Alabama is sometimes called the Heart of Dixie because of its central location among the Southern states. Its piney woods and grand old oak and magnolia trees range east to west from Georgia to Mississippi, north to south from Tennessee to Florida.
The Fall Line curves from Phenix City, near the Georgia border, north and west across Alabama. The land on either side of this line, where highlands and lowlands meet, is very different.
The Appalachian Highlands reach into northern Alabama. Red clays betray a wealth of iron which made the city of Birmingham an industrial giant. Ancient peoples found northern Alabama to their liking as well. In the northeast corner of the state, near the Tennessee border, is Russell Cave. It was inhabited almost continuously from at least 6000 B.C. to about 150 years after Columbus “discovered” America. Can you imagine people living in a cave for more than 7,000 years?
Another attraction in northeast Alabama is Little River Canyon National Preserve. This preserve protects a rocky scenic area where people kayak and mountain climb.
Sea kayakers might have paddled along the edge of these highlands millions of years ago. Where there was once sea, a belt of fertile black soil curves across the middle of Alabama, which is low and flat. In contrast to the red clays of the highlands, this soil is well suited for growing cotton, peanuts, and other crops.
This rich farming region is on the Gulf Coastal Plain, even though only the southwestern corner of Alabama actually touches the Gulf Coast today. The Gulf Coastal Plain covers most of Alabama, sloping gently southwards towards the coast.
As the Alabama River approaches the coast, it squiggles back and forth as if in no hurry to reach the sea. This is a world of grassy marshes and bayous (sluggish streams and inlets) inhabited by alligators and water moccasins.
At last the river reaches Mobile Bay. Though you might find shrimp boats docked in the city of Mobile, the bay does not lead directly to the open sea. Nearly the entire coast is guarded by a series of long barrier islands where wind, waves, and currents have piled sand. This is the site of Gulf Islands National Seashore, which stretches east and west into Florida and Mississippi. The sea is never far from Alabama...
The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism - 
