A company of cavalry soldiers from Huntsville, Alabama, joined Nathan Bedford Forrest’s battalion in Kentucky. Their uniforms had yellow trim, leading to them being nicknamed “Yellowhammer,” a name later applied to all Alabama troops in the Confederate Army.

Alabama was affected by the 1974 Super Outbreak and was devastated tremendously by the 2011 Super Outbreak, which produced a record amount of tornadoes in the state, totaling 62.

Politically, as part of the Deep South, Alabama is predominantly a conservative state and is known for its Southern culture.

Alabama’s economy in the 21st century is based on automotive, finance, tourism, manufacturing, aerospace, mineral extraction, healthcare, education, retail, and technology.

The largest city in Alabama by population and area is Huntsville.

Alabama’s coastal counties, part of the former Spanish West Florida territory, officially became part of the United States in 1819 with the Adams–Onís Treaty.

“Dixie Alley” refers to the area of Alabama and Mississippi that is most affected by tornadoes, as distinct from the Tornado Alley of the Southern Plains.

Hurricane Ivan, a category 3 storm upon landfall, struck Alabama in 2004, causing over $18 billion in damage. It was one of the most destructive storms in the state’s modern history.

The agrarian Mississippian culture covered most of Alabama from 1000 to 1600 CE, with one of its major centers at the Moundville Archaeological Site.

Alabama has a total area of 52,419 square miles (135,760 km²).