The State of Alabama, also known as the "Heart of Dixie," is a state located in the Southern United States of America. Alabama 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. The twenty-second state admitted to the Union, Alabama seceded from the union in 1861 to become part of the Confederate States of America. Following the Civil War Alabama was readmitted to the union in 1868. Until World War II, Alabama, like many Southern states, remained mired in poverty. In the years following the war, Alabama emerged as a growing economic power as the economy of the state transitioned from agriculture to diversified interests in heavy manufacturing, mineral extraction, education, and high technology. Today, the state is heavily invested in the aerospace, education, health care, banking, and various heavy industries including automobile manufacturing and mineral extraction and steel production and fabrication. Alabama is officially nicknamed the Yellowhammer state. The capital is Montgomery and the largest city is Birmingham. [Less...]