Alabama - Facts and Figures. GENERAL INFORMATION Capital Statehood Montgomery December 14, 1819 the 22nd state State nickname Name for residents State motto The Yellowhammer State Alabamans Audemus iura nostra defendere (We dare defend our rights) Abbreviation AL LAND Total area 135,765 sq km 52,419 sq mi Rank among states in total area Land area 30th 131,446 sq km 50,752 sq mi Highest point Cheaha Mountain 733 m/2,405 ft Forested land as a share of total area Federally owned land as a share of land area 70.8 percent (2002) 3.7 percent (2002) PEOPLE Population Rank among states in population Ten-year population growth Population density 4,627,851 (2007 estimate) 23rd 10.1 percent (1990-2000) 35 persons per sq km (2006 estimate) 91 persons per sq mi (2006 estimate) Urban population 55.4 percent (2000) Largest cities (by population) Birmingham 229,424 (2006) Montgomery 201,998 (2006) Mobile 192,830 (2006) Huntsville 168,132 (2006) Tuscaloosa Ethnic groups Whites 83,052 (2006) 71.1 percent (2000) Blacks 26 percent (2000) Asians 0.7 percent (2000) Native Americans Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders 0.5 percent (2000) less than 0.1 percent (2000) Mixed heritage or not reporting 1.6 percent (2000) Hispanics (of any race) 1.7 percent (2000) HEALTH AND EDUCATION Life expectancy Infant mortality rate 73.6 years (1989-1991) 9 deaths per 1,000 live births (2004) Residents per physician 465 people (2005) Residents per hospital bed 293 people (2005) Share of population not covered by health insurance Number of students per teacher (K-12) Government spending per student (K-12) Share of students attending private school Share of people over age 25 with high school diploma 15.2 percent (2006) 12.6 (2003) $7,031 (2002-2003) 9.9 percent (1999) 80.1 percent (2006) GOVERNMENT State government Governor Bob Riley (term ends January 2011) Legislature Senate, 35 members House of Representatives, 105 members National representation Members of the U.S. Senate 2 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives 7 Electoral votes 9 ECONOMY Gross state product (GSP) Income per capita $161 billion (2006) $27,630 (2004) GSP by economic sector Agriculture, forestry, and fishing 1.7 percent (2004) Industry Construction 4.5 percent (2004) Manufacturing 16.7 percent (2004) Mining 0.9 percent (2004) Transportation and utilities 5.9 percent (2004) Services Finance, insurance, and real estate 15.9 percent (2004) G overnment Information technology 16.1 percent (2004) 3 percent (2004) Retail trade 8.2 percent (2004) Wholesale trade 5.7 percent (2004) Other services 21.4 percent (2004) Employment Number of workers 2,200,000 (2006 estimate) Unemployment rate 3.6 percent (2006 estimate) Share of workers in unions 10.2 percent (2005) ENERGY, COMMUNICATIONS, AND TRANSPORTATION Electricity production Share from geothermal, solar, and wind 2.7 percent (2005 estimate) Share from hydroelectric 7.4 percent (2005 estimate) Share from nuclear 23 percent (2005 estimate) Share from thermal 66.9 percent (2005 estimate) Daily newspaper circulation per 1,000 people Share of households with Internet access Number of library books circulated per resident Length of highways 131 newspapers per 1,000 people (2006 estimate) 45.7 percent (2003 estimate) 3.8 books per person (2002) 154,571 km (2005) 96,046 mi (2005) Length of interstate highways 1,463 km (2005) 909 mi (2005) Length of railroad tracks 5,362 km (2004) 3,332 mi (2004) Airports 10 (2007) SOURCES The Association of American Railroads (www.aar.org), Bureau of Economic Analysis (www.bea.doc.gov), Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov), Census Bureau (www.census.gov), Energy Information Administration (www.eia.doe.gov), Federal Aviation Administration (www.faa.gov), Federal Highway Administration (www.fhwa.dot.gov), Forest Service (www.fs.fed.us), General Services Administration (www.gsa.gov), National Agricultural Statistics Service (www.usda.gov/nass), National Center for Education Statistics (nces.ed.gov), National Center for Health Statistics (www.cdc.gov/nchs), National Telecommunications and Information Administration (www.ntia.doc.gov). Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
