- published: 22 Mar 2016
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Alabama (i/ˌæləˈbæmə/) is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by 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-most extensive and the 23rd-most populous of the 50 United States. Alabama ranks second in the area of its inland waterways.
From the American Civil War until World War II, Alabama, like many Southern states, suffered economic hardship, in part because of continued dependence on agriculture. Despite the growth of major industries and urban centers, white rural interests dominated the state legislature until the 1960s, while urban interests and African Americans were under-represented. Following World War II, Alabama experienced growth as the economy of the state transitioned from agriculture to diversified interests in heavy manufacturing, mineral extraction, education, and technology. In addition, the establishment or expansion of multiple military installations, primarily those of the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force, added to state jobs.
The University of Alabama (UA) is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States.
Founded in 1831, it is the flagship university of the University of Alabama System, as well the senior and the largest in terms of enrollment among all of the state's universities. It is known as The Capstone, a nickname that stems from a 1913 speech by then-president George H. Denny, who extolled the university as the "capstone of the public school system in the state." UA offers programs of study in 13 academic divisions leading to bachelor's, master's, Education Specialist, and doctoral degrees. The only publicly supported law school in Alabama is at UA. Other academic programs unavailable elsewhere in Alabama include doctoral programs in anthropology, library and information studies, metallurgical engineering, music, Romance languages, and social work.
As one of the first public universities established in early 19th century southwestern frontier of the US, UA left a vast cultural imprint on the state, region and nation as a whole for the past two centuries. The school was a center of activity during the American Civil War and the Civil Rights movement. The University of Alabama varsity football program (nicknamed the Crimson Tide), which began in 1892, is one the most successful programs in history.