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and its tributaries contribute to the fertile land of the area, and also serve as a demarcation line between the western and the central portions of the region. The central portion of
Central Alabama varies from rugged in the east to flat in the west. Numerous valleys are scattered throughout this
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Anniston and
Gadsden are very similar in their heavily industrialized economies. Gadsden, however, is a river town so it has helped in building and creating a tourist industry to slight the blow of its declining primary industry. Gadsden is now home to many riverfront-based festivals that goes on
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region between the mountain ridges including the densely populated Jones Valley and Shades Valley. Because the central portion is more rugged compared to the westernmost portion of
Central Alabama, it is also the most flood-prone.
251:(UAB). UAB is not only the state's largest single employer with some 20,000 employees on its payroll, but also one of the largest medical districts in the Southeast. In addition, most of the state-based corporations such as
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divides the easternmost portion of the region from the central portion with the
Birmingham area. The westernmost portion of Central Alabama is relatively a flat region with fertile black soil called the
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The economic engine of the region ranges from the diversified economy of
Greater Birmingham, to the college town of Tuscaloosa, to the heavily industrialized economy of Anniston and Gadsden.
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automotive production facilities are not technically located in any of the
Greater Birmingham metropolitan counties, they are both considered as substantial contributors to its economy.
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are chief among the plentiful mineral resources found in the region. The coincidence of these three in close proximity was a major incentive for the rapid development of industry in the
247:
The primary economic center of the region is
Greater Birmingham because of its size and diversified economy. It is home to the state's most diversified employer, the
209:, and Coosa Rivers and their tributaries are among the many waterways that wind their way through the region. Other major waterways that run through the area include
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metropolitan areas. The easternmost part of
Central Alabama around Anniston has the steepest mountains and highest elevations of the region. Coldwater Mountain and
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Tuscaloosa is the retail business center of a several-county area in
Alabama and nearby Mississippi, and is chiefly a university town. The city hosts the
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throughout the year to boost its economy. Anniston, on the other hand, has also suffered a major blow on two fronts with the closings of
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has exacerbated the risk of flooding by increasing the proportion of land covered by hard surfaces, leading to greater
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and many iron smelting facilities in the 1990s. However, it has turned more towards military production at the
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make up the highest of the mountain ridges that are located in the eastern portion of the region. The
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because both regions are mountainous, but in some definitions they are different regions.
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production facility located ten miles from the main part of the city next to
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with several government production contracts issued to this facility.
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of the
Appalachians consist mainly of long, low ridges such as
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have their world headquarters located in the area. Though the
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50:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
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213:, Shades Creek, and Little Cahaba River.
114:Learn how and when to remove this message
160:, Sand Mountain, Beaver Creek Mountain,
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134:, the economic heart of Central Alabama
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145:. It is sometimes considered part of
535:National Register of Historic Places
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48:adding citations to reliable sources
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249:University of Alabama at Birmingham
13:
14:
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296:Shelton State Community College
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718:Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians
265:Regions Financial Corporation
895:Anniston–Oxford–Jacksonville
141:is a region in the state of
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273:Southern Research Institute
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290:'s main campus as well as
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154:Valley and Ridge Province
261:HealthSouth Corporation
890:Florence–Muscle Shoals
135:
1295:33.31000°N 86.78750°W
870:Daphne–Fairhope–Foley
288:University of Alabama
129:
44:improve this article
1300:33.31000; -86.78750
1291: /
683:Birmingham District
316:Anniston Army Depot
257:Energen Corporation
230:Birmingham District
205:The Black Warrior,
191:Black Warrior River
1319:Regions of Alabama
1267:Alabama portal
708:Gulf Coastal Plain
698:Cumberland Plateau
234:American Civil War
216:Large deposits of
166:Greater Birmingham
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845:Birmingham–Hoover
615:African Americans
269:Saks Incorporated
211:Choccolocco Creek
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63:"Central Alabama"
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723:Tennessee Valley
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322:Important cities
292:Stillman College
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202:during storms.
162:Shades Mountain
139:Central Alabama
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774:Largest cities
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703:Eastern Shore
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678:South Alabama
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300:Mercedes-Benz
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277:Mercedes-Benz
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253:Alabama Power
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147:North Alabama
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65: –
64:
60:
59:Find sources:
53:
49:
45:
39:
38:
34:
29:This article
27:
23:
18:
17:
1276:
1258:
672:
642:Homelessness
610:Demographics
468:
308:
285:
246:
243:
215:
204:
196:Urban sprawl
178:Mount Cheaha
158:Red Mountain
151:
138:
137:
110:
101:
91:
84:
77:
70:
58:
42:Please help
30:
1298: /
647:LGBT rights
503:Delegations
182:Coosa River
1286:86°47′15″W
1283:33°18′36″N
1238:Washington
1228:Tuscaloosa
1223:Tallapoosa
1168:Montgomery
1108:Lauderdale
865:Tuscaloosa
860:Montgomery
850:Huntsville
802:Tuscaloosa
792:Montgomery
787:Birmingham
782:Huntsville
744:Amphibians
688:Black Belt
547:newspapers
542:Mass media
518:Government
470:Montgomery
414:Tuscaloosa
394:Montgomery
389:Montevallo
344:Birmingham
232:after the
187:Black Belt
132:Birmingham
74:newspapers
1218:Talladega
1203:St. Clair
1123:Limestone
1098:Jefferson
1013:Covington
728:Wiregrass
693:Canebrake
632:Elections
627:Education
523:governors
508:Geography
473:(capital)
409:Sylacauga
334:Alabaster
222:limestone
130:Downtown
104:July 2012
31:does not
1313:Category
1193:Randolph
1153:Marshall
1113:Lawrence
1063:Franklin
1048:Escambia
1018:Crenshaw
988:Cleburne
963:Cherokee
958:Chambers
910:Counties
759:Reptiles
713:Piedmont
652:Politics
637:Gun laws
595:Abortion
493:Aviation
349:Bessemer
329:Anniston
218:iron ore
174:Anniston
1248:Winston
1198:Russell
1183:Pickens
1143:Marengo
1138:Madison
1128:Lowndes
1093:Jackson
1088:Houston
1058:Fayette
1023:Cullman
1003:Conecuh
998:Colbert
973:Choctaw
968:Chilton
953:Calhoun
943:Bullock
928:Barbour
923:Baldwin
918:Autauga
900:Gadsden
875:Decatur
827:Madison
822:Decatur
754:Mammals
749:Gardens
661:Regions
622:Economy
605:Culture
588:Society
574:Symbols
530:History
513:Geology
498:Climate
460:Alabama
379:Jemison
369:Gadsden
364:Cullman
359:Clanton
240:Economy
170:Gadsden
143:Alabama
88:scholar
52:removed
37:sources
1243:Wilcox
1233:Walker
1213:Sumter
1208:Shelby
1173:Morgan
1163:Monroe
1158:Mobile
1148:Marion
1073:Greene
1068:Geneva
1053:Etowah
1043:Elmore
1038:DeKalb
1033:Dallas
993:Coffee
978:Clarke
948:Butler
938:Blount
885:Dothan
855:Mobile
837:Metros
817:Dothan
812:Auburn
807:Hoover
797:Mobile
569:Sports
564:People
480:Topics
419:Valley
399:Pelham
384:Jasper
374:Hoover
354:Calera
339:Auburn
271:, and
224:, and
207:Cahaba
200:runoff
189:. The
172:, and
90:
83:
76:
69:
61:
1178:Perry
1133:Macon
1103:Lamar
1083:Henry
1008:Coosa
764:Trees
600:Crime
552:radio
488:Index
456:State
404:Selma
304:Vance
281:Honda
95:JSTOR
81:books
1188:Pike
1078:Hale
1028:Dale
983:Clay
933:Bibb
294:and
279:and
226:coal
152:The
67:news
35:any
33:cite
1118:Lee
458:of
306:.
46:by
1315::
557:TV
267:,
263:,
259:,
255:,
236:.
220:,
168:,
448:e
441:t
434:v
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111:(
106:)
102:(
92:·
85:·
78:·
71:·
54:.
40:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
