89 Alabama Facts And Weird Laws 

Travel and Tourism generate over $800 million in taxes for Alabama.

This southeastern US state offers you several attractions and exciting activities. You can learn more about the Civil Rights Movement at the sixteenth street Baptist Church, National Memorial for Peace and Justice, or Montgomery’s Civil Rights Movement. 

Alabama is dotted with exceptional architecture and an extensive collection of impressive American art.

The state’s natural attractions keep visitors coming. You can explore science and technology at some of the state’s best centers. Today, we will take you through interesting facts about Alabama, including the state’s history, geography, climate, and everything you’d love to know.

Here are the Alabama facts you should know.

Best Fun Facts About Alabama

1. Alabama joined the Union in 1819, becoming the 22nd state.
2. Alabama was once 60% grassland, wetlands, and grassy woodlands.
3. Rosa Parks, the mother of freedom, was the first woman to refuse to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus.
4. The world’s largest cast-iron statue, the Vulcan statue, is in Red Mountain, Alabama.
5. Montgomery hangar and field was the first aviation school in the United States. The Wright Brothers operated it.
6. Alabama Booksmith is the only book store in the world that only sells signed copies.
7. The first successful heart surgery on a live patient happened in Montgomery, Alabama.
8. Alabama and Mississippi rank top as the most religious states in the US.
9. Born in Alabama, Mary Anderson is the inventor of the windscreen wiper.

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Alabama Facts—Politics And Government

1. Alabama is a safe red state. Since 2004, Republican presidential candidates have won this state by more than 20 points.
2. Alabama has nine electoral votes in the electoral college.
3. Before the Republican Party’s dominance, Alabama was a blue state between 1876 and 1944.
4. Alabama is one of the states who didn’t vote for Lyndon B. Johnson during his national landslide in 1964. Barry Goldwater won Alabama because of his conservative views. 
5. Alabama’s Constitution is the nation’s longest, containing nearly 87,000 words.
6. Alabama’s bicameral legislature consists of the House of Representatives (105 members) and the Senate (35 members).
7. The Republican Party currently holds control in both houses.
8. By a simple majority, the Alabama legislature can override a gubernatorial veto.
9. The Alabama executive consists of the Alabama governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, and the state auditor.
10. The top court in Alabama is the Supreme Court. The current chief justice is Tom Parker, a Republican.
11. Alabama State has two intermediate appellate courts, the Court of Criminal Appeals and the Court of Civil Appeals.
12. Alabama has one of the nation’s highest per capita death penalty rates. 
13. Alabama is the only state other than South Dakota and Mississippi with a full state tax rate on groceries.
14. The state has 67 counties. The current governor is the Republican Kay Ivey.

Alabama Facts—History

15. Indigenous Peoples inhabited this region thousands of years before European settlement. Trade by the Ohio River was already going before European arrival.
16. The present-day Moundville Archeological Site served as the center of the Mississippian cultures that dominated this region between  1000 BCE to 700 BCE.
17. Moundville Archeological site is the nation’s second-largest Middle Mississippian culture complex.
18. Native American tribes who lived in present-day Alabama included the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Koasati,  and Creek.
19. In 1549, Hernando de Soto and his team became the first European to reach Alabama.
20. In 1702, the French became the first to start the region’s first European settlement–it was located at Old Mobile.
21. After the French’s defeat in the Seven Years’ War, the region went under British control. During this time, the area was part of British West Florida.
22. Following the United States’ victory in the American Revolutionary War, present-day Alabama was divided between Spain and the United States. American forces gained complete control of the region in 1813.
23. Portions of Alabama were formerly part of the Province of Georgia, while the other part was in the Mississippi territory.
24. The US Congress established the Alabama territory in 1817 with St. Stephens as its terrestrial capital.
25. Alabama joined the Union as the 22nd state in 1819, with Huntsville as a temporary capital city.
26. Now a ghost town, Cahaba served as Alabama’s permanent capital until 1825.
27. Alabama fever occurred after 1817. Settlers rushed into the area to lay claims on the fertile Alabama land.
28. Cotton farming was the primary source of income in the central Black Belt region.
29. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 forced nearly all Native Americans from Alabama.
30. The state capitol building in Montgomery is Alabama’s second capitol building. The first one burned down in 1849.
31. In 1861, Alabama withdrew from the Union and joined the Confederate states. 
32. Alabama contributed approximately 120,000 soldiers during the American Revolutionary War.
33. The 13th Amendment freed Alabama slaves in 1865.
34. Hurricane Ivan hit the state in 2004, causing an-18 billion-dollar loss.
35. A dangerous Tornadoes outbreak involving 62 Tornadoes killed 238 people in April 2011.

Alabama Facts—Geography

36. Alabama has an area of  52,419 square miles, making it the 30th largest state in the country.
37. Alabama has the nation’s second-largest inland waterway system.
38. Over half of Alabama’s land area belongs to the Gulf Coastal Plain. This plain stretches to the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River.
39. At 2,413 feet above sea level, Cheaha Mountain is the highest point in Alabama. The Gulf of Mexico is the state’s lowest point.
40. Northern Alabama has mountains and the Tennessee River.
41. Alabama shares its borders with Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Florida.
42. The National Park Service areas include Horseshoe Bend National Military Park, Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, Little River Canyon National Preserve near, Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site, and Russell Cave National Monument.
43. Alabama is home to four national forests, including William B. Bankhead, Conecuh, Tuskegee, and Talladega.

44. The state is home to the longest natural bridge east of the Rockies, the Natural Bridge rock.
45. One of the world’s largest cave entrances is Alabama’s Cathedral Caverns.
46. This state is home to Ecor Rouge, the highest coastline point between Mexico and Maine.
47. DeSoto Caverns in Alabama is the nation’s first official cave. 
48. Stephens Gap Cave ranks among the nation’s most photographed wild cave scenes.
49. Alabama’s Little River Canyon is one of the largest mountain top rivers in the country.

50. Alabama experiences an average temperature of 18°C (64°F) per year. The state has mild winters and hot summers.
51. The state receives an annual average rainfall of 64 inches.
52. Alabama experiences terrible weather such as thunderstorms, tornadoes, lightning, and hail.
53. The state has one of the country’s highest deaths by lightning per capita.
54. The Dixie Alley, including portions of Mississippi and Alabama, is the most Tornado-hit in this region.
55. In Centerville, the state’s highest recorded temperature, 44°C ( 112 °F), was on September 5, 1925. The lowest ever recorded temperature, -33°C (-27°C), was in New Market on January 30, 1966.

Alabama Facts—Plants And Animal Life

56. Alabama is home to a wide range of habitats, including Canebrake, Appalachian Plateau, Tennessee Valley, and Appalachian Plateau.
57.  The state lies in the subtropical coniferous forest biome.
58. The Yellowhammer State is the fifth US state with the most diversified flora.
59. There are about 4,000 species of Spermatophytes and Pteridophytes.

60. Alabama native plants include Sweet Acacia, Florida Maple, Box Elder, Red Maple, Sugar Maple, white baneberry, White Yarrow, and southern maidenhair fern.
61. Southern longleaf pine is the state’s official tree.
62.  This state is home to over 900 animal species.
63.  There are more than 4,500 species of animals in this state.
64. The opossum is the only marsupial living in Alabama.
65. The nine-banded armadillo also lives in this state.
66. North American Black Bear is the official state animal of Alabama.
67. Red hill salamander is Alabama’s official state amphibian. 

68. Alabama is home to native and migratory birds, including Blue Jay, Brown Pelican, Barred Owl, Barn Swallow, American Robin, Bald Eagle, and American Goldfinch.
69. Northern Flicker is Alabama’s state bird.

Alabama Facts—Demographics

70.  With over 5,024,279 people, Alabama is the 24th largest state by population in the country.
71. Huntsville, also known as the rocket city, is the most populous city in Alabama, with over 215,006 people.

72. The capital city of Alabama is Montgomery.
73. Whites make up the largest percentage of the state’s population.
74.  English is the official state language, with over 90% of the population reportedly using this language at home.
75.  Out of the 67 Alabama counties, Washington County is the oldest.
76. Brookside town in Alabama had settlers from Eastern Europe. It was a mining town.

Alabama Facts—Economy

77. Alabama ranked 22nd in fiscal stability with Opportunity (37), Infrastructure (28), and natural environment (37) as its strongest attributes.
78. Alabama’s major natural resources are salt, limestone, iron ore, and quartz. 
79. Tourism is one of the primary sources of income in the state.
80. Cotton State is home to some of the nation’s top colleges. 
81. Alabama has six interstates and 90 airports.
82. Alabama’s economy depends on Aerospace and Aviation. Boeing in Huntsville is Alabama’s largest Aerospace company. Airbus has a manufacturing plant in Mobile, Alabama.
83. Alabama is home to over 700 bioscience companies.
84. Alabama has one of the largest timber averages in the country.
85. The state boasts over 43,000 agricultural farms. Cotton, catfish, soya beans, quail, peanuts, and eggs are some of the agricultural products produced in the state.
86. Alabama is home to over 1,000 metal firms.
87. The major natural resources needed for power generation are available in this state.
88. Vehicles and chemicals are two of the state’s major exports.
89. Beverage production is key to the growth of Alabama’s economy. 

Famous Locations in Alabama

1. Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the Civil Rights Historic District have a detailed history of the Civil Rights Movement in the country.
2. USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile allows you to tour the Mighty A, BB-60 battleship.
3. Gulf State Park is located in Gulf Shores and gives you chances to go camping.
4. The Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery commemorates the victims of the Civil Rights Movement. 
5. The US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville is rich in spacecraft history.
6. Montgomery Civil Rights Landmarks is home to Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, a young Martin Luther King Jr. church.
7. McWane Science Center in Birmingham has beautiful exhibits.
8. Mobile Bay has scenic beaches and historic sites.
9. Frank Lloyd Wright Rosenbaum House Museum is the only house Frank designed in Alabama.
10. In Florence, W.C. Handy Home and Museum is the legendary musician’s home.
11. The National Voting Rights Museum and Institute details the struggle of women and African Americans to achieve their voting rights.
12. Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Birmingham has over 1400 motorcycles.
13. Birmingham Museum of Art is home to an extensive collection of arts.
14. Montgomery Museum of Fine Art has an extensive collection of American Art.
15. Cheaha State Park, the oldest park in Alabama, gives you the chance to tour Alabama.

Famous People From Alabama

1. Lionel Richie, born in Tuskegee, is a singer-songwriter.
2. Laverne Cox, actress & activist, was born in Mobile. 
3. Robin Roberts, the television journalist, was born in Tuskegee.
4. Roy Wood, Jr., comedian, was born in Birmingham.
5. Charles Barkley, the basketball player, was born in Leeds.
6. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple Inc, was born in Robertsdale.

Common Misconceptions About Alabama

Here are the common misconceptions about Alabama state.

Alabamians are not educated.

There are several colleges in the state of Alabama. Most people have a college education.

Alabamians are racist.

Not entirely true. Racist is one of the big topics we face today nationwide.

Alabamians live in rusted trailers.

Several people live in decent houses. 

Top 10 Weird Laws in Alabama 

Here are our top 10 absurd Alabama laws. Read the Craziest Laws in the United States, if you want more.

1. It’s unlawful to flick boogers into the wind.
2. Impersonating a priest is unlawful.
3. Spitting orange peels on the sidewalk is illegal in Mobile.
4. Spraying silly string is illegal in Mobile.
5. Wearing a fake mustache in the church may land you in trouble. 
6. Don’t wear a mask in public. It may land you in trouble.
7. Selling peanuts after sundown on Wednesday is illegal in Lee county.
8. Don’t hold bear wrestling matches. The matches may land you in trouble.
9. You shouldn’t play dominoes on Sundays.
10. Opening an umbrella in the streets of Montgomery is illegal.

Alabama Facts And Stats

Capital	Montgomery
Population	2020 (5,024,279)
Governor	Kay Ivey ( Republican Party)
Date Of Admission	December 14, 1819
U.S. Senators	Richard Shelby(R) Tommy Tuberville(R)
US House of Representatives	7 (of 435 Seats)
State Nickname	Cotton StateYellowhammer StateHeart of Dixie
State Motto	“Audemus jura nostra defendere” for “We Dare Maintain Our Rights”
State Song	“Alabama” by John Coltrane
State Flower	Camellia
State Fish	Tarpon
State Bird	Northern Flicker
State Tree	Longleaf Pine
State Mammal	Black Bear
State Amphibian	Red Hills salamander
State Mineral	Hematite
State Gem	Star Blue Quartz
State Fossil	Basilosaurus cetoides
Neighbor States	Georgia Mississippi Florida Tennessee

Final Thoughts

As is apparent in this article, Alabama is one of the top states for visitors in the southeastern region of the United States. Over 22 million visitors travel to the Heart of Dixie to tour, sport, and refresh their knowledge of the Civil Rights Movement.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Alabama

What’s Alabama known for?

1. College Football.
2. Peanuts.
3. Alabama River.
4. Tennessee river valley.
5. Marshall Space Flight Center.
6. Southern hospitality.
7. Beautiful beaches.

What are the five interesting facts about Alabama?

1. Alabama is home to a lot of snails.
2. Alabama is home to the first Rocket.
3. Alabama is the birthplace of War Leroy Pope Walker–the first secretary of war. He served during the Civil War. 
4. Huntsville is home to Nasa’s Marshall Space Flight Center. 
5. Alabama is home to the world’s largest office chair.
6. Birmingham is the only city with all the ingredients of making iron.
7. Alabama is the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement.
8. Alabama is the first state to recognize the Christmas holiday.
9. The Motorsports complex located north of Mobile was projected to house 70,000 permanent seats with the ability to expand to 125,000.

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Related Content: 

• Alabama Senator Richard Shelby Bio | Contact | Quotes
• Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville Bio | Contact | Quotes
• Alabama Unemployment Insurance Benefits Guide

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References

[1] https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.history.com/.amp/topics/us-states/alabama

[2] https://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions/alabama-usal.htm

[3] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama

[4] https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings