Birmingham, Alabama Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Birmingham (the 'Ham' is pronounced, unlike the British Birmingham) is a city located in Jefferson County, Alabama. As of the 2000 census, its population is 242,820. It is the largest city in Alabama, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Birmingham is one of the principle cities in the Birmingham-Hoover, AL Metropolitan Area. The Birmingham-Hoover area is made up of Bibb, Blount, Chilton, Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby, and Walker Counties. The population of the metro area as of the 2000 census was 1,052,238. It is the 48th largest metropolitan area in the United States.
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2 Economy 3 Famous residents 4 Attractions 5 Shopping 6 Government 7 Transporation 8 Other 9 Geography 10 Demographics 11 External links |
History
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Birmingham was founded in 1871 at a railroad junction just to the west of the still-standing Arlington House museum, and was named for the English city of Birmingham. Through the early 20th century, due largely to its abundant mineral reserves, Birmingham grew rapidly and soon became a leading industrial center. The mushrooming early development of the city led to its nickname of "The Magic City." Its economy was based largely upon iron and steel production and for that reason it also became known as the "Pittsburgh of the South."
Birmingham was hit hard by the Great Depression in the 1930s. The city's economy subsequently evolved into a more service-, research-, and engineering-oriented system.
In the 1950s and '60s Birmingham received national and international attention as a center of the civil rights struggle for African-Americans. Most notoriously, four black girls were killed in a church bombing in 1963. However, like most industrial cities, the economy and population have suffered since the '60s. The population of the core city has fallen from 340,887 in 1960 to 242,820 in 2000, a loss of about 45 percent. The city of Birmingham has been majority black for the past couple of decades, and the surrounding suburbs are mostly white.
In 1979 Birmingham elected its first African-American mayor.
In 1996 Birmingham hosted early rounds of Olympic soccer in Legion Field
In the 1970s and 1980s, Birmingham's economy was transformed from being based on smokestack-type industries to one based on bio-tech and medical research, primarily because of the growth of medical research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), which is the area's largest employer with a work force of about 20,000. Birmingham is also a leading banking center, serving as home to four major banking companies: SouthTrust, AmSouth, Compass Bancorp and Regions Bancorp. (SouthTrust is in the process of being bought by Wachovia.) Regional telecommunications provider BellSouth has a major presence in the region with two offices in the Birmingham metro area.
Birmingham is served by Birmingham International Airport (there is another airport of the same name in Birmingham, England).
Birmingham is located at 33°31'29" North, 86°48'46" West (33.524755, -86.812740)1.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 393.5 km² (151.9 mi²). 388.3 km² (149.9 mi²) of it is land and 5.3 km² (2.0 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.34% water.
There are 98,782 households out of which 27.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.1% are married couples living together, 24.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% are non-families. 34.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.37 and the average family size is 3.09.
In the city the population is spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 85.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 80.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $26,735, and the median income for a family is $31,851. Males have a median income of $28,184 versus $23,641 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,663. 24.7% of the population and 20.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 35.4% are under the age of 18 and 18.5% are 65 or older.
This is an Article on Birmingham, Alabama. Page Contains Information, Facts Details or Explanation Guide About Birmingham, Alabama Economy
Famous residents
Birmingham is the birthplace of:Attractions
Landmarks
Major Attractions
Annual Major Events
Shopping
Birmingham is home to numerous antique shops and malls. Riverchase Antique Gallery is the area's largest located in Hoover. Also other antique shops include Cahaba Cottage Antiques & De'cor in Vestavia Hills's Cahaba Heights neighborhood, Antiques & Gardens, Hanna Antiques, Peck & Hill Antiques, and Christopher House in Homewood.Major Shopping Centers
Other Shopping Areas
Government
The city of Birmingham has a mayor/council form of government with a 9-member city council. As of 2003, the mayor is Bernard Kincaid. An issue must be approved by the council by a two-thirds majority vote pursuant to Act No. 452, Ala. Acts 1955, (the Mayor-Council Act of 1955), as supplemented by Act No. 294, Ala. Acts 1965.Transporation
Birmingham is served by 3 Interstates, Interstate 20, Interstate 65, Interstate 59, and Interstate 459. There have been some recent developments with the region interstate system including the construction of Corridor X (Future Interstate 22), and the completion of the Interstate 459 belt around Birmingham called the Northern Beltline. Birmingham is served by the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority throught the Metro Area Express (MAX) buses. Other
Birmingham Mentioned in Music
Randy Newman wrote and sang a song about the city, called "Birmingham" (lyrics). The city is also referenced in folk singer Ani DiFranco's song "Hello Birmingham" (lyrics) and in the song "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd.Geography
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 242,820 people, 98,782 households, and 59,269 families residing in the city. The population density is 625.4/km² (1,619.7/mi²). There are 111,927 housing units at an average density of 288.3/km² (746.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 24.07% White, 73.46% Black or African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.80% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.62% from other races, and 0.83% from two or more races. 1.55% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.External links