesse Owens, and baseball legend Willie Mays.
- Huntsville, Alabama, which is the home of the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, is called the Rocket Capital of the World.
- In 1863 Alabama became the first state to make Christmas an official holiday.
Alabama History Facts
- Various groups of indigenous Native American peoples lived in the area that is present day Alabama for thousands of years before the first Europeans arrived there.
- When the first Europeans began exploring current day Alabama several tribes lived there. These tribes included the Cherokee, Alabama (Alibamu), Creek, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Koasati.
- The Spanish were the first Europeans to explore current day Alabama. In 1540 the famous Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto ventured into the region.
- In 1702 France founded the first European settlement in current day Alabama at Old Mobile. The settlement was moved in 1711 to where the current city of Mobile is located. The French maintained control of a region encompassing modern day Alabama up until 1763.
- The British took control of the region after their victory over the French in the Seven Years War.
- After the British lost the American Revolutionary War a territory which included present day Alabama was divided between the United States of America and Spain.
- Most Native American Indian tribes were expelled from the state within a short period of time after the passing of the Indian Removal Act by the U.S. Congress in 1830.
- Prior to the outbreak of the American Civil War Alabama seceded from the United States of America on January 11th of 1861.
- The Confederacy (Confederate States of America) was founded in Montgomery Alabama in Feb of 1861 for a short time the city was the Confederate capital.
- Several American Civil War battles took place in Alabama including the Battle of Athens, Battle of Day's Gap, Battle of Decatur, Battle of Fort Blakely, and the Battle of Mobile Bay.
- Alabama was a major state involved in the African American civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s. Led by Governor George Wallace, Alabama fought desegregation and civil rights. Several important civil rights events took place in this state including the arrest of Rosa Parks, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and the Selma to Montgomery marches.