9781422286098

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Gulf States: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi

Noccalula Falls in Gadsden is part of the northeastern Appalachian Ridge and Valley region. This area is rich in mineral resources and provides Alabama with much of the raw material needed for manufacturing iron and steel.

900 feet (274 m). Much of this region falls within the Tennessee Valley. It contains excellent farmland. Alabama has abundant freshwater resources, including 17 major river systems. Among the biggest are the Alabama, Chattahoochee, Tennessee, and Tombigbee. Alabama has no natu- ral lakes. But dams have created many manmade ones. Covering more than 100 square miles (259 sq km), Guntersville Lake is the largest. Alabama has a warm and humid cli- mate. Winters are mild. On a typical January day in Mobile, in the southern

southwest toward the central part of the state. In all, it accounts for about 15 percent of Alabama’s total area. The Cumberland Plateau isn’t unbro- ken tableland . Rather, it’s a series of plateau areas interrupted by steep val- leys. The highest elevations—up to 1,800 feet (549 m)—occur in the northeast. From there the land gradu- ally gets lower as it stretches toward the coastal plain. A small region in north and north- west Alabama consists of low moun- tains and valleys. Elevations range from about 400 feet (122 m) to about