Alabama state

ABBREVIATIONS: Ala.; AL.

NICKNAMES: Heart of Dixie, from its location in the center of the Deep

South. Yellowhammer State, from Civil Wa'r times, when troops from Alabama were called Yellowhammers.

STATE SONG: "Alabama," by Julia S. Tutwiler; music by Edna Goeckel Gussen.

STATE MOTTO: Audemus jura nostra defendere (We " dare defend our rights).

STATE SEAL: A map of Alabama showing the bordering states, the Gulf of

Mexico, and the major rivers.

STATE COAT OF ARMS: The shield in the center contains the emblems of five governments that have ruled over Alabama—France (upper left), Spain (upper right), Great Britain (lower left), the Confederacy (lower right), and theUnited States (center). The eagles on each side of the shield represent courage. They stand on a banner that carries the state motto. The ship above the shield shows that Alabama borders on water.

STATE FLAG A crimson field. cross of St. Andrew on a white.

THE LAND

Alabama is one of the East South Central group of states. It could be called an Appalachian state or a Gulf state. The southern end of the

Appalachian Mountain system extends into Alabama and covers the northeastern part of the state. The Gulf of Mexico forms a small but important part of Alabama's southern border.

Landforms

Within the state of Alabama there are three major landforms. They are the

Interior Low Plateau, the Appalachian Highlands, and the Gulf Coastal

Plain. The Gulf Coastal Plain is the largest of the three regions. It lies south of a line that begins in the northwestern corner of the state, runs southeastward through the city of Tuscaloosa, and continues to Phenix City, on the eastern border.

The Interior Low Plateau enters Alabama from the state of Tennessee and covers a small area in the extreme northwest. The average elevation of this part of Alabama is 210 meters (700 feet). It is a region of knobby hills, cut through by the broad valley of the Tennessee River.

The Appalachian Highlands include three areas. They arc the Appalachian

Plateau, the Appalachian Ridge and Valley Region, and the Piedmont Plateau.

The average elevation of the highlands varies from 150 to 200 meters (500 to 700 feet), with most of the highest points in the Ridge and Valley

Region.

The Appalachian Plateau, also known as the Cumberland Plateau, enters the northeast corner of the state and extends southwest-ward. This plateau is rather rugged. It has some good farmland, but it is mainly an area of lumbering and mining.

The Appalachian Ridge and Valley Region is made up of narrow valleys between steep mountain ridges. It is known for its mineral riches and forests of oak and pine.

The Piedmont Plateau is a wedge-shaped area southeast of the Ridge and