The state of Alabama was named after the river. The Alabama River was named by some European explorers.
The State of Alabama is located in the southern region of the United States of America. 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 ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland waterways. The state ranks 23rd in population with almost 4.6 million residents in 2006. Alabama is unofficially nicknamed the Yellowhammer State, which is also the name of the state bird. Alabama is also known as the "Heart of Dixie".
The word Alabama is believed to have originated from the Choctaw language and was later adopted by the Alabama tribe as their name. Alabama, like many Southern States, suffered economic hardship, in part because of continued dependence on agriculture. More significantly, white rural, minority domination of the legislature until the 1960s meant that urban, contemporary interests were consistently underrepresented.
Alabama is unofficially nickname the Yellowhammer State, which is also the name of the State bird. The Yellowhammer State originated the Civil War. A couple of suggestions as to the origination of the nickname have been presented. A company of soldiers paraded in uniforms that were trimmed with yellow cloth. Either way, the Alabama soldiers reminded people of Yellowhammers, birds with yellow patches under their wings. The Yellowhammer is Alabama's State Bird.