Introduction

Known as the Heart of Dixie, Alabama became the 22nd state in 1819. The name Alabama is derived from an Indian word meaning "thicket clearers". The capital is Montgomery, and state flower is the camellia.

Today, paper, chemicals, rubber and plastics, apparel and textiles, primary metals and automobile manufacturing constitute the leading industries of Alabama. Continuing as a major manufacturer of coal, iron and steel, Birmingham is also noted for its world-renowned medical center.

Points of interest include the Helen Keller birthplace at Tuscumbia, the Space and Rocket Center at Huntsville, the White House of the Confederacy, the restored state Capitol, the Civil Rights Memorial, the Rosa Parks Museum & Library, and the Shakespeare Festival Theater Complex in Montgomery; the Civil Rights Institute and the McWane Center in Birmingham; the Russell Cave near Bridgeport; the Bellingrath Gardens at Theodore; the USS Alabama at Mobile; Mound State Monument near Tuscaloosa; and the Gulf Coast area.

City List