Temperatures tend to be warmer in the southern part of Alabama due to its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, while the northern parts, especially in the Appalachian Mountains in the northeast, tend to be slightly cooler.

Tuscaloosa served as Alabama’s capital from 1826 to 1846.

An 1842 article in the Jacksonville Republican proposed that “Alabama” meant ‘Here We Rest’, a notion popularized in the 1850s through the writings of Alexander Beaufort Meek.

The northern part of Alabama, along the Tennessee River Valley, is most vulnerable to tornadoes.

During and after World War II, Alabama’s economy diversified with new industries, leading to economic growth.

Thunderstorms are common in Alabama, especially in the southern part around Mobile Bay, which averages between 70 and 80 days per year with thunder. The far north of the state reports thunder on about 60 days per year.

Alabama adopted new voting systems, such as cumulative voting and limited voting, in several jurisdictions. These changes resulted in more proportional representation and increased the number of African Americans and women elected to local offices.

Alabama is home to roughly 307 native freshwater fish species.

Alabama is part of the subtropical coniferous forest biome.

The name “Alabama” first appears in written accounts from the Hernando de Soto expedition of 1540, with Garcilaso de la Vega using Alibamo, the Knight of Elvas using Alibamu, and Rodrigo Ranjel using Limamu.