State flower, camellia. Land and People . The fertile Black Belt is located in central Alabama. The climate is subtropical and humid. Although cotton is still grown, it has been supplanted in revenue earned by cattle and poultry, soybeans, and peanuts.
Oil is produced in the south, and fishing is important along the coast.
Lumbering is a major industry throughout Alabama. According to the constitution of 1901, the government is headed by a governor elected to a four-year term. Alabama sends seven representatives and two senators to the U.S. Congress and has nine electoral votes. When Spanish explorers, including Hernando DE SOTO, visited the region during the 16th cent. In 1702 the French established the first white settlement.