Alabama Atlas

Alabama facts and history plus travel and tourism information.

Capital: Montgomery
Abbreviations: AL (postal), Ala.
Area: 52,423 square miles
State Bird: Yellowhammer
State Tree: Southern Longleaf Pine
State Flower: Camellia
State Motto: Audemus Jura Nostra Defendere - We dare defend our rights
Nicknames: The Camellia State, The Cotton State, The Heart of Dixie, The Yellowhammer State

State Capitol, Alabama

Long before the Civil War, the Cherokee, Chikasaw, Choctaw, and Creek tribes lived on Alabama's soil. The Creeks lasted through European exploration until 1814, when US forces defeated them in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. Five years later, on December 14, 1819, the "Heart of Dixie" became the 22nd American state.

Alabama has a rich Civil War era history; the Confederate States of America were established in Alabama and the Constitution of the Confederacy was drafted here as well. Montgomery, the state's capital, also served as the first capital in the Confederate South. More recently, the Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches of 1965 were important milestones in the Civil Rights movement.

Historical sites from the Civil War, as well as plantation homes, gardens, and cotton crops, serve as reminders of the Old South, although peanuts, corn, and soybeans now grow on much of the land formerly used for cotton. Other major industries in present-day Alabama include aluminum, munitions, and fertilizer.

Alabama Map

Alabama Links

1. Alabama Government - official Alabama state website.
2. Alabama Department of Tourism & Travel - Alabama travel and tourism.
3. National Parks in Alabama
4. Alabama QuickFacts - from the US Census Bureau.
5. 50States.com - Alabama

Alabama Resources

• Alabama Real Estate - real estate information about Alabama.
• Alabama Colleges and Universities - higher education institutions in Alabama.
• Alabama Libraries - list of libraries in Alabama.

Alabama History and Geography