A labama is sometimes called the Heart of Dixie because of its central location among the Southern states. Its piney woods and grand old oak and magnolia trees range east to west from Georgia to Mississippi, north to south from Tennessee to Florida. The Fall Line curves from Phenix City, near the Georgia border, north and west across Alabama. The land on either side of this line, where highlands and lowlands meet, is very different. The Appalachian Highlands reach into northern Alabama.
Red clays betray a wealth of iron which made the city of Birmingham an industrial giant.
Ancient peoples found northern Alabama to their liking as well. In the northeast corner of the state, near the Tennessee border, is Russell Cave. Another attraction in northeast Alabama is Little River Canyon National Preserve. This preserve protects a rocky scenic area where people kayak and mountain climb. Sea kayakers might have paddled along the edge of these highlands millions of years ago.