Alabama state, Детальна інформація

Besides being the capital, Montgomery is a center of agricultural trade and the leading cattle market of southeastern United States. The large ranches and herds of cattle in the area remind one of Texas. Industries of the city include textile mills, meat-packing plants, and furniture factories.

Montgomery has several institutions of higher education, including

Alabama State University, campuses of Troy State and Auburn universities, and Huntingdon College, a private senior college. The Air University at

Maxwell Air Force Base is a national center for research and for education and training of U.S. Air Force personnel.

Birmingham

Alabama's largest city is located at the southern end of the Ridge and

Valley Region. It is sometimes called the Magic City because of its rapid growth. Since it was founded in 1871 as the town of Ely ton, it has grown into a metropolitan area of about 850,000 people. It is the South's only major producer of iron and steel. The hundreds of other industries in the area manufacture such items as cast-iron pipe, heavy machinery, chemicals, textiles, and wood and paper products.

Birmingham is a leading educational and cultural center. It is also noted for mountain scenery and places of outdoor recreation.

Mobile

The second-largest city and only seaport is known as Alabama's Gateway to the World. It was founded by the French and was named for the Mobile

Indians, who lived in the area. Today it is a busy industrial center with chemical plants, shipyards, and seafood industries. It is also a gracious and beautiful resort city, known for its flowers and ancient oak trees draped with Spanish moss.

Other Cities

The following are some of the other important cities:

Huntsville, now the Rocket City, was one of Alabama's first settlements.

It remained a small farming community for more than 125 years. Its population was only 16,000 in 1950. About that time the Army began to develop a rocket and guided-missile center at the Redstone Arsenal at

Huntsville. Thousands of scientists and other workers came to the area. So did dozens of new industries. Within 20 years Huntsville's population increased to more than 135,000. In 1960 a part of the arsenal was transferred to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This part was named the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center.

Tuscaloosa, the home of the University of Alabama, is located on the

Black Warrior River at the edge of the Appalachian Plateau. Its name comes from the Indian words tuska, meaning "black," and lusa, meaning "warrior."

The city's many industries include a large paper mill, a rubber-tire plant, textile mills, oil refineries, and plants that make metal products.

Gailstleii, northeast of Birmingham, is an important iron and steel center, as well as a distribution point for livestock and grain produced in the surrounding area.

Duthan, leading city of southeastern Alabama, is located in a rich farming area. The main crop is peanuts. Industries in the city manufacture such products as peanut oil, hosiery, and cigars.

GOVERNMENT

The legislative department of the state government is made up of the

Senate and the House of Representatives. The members of both bodies serve 4- year terms. An amendment to the state constitution, adopted in 1975, provided for annual legislative sessions, beginning in 1976. Before that, regular sessions had been held every other year.

The chief executive is the governor, who is elected by the people. The people also elect a lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer, auditor, and commissioner of agriculture and industry, as well as the members of the state board of education.

The highest state court is the supreme court. It consists of a chief justice and eight associate justices elected statewide for 6-year terms.

The court of appeals is divided into two courts, one to hear civil appeals and one to hear criminal appeals. The major trial courts in Alabama are its numerous circuit courts.

GOVERNMENT

Capital—Montgomery. Number of counties—67. Representation in Congress—U.S. senators, 2; U.S. representatives, 7. State Legislature—Senate, 35 members; House of Representatives, 105 members; all 4-year terms. Governor—4-year term. Elections— Primary elections to select candidates, first Tuesday in May; general and state elections,

Tuesday after first Monday in November