ALABAMA, one of the East South Central
states of the U.S., bounded on the N by Tennessee, on the E by Georgia, on the
S by Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, and on the W by Mississippi. The
Chattahoochee R. forms much of the E boundary.
Called the Heart of
Dixie, Alabama entered the Union on Dec. 14, 1819, as the 22d state. In 1861 it
became a founding member of the Confederate States of America during the
American Civil War. Alabama’s economy was long dominated by farming, but
by the 1990s manufacturing, government, and services were the chief economic
sectors. The name of the state is taken from the Alabama R., which was named
for the Alabama, or Alibamon, Indians, who belonged to the Creek Confederacy.
Forests cover about 65% of the total land area of Alabama;
approximately 3% of the forest area is part of the National Forest system.
Forests in N Alabama are mixtures of hardwoods and softwoods, whereas softwood
pines are the dominant trees in S areas. A warm, humid climate, with a long
growing season, has helped to produce more than 125 tree varieties and more
than 150 species of shrubs in Alabama. Besides pines, notable trees include
oak, hickory, cypress, and southern magnolia; among the shrubs are
rhododendron, mountain laurel, azalea, and sumac.
Mammals in Alabama
include white-tailed deer, red fox, squirrel, muskrat, nutria, beaver, and
rabbit. Among the numerous birds are the yellowhammer (the state bird),
bluebird, cardinal, blue jay, and mockingbird. Reptiles include snakes,
alligators, turtles, and lizards. Fish abound here. Freshwater varieties
include catfish, bream, bass, and crappie. Mullet, croakers, flounder, red
snapper, and tarpon inhabit the Gulf of Mexico, as do oysters, shrimp, and
crabs. |
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