9781422286098

Alabama

T he term Dixie refers to the South—and specifically to the states that broke away from the Union and sparked the Civil War in 1861. Alabama is often called “the Heart of Dixie.” It lay at the geographic center of the Confederate States of America. That was the new nation formed by the 11 break- away states. Alabama was where the Confederate constitution was adopted. Montgomery, Alabama, served as the first Confederate capital. Yet Alabama isn’t defined only by its role in the Civil War. The “Heart of Dixie” was also a key battleground in the struggle for civil rights. Geography Alabama has borders with four other states. Mississippi lies to the west. Tennessee forms Alabama’s northern border. Georgia is to the east, and Florida to the south. Alabama also has a 53-mile coastline along the Gulf of Mexico. This is in the southwestern part of the state. Three islands in the Gulf belong to Alabama. Alabama is the nation’s 30th largest state by total area. It cov- ers more than 52,400 square miles (135,000 square kilometers). More than half of Alabama is made up of coastal plain . This

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