Alabama the

Beautiful

You live in the city of Helena in Shelby County. You live in the state of Alabama.

You live in the country of the United States.

You live in the continent of North America.

You live in the Northern and Western Hemispheres of the World.

You live on planet Earth.

Alabama’s Surrounding States

Alabama’s Flag

The state flag of Alabama was adopted in 1895. It was made to look like the Confederate Battle Flag. It was called the “crimson cross of St. Andrew’s.”

Alabama’s State Seal

The seal shows a circle with a map. It also shows the four bordering states and major river systems.

The state motto is AUDEMUS JURA NOSTRA DEFENDERE in Latin. This means “We dare to defend out rights.”

The State Flower

The camellia became the state flower in 1959.

Camellias can be red, pink, white, and red and white stripes.

The camellia was brought from Asia and only grow on evergreen bushes.

The State Tree

The Southern Pine became our state tree in 1949.

The four kinds of this tree are longleaf, loblolly, slash, and shortleaf pines.

They grow quickly and the wood is used for building.

The State Fish

The tarpon became the state fish in 1955.

They are sometimes called the “Silver King.”

They are not good to eat.

They live in salt water and live off of the Gulf of Mexico.

They are 4-5 feet long and weight up to 80 pounds.

The State Bird

The state bird is the golden-winged woodpecker. It is called a yellowhammer.

They live in Alabama year-round and live in cities and rural areas.

The State Reptile

The red-bellied turtle is the state reptile.

It is endangered. This turtle only

lives in Alabama. They live in the Mobile River delta area.

The State Horse

The racking horse is Alabama’s state horse.

They are very strong with a natural gait.

The horse can be black, bay, sorrel, chestnut, brown, gray, yellow.

The State Insect The monarch

butterfly is the state butterfly.

It is orangish-brown with black and white markings.

They are the only butterflies that migrate. They fly south to Mexico in the winter and fly home to Alabama in the spring.

The State Nut

The pecan is the state nut.

They are found throughout the United States, but usually are in the South.

They are used in many recipes such as pies and pralines.

State Amphibian- Salamander The Red Hills

Salamander is thought to exist only in a 50,000 - acre area of southern Alabama.

The Salamander was recognized as the official state amphibian of Alabama in 2000 after a campaign led by the third graders at Fairhope Elementary School (guided by teachers Susan Sims and Amy Jones). 

State Nicknames Alabama has three nicknames. We are

called the Heart of Dixie because we are located in the Deep South.

We are also called the Cotton State because we were the leading cotton grower.

Alabama is also called the Yellowhammer State because of yellow cloth sewed to Confederate solder uniforms.

Alabama Facts Alabama’s abbreviation is AL. The capital is Montgomery, but most

people live in Birmingham. Over 4 million people live in Alabama. Alabama’s major industry is agriculture,

poultry, steel-making, and mining. None of Alabama’s lakes are natural The highest point in Alabama is Cheaha

Mountain. DeSoto and de Pineda were the earliest

explorers.

Alabama Facts

Robert Bentley is the Governor of Alabama.

The state song is Alabama by Julia Tutwiler.

The folk dance is the official state dance.

Famous Alabamians Hank Aaron Helen Keller Nat King Cole Hank Williams Harper Lee Rosa Parks Jim Nabors Heather Whitestone Willie Mays Bo Bice, Ruben Studdard, and Taylor Hicks

Can you think of more famous Alabamians?

Alabama Facts and Symbols Test Review

1. Alabama is in the _____ region of the United States.

2. What country do you live in? 3. What continent do you live in? 4. You live in the ___ and ___

hemispheres of the world. 5. What is Alabama’s abbreviation? 6. The capital of Alabama is in

______, but most people live in _______.

7. What are Alabama’s major industries?

8. What are two of Alabama’s nicknames?

9. How many of Alabama’s lakes are natural?

10. The name Alabama means ____ in Choctaw.

11. The state flag was patterned after the _______.

12. Can you draw and color a picture of the Alabama state flag?

13. Alabama became a state in _______.

14. We were the _____ state in the U.S.

15. What symbols does the Alabama state seal have on it?

16. What is Alabama’s state motto? 17. The state flower is the _____. Did

it originally come from Alabama?

18. The state tree is the _______. What are two uses of this tree?

19. The state fish is the _______. Where does it live in Alabama?

20. The state bird is the _______. 21. The _______ is the state reptile. 22. The state horse is the _______. 23. The state insect is the _______. 24. The state nut is the _______. 25. Can you label Alabama and its

surrounding states? The Gulf of Mexico?