| Capital city | Montgomery |
| Population | 5,024,279 (2020) |
| Surface | 135,765 km² |
| Governor | Kay Ivey (R) |
| Member of the US since | 1819 |
A map of Alabama
Alabama is one of the 50 states of the United States. Alabama is located in the southwestern United States. It is bordered by Georgia to the east, Tennessee to the north, Mississippi to the west, and Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. The capital of Alabama is Montgomery. The abbreviation is AL and Alabama’s nickname is ‘The Yellowhammer State ‘. About 5 million people live in Alabama. Alabama was originally part of Georgia along with Mississippi. Between 1802 and 1804 the territories split off. In 1813, the city of Mobile was added to Alabama after the Americans captured it from the Spanish colony of Florida. This gave Alabama access to the sea. Alabama became the 22nd state in 1819. It was a slave state where a lot of cotton was grown. In 1816 Alabama seceded and fought on the side of the Confederacy during the American Civil War. Alabama did not become a part of the United States again until 1868. After the war, the economy collapsed and racial segregation became implemented. In the 1960s there were major protests against racial segregation in the state. Rosa Parks, among others, protested in this state and the famous marches from Selma to Montgomery took place in Alabama. While the economy grew during the 20th century, Alabama is still one of the poorest states in the United States. Alabama is known for being conservative. It is therefore a “red state”, which means that the Republican Party has a large following. Alabama is one of the reddest states in the country.
Geography
A piece of nature in Alabama
Landscape
Alabama is located in the so-called Deep South. This is a historic region of the United States, where much slavery and racial segregation took place. Northern Alabama is very mountainous. The Tennessee flows right through this area. There are also many other rivers, lakes and streams here. Mount Cheaha is the highest point in the state at 735 meters. Most major cities are located in the middle of the state. The landscape here is quite flat and many people live here. The so-called Black Belt is also located here, where many African Americans live. Other rivers in Alabama include the Tombigbee and the Tallapoosa. In addition, Alabama has a small coastline on the Gulf of Mexico. Here the Alabama flows into the sea. The large town of Mobile is also located here.
Alabama’s Largest Cities
| Number | City | Inhabitants | County |
| 1. | Huntsville | 215.006 | Madison County |
| 2. | Birmingham | 200,733 | Jefferson County |
| 3. | Montgomery | 200,603 | Montgomery County |
| 4. | mobile | 187.041 | Mobile County |
| 5. | Tuscaloosa | 99,600 | Tuscaloosa County |
| 6. | Hoover | 92.606 | Jefferson County |
| 7. | auburn | 76.143 | Lee County |
| 8. | Dothan | 71,072 | Houston County |
| 9. | Decatur | 57,938 | Morgan County |
| 10. | Madison | 56.933 | Madison County |
Climate
Alabama has a humid subtropical climate. This means that Alabama has high temperatures all year round, including in winter. Summers are often hot and winters are still warm. There is also precipitation throughout the year. Alabama has one of the highest temperatures in the entire United States. Heavy rain and thunderstorms are common in the south. After Oklahoma and Iowa, Alabama has the most tornadoes in the United States. The southern part of the state also has to deal with hurricanes, but these often pass through Alabama.
The Hills of Alabama
Population
General
Alabama has just over 5 million residents. The population is still rising slightly. This is mainly due to immigration from outside the United States. 66% of the population is made up of white Americans, 26% African Americans, 5% Latinos, 2% Asian Americans, and 2% Native Americans. Most residents of the state have an English, Irish, German or Scottish migration background. Important Native Americans in Alabama include the Creek, the Choctaw, the Cherokee, and Shawnee. These peoples often have a certain degree of self-government.
Language
A church in Alabama
The official language of Alabama is English. English is spoken in education, politics and the judiciary. Also, most residents of the state only speak English and use it in daily life. In Alabama, a Southern dialect is spoken, like many Americans in the Southwest. For example, the “r” is often not pronounced. 2% of the population has Spanish as their mother tongue. Other immigrant languages include German, French, Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean.
Religion
Alabama is one of the most religious states in the United States. 86% of the inhabitants are adherents of Christianity. 78% are Protestant, 7% Catholic and 1% are adherents of the Mormon Church. The main Protestant movement is evangelicalism, which is adhered to by half the population. 12% of the population has no religion. Lesser religions include Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism.
Politics
State politics
The Alabama State House
Alabama is run by a governor. A governor is elected every four years in direct elections. The governor can also only be re-elected once (and thus be in power for a maximum of eight years). The current governor of Alabama is Kay Ivey, who is a member of the Republican Party. In addition, there is a lieutenant governor, who is the replacement for the governor. Alabama’s current constitution is from 1901. Alabama has one of the longest constitutions in the world. In addition, there is another parliament, the Alabama Legislature. It consists of two rooms:
- The House of Representatives, consisting of 105 members who are elected every four years.
- The Senate, consisting of 35 members who are elected every four years.
Republicans have an absolute majority in both chambers. The Democratic Party takes the seats.
Administrative division
How many counties in Alabama? Alabama has 67 counties. These are:
- Autauga County
- Baldwin County
- Barbour County
- Bibb County
- Blount County
- Bullock County
- Butler County
- Calhoun County
- Chambers County
- Cherokee County
- Chilton County
- Choctaw County
- Clarke County
- Clay County
- Cleburne County
- Coffee County
- Colbert County
- Conecuh County
- Coosa County
- Covington County
- Crenshaw County
- Cullman County
- Dale County
- Dallas County
- DeKalb County
- Elmore County
- Escambia County
- Etowah County
- Fayette County
- Franklin County
- Geneva County
- Greene County
- Hale County
- Henry County
- Houston County
- Jackson County
- Jefferson County
- Lamar County
- Lauderdale County
- Lawrence County
- Lee County
- Limestone County
- Lowndres County
- Macon County
- Madison County
- Marengo County
- Marion County
- Marshall County
- Mobile County
- Monroe County
- Montgomery County
- Morgan County
- Perry County
- Pickens County
- Pike County
- Randolph County
- Russell County
- St. Clair County
- Shelby County
- Sumter County
- Talladega County
- Tallapoosa County
- Tuscaloosa County
- Walker County
- Washington County
- Wilcox County
- Winston County
Federal Politics
Alabama was originally a blue state with a large Democratic Party following . This changed in the 1960s with the abolition of racial segregation. Today, Alabama is a red state with a large Republican following. During presidential elections, Alabama is always certain to go to the Republican Party. Republicans often win the state with more than 60% of the vote. The last time a Democratic presidential candidate won Alabama was in 1976 (when Alabama went to Jimmy Carter). Alabama is represented in the United States Congress by 7 representatives and 2 senators. Of the seven delegates, 6 are Republican and only one Democratic. The two Alabama senators (Richard Shelby and Tommy Tuberville) are both members of the Republican Party.
Economy
Alabama Beach
Alabama’s economy is primarily focused on agriculture. Important agricultural products from the state are cotton, grain, eggs, chicken, milk, peanuts and peaches. Alabama is sometimes referred to as the Cotton State, as between 8% and 10% of American cotton comes from Alabama. Only Texas, Georgia and Mississippi make more cotton. Despite the small coastline, fishing is also important to the state’s economy. In addition, the industry is very important. Alabama mainly produces a lot of steel, but paper, wooden products, plastic products and cars also come from Alabama. Many NASA spacecraft are made in Alabama. Almost all major car brands have factories in the state. Tourism mainly occurs in the south of the state. People come to Alabama for the beaches, casinos and golf.
Montgomery (Alabama)
Montgomery
Montgomery is the capital of the US state of Alabama. The city has about 201,425 inhabitants. The city is important for the trade in cotton, dairy products and livestock. The bank Lehman Brothers is also located in the city. The city has been the capital of Alabama since 1846. In 1861 it became the capital of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. The city played an important role in the fight against racial segregation in the 1950s and 60s. In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus for a white man. In 1965, Martin Luther King organized a freedom march from Selma to Montgomery.
