The southern region of the United States of America is where the state of Alabama is situated. Alabama is surrounded by Tennessee, Georgia, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, and Mississippi on the north, east, south, and the west respectively. With respect to the land area, Alabama ranks thirtieth. And with respect to the size of its inland waterways and the population, it ranks second and twenty third respectively. The state covers an area of around 52419 square miles and is home to more than four million people.

In the period between the American Civil War and the Second World War, the economy of Alabama was in a very difficult position. The same case was with most of the other Southern States as well. One of the reasons for this was that there was a high level of dependence on agriculture. The major reason was that the interests of urban and contemporary areas were underrepresented in legislature until the 1960s. The economy recovered to a significant extent after the war and sectors of the economy moved from agriculture to high technology, heavy manufacturing, education, and mineral extraction. In the modern age Alabama has made heavy investments in the fields of aerospace, health care, heavy industries such as automobiles and steel, and banking.

Some of the nicknames given to the state of Alabama are the Yellowhammer state, which is the state bird as well, and the Heart of Dixie. Longleaf Pine is the state tree and Camellia is the state flower. Montgomery is the capital of Alabama, and Birmingham is the largest city.

The areas in the north of Alabama are mostly covered with mountains. The Tennessee River which flows through the state cuts a large valley in the region as well as creating a number of creeks, rivers, streams, and lakes. Three fifth of the land of the state is a gentle plain.