Kellan Birt
Alabama Geography
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Did you know that Alabama's highest point is Cheaha Mountain? This is just one of many geological features including plains, piedmonts, plateaus, rivers, and lakes that make up the six different land regions of Alabama. With all these different details, including an almost perfect climate, Alabama is certainly a sight to see!
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Basic Facts
Alabama is in the southern part of the United States. A small part of it is part of the Gulf of Mexico. Alabama is almost totally landlocked. To the north is Tennessee. To the south is Florida. Mississippi is west, and Georgia is east. Alabama covers roughly 52,500 square miles, which puts it at a cozy spot at the 30th largest state in the United States.
If you like rain, then Alabama is perfect for you! Alabama has a humid subtropical climate, meaning it rains all the time and the seasons are mild. The average rainfall a year is about sixty-five inches. The average July temperature is about 80°F and the average January temperature is 50°F. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Alabama was -27℉ in New Market in 1966. The highest temperature ever recorded in Alabama was 112℉ in Centreville in 1925. Anyone can see that Alabama’s climate is near perfect.
East Gulf Coastal Plain
The East Gulf Coastal Plain is Alabama’s largest land region, so large that it almost stretches the whole length of the state! With it being so big, it has almost half a dozen sections. The southwestern Mobile River Delta is low and swampy. The southeastern section is called the wiregrass area, named for a tough grass that once grew there. The northern part is called the Central Pine Belt because pine trees blanket it. In the Western part of this section the soil is not good for planting.
Black Belt
The Black Belt a small strip of prairie land wedged right in the middle of the East Gulf Coastal Plain. It was named for the sticky black clay of its uplands. Farmers developed large cotton plantations in this region. In 1915 small beetles called boll weevils, ruined the cotton crop. Some of those cotton farmers changed to raising livestock. Fish farmers started to raise catfish. After 1980 the industry of raising catfish expanded greatly.
Appalachian Ridge and Valley region
The Appalachian Ridge and Valley region is filled with sandstone and limestone. It is in about the middle of Alabama. It’s full of coal, iron ore, and limestone. These are the three basic minerals in making iron and steel. As expected, the large cities in this region are centers of iron and steel production.
Conclusion
With the vast uniqueness of Alabama, with its lush climate, its amazing regions, it’s almost impossible for one to look at its infinite beauty without their jaw dropping. This beauty isn’t just in Alabama, it's everywhere. All we have to do to see it is stop, sit down, and become mesmerized in all the beauty of God’s work around us. I think Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi said this best when he said, ”Any person who, with all the sincerity of heart, is in search for God, on land or in the sea, is worthy of respect.”