Alabama (/ˌæləˈbæmə/ ^ⓘ, AL-ə-BAM-ə) is a state in the Southeastern and Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama is the 30th largest by area, and the 24th-most populous of the 50 U.S. states.

Alabama
State
Flag Seal
Nicknames:  the Yellowhammer State, the Heart of Dixie, the Cotton State
Motto:  Latin: Audemus jura nostra defendere (We dare defend our rights)
Anthem: "Alabama"
Location of Alabama within the United States
Country	United States
Before statehood	Alabama Territory
Admitted to the Union	December 14, 1819 (22nd)
Capital	Montgomery
Largest city	Huntsville
Largest county or equivalent	Jefferson
Largest metro and urban areas	Greater Birmingham
Government
• Governor	Kay Ivey (R)
• Lieutenant Governor	Will Ainsworth (R)
Legislature	Alabama Legislature
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	House of Representatives
Judiciary	Supreme Court of Alabama
U.S. senators	Tommy Tuberville (R) Katie Britt (R)
U.S. House delegation	5 Republicans 2 Democrats (list)
Area
• Total	52,419 sq mi (135,765 km2)
• Land	50,744 sq mi (131,426 km2)
• Water	1,675 sq mi (4,338 km2)  3.2%
• Rank	30th
Dimensions
• Length	330 mi (531 km)
• Width	190 mi (305 km)
Elevation	490 ft (150 m)
Highest elevation (Mount Cheaha)	2,413 ft (735.5 m)
Lowest elevation (Gulf of Mexico)	0 ft (0 m)
Population  (2024)
• Total	5,157,699
• Rank	24th
• Density	99/sq mi (38.3/km2)
• Rank	27th
• Median household income	$62,200 (2023)
• Income rank	44th
Demonym(s)	Alabamian, Alabaman
Language
• Official language	English
• Spoken language	As of 2010[update] English 95.1% Spanish 3.1%
Time zones
Entire state (legally)	UTC– 06:00 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC– 05:00 (CDT)
Phenix City area (unofficially)	UTC– 05:00 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC– 04:00 (EDT)
USPS abbreviation	AL
ISO 3166 code	US-AL
Traditional abbreviation	Ala.
Latitude	30°11' N to 35° N
Longitude	84°53' W to 88°28' W
Website	alabama.gov

Alabama is nicknamed the Yellowhammer State, after the state bird. Alabama is also known as the "Heart of Dixie" and the "Cotton State". The state has diverse geography, with the north dominated by the mountainous Tennessee Valley and the south by Mobile Bay, a historically significant port. Alabama's capital is Montgomery, and its largest city by population and area is Huntsville. Its oldest city is Mobile, founded by French colonists (Alabama Creoles) in 1702 as the capital of French Louisiana. Greater Birmingham is Alabama's largest metropolitan area and its economic center. Politically, as part of the Deep South, or "Bible Belt", Alabama is a predominantly conservative state and is known for its Southern culture. Within Alabama, American football, particularly at the college level, plays a major part of the state's culture.

Originally home to many native tribes, present-day Alabama was a Spanish territory beginning in the sixteenth century until the French acquired it in the early eighteenth century. The British won the territory in 1763 until losing it in the American Revolutionary War. Spain held Mobile as part of Spanish West Florida until 1813. In December 1819, Alabama was recognized as a state. During the antebellum period, Alabama was a major producer of cotton and widely used African American slave labor. In 1861, the state seceded from the United States to become part of the Confederate States of America, with Montgomery acting as its first capital, and rejoined the Union in 1868. Following the American Civil War, Alabama would suffer decades of economic hardship, in part due to agriculture and a few cash crops being the main driver of the state's economy. Similar to other former slave states, Alabamian legislators employed Jim Crow laws from the late 19th century up until the 1960s. High-profile events such as the Selma to Montgomery marches made the state a major focal point of the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s.

During and after World War II, Alabama grew as the state's economy diversified with new industries. In 1960, the establishment of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville helped boost Alabama's economic growth by developing a local aerospace industry. Alabama's economy in the 21st century is based on automotive, finance, tourism, manufacturing, aerospace, mineral extraction, healthcare, education, retail, and technology. Despite the economic and industrial growth in recent decades, Alabama typically ranks low in terms of health outcomes, educational attainment, and median household income.