Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama | |
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City of Birmingham | |
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Nickname(s): "The Magic City" or "Pittsburgh of the South" | |
![]() Location in Jefferson County in the state of Alabama | |
Coordinates: Coordinates: 33°39′12″N 86°48′32″W / 33.65333°N 86.80889°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Alabama |
Counties | Jefferson, Shelby |
Incorporated | December 19, 1871 |
Government | |
• Type | Mayor - Council |
• Mayor | Randall Woodfin |
Area | |
• City | 151.9 sq mi (393.5 km2) |
• Land | 149.9 sq mi (388.3 km2) |
• Water | 2.0 sq mi (5.3 km2) |
Elevation | 614 ft (140 m) |
Population (2006) | |
• City | 229,424 |
• Density | 1,510.0/sq mi (583.03/km2) |
• Metro | 1,100,019 |
Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
Area code(s) | 205 |
Website | http://www.informationbirmingham.com/ |
Birmingham is the biggest city in the U.S. state of Alabama, with about 230,000 people living in it.[1] It is the county seat of Jefferson County. Its metropolitan area has over 1 million people living in it. The city has an area of about 152 square miles (390 km2) and an elevation of 614 feet (187 m) above sea level.
History[change | change source]
Birmingham was founded in 1871. Three smaller towns came together to make one, which grew into a large town. It was named after Birmingham, England, a British industrial city. The Alabama city is famous for its iron ore, coal, and limestone, which are used in making steel.
Birmingham Sunday[change | change source]
Birmingham became famous around the world when a bomb exploded in the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church on Sunday September 15, 1963. Four young black girls were killed. A member of the Ku Klux Klan was charged for the bombing many years later. Richard Farina wrote a sad song called "Birmingham Sunday" in 1964 to the tune of "I Love A Lass".[2] It has been recorded by several singers, including Joan Baez.
References[change | change source]
- ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places in Alabama, Listed Alphabetically: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006" (CSV). 2007 Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. 2007-06-28. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
- ↑ Helfert, Manfred. "History in Song, Birmingham Sunday". Archived from the original on 2008-07-26. Retrieved 2008-07-21.
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