City of Birmingham
Flag Seal
Nickname: "The Magic City" or "Pittsburgh of the South"
Location in Jefferson County in the state of Alabama
Coordinates: 33°39′12″N 86°48′32″W / 33.65333, -86.80889
Country	United States
State	Alabama
Counties	Jefferson, Shelby
Incorporated	December 19, 1871
Government
- Type	Mayor – Council
- Mayor	Larry Langford
Area
- City	151. The Flag of Birmingham Alabama was designed by Mrs Idyl King Sorsby for the occasion of Birmingham 's Semicentennial in 1921 A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. Jefferson County is the most densely populated County in the U Alabama (formally the State of Alabama;) is a State located in the southern region of the United States of America. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The political units and divisions of the United States include The 50 states (four of these being officially styled as Commonwealths) which are typically Alabama (formally the State of Alabama;) is a State located in the southern region of the United States of America. ImageAlabama counties mappng|thumb|right|310px|Alabama counties (clickable mappoly 210 83 208 83 199 75 188 75 176 70 171 70 165 Jefferson County is the most densely populated County in the U Shelby County is a County of the US state of Alabama and is named in honor of Isaac Shelby, Governor of Kentucky. Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. Year 1871 ( MDCCCLXXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government Larry Paul Langford is the mayor of the city of Birmingham, Alabama. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status 9 sq mi (393. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 5 km²)
- Land	149. To help compare different Orders of magnitude and geographical regions we list here areas between 100 km² and 1000 km² 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/sq mi (583. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 03/km²)
- Metro	1,108,210
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
Area code(s)	205
FIPS code	01-07000
GNIS feature ID	0158174
Website: http://www.informationbirmingham.com

Birmingham (IPA: /ˈbɝmɪŋhæm/) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alabama and is the county seat of Jefferson County. A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central The Central Time Zone observes Standard time by subtracting six hours from UTC during standard time ( UTC−6) and five hours during Daylight saving Areas using UTC−6 Single zone countries Belize Costa Rica El Salvador Guatemala Daylight saving time ( DST The Central Time Zone observes Standard time by subtracting six hours from UTC during standard time ( UTC−6) and five hours during Daylight saving UTC−5 is the Time offset used in the North American Eastern Time Zone during Standard time and in the North American Central Time Zone during A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating Telephone number ranges to countries regions areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks Area code 205 is a Telephone numbering plan code covering central and western Alabama including the cities of Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. Federal Information Processing Standards ( FIPS) are publicly announced standards developed by the United States Federal government for use by all non-military The Geographic Names Information System ( GNIS) is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Alabama (formally the State of Alabama;) is a State located in the southern region of the United States of America. A county seat is a term for an Administrative center for a County, primarily used in the United States. Jefferson County is the most densely populated County in the U It also includes part of Shelby County. Shelby County is a County of the US state of Alabama and is named in honor of Isaac Shelby, Governor of Kentucky. The population of the city is 242,820 as of the 2000 census, and 229,424 according to the 2006 estimate. ^[1] The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, as of the 2007 census estimates, has a population of 1,108,210. Hoover is a City in Jefferson and Shelby Counties in north central Alabama, in the United States. Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas|Table of United States Core Based Statistical AreasIn the United States, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB has produced It is also the largest city in the Birmingham-Hoover-Cullman Combined Statistical Area, colloquially known as Greater Birmingham, which contains roughly one quarter of the population of Alabama. Cullman is a city in Cullman County, Alabama, United States. It is located along the Interstate 65 / Interstate 565 combination route Table of United States Combined Statistical AreasThe United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. The Birmingham-Hoover-Cullman AL CSA (combined statistical area sometimes known as Greater Birmingham, is made up of 8 counties in Central Alabama.

Birmingham was founded in 1871, just after the U.S. Civil War, as an industrial enterprise. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South It was named after Birmingham, the major industrial city of England. A large number of places in the US were named after places in England as a result of English settlers and explorers Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um Through the middle of the 20th century, Birmingham was the primary industrial center of the Southern United States. The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive The astonishing pace of Birmingham's growth through the turn of the century earned it the nicknames "The Magic City" and "The Pittsburgh of the South". Much like Pittsburgh in the north, Birmingham's major industries centered around iron and steel production.

Over the course of the 20th century, the city's economy diversified. Though the manufacturing industry maintains a strong presence in Birmingham, other industries such as banking, insurance, medicine, publishing, and biotechnology have risen in stature. Birmingham has been recognized as one of the top cities for income growth in the United States South with a significant increase in per capita income since 1990. ^[2]

Today, Birmingham ranks as one of the most important business centers in the Southeastern United States and is also one of the largest banking centers in the U. The US Southeast is the eastern portion of the Southern United States, but the Census Bureau does not provide a standard definition of a "Southeast" region S. In addition, the Birmingham area serves as headquarters to one Fortune 500 company: Regions Financial. Please do not add the complete list of fortune 500 companies The list is copyrighted by Fortune which makes money by selling the content Regions Financial Corporation is a publicly held company based in Birmingham Alabama, USA, with the corporate headquarters at the Regions Center. Five Fortune 1000 companies are headquartered in Birmingham. Please do not add the complete list of fortune 1000 companies

History

Panorama of Birmingham, Alabama c. 1916

Birmingham was founded on June 1, 1871 by real estate promoters who sold lots near the planned crossing of the Alabama & Chattanooga and South & North railroads. Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 1871 ( MDCCCLXXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The first business at that crossroads was the trading post and country store Yeilding's, run by the still prominent Yeilding family. The site of the railroad crossing was notable for the nearby deposits of iron ore, coal, and limestone - the three principal raw materials used in making steel. Iron ores are rocks and Minerals from which Metallic Iron can be economically extracted Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 Steel is an Alloy consisting mostly of Iron, with a Carbon content between 0 Birmingham is the only place worldwide where significant amounts of all three minerals can be found in such close proximity. From the start the new city was planned as a great center of industry. The founders borrowed the name of Birmingham, England's principal industrial city, to advertise that point. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Birmingham got off to a slow start: the city was impeded by an outbreak of cholera and a Wall Street crash in 1873. Cholera, sometimes known as Asiatic cholera or epidemic cholera, is an infectious Gastroenteritis caused by the Bacterium Wall Street is a street in lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. But soon afterward began to grow.

The turn of the century brought the substantial growth that gave Birmingham the nickname "The Magic City" as the downtown area developed from a low-rise commercial and residential district into a busy grid of neoclassical mid-rise and high-rise buildings and busy streetcar lines. Between 1902 and 1912 four large office buildings were constructed at the intersection of 20th Street, the central north–south spine of the city, and 1st Avenue North, which connected the warehouses and industrial facilities stretching along the east–west railroad corridor. This impressive group of early skyscrapers was nicknamed "The Heaviest Corner on Earth". The Heaviest Corner on Earth is a promotional name given to the corner of 20th Street and 1st Avenue North in Birmingham Alabama, USA, in the early 20th century Optimistic that the rapidly growing city could be further improved, a group of local businessmen led by Courtney Shropshire formed an independent service club in 1917. Courtney Shropshire (July 10 1877-1965 a prominent Doctor in Birmingham Alabama, was the founder and first president of Civitan International. The group would later incorporate and become the first chapter of Civitan International, now a worldwide organization. Civitan International is an association of community Service clubs founded in 1917

The Great Depression hit Birmingham especially hard as sources of capital that were fueling the city's growth rapidly dried up at the same time that farm laborers, driven off the land, made their way to the city in search of work. New Deal programs made important contributions to the city's infrastructure and artistic legacy, including such key improvements as Vulcan's tower and Oak Mountain State Park. The New Deal was the name that United States President Franklin D The Vulcan statue is the largest Cast iron statue in the world and it the symbol of city of Birmingham Alabama, reflecting its roots in the iron Oak Mountain State Park is Alabama's largest state park at. It is located in Pelham Alabama and is convenient (via a short drive on I-65) to Birmingham

16th Street Baptist Church

The wartime demand for steel and the post-war building boom gave Birmingham a rapid return to prosperity. Manufacturing diversified beyond the production of raw materials and several major cultural institutions, such as the Birmingham Museum of Art, were able to expand their scope. Founded in 1951 the Birmingham Museum of Art today has one of the finest collections in the Southeast with more than 17000 paintings sculptures prints drawings and decorative arts

Birmingham Civil Rights Movement

Main article: Birmingham campaign

In the 1950s and '60s Birmingham received national and international attention as a center of the civil rights struggle for African-Americans. The Birmingham campaign was a strategic effort by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC to promote Civil rights for black Americans. The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 The American Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968 refers to the reform movements in the United States aimed at abolishing racial discrimination against African African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa The city was given the derisive nickname Bombingham because of a string of racially motivated bombings that took place during this time. ^[3]

A watershed in the civil rights movement occurred in 1963 when Birmingham Civil Rights Movement leader Fred Shuttlesworth requested that Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) come to Birmingham to help end segregation. Fred Shuttlesworth (born Freddie Lee Robinson on March 18, 1922) is a civil rights activist who led the fight against segregation and other Martin Luther King Jr ( January 15, 1929 April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, Activist and prominent leader The Southern Christian Leadership Conference ( SCLC) is an American Civil rights organization Together they launched "Project C" (for "Confrontation"), a massive assault on the Jim Crow system. During April and May daily sit-ins and mass marches were met with police repression, tear gas, attack dogs, and arrests. More than 3,000 people were arrested during these protests, many of them children. These protests were ultimately successful, leading not only to desegregation of public accommodations in Birmingham but also the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Origins The bill was introduced by President John F Kennedy in his civil rights speech of June 11 1963, in which he asked for legislation "giving ^[4]

While imprisoned for having taken part in a nonviolent protest, Dr. King wrote the now famous Letter from Birmingham Jail, a defining treatise in his cause against segregation. The Letter from Birmingham Jail or Letter from Birmingham City Jail, is an Open letter written on April 16, 1963, by Martin Luther Birmingham is also known for a bombing which occurred later that year, in which four black girls were killed by a bomb planted at the 16th Street Baptist Church. The event would inspire the African-American poet Dudley Randall's opus, The Ballad of Birmingham, as well as jazz musician John Coltrane's song, "Alabama. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Dudley Randall (1914 - 2000 was an African American poet and poetry publisher from Detroit Michigan. The Ballad of Birmingham is a poem written by African-American poet Dudley Randall (1914-2000 "

Recent History

Central Business District Skyline

In the 1970s urban renewal efforts focused around the development of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, which developed into a major medical and research center. In 1971 Birmingham celebrated its centennial with a round of public works improvements, including the upgrading of Vulcan Park. The Vulcan statue is the largest Cast iron statue in the world and it the symbol of city of Birmingham Alabama, reflecting its roots in the iron Birmingham's banking institutions enjoyed considerable growth as well and new skyscrapers started to appear in the city center for the first time since the 1920s. These projects helped the city's economy to diversify, but did not prevent the exodus of many of the city's residents to independent suburbs. In 1979 Birmingham elected Dr. Richard Arrington Jr. as its first African-American mayor. Richard Arrington Jr (born October 19, 1934 in Livingston Alabama) was the first African American Mayor of the city of Birmingham African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government

The population inside Birmingham's city limits has fallen over the past few decades. From 340,887 in 1960, the population was down to 242,820 in 2000, a loss of about 29 percent. However, the growth of Birmingham's suburbs over that same period has kept the metropolitan population growing.

Today, Birmingham has begun to experience a bit of a rebirth. Currently there are around a billion dollars being invested in reconstructing the downtown area into a 24-hour mixed-use district. The market for downtown lofts and condominiums has mushroomed while restaurant, retail and cultural options are beginning to sprout up. In 2006 the visitors bureau selected "the diverse city" as a new tag line for the city. ^[5]

Geography and climate

Geography

Birmingham is located at 33°31′29″N, 86°48′46″W (33. 524755, -86. 812740)^[6].

Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge

Birmingham occupies Jones Valley, flanked by long parallel mountain ridges (the tailing ends of the Appalachian foothills) running from north-east to south-west. The Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge is a 3577 acre (144 km² National Wildlife Refuge located in central Alabama, along the Cahaba River downstream The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. The valley is drained by small creeks (Village Creek, Valley Creek) which flow into the Black Warrior River. The Black Warrior River is a tributary of the Tombigbee River, approximately 178 mi (286 km long in west central Alabama More importantly, the valley was bisected by the principal railroad corridor, along which most of the early manufacturing operations began.

Red Mountain lies immediately south of downtown. Red Mountain can be one of many places including Red Mountain Birmingham Alabama Red Mountain Morrowind Red Mountain Many of Birmingham's television and radio broadcast towers are lined up along this prominent ridge. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic Radio is the transmission of signals by Modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible Light. The "Over the Mountain" area, including Shades Valley, Shades Mountain and beyond, was largely shielded from the industrial smoke and rough streets of the industrial city. This is the setting for Birmingham's more affluent suburbs of Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills, Homewood, and Hoover. Mountain Brook is a city in Jefferson County, Alabama, and a suburb of Birmingham. Vestavia Hills is a city in Jefferson and Shelby Counties in the U Homewood is a city in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States. Hoover is a City in Jefferson and Shelby Counties in north central Alabama, in the United States. South of Shades Valley is the Cahaba River basin, one of the most diverse river ecosystems in America. The Cahaba River is the longest free-flowing river in Alabama and is among the most scenic and biologically diverse rivers in the United States.

Sand Mountain, a smaller ridge, flanks the city to the north and divides Jones Valley from much more rugged land to the north. Sand Mountain is a large Plateau in Northeastern Alabama and Northwestern Georgia which is a part of the southern tip of the Appalachian mountain chain The Louisville and Nashville Railroad (now CSX Transportation) enters the valley through Boyles Gap, a prominent gap in the long low ridge. The Louisville and Nashville Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States.

Ruffner Mountain, located due east of the heart of the city, is home to Ruffner Mountain Nature Center, one of the largest urban nature reserves in the United States. Ruffner Mountain Nature Center is a Nature preserve located in the easternportions of Birmingham Alabama, near the neighboring suburb of Irondale.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 151. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title) is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census 9 square miles (393. 5 km²), of which, 149. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 9 square miles (388. 3 km²) of it is land and 2. 0 square miles (5. 3 km²) of it (1. 34%) is water.

Climate

Birmingham has a Humid subtropical climate, characterized by hot summers, mild to chilly winters, and abundant rainfall. Humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa or Cwa) is a climate zone characterized by hot humid summers and chilly to mild winters January sees average daily high temperatures of 53. 0 °F (11. 7 °C) and lows of 31. 8 °F (−0. 1 °C). In July the average daily high is 90. 6 °F (32. 6 °C) and the low is 69. 7 °F (20. 9°C). The average annual temperature in Birmingham is 62 °F (17 °C). Snowfall averages only 0. 5 inches (1 cm) but during the Great Blizzard of 1993, the city received over a foot (30CM) of snow. The Storm of the Century, also known as the ’93 Superstorm, No-Name Hurricane, the White Hurricane, or the ( Great) Blizzard The average yearly rainfall in Birmingham is about 52 inches (1330 mm), with March being the wettest month and October the driest.

The spring and fall months are pleasant but variable as cold fronts frequently bring strong to severe thunderstorms and occasional tornadoes to the region. The fall season features less rainfall and fewer storms, as well as lower humidity than the spring, but it is also a secondary severe weather season. Birmingham is located on the heart of a tornado alley known as the Dixie Alley due to the frequency of tornadoes in Central Alabama. A tornado is a violent rotating column of air which is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a Cumulonimbus cloud or in rare cases the base of a Cumulus For the book by William S Burroughs, see Tornado Alley (book. Dixie Alley is a nickname sometimes given to areas of the southern United States that are particularly vulnerable to strong or violent Tornadoes This is distinct from The Greater Birmingham area was hit by two F5 tornadoes – in 1977 and 1998 occurring on its western (1998) and northern suburbs (1977). The Birmingham Tornado of April 1977 was a powerful tornado that struck the northern suburbs of the Greater Birmingham Area in central Alabama during the afternoon of April This article refers to a tornado in Birmingham Alabama USA. For the 2005 tornado in Birmingham UK see Birmingham Tornado (UK In late summer and fall months, Birmingham experiences occasional tropical storms and hurricanes due to its proximity to the Central Gulf Coast. A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a low pressure center and numerous Thunderstorms that produce strong winds and Flooding A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a low pressure center and numerous Thunderstorms that produce strong winds and Flooding

Government

Birmingham has a strong-mayor variant mayor-council form of government, led by a mayor and a nine-member city council. The Mayor-Council government system sometimes called the Mayor-Commission government system is one of two variations of Government used for the most part in modern The current system replaced the previous city commission government in 1962 (primarily as a way to remove Commissioner of Public Safety Eugene "Bull" Connor from power). City Commission government is a form of Municipal government which was once common in the United States, but many cities which were formerly governed by commission Theophilus Eugene "Bull" Connor ( July 11 1897, Selma Alabama &ndash March 10 1973) was

By Alabama law, an issue before a city council must be approved by a two-thirds majority vote (Act No. 452, Ala. Acts 1955, as supplemented by Act No. 294, Ala. Acts 1965. ). Executive powers are held entirely by the mayor's office. The current mayor of Birmingham is Larry Langford, who was voted into office in 2007

See also: List of Mayors of Birmingham, Alabama

In 1974 Birmingham established a structured network of neighborhood associations and community advisory committees to insure public participation in governmental issues that affect neighborhoods. Neighborhood associations are routinely consulted on matters related to zoning changes, liquor licenses, economic development, policing and other city services. Neighborhoods are also granted discretionary funds from the city's budget to use for capital improvements. Each neighborhood's officers meet with their peers to form Community Advisory Committees which are granted broader powers over city departments. The presidents of these committees, in turn, form the Citizen's Advisory Board, which meets regularly with the mayor, council, and department heads. Birmingham is divided into a total of 23 communities, and again into a total of 99 individual neighborhoods with individual neighborhood associations.

See also: List of Birmingham neighborhoods

Economy

From Birmingham's early days onward, the steel industry has always played a crucial role in the local economy. For purposes of community development and citizen participation the City of Birmingham Alabama 's nine Council districts are divided into a total of 23 Communities Though the steel industry no longer has the same prominence it once held in Birmingham, steel production and processing continue to play a key role in the economy. Several of the nation's largest steelmakers, including U.S. Steel, McWane, and Nucor, all have a major presence in Birmingham. The United States Steel Corporation ( is an integrated Steel producer with major production operations in the United States, Canada, and Central Europe McWane Inc, based in Birmingham Alabama, is a manufacturer of Cast iron Pipes and is one of America’s largest privately owned Companies Nucor Corporation ( is one of the largest steel producers in the United States and the largest of the "mini-mill" operators (those using Electric arc furnaces In recent years, local steel companies have announced about $100 million worth of investment in expansions and new plants in and around Birmingham.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Birmingham's economy was transformed by investments in bio-technology and medical research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and its adjacent hospital. The UAB Hospital is a Level I trauma center providing health care and breakthrough medical research. The University of Alabama Hospital (more commonly referred to as UAB Hospital) is a Level I trauma center hospital located in Birmingham Alabama. A trauma center is a Hospital equipped to provide comprehensive Emergency medical services to patients suffering traumatic injuries UAB is now the area's largest employer and the largest in Alabama with a workforce of about 20,000. Health care services provider HealthSouth is also headquartered in the city. HealthSouth Corporation ( based in Birmingham, Alabama, is one of the nation's largest healthcare services providers

Birmingham is also a leading banking center, serving as home to two major banks: Regions Financial Corporation and Compass Bancshares. Regions Financial Corporation is a publicly held company based in Birmingham Alabama, USA, with the corporate headquarters at the Regions Center. Compass Bancshares Inc, is a company headquartered in Birmingham Alabama. SouthTrust, another large bank headquartered in Birmingham, was acquired by Wachovia in 2004. SouthTrust Corporation was a banking company headquartered in Birmingham Alabama. Wachovia Corporation ( based in Charlotte North Carolina, is a diversified Financial services holding company provided via its operating subsidiaries a broad The city still has major operations as one of the regional headquarters of Wachovia. In November 2006, Regions Financial merged with AmSouth Bancorporation, which was also headquartered in Birmingham. AmSouth Bancorporation was a banking company headquartered in Birmingham Alabama, and operated for its final year in existence as a bank holding company (subsidiary of They formed the 8th Largest U. S. Bank (by total assets). Nearly a dozen smaller banks are also headquartered in the Magic City, such as Superior Bank and New South Federal Savings Bank. Superior Bank may refer to Superior Bank (Alabama Superior Bank of Chicago

Telecommunications provider AT&T, formerly BellSouth, has a major presence with several large offices in the metropolitan area. Before proposing a merge request please see Talk and see if the merger you propose has recently been made and BellSouth Corporation is an American Telecommunications holding company based in Atlanta Georgia. Major insurance providers: Protective Life, Infinity Property & Casualty and ProAssurance among others, are headquartered in Birmingham and employ a large number of people in Greater Birmingham. Protective Life Corporation, headquartered in Birmingham Alabama, is a Fortune 1000 holding company whose subsidiaries provide financial services through the ProAssurance Corporation, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, is a property and casualty company that sells professional liability insurance to doctors

The city is also a powerhouse of construction and engineering companies, including BE&K and B. L. Harbert International which routinely are included in the Engineering News-Record lists of top design and international construction firms. Engineering News-Record (widely known as ENR) is a weekly Magazine that provides news analysis data and opinion for the construction industry ^[7][8]

Metropolitan Birmingham has consistently been rated as one of America's best places to work and earn a living based on the area's competitive salary rates and relatively low living expenses. One 2006 study published at Salary.com determined that Birmingham was second in the nation for building personal net worth, based on local salary rates, living expenses, and unemployment rates. ^[9]

A 2006 study by Bizjournals. com calculated Birmingham's "combined personal income" (the sum of all money earned by all residents of an area in a year) at $48. 1 billion. ^[10]

See also: List of corporations with a major presence in Birmingham, Alabama

Infrastructure

Education

The city of Birmingham is served by the Birmingham City Schools system. Corporations Headquartered In Birmingham Alabama National Bancorporation Alabama Power, Division of Southern Company Birmingham City Schools is the public School district that serves the U It is run by the Birmingham Board of Education with a current active enrollment of 30,500 in 67 schools: 11 high schools, 13 middle schools, 34 elementary schools, and 9 K-8 secondary schools.

The Birmingham Public Library with 21 branches serves the entire community to provide education and entertainment for all ages.

The Greater-Birmingham metropolitan area is home to numerous independent primary school systems. The area's largest are the Jefferson County, Birmingham City, and Shelby County school systems. The Jefferson County School System is the second-largest public school system in the U

The Birmingham area is home to some of America's best schools. In 2005, the Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School in Irondale, an eastern suburb of Birmingham, was rated as the #1 high school in America by Newsweek, a national publication. Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School (JCIB is a public International Baccalaureate school located on the campus of Shades Valley High School Newsweek is an American weekly Newsmagazine published in New York City. The school remains among the nation's Top 5 high schools. Mountain Brook High School placed 250 on the list. Mountain Brook High School (MBHS is a three-year public high school within the city of Mountain Brook Alabama, a residential area of Birmingham, with approximately Other local schools that have been rated among America's best in various publications include Vestavia Hills High School and the Alabama School of Fine Arts located downtown. Vestavia Hills High School ( VHHS) founded in 1970 is a public High school in Vestavia Hills Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. The Alabama School of Fine Arts (ASFA is a public partially residential High school located in Birmingham AL. The metro area also has two highly regarded prep schools: The Altamont School, located in Birmingham proper, and Indian Springs School in north Shelby County near Pelham. Indian Springs School is an independent grades 8 - 12 boarding and Day school at the base of Oak Mountain

Institutions of higher education

• University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)
• Samford University (includes the Cumberland School of Law)
• Birmingham-Southern College
• University of Montevallo
• Birmingham School of Law
• Miles College
• Miles Law School
• Lawson State Community College
• Jacksonville State University
• Jefferson State Community College
• Bessemer State Technical College
• Bevill State Community College (Sumiton)
• Central Alabama Community College
• Herzing College
• Southeastern Bible College
• ITT Technical Institute
• Virginia College of Birmingham (includes Culinard)
• Andrew Jackson University
• American Sentinel University (online university)
• Daniel Payne College (defunct)
• Strayer University [6]

Planning

Before the first structure was built in Birmingham, the plan of the city was laid out over a total of 1,160 acres (4. Samford University is a private, Coeducational Alabama Baptist-affiliated University located in Homewood, Alabama, a suburb of Cumberland Law School is unrelated to the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg Kentucky. Birmingham-Southern College ( BSC) is a 4-year private liberal arts college in Birmingham Alabama, USA. The University of Montevallo is a four-year Public university located in Montevallo, Alabama, USA Miles College is a historically black college founded in 1905 Jacksonville State University is a public University serving Northeast Alabama on a campus with 58 buildings in Jacksonville, Alabama which Herzing College is a private career focused institution of higher education that awards diplomas associate degrees and bachelor degrees in a variety of disciplines Southeastern Bible College is a four-year Christian college located in Birmingham, Alabama. ITT Technical Institute (often shortened to ITT Tech is a private for-profit, technical institute with 100 campuses in 35 states of the United States Andrew Jackson University (AJU is a private accredited Distance learning school in Hoover, Alabama. Daniel Payne College, also known as the Payne Institute, Payne University and Greater Payne University, was a Historically black college in The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U 7 km²) by the directors of the Elyton Land Co. The streets were numbered from west to east, leaving Twentieth Street to form the central spine of downtown, anchored on the north by Capital Park and stretching into the slopes of Red Mountain to the south. Description At Birmingham the lower is predominantly shaly and there A "railroad reservation" was granted through the center of the city, running east to west and zoned solely for industrial uses. As the city grew, bridges and underpasses separated the streets from the railroad bed, lending this central reservation some of the impact of a river (without the pleasant associations of a waterfront). From the start, Birmingham's streets and avenues were unusually wide at 80 to 100 feet (24 to 30 m), purportedly to help evacuate unhealthy smoke.

In the early 20th century professional planners helped lay out many of the new industrial settlements and company towns in the Birmingham District, including Corey (now Fairfield) which was developed for the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company (subsequently purchased by U. S. Steel). A company town is a Town or City in which all Real estate, Buildings (both residential and commercial) Utilities Fairfield, founded in 1910 is a city in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States and a suburb of Birmingham. The United States Steel Corporation ( is an integrated Steel producer with major production operations in the United States, Canada, and Central Europe At the same time, a movement to consolidate several neighboring cities gained momentum. Although local referendums indicated mixed feelings about annexation, the Alabama legislature enacted an expansion of Birmingham's corporate limits that became effective on January 1, 1910. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1910 ( MCMX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting

The Robert Jemison company developed many residential neighborhoods to the south and west of Birmingham which are still renowned for their aesthetic quality.

A 1924 plan for a system of parks, commissioned from the Olmsted Brothers is seeing renewed interest with several significant new parks and greenways under development. The Olmsted Brothers company was an influential landscape design firm in the United States formed in 1898 by stepbrothers John Charles Olmsted (1852-1920 and Frederick Birmingham officials have approved a City Center Master Plan developed by Urban Design Associates of Pittsburgh, which advocates strongly for more residential development in the downtown area and includes a major park over several blocks of the central railroad reservation to be called the Railroad Reservation Park. Along with Ruffner Mountain Park, and the proposed Red Mountain Park, Birmingham would rank first in the United States for public green space per resident. Ruffner Mountain Nature Center is a Nature preserve located in the easternportions of Birmingham Alabama, near the neighboring suburb of Irondale. Description At Birmingham the lower is predominantly shaly and there

Notable buildings

Transportation

Birmingham has one of the most extensive networks of highways and roadways in the Southeast. The Wachovia Tower is a 34 story 454 foot (138 meter tall office building located in Birmingham, Alabama. The Regions-Harbert Plaza, is a 32 story 437 foot (138 m office building located in Birmingham, Alabama. The Regions Center (formerly the AmSouth Center, before that the AmSouth-Sonat Tower, and originally the First National-Southern Natural Building) The Daniel Building is a 20 story 238 foot (86 m office building located in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. The city is served by three Interstate Highways, Interstate 20, Interstate 65, and Interstate 59, as well as a southern beltway Interstate 459 and the Elton B. The Dwight D Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly called the Interstate Highway System (or simply the Interstate System) Interstate 65 (I-65 is a major Interstate Highway in the United States. Interstate 59 (I-59 is an Interstate highway in the southern United States. Interstate 459 (abbreviated I-459 is the 3-digit bypass loop of Interstate 59 that creates a southern beltway in Jefferson County Alabama, through the suburbs of Stephens (Red Mountain) Expressway (U.S. Highway 31 & U.S. Highway 280). US Route 31 is a long north-south highway connecting northern Michigan to southern Alabama, with termini at Interstate 75 near Mackinaw City US Route 280 is a spur of US Highway 80. It currently runs for 392 miles (631 km from Blichton Georgia at U There have been some recent developments with the regional interstate system, including the construction of Corridor X (Future Interstate 22), and the planned future construction of a Northern Beltline corresponding to the existing Interstate 459. Interstate 22 (I-22 when completed will follow the US Highway 78 corridor along a 213-mile (343-km route from Memphis Tennessee, to Birmingham Alabama Birmingham is served by the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority through the Metro Area Express (MAX) bus system.

Birmingham is served by Birmingham International Airport (there is another airport of the same name in Birmingham, England) which serves more than 3 million passengers every year. Birmingham International Airport is the major Airport that serves Birmingham, Alabama and Central Alabama. Birmingham International Airport is an international airport located 5 Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland With more than 160 flights daily, the Birmingham International Airport offers flights to 37 cities across the United States.

Birmingham is served by three major freight railroads. Norfolk Southern, CSX Transportation, and Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) all have major classification yards in the metro area. A ( US and Canada) classification yard or ( UK and Canada) marshalling yard (including hump yards) is a Railroad Smaller regional railroads such as the Jefferson Western and Birmingham Southern also serve Birmingham's freight customers. Amtrak's Crescent train connects Birmingham with the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Greensboro, Charlotte, Atlanta and New Orleans. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Doing business as Amtrak, is a Government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 The Crescent is a passenger Train operated by Amtrak in the eastern part of the United States. The City of New York Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana The Birmingham Amtrak Station is situated at 1819 Morris Avenue. The Birmingham Amtrak Station, located in Birmingham Alabama, is served by the passenger train The Crescent.

Utilities

The water services for Birmingham and the intermediate urbanized area is served by the Birmingham Water Works Authority (BWWB). A public authority that was established in 1951, the BWWB serves all of Jefferson, northern Shelby, western St. Clair counties. The largest reservoir for BWWB is Lake Purdy, which is located on the Jefferson and Shelby County line, but has several other reservoirs including Bayview Lake in western Jefferson County. There are plans to pipeline water from Inland Lake in Blount County and Lake Logan Martin, but those plans are on hold indefinitely. Jefferson County Environmental Services serves the Birmingham metro area with sanitary sewer service. Sewer rates have increased in recent years after citizens concerned with pollution in area waterways filed a lawsuit that resulted in a federal consent decree to repair an aging sewer system. Because the estimated cost of the consent decree was approximately three times more than the original estimate, many blame the increased rates on corruption within the Jefferson County Environmental Services Department. One major reason for the higher cost was that Jefferson County had to buy the sewers from the many smaller municipalities in the area to insure that these sewers were being maintained in a fashion that would meet E. P. A. approval to avoid massive fines for failure to comply with the consent decree. This continues to be a controversial topic in the region.

Electric power is provided primarily by Southern Company-subsidiary, Alabama Power. Southern Company ( headquartered in Atlanta Georgia, is currently the eighth largest utility company in the world, the second largest in the U Alabama Power Company ( headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, is a company in the southern United States that provides Electricity service However, some of the surrounding area such as Bessemer and Cullman are provided by TVA. Bessemer is a city in southwestern Jefferson County, Alabama, United States and a suburb of Birmingham near Hueytown. Cullman is a city in Cullman County, Alabama, United States. It is located along the Interstate 65 / Interstate 565 combination route The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA is a federally owned Corporation in the United States created by congressional charter in May 1933 to provide Bessemer also operates its own water and sewer system[7]. Bessemer is a city in southwestern Jefferson County, Alabama, United States and a suburb of Birmingham near Hueytown. Natural gas is provided by Alagasco, although some metro area cities operate their own natural gas services. Alabama Gas Corporation (Alagasco headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, is the largest natural gas utility in north and central Alabama that provides energy to 460000 The local telecommunications are provided by AT&T. Before proposing a merge request please see Talk and see if the merger you propose has recently been made and Cable television service is provided by Bright House Networks within the cities of Birmingham and Irondale, and Charter Communications in the rest of metro area. Bright House Networks is a Cable television company and the sixth largest MSO in the United States owned by Advance/Newhouse, headquartered in Charter Communications is an American company providing Cable television, High-speed Internet, and telephone services to more than 5

People and culture

Demographics

As of the census^[11] of 2000, there were 242,820 people, 98,782 households, and 59,269 families residing in the city. A census is the procedure of acquiring information about every member of a given population The population density was 1,619. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 7 people per square mile (625. 4/km²). There were 111,927 housing units at an average density of 746. 6/sq mi (288. 3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 73. 46% Black or African American, 24. 07% White, 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 were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 98,782 households out of which 27. 7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31. 1% were married couples living together, 24. NOTICE TO WOULD-BE ROMEOS ************** 6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40. 0% were non-families. 34. 4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10. 4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2. 37 and the average family size was 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 were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 85. 7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80. 4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,735, and the median income for a family was $31,851. Males had a median income of $28,184 versus $23,641 for females. The city's per capita income was $15,663. Per capita income means how much each individual receives in monetary terms of the yearly income generated in the country About 20. 9% of families and 24. 7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35. The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of Income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate Standard of living in a given country 4% of those under age 18 and 18. 5% of those age 65 or over.

Surrounding cities and suburbs

Cities and suburbs are listed in order of population.

Crime

Crime is a serious problem in Birmingham. Murder rates have skyrocketed in the last few years and people criticize the mayor for not doing enough to control this. ^[12] Although the FBI's crime statistics are often unreliable to measure progress in fighting crime, they can reflect some comparison among cities. Birmingham has the seventh highest murder rate among US cities and is ranked eighteenth in violent crime. ^[13]

Culture

Birmingham is the cultural and entertainment capital of Alabama with its numerous art galleries in the area and home to Birmingham Museum of Art, the largest art museum in the state. Birmingham is also home to the state's major ballet, opera, and symphony orchestra companies such the Alabama Ballet, Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Birmingham Ballet, Birmingham Concert Chorale, Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival and Opera Birmingham. The Alabama Symphony Orchestra is a major Orchestra based in Birmingham Alabama.

Inside the Alabama Theatre in 1996 before its extensive renovation.

• The historic Alabama Theatre hosts film screenings, concerts and performances. The Alabama Theatre in Birmingham Alabama, is a Movie palace built in 1927 by the Paramount-Publix Corporation.
• The Alys Stephens Center for the Performing Arts is home to Alabama Symphony Orchestra and Opera Birmingham as well as several series of concerts and lectures. The Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center (ASC is a state-of-the-art Performing arts facility located on the campus of the University of Alabama at Birmingham It is located on the UAB campus in the Southside community.
• The Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC), houses a theater, concert hall, exhibition halls, and a sports and concert arena. The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (formerly Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center) is a sports convention and entertainment complex located in Birmingham Alabama The BJCC is home to the Alabama Ballet and hosts major concert tours and sporting events. Adjacent to the BJCC is the Sheraton Birmingham, the largest hotel in the state. The Sheraton Birmingham is Alabama 's largest convention hotel featuring 770 rooms and suites adjacent to the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC in downtown

• The Birmingham Public Library presents programs for children and adults. For the main library in Birmingham, England see Birmingham Central Library.
• Boutwell Auditorium (formerly Municipal Auditorium) is located at Linn Park. The Boutwell Memorial Auditorium is a 5000-seat multi-purpose Arena in Birmingham Alabama, USA.
• The Verizon Wireless Music Center, formerly Oak Mountain Amphitheater, is a large outdoor venue with two stages. Cellco Partnership, Doing business as Verizon Wireless, owns and operates the second largest Wireless Telecommunications network in the

Other entertainment venues in the area include:

• Fair Park Arena, on the west side of town, hosts sporting events, local concerts and community programs. The Fair Park Arena is a 6000-seat multi-purpose Arena in Birmingham Alabama, USA.
• WorkPlay, located in Southside, is a multi-purpose facility with offices, audio and film production space, a lounge, and a theater and concert stage for visiting artists and film screenings.
• Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival, a celebration of new independent cinema in downtown Birmingham, was named one of TIME magazines "Film Festivals for the Rest of Us" in their June 5, 2006 issue. The Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival is an annual film festival scheduled over one weekend in late September in Birmingham Alabama Events 70 - Titus and his Roman Legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem in the Siege of Jerusalem Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
• The Wright Center Concert Hall at Samford University is home to the Birmingham Ballet

Birmingham's nightlife is primarily clustered around Five Points South and Lakeview, but an additional $55-million entertainment district has been approved for an area adjacent to the BJCC. Samford University is a private, Coeducational Alabama Baptist-affiliated University located in Homewood, Alabama, a suburb of The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (formerly Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center) is a sports convention and entertainment complex located in Birmingham Alabama Birminghamtrends, Birmingham's Online Guide to the City's Nightlife. Birmingham also has a very popular local music scene that has made the city a breeding ground for some of the nation's best musicians.

Birmingham has its own Orange Lodge. Birmingham "Sons of William" LOL 1003 was instituted as a Lodge in January 2004. The man behind the formation of this lodge was Rev Paul Zahl. The lodge has a close relationship with Maghera "Sons of William" LOL 209 from Northern Ireland. The members of the Birmingham Lodge have travelled to Northern Ireland to participate in the Annual "Twelfth" parade.

The Cultural Alliance of Greater Birmingham maintains activeculture.info, "a one-stop source for finding out what's going on where around" Birmingham.

See also: List of songs about Birmingham, Alabama

Attractions, events, and recreation

Museums

Birmingham is home to several museums. ---- This is a list of songs written about the city of Birmingham Alabama: John Hiatt, "Train to Birmingham" Gene Autry The largest is the Birmingham Museum of Art, which is also the largest municipal art museum in the Southeast. Founded in 1951 the Birmingham Museum of Art today has one of the finest collections in the Southeast with more than 17000 paintings sculptures prints drawings and decorative arts The area's history museums includes Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, which houses a detailed and emotionally-charged narrative exhibit putting Birmingham's history into the context of the U. S. Civil Rights Movement. Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is a large interpretive museum and research center in Birmingham Alabama that depicts the struggles of the American Civil Rights Movement The American Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968 refers to the reform movements in the United States aimed at abolishing racial discrimination against African It is located on Kelly Ingram Park adjacent to the 16th Street Baptist Church. Kelly Ingram Park is a four acre (16000 m² Park located in Birmingham Alabama.

Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham

Other history museums include the Southern Museum of Flight, Bessemer Hall of History, Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark, Alabama Museum of Health Sciences, and the Arlington Home. The Southern Museum of Flight is an Aviation museum located on the property of the Birmingham International Airport in Birmingham Alabama. Sloss Furnaces is a National Historic Landmark in Birmingham Alabama, U The Alabama Museum of the Health Sciences was opened and dedicated at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1975 Arlington Home & Gardens is an Antebellum house built between 1845-50 that features Greek Revival architecture dating from the 1840s

The McWane Science Center is a regional science museum with hands-on science exhibits, temporary exhibitions, and an IMAX dome theater. The McWane Science Center, a non-profit 501(c(3 organization is a science museum and research archive located in downtown Birmingham Alabama ( USA) IMAX (short for Image MAXimum is a Film format created by Canada 's IMAX Corporation that has the capacity to display images of far greater size and The center also houses a major collection of fossil specimens for use by researchers. Other unique museums include the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, with the largest collection of motorcycles in the world, the Iron & Steel Museum of Alabama at Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park near McCalla, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, and the Talladega Superspeedway International Motorsports Hall of Fame museum. The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame ( AJHoF) was founded in 1978 and opened a museum on September 18, 1993, with a mission " to foster encourage educate The Barber Motorsports Park is a large multi-purpose racing facility on a 740- Acre (300  ha) site in Birmingham Alabama, located on the eastern The Tannehill Ironworks is a state historic site in Tuscaloosa County near Bessemer Alabama, USA Listed on the National Register of Historic McCalla is an unincorporated community in Western Jefferson County Alabama near Birmingham and the geographic terminus of the Appalachian Mountains[http The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (ASHOF is a state museum located in Birmingham Alabama dedicated to communicating the state’s athletic history Talladega Superspeedway is a Motorsports complex located in Talladega Alabama United States

South of downtown on Red Mountain, Vulcan Park features the world's largest cast iron statue, depicting Vulcan at his forge. Description At Birmingham the lower is predominantly shaly and there The Vulcan statue is the largest Cast iron statue in the world and it the symbol of city of Birmingham Alabama, reflecting its roots in the iron The Vulcan statue is the largest Cast iron statue in the world and it the symbol of city of Birmingham Alabama, reflecting its roots in the iron It was cast for the 1904 St. Louis Exposition, and erected at Vulcan Park in 1938. The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the Saint Louis World's Fair, was an international exposition held in St

Festivals

Birmingham is home to numerous cultural festivals that feature music, films, and regional heritage. City Stages is a world-renowned music festival that takes place in Birmingham's Linn Park on Father's Day weekend. City Stages is a three-day family-friendly arts and music festival that takes place in downtown Birmingham Alabama in and around Linn Park. It offers three days of music from all genres on 11 stages. Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival brings filmmakers from all over the world to Birmingham to have their films viewed and judged. The Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival is an annual film festival scheduled over one weekend in late September in Birmingham Alabama This festival usually is scheduled on the last weekend in September at eight venues around downtown. Screenings are concentrated at the Alabama Theatre. The Alabama Theatre in Birmingham Alabama, is a Movie palace built in 1927 by the Paramount-Publix Corporation. Another musical festival is the Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival, presented at the end of September each year, concurrent with the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival. This all day festival features national and local jazz acts. In 2007, the festival drew an estimated 6,000 people.

The Southern Heritage Festival began in the 1960s as a music, arts, and entertainment festival for the African-American community to attract mostly younger demographics. Southern Heritage Festival is a two-day Music, Arts, and Culture Festival dedicated to the African American population of Do Dah Day is an annual pet parade held around the end of May. " Camptown Races " sometimes referred to as "Camptown Ladies", is a comic song in broad stereotyped African American "dialect" by Stephen The Schaeffer Eye Center Crawfish Boil, an annual music festival event held in May to benefit local charities, always includes an all-star cast of talent. It typically draws more than 30,000 spectators for the annual two-day event.

Two detail images of Joe Minter's African Village in America, a half-acre visionary art environment near downtown. Visionary environments ("fantasy worlds" are extensive/large-scale artistic installations (buildings sculpture parks etc intended to capture intense subjective/personal experiences Scenes include African warriors watching their descendants’ struggles in Alabama, tributes to black scientists and military leaders, recreations of the epic civil rights confrontations in Alabama, and biblical scenes.

Alabama Bound is an annual book and author fair that celebrates Alabama authors and publishers. Hosted by the Birmingham Public Library, it is an occasion when fans may meet their favorite authors, buy their books, and hear them read from and talk about their work. For the main library in Birmingham, England see Birmingham Central Library. Book signings follow each presentation.

Other Attractions

Kelly Ingram Park, site of notable civil rights protests and adjacent to historic 16th Street Baptist Church. Kelly Ingram Park is a four acre (16000 m² Park located in Birmingham Alabama. The American Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968 refers to the reform movements in the United States aimed at abolishing racial discrimination against African Oak Mountain State Park is about 10 miles (16 km) South of Birmingham. Oak Mountain State Park is Alabama's largest state park at. It is located in Pelham Alabama and is convenient (via a short drive on I-65) to Birmingham It is one of the southernmost wrinkles in the Appalachian chain, and a scenic drive to the top provides views reminiscent of the Great Smoky Mountains further north. The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. The Great Smoky Mountains are a major Mountain range in the southern part of the Appalachian Mountains, the second ridge line forming a north-south running mountain To the west of the city is located Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park, a 1,500-acre (6. 1 km²) Civil War site which includes the well-preserved ruins of the Tannehill Iron Furnaces and the John Wesley Hall Grist Mill. The Birmingham Botanical Gardens is a 67 acre (270,000 m²) park displaying a wide variety of plants in interpretive gardens, including formal rose gardens, tropical greenhouses, and a large Japanese Garden. The Birmingham Botanical Gardens is a 675 Acre (273000 m² Botanical garden located inside of Lane Park at the southern foot of Red Mountain The facility also includes a white-tablecloth restaurant, meeting rooms, and an extensive reference library. It is complimented by Hoover's 30 acre Aldridge Gardens, an ambitious project open since 2002. Aldridge Gardens is a 30 acre (121000 m² Botanical garden, prominently featuring Hydrangeas located on the former Coxe Estate in Hoover Alabama, Still under development, Aldridge is currently more valuable to locals looking for a place to stroll than to tourists, but promises unique displays in coming years. The Birmingham Zoo is a large regional zoo with more than 700 animals and a recently opened interactive children's zoo. The Birmingham Zoo is a major zoological park founded in 1950 in Birmingham Alabama. Alabama Adventure Theme Park (formerly Visionland) is an amusement park with two independent sections: Splash Beach Water Park and Magic Adventure Theme Park,. Alabama Adventure is an Alabama Theme park, located off Interstate 20 / 59 in Bessemer, west of Birmingham. Theme park is the generic term for a collection of rides and other Entertainment attractions assembled for the purpose of entertaining a large group The theme park has 25 different thrill rides including The Rampage wooden roller coaster and Zoomerang, a steel roller coaster purchased in 2004 from the Brisbane expo. Brisbane ( is the state capital of Queensland. Brisbane is the third most populous city in Australia and the most populous city of Queensland (The park was renamed at the start of the 2006 season, and major expansion plans were announced at that time. )

Sports

• Birmingham was home to the Black Barons, a very successful Negro League team. The home of the Black Barons, Rickwood Field, is still standing in the Rising-West Princeton neighborhood, and is verified as being the oldest baseball field in America.
• Though Birmingham has no major professional sport franchises presently, there is a very strong fan base for collegiate sports – primarily the University of Alabama and Auburn University football teams. Auburn University ( AU or Auburn) is a State university located in Auburn, Alabama, U American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB Blazers) has a popular basketball program and a young football program which is growing in popularity. The UAB Blazers are the forest green and old gold-swathed athletic teams at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, generally known as UAB Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m Birmingham is home to the Birmingham Barons, the AA minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox that plays at Regions Park. The Birmingham Barons are a Minor league baseball team based in Birmingham Alabama. The Chicago White Sox are a professional Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. The Regions Park is also home to the Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament which drew more than 108,000 spectators in 2006. The Southeastern Conference (SEC is a College Athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which operates in the southeastern The city also hosts the Alabama Steeldogs of the Arena Football League 2 at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex. The Alabama Steeldogs originally known as the Birmingham Steeldogs were incorporated in 2000 as one of the charter teams in the Af2, the developmental league af2 (short for arenafootball2) is the name of the Arena Football League 's Minor league, which started play in 2000. The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (formerly Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center) is a sports convention and entertainment complex located in Birmingham Alabama There is also an amateur soccer association, known as La Liga. The Birmingham area also plays host to the Alabama Alliance aau basketball team.
• The city is notable for having multiple pro football franchises with all of the football leagues folding or moving to a different part of the world. This included a two-time champion WFL franchise, the Birmingham Americans/Birmingham Vulcans—where the league folded. The World Football League was an American football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. The Birmingham Americans were the most successful of the World Football League franchises After the 1974 World Football League season the Birmingham Americans were replaced by a new team A USFL franchise, the Birmingham Stallions–once again the league folded. For the proposed "New USFL" see United States Football League (2010. The Birmingham Stallions were a franchise in the United States Football League, an attempt to establish a second professional league of American football in the A WLAF franchise, the Birmingham Fire–the WLAF was renamed NFL Europa and the franchise became the Rhein Fire before the league folded altogether in 2007. The Birmingham Fire was a professional American football team based in Birmingham Alabama that played in the World League of American Football in NFL Europa was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. The Rhein Fire were a professional American football team in NFL Europa, formerly the World League of American Football. A CFL franchise, the Birmingham Barracudas–the CFL decided to move all teams north of the border. The Canadian Football League (CFL ( Ligue canadienne de football (LCF in Franchise History In the Beginning Art Williams a business man from Georgia was awarded a CFL expansion franchise in the Magic City An XFL franchise, the Birmingham Thunderbolts–another instance where the league has folded. The XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001 The Birmingham Thunderbolts were a short-lived springtime American football team based in Birmingham Alabama.
• Birmingham's Legion Field has hosted several college football postseason bowl games, including the Dixie Bowl (1948-49), the Hall of Fame Classic (1977-85), the All-American Bowl (1986-90), the SEC Championship Game (1992-93), the SWAC Championship Game (1998-present), and, most recently, the Papajohns.com Bowl (2006-present). Legion Field is a large Stadium in Birmingham Alabama primarily designed to be used as a venue for American football, but is occasionally used The Dixie Bowl was a post-season College football Bowl game held New Year's Day at Legion Field in Birmingham Alabama. The All-American Bowl was an annual post-season College football game played at Legion Field in Birmingham Alabama from 1977 to 1990 The All-American Bowl was an annual post-season College football game played at Legion Field in Birmingham Alabama from 1977 to 1990 The SEC Championship Game refers to the game determining the Southeastern Conference 's football season champion "Southwestern Conference" redirects here For the former major conference in Texas and Arkansas see Southwest Conference; for the Ohio High School Conference The Papajohnscom Bowl (formerly known as the Birmingham Bowl) is a post-season NCAA -sanctioned Division I-A College football Bowl game approved
• In 1996 Legion Field hosted early rounds of Olympic soccer where it drew record crowds. The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered The field has also hosted men's and women's World Cup qualifiers and friendlies. The FIFA World Cup, occasionally called the Football World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international Association football The FIFA Women's World Cup is recognized as the most important International competition in women's football and is played amongst women's national football teams A recent switch from natural grass to an artificial surface has left the stadium's role as a soccer venue in doubt.
• Motorsports are very popular in the Birmingham area and across the state, and the area is home to numerous annual motorsport races. the Aaron's 499 & UAW Ford 500 are NASCAR Nextel Cup races that occur in April and October at the Talladega Superspeedway, and bring a major boost to the area's economy. The Aaron's 499 is a NASCAR Sprint Cup stock car race held at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama. The AMP Energy 500 is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing ( NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of Stock cars in the United States. Talladega Superspeedway is a Motorsports complex located in Talladega Alabama United States Superbike and sports car GrandAm races also take place in the eastern suburb of Leeds, AL at Barber Motorsports Park, which also hosts a rich schedule of amateur motorsports events throughout the year. Superbike racing is a category of Motorcycle racing that employs modified production motorcycles The Grand American Road Racing Association or Grand-Am is an Auto racing sanctioning body that was established in 1999 to organize Road racing competitions Leeds is a city located in Jefferson, St Clair, and Shelby Counties in the U The Barber Motorsports Park is a large multi-purpose racing facility on a 740- Acre (300  ha) site in Birmingham Alabama, located on the eastern The Mercedes Marathon is a marathon, half marathon, and kids 1-mile (1. 6 km) road race that takes place on the 1st or 2nd Sunday in February that was started in 2002.
• Nearby Hoover is host to the Regions Charity Classic presented by Bruno's Supermarkets, a stop on the PGA Champions Tour senior golf tour, to be played starting in 2006 at the new Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa. Regions Charity Classic formerly known as the Bruno's Memorial Classic is an American Golf Tournament that is part of the Champions Tour Bruno's Supermarkets is an American chain of Grocery stores founded in Birmingham Alabama. The PGA Tour is an organization that operates the main professional Golf tours in the United States. The Champions Tour, a Golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually The Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa is a 259-room resort providing fine dining a championship golf course and equipped with a full service spa This event was formerly known as the Bruno's Memorial Classic, played in nearby Hoover at the Greystone Golf & Country Club. Hoover is a City in Jefferson and Shelby Counties in north central Alabama, in the United States. Greystone Golf & Country Club is a private 36-hole Golf club located just outside Birmingham Alabama, United States, in the suburb of Hoover Alabama Also in Hoover, retired racing greyhounds gather for the "Weekend Romp" sponsored by Birmingham Greyhounds, a nationally recognized greyhound adoption and enthusiast group.
• Recreational fishing is also immensely popular in the Birmingham area. Few regions can offer the quality and quantity of fishing as found throughout this region of Alabama. In fact, fish have been caught in 14 separate Alabama lakes which would be state records in 35 other states. Recently, Birmingham was named "Bass Capital of the World" by ESPN and Bassmaster Magazine. ESPN, originally an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an American Cable television network dedicated to Over the last several years, Birmingham has been home to numerous nationally renowned fishing tournaments such as the Bass Masters Classic. Some of the more popular recreational lakes around Birmingham include: Smith Lake, Lay Lake, Lake Neely Henry, Lake Logan Martin, Lake Purdy, and Bankhead Reservoir. Neely Henry Lake is located on the Coosa River near Gadsden Alabama. Lake Purdy is an Unincorporated community and Census-designated place in Shelby County, Alabama, United States.
• The US Paralympic Training Facility is located in Birmingham [8] and was a primary filming location for the 2005 documentary film Murderball, about wheelchair rugby players. The Paralympic Games are a multi-sport event for athletes with physical and sensorial disabilities Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt in one fashion or another to " Document " reality Wheelchair rugby is a team Sport for athletes with a disability.
• Road running events such as the Vulcan 10K Runand Mercedes Marathon/Half Marathon are popular for both locals and out-of-state runners.
• Cycling (both mountain biking and road) is popular in the area. Nearby Oak Mountain State Park annually hosts the Bump N' Grind mountain bike (1995-present) race and the Xterra Southeast Championship triathlon as well as other endurance competitions. Oak Mountain State Park is Alabama's largest state park at. It is located in Pelham Alabama and is convenient (via a short drive on I-65) to Birmingham This article is about the competition for the automobile see Nissan Xterra.

Minor League teams

Other area sport facilities include:

• Legion Field
• Rickwood Field
• Fair Park Arena
• Pelham Civic Center

Media

Birmingham is served by one daily newspaper, The Birmingham News (circulation 150,346), which in 2007 was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting, the newspaper's second Pulitzer. The Birmingham Barons are a Minor league baseball team based in Birmingham Alabama. Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each The Southern League is a Minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. The Birmingham Magicians were a team in the American Basketball Association playing in Birmingham Alabama. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m The Blue Conference is the Eastern Conference in the American Basketball Association (ABA The Fair Park Arena is a 6000-seat multi-purpose Arena in Birmingham Alabama, USA. The Alabama Steeldogs originally known as the Birmingham Steeldogs were incorporated in 2000 as one of the charter teams in the Af2, the developmental league This article is about the sport of Arena Football See Arena Football (video game for the EA Sports Video game of the same name af2 (short for arenafootball2) is the name of the Arena Football League 's Minor league, which started play in 2000. The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (formerly Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center) is a sports convention and entertainment complex located in Birmingham Alabama Legion Field is a large Stadium in Birmingham Alabama primarily designed to be used as a venue for American football, but is occasionally used Pelham Civic Center is a 5000-seat multi-purpose Arena in Pelham Alabama. The Birmingham News is the principal daily Newspaper for Birmingham Alabama, United States, and the largest newspaper in Alabama. The Birmingham News' Wednesday edition features six sub regional sections named East, Hoover, North, Shelby, South, and West that cover news stories from those areas. The Birmingham Post-Herald, the city's second daily, published its last issue in 2006. The Birmingham Post-Herald was a daily Newspaper in Birmingham Alabama with roots dating back to 1850 before the founding of Birmingham Other local publications include The North Jefferson News, The Leeds News, The Western Star (Bessemer) and The Hoover Gazette. The Hoover Gazette is a discontinued weekly Newspaper that served the city of Hoover Alabama.

Birmingham Weekly, Birmingham Free Press and Black & White (published biweekly) are Birmingham's free alternative publications. The Birmingham Times, a historic African-American newspaper, also is published weekly.

Birmingham is served by the city magazine of the Chamber of Commerce, The Birmingham magazine.

Birmingham is part of the Birmingham/Anniston/Tuscaloosa television market, which is the nation's 40th largest. The major television affiliates are WBRC 6 (FOX), WBIQ 10 (PBS), WVTM 13 (NBC), WTTO 21 (CW), WBMA 33/40 (ABC), WIAT 42 (CBS), WPXH 44 (ION), and WABM 68 (MyNetworkTV). WBRC, channel 6 is a Television station in the Birmingham / Anniston / Tuscaloosa Alabama television market and it's affiliated by the Alabama Public Television is a network of PBS member stations serving the US state of Alabama. The Public Broadcasting Service ( PBS) is a Non-profit Public broadcasting Television service with 354 member TV stations in the WVTM-TV is the NBC affiliate Television station in the Birmingham - Anniston - Tuscaloosa, Alabama television market The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's WTTO is a Television station serving the Birmingham / Anniston / Tuscaloosa Alabama market as a CW affiliate The CW Television Network ( The CW) is a Television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006-2007 television season. WBMA-LP is the ABC Television affiliate for Birmingham and Central Alabama. The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. WIAT is the CBS affiliate in the Birmingham / Tuscaloosa / Anniston Alabama television market CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. WPXH -44 is the ION Television network affiliate of Birmingham / Anniston / Tuscaloosa market Ion Television is a broadcast television network first broadcast on August 31 1998 WABM, channel 68 is the My Network TV affiliate of the Birmingham /Anniston/Tuscaloosa television market MyNetworkTV (unofficially abbreviated MyNet or MNT) is a Television network in the United States, owned by the Fox Broadcasting Company

Over 45 radio stations serve the Birmingham market, which is the nation's 56th largest radio market. Major broadcasting companies who own stations in the Birmingham market include Clear Channel, Cox Radio, Citadel Broadcasting, and Crawford Broadcasting. Clear Channel Communications is a media conglomerate company based in the United States. Cox Radio Incorporated ( is a publicly traded company that holds a number of radio stations For the similarly named television broadcaster see Citadel Communications. The Rick and Bubba show, which is syndicated to over 25 stations primarily in the Southeast, originates from Birmingham's WZZK-FM. Rick Burgess (born October 3, 1964 in Oxford, Alabama and Bill "Bubba" Bussey (born March 27, 1964 in WZZK-FM (1047 FM) is a Country music formatted Radio station licensed to Birmingham that serves northern and central Alabama. The Paul Finebaum sports-talk show, also syndicated to a network of stations mainly in Alabama, originates from WJOX-FM. Paul Finebaum is an American Columnist, Author, Television and Radio personality based in Birmingham Alabama. WJOX (945 FM) is a Radio station licensed to Birmingham. The station airs a Sports radio format

Birmingham is home to EWTN, the world's largest Catholic media outlet and largest religious network of any kind broadcasting to approximately 118 million homes world-wide. The Eternal Word Television Network ("EWTN" is a US -based broadcasting network that carries Catholic -themed programming Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete".

Visitors and tourists can watch City Vision TV to find out where to eat, shop, and sight see around the Magic City. City Vision TV is a new, but growing, local station available in most hotel rooms throughout Greater Birmingham.

See also List of television stations in Alabama

See also List of radio stations in Alabama

Other

Notable natives

Main article: List of people from Birmingham, Alabama

Sister cities

Birmingham's Sister Cities program is overseen by the Birmingham Sister Cities Commission

References

External links

• Official Site for the City of Birmingham, Alabama
• Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce
• BhamWiki: The Project to Document the Birmingham District
• Birmingham travel guide from Wikitravel
• BirminghamProSports.com: History of pro sports in Birmingham
• History of Railroads and Industries in Birmingham
• Birmingham media:
  • The Birmingham News – daily newspaper of record
  • The Birmingham Times – African-American community news
  • Birmingham Weekly – alternative news – weekly
  • The Black and White – alternative news – biweekly
  • Birmingham Business Journal – business news weekly

• Birmingham, Alabama is at coordinates 33°31′29″N 86°48′46″W / 33.524755, -86.81274 (Birmingham, Alabama)Coordinates: 33°31′29″N 86°48′46″W / 33.524755, -86.81274 (Birmingham, Alabama)