Alabama
beauty

 Description

Originally inhabited by American Indians, then explored by the Spanish,French and English, the Alabama Territory was finally ceded to the U.S. by the British in 1783, at the end of the Revolutionary War,

During the War 1812, the very proud Creek Indians were defeated by Andrew Jackson's forces, and the Indian resistance in Alabama came to an end.

Over the next few decades, settlers arrived in great numbers, from both the northeast, and from neighboring states.

The talk of war was in the air in the American South, and in 1861, Alabama seceded from the Union. In February of that year, six southern states formed the  Confederate States of America,  naming Montgomery the capital.

Once the home of King Cotton, and the enormous economic benefits of that crop, it suffered for decades after the end of America's Civil War . It was very slow to recover, but recover it did.

This now vital part of the American south is tightly woven into the fabric of America's civil rights movement, and known worldwide for its Southern Hospitality.

Home to the Universities of Alabama and  Auburn,  it's also the site of NASA's cutting-edge center for U.S. space vehicle research.

Geography

Alabama is the 30^th largest state in the United States with 135,775 km² (52,423 mi²) of total area. 3.19% of that is water, making Alabama 23^rd in the amount of surface water.

Demographics

As of 2004, Alabama's population was estimated to be 4,530,182. The state had 108,000 foreign-born (2.4% of the state population), of which an estimated 22.2% were illegal aliens (24,000)

The etymology of the word or name, Alabama, has evoked much discussion among philological researchers. It was the name of a noted southern Indian tribe whose habitat when first known to Europeans was in what is now central Alabama. One of the major waterways in the state was named for this group and from this river, in turn, the name of the state was derived. The tribal name of Alabama was spelled in various ways by the early Spanish, French, and British chroniclers: Alabama, Albama, Alebamon, Alibama, Alibamou, Alibamon, Alabamu, and Allibamou. The appellation first occurs in three of the accounts of the Hernando de Soto expedition of 1540: written Alibamo by Garcillasso de la Vega, Alibamu by the Knight of Elvas, and Limamu by Rodrigo Ranjel (in the last form, the initial vowel is dropped and the first m is used for b, the interchange of these two consonants being common in Indian languages). The name as recorded by these chroniclers was the name of a subdivision of the Chickasaws, not the historic Alabamas of later times.

The popular belief that Alabama signifies "Here We Rest" stems from an etymology given wide currency in the 1850s through the writings of Alexander Beauford Meek. However, the first known use of this derivation appeared earlier in an unsigned article in a July 27, 1842, issue of the Jacksonville Republican. Experts in the Muskogee dialect have been unable to find any word or phrase similar to Alabama with the meaning "Here We Rest."

According to some investigations, the tribal name Alabama must be sought in the Choctaw tongue, as it is not uncommon for tribes to accept a name given them by a neighboring tribe. Inquiry among the early Indians themselves appears to have yielded no information about the meaning of the word. The Rev. Allen Wright, a Choctaw scholar, translated the name as thicket clearers, compounded of Alba meaning "a thick or mass vegetation," and amo meaning "to clear, to collect, to gather up

Discover

• Alabama Gulf Coast

Discover the beauty of Alabama's Gulf Coast.  Thirty-two miles of the whitest sand, sparkling emerald water and friendliest people you could dream of.  Gulf Shores provides the perfect balance or non-stop activity and lay-around-doing-nothing time.  It has outstanding accommodations, fabulous food, meeting settings that inspire creativity and a relaxed, kick-your-shoes-off atmosphere that brings families and friends closer together

• City of Selma

• Jubilee City fest

Jubilee City Fest is Montgomery's Premier Family Weekend Festival and has been voted as Montgomery's Best Event by the Montgomery Advertiser's Reader's Choice Awards.  The 16 city block festival features three stages with non-stop performances by national, regional and local entertainment.  But Jubilee City Fest is so much more than just a music festival.  The event also hosts a juried art show, a crafts vending area, delicious food, Kids fest (featuring magicians, storytellers, cakewalks and more), contemporary Christian music, symphony concert, 8k and 2-mile run, and a sunrise church service.  The mission of Jubilee City Fest is to become a premier tourism attraction by creating a family weekend festival, featuring entertainment, cultural events, visual and performing arts, sporting events, and educational children's activities that enhances the quality of life in the City of Montgomery, Alabama and the surrounding area

Source: Alabama travel

• Famous Natives
  People listed are almost always native to the state. We do, on occasion, include those that have lived within a state for most of their adult life.
  "A mostly random selection"
  
  Henry Aaron baseball player
  
  Robert Anernathy civil rights activist
  
  Evan Frank Allison conservationist
  
  Tallulah Bankhead actress
  
  Hugo Black supreme court justice
  
  Robert Bullard soldier
  
  Nate King Cole singer
  
  Jerome Cochrane public health officer
  
  Samuel Dale pioneer
  
  Lionel Hampton jazz musician
  
  William Handy composer, musician
  
  Helen Keller author, educator
  
  Joe Louis boxer
  
  Alexander McGillivray indian leader
  
  Willie Mays baseball player
  
  Jesse Owens athlete
  
  Rosa Parks civil rights legend
  
  Daniel Pratt Industrialist
  
  Hank Williams country music legend
  
  Augusta Evans Wilson author
   

• Economy

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the 2003 total gross state product was $132 billion. The per capita income for the state was $26,505 in 2003. Alabama's agricultural outputs are poultry and eggs, cattle, nursery stock, peanuts, cotton, vegetables, milk, and soybeans. Its industrial outputs are paper, lumber and wood products, mining, rubber and plastic products, transportation equipment and apparel

LINKS

Any person who is a resident of or doing business in the state of Alabama shall have standing to sue the state of Alabama to enforce this amendment, and the courts of record of the state of Alabama shall have jurisdiction to hear cases brought to enforce this provision. The legislature may provide reasonable and appropriate limitations on the time and manner of suits brought under this amendment

www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/ax

• North Alabama

A getaway to the Alabama Mountain Lakes region is a natural selection for fun! Enjoy some of America's finest sports fishing and camping. Experience the breathtaking natural beauty that offers endless opportunities for adventure and relaxation. For the sightseer, there's history and inspiration at every turn. Imagine your hand on the pump at the famous Helen Keller home or strolling through the amazing Ave Maria Grotto. All this wonder and so much more is just a short drive away. An Alabama Mountain Lakes visit promises a lifetime of memories.

• Alabama tourism

The key to Alabama’s attractiveness as a tourist destination is above all its rural and agricultural orientation punched with great hospitality, delectable cuisine, top notch hotels and resorts, and a globally well-known events calendar with many festivals and performances thrown in.

• Alabama genealogy

De Soto found at least three of the four great Indian tribes of Alabama occupying identically the territory held by them nearly three centuries later. Three of these, the Muscogees, Choctaws, and Chickasaws, known to writers on the subject of the aboriginal inhabitants of the Americas as Mobilians, are supposed by Col.

• Cherokee-chamber

Tourists annually choose to visit Cherokee County because of the diversity of recreation activities, history, and interesting wonders. The county offers water sports that include white water rafting, swimming, skiing, and fishing. History buffs can spend time exploring Civil War sites around the county or visiting the Cherokee County Historical Museum. Nature lovers can hike along Little River and experience one of the largest gorges east of the Rocky Mountains or explore an Indian Village on Shinbone Ridge with some rock formations rising 150 feet, upon which are breathtaking views of Alabama and Georgia.

• http://usa.usembassy

The etymology of the word or name, Alabama, has evoked much discussion. It was the name of an Indian tribe (Alabama, Albama, Alebamon, Alibama, Alibamou, Alibamon, Alabamu, and Allibamou). Alabama possibly means "Here We Rest", but it could also mean "thicket clearers", Alabama being a compound of Alba meaning "a thick or mass vegetation," and amo meaning "to clear, to collect, to gather up." Alabama became the 22nd state in 1819. From the early 19th century, Alabama's economy was dominated by cotton. However, although it is still an important crop, such as corn, peanuts, soybeans have taken over much of the former cotton lands. Particularly in the second half of the 20th century, a comparatively rapid industrialization set in. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) program of hydroelectric power production, begun in the 1930s, fostered the growth of giant fertilizer, munitions, and aluminum industries. Alabama, known as "Heart of Dixie" occupies a central place in the history of the South. Montgomery, the Alabama capital, served as the first Confederate Capital during the Civil War. Tourists can visit Alabama's historic homes and gardens, reminiscent of the Old South. Also popular are the resorts and beaches on Dauphin Island, the Gulf Shore and Mobile Bay.

• http://www.alabama.com/

Alabama Guide to Local Hotels, Lodging, Restaurants, Real Estate, Car Rentals and Area Information