NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Black Belt (region of Alabama)

Map of Alabama's Black Belt region. Counties highlighted in red are traditionally considered part of the Black Belt region. Counties highlighted in pink are sometimes considered part of the region.

Alabama's Black Belt is a region of the state, part of the larger Black Belt Region of the Southern United States, which stretches from Texas to Virginia. This region includes some of the poorest counties in the United States. The name referred originally to the thin layer of exceptionally fertile black soil which encouraged cotton farming in the pioneer period of Alabama history. It may just as well now refer to the exceptionally high proportion of African American residents in these counties. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area Ranked 30th - Total 52,419 sq mi (135,765 kmÂ²) - Width 190 miles (306 km) - Length 330 miles (531 km) - % water 3. ... The Black Belt Region in the U.S. refers to the social and demographic crescent of 623 southern counties that contain a higher than average percentages of African American residents. ... The U.S. Southern states or The South, known during the American Civil War era as Dixie, is a distinctive region of the United States with its own unique historical perspective, customs, musical styles, and cuisine. ... Official language(s) No official language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Largest metro area Dallasâ€“Fort Worth Metroplex Area Ranked 2nd - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 kmÂ²) - Width 773 miles (1,244 km) - Length 790 miles (1,270 km) - % water 2. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area Ranked 35th - Total 42,774 sq mi (110,785 kmÂ²) - Width 200 miles (320 km) - Length 430 miles (690 km) - % water 7. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ...

Major characteristics of Black Belt counties include:

Rich, dark loamy soil underlain by a soft limestone known as Selma chalk.
Primary industry remains agriculture with little industrial or commercial development
Proportionally large African American population
High unemployment rate
Low rates of educational attainment
Isolated from major transportation infrastructure
Limited access to health care
Substandard housing stock
High crime rate

In Alabama, the heart of the Black Belt is centered in western part of the state between the Appalachian foothills and the coastal plain. The list of counties comprising the Black Belt is often dependent on the context but traditionally includes Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Choctawwere smart not rednecks , Crenshaw, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Russell, Sumter, and Wilcox. The Appalachian Mountains are a system of North American mountains running from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada to Alabama in the United States, although the northernmost mainland portion ends at the Gaspe Peninsula of Quebec. ... Barbour County, Alabama is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. ... Bullock County, Alabama is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. ... Butler County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Choctaw County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Crenshaw County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Dallas County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Greene County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Hale County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Lowndes County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Macon County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Marengo County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Montgomery County is a county in the State of Alabama. ... Perry County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Pickens County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Pike County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Russell County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Sumter County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Wilcox County is a county of the State of Alabama. ...

Sometimes the region is extended into the southern coastal plain to include Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Monroe, and Washington Counties. Though Montgomery County meets both the soil and demographic traits of the Black Belt. it is often excluded because of its significant urban development. Lamar does not meet the soil traits but is often included due to its lack of enterprise. The Black Belt had a population in 2000 of 727,762 which is 16.3% of the states population at the time. Clarke County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Conecuh County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Escambia County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. ... Monroe County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Washington County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Montgomery County is a county in the State of Alabama. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Lamar County is a county of the State of Alabama. ...

In recent electoral maps, the Black Belt has appeared as a "Blue Belt" because of its strong support for the Democratic Party. With the exception of parts of the city of Birmingham, the outline of Alabama's Seventh Congressional District roughly matches the Black Belt region. Artur Davis currently represents that district in the United States House of Representatives. Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas Politics Portal Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic... Nickname: Location in Jefferson County in the state of Alabama Coordinates: , Country United States State Alabama County Jefferson, Shelby Government - Mayor Bernard Kincaid (D) Area - City 151. ... Artur Davis Artur Davis (born October 9, 1967), American politician, has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 2003, representing the 7th District of Alabama (map). ... The United States House of Representatives (or simply the House) is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. ...

References

Tullos, Allen. "The Black Belt" Southern Spaces, (April 19, 2004)
Rogers, William Warren, and Robert David Ward, Leah Rawls Atkins, and Wayne Flynt. Alabama: The History of a Deep South State. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1994. ISBN 0-8173-0714-1

External links

Map of Traditional Counties of the Alabama Black Belt at the University of Alabama Center for Business and Economic Research.
Birmingham News special report on Alabama's Black Belt
Congressional Home Page of Artur Davis (with District Map)
Black Belt Fact Book from the Institute for Rural Health Research
Black Belt Community Foundation

	v • d • e State of Alabama Montgomery (capital)
Topics	History \| People \| Governors \| Lieutenant Governors \| Metropolitan Areas The University of Alabama (also known as Alabama, UA or colloquially as Bama) is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA. Founded in 1831, UA is the flagship campus of the University of Alabama System. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Alabama. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas Politics Portal A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the... Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area Ranked 30th - Total 52,419 sq mi (135,765 kmÂ²) - Width 190 miles (306 km) - Length 330 miles (531 km) - % water 3. ... Coordinates: Country United States State Alabama County Montgomery Incorporated December 3, 1819 Mayor Bobby Bright Area - City 404. ... Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, site of first U.S. capital. ... Alabama State Flag This is the history of the State of Alabama, in the United States of America. ... The following is a list of the governors of Alabama. ... This is a List of Lieutenant Governors of the U.S. state of Alabama, 1868 to present. ... Categories: \| ...
Regions	Atlantic Coastal Plain \| Birmingham District \| Black Belt \| Central Alabama \| Cumberland Plateau \| Greater Birmingham \| Gulf Coastal Plain \| Lower Alabama \| Mobile Bay \| North Alabama \| Northeast Alabama \| Piedmont \| Ridge and Valley \| South Alabama \| Tennessee Valley \| Wiregrass Region This list of regions of the United States includes official (governmental) and non-official areas within the borders of the United States, not including U.S. states, the federal district of Washington, D.C. or standard subentities such as cities or counties. ... The Atlantic Coastal Plain is the rather flat stretch of land that borders the Atlantic Ocean (including the Gulf of Mexico). ... The Birmingham District refers to a geological area in the vicinity of Birmingham, Alabama where the raw materials for making steel, limestone, iron ore, and coal are found together in abundance. ... Central Alabama is the region in the state of Alabama that stretches approximately 170 miles from the western border with Mississippi to eastern border with Georgia and 136 miles from the northern border of Cullman County to the Alabama River in southern Autauga County. ... The Cumberland Plateau includes much of eastern Kentucky and western West Virginia in the United States. ... Birmingham-Hoover-Cullman Combined Statistical Area The Birmingham-Hoover-Cullman Combined Statistical Area sometimes known as Greater Birmingham, is made up of 8 counties in Central Alabama. ... The Gulf Coastal Plain extends from the Florida Parishes of Louisiana over most of Mississippi, some of western Tennessee and Kentucky, the southwestern 2/3 of Alabama, and the western panhandle of Florida. ... Lower Alabama is a term used to describe various parts of southern Alabama. ... Mobile Bay - Landsat photo Mobile and Mobile Bay from space, June 1991 During a jubilee along the shores of Mobile Bay, blue crabs & flounder come to shallow water near shore Mobile Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, lying within the state of Alabama in the United States. ... North Alabama is a region of the U.S. state of Alabama, generally thought to include these 11 counties: Cherokee, Colbert, DeKalb, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, Morgan, and Winston. ... Northeast Alabama includes the cities of Anniston, Gadsden, Talladega, and their surrounding areas in the state of Alabama. ... The James River winds its way among piedmont hills in central Virginia. ... The Ridge-and-valley Appalachians are a belt within the Appalachian Mountains extending from northern New Jersey westward into Pennsylvania and southward into Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia. ... South Alabama is a term used to describe various parts of southern Alabama. ... The Tennessee Valley is the drainage basin of the Tennessee River and is largely within the U.S. state of Tennessee. ... The Wiregrass Region or Wiregrass Country is an area of the Southern United States encompassing parts of southern Georgia, southeastern Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle named for the native wiregrass. ...
Major cities	Anniston \| Auburn \| Birmingham \| Decatur \| Dothan \| Florence \| Gadsden \| Hoover \| Huntsville \| Mobile \| Montgomery \| Tuscaloosa This list of current cities. ... Nickname: The Model City Location in Alabama Coordinates: County Calhoun Settled April 1872 Incorporated 3 July 1883 Mayor Hoyt W. â€œChipâ€ Howell, Jr. ... Nickname: The Loveliest Village on the Plains Location in Lee County, Alabama Coordinates: Country United States State Alabama County Lee County, Alabama - Mayor Bill Ham, Jr. ... Nickname: Location in Jefferson County in the state of Alabama Coordinates: , Country United States State Alabama County Jefferson, Shelby Government - Mayor Bernard Kincaid (D) Area - City 151. ... Decatur, Alabama is a city in Morgan County, Alabama, with a small portion in southern Limestone County. ... Dothan is a city located in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Alabama. ... Florence Florence city is the seat of Lauderdale County which is situated in the northwest corner of the U.S. state of Alabama. ... Gadsden is a city in and the county seat of Etowah County, northeastern Alabama, United States, approximately 60 miles northeast of Birmingham. ... Hoover is a city in Jefferson and Shelby counties in middle central Alabama. ... Nickname: Coordinates: , Country United States State Alabama County Madison, Limestone Government - Mayor Loretta Spencer Area - City 174. ... It has been suggested that List of people from Mobile, Alabama be merged into this article or section. ... Coordinates: Country United States State Alabama County Montgomery Incorporated December 3, 1819 Mayor Bobby Bright Area - City 404. ... Tuscaloosa is a city in west central Alabama in the southern United States. ...
Counties	Autauga \| Baldwin \| Barbour \| Bibb \| Blount \| Bullock \| Butler \| Calhoun \| Chambers \| Cherokee \| Chilton \| Choctaw \| Clarke \| Clay \| Cleburne \| Coffee \| Colbert \| Conecuh \| Coosa \| Covington \| Crenshaw \| Cullman \| Dale \| Dallas \| DeKalb \| Elmore \| Escambia \| Etowah \| Fayette \| Franklin \| Geneva \| Greene \| Hale \| Henry \| Houston \| Jackson \| Jefferson \| Lamar \| Lauderdale \| Lawrence \| Lee \| Limestone \| Lowndes \| Macon \| Madison \| Marengo \| Marion \| Marshall \| Mobile \| Monroe \| Montgomery \| Morgan \| Perry \| Pickens \| Pike \| Randolph \| Russell \| Shelby \| St. Clair \| Sumter \| Talladega \| Tallapoosa \| Tuscaloosa \| Walker \| Washington \| Wilcox \| Winston List of 67 counties in the U.S. state of Alabama: Autauga County Baldwin County Barbour County Bibb County Blount County Bullock County Butler County Calhoun County Chambers County Cherokee County Chilton County Choctaw County Clarke County Clay County Cleburne County Coffee County Colbert County Conecuh County Coosa County Covington... Autauga County, Alabama is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Baldwin County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. ... Barbour County, Alabama is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. ... Bibb County, Alabama is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Blount County is a county located in the U.S. state of Alabama. ... Bullock County, Alabama is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. ... Butler County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Calhoun County, Alabama is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Chambers County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Cherokee County, Alabama is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Chilton County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Choctaw County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Clarke County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Clay County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Cleburne County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. ... Coffee County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Colbert County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Conecuh County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Coosa County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Covington County, Alabama is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Crenshaw County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Cullman County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. ... Dale County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Dallas County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... DeKalb County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Elmore County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Escambia County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. ... Etowah County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Fayette County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Franklin County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Geneva County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Greene County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Hale County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Henry County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Houston County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Jackson County is a county of the State of Alabama, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Metro Area. ... Location in the state of Alabama Formed December 13, 1819 Seat Birmingham Area - Total - Water 2,911 kmÂ² (1,124 miÂ²) 29 kmÂ² (11 miÂ²) 1. ... Lamar County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Lauderdale County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Lawrence County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Lee County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Limestone County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Lowndes County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Macon County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Madison County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is a major part of the Huntsville-Decatur Metro Area. ... Marengo County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Marion County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Marshall County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Mobile County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. ... Monroe County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Montgomery County is a county in the State of Alabama. ... Morgan County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Perry County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Pickens County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Pike County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Randolph County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Russell County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Shelby County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama and is named in honor of Isaac Shelby, Governor of Kentucky. ... St. ... Sumter County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Talladega County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Tallapoosa County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Tuscaloosa County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. ... Walker County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. ... Washington County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Wilcox County is a county of the State of Alabama. ... Winston County is a county of the State of Alabama. ...

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Merged material from Alabama Black Belt below (needs editing into the article) Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Image File history File links Information. ... Map of Alabamas Black Belt region. ...

The Alabama Black Belt refers to a crescent-shaped region in the United States of America stretching from Texas to Virginia and including Alabama. Originally named for the color of its dark, rich soil, it was also the part of the South where slavery was most profitable, and therefore where slave numbers were highest. Thus the term Black Belt acquired its dual reference to the quality of the land and to extensive slavery. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Official language(s) No official language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Largest metro area Dallasâ€“Fort Worth Metroplex Area Ranked 2nd - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 kmÂ²) - Width 773 miles (1,244 km) - Length 790 miles (1,270 km) - % water 2. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area Ranked 35th - Total 42,774 sq mi (110,785 kmÂ²) - Width 200 miles (320 km) - Length 430 miles (690 km) - % water 7. ... Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area Ranked 30th - Total 52,419 sq mi (135,765 kmÂ²) - Width 190 miles (306 km) - Length 330 miles (531 km) - % water 3. ... Loess field in Germany Surface-water-gley developed in glacial till, Northern Ireland Technically, soil forms the pedosphere: the interface between the lithosphere (rocky part of the planet) and the biosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere. ... Slave redirects here. ...

The Black Belt takes on many names and meanings in the United States. Known as The Black Belt rich soils stretch from Georgia across Alabama and Mississippi. The soil is very rich and underlain by limestone known as Selma chalk. It has been described as being home to “the richest soil and the poorest people.”-1...

The term Black Belt has also been designated to counties where black people outnumber the white. Over half of the population in the Black Belt is African American. The Black Belt Region also refers to the area of 623 southern counties that have this higher African American percentage. They form a belt like pattern through Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Sometimes, it is called the “Blue Belt,” because it has such a high concentration of Democratic support. The counties are also characterized by rural decline, poor education systems and problems with poverty, health, housing, and underemployment. Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas Politics Portal Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic...

When white people entered the region in 1816, their suspicion of the darker soil kept them from settling. It was not until the 1830s that whites forced out the Choctaws and Chickasaws and began settling. It became a major cotton plantation region. During the Civil War, it was untouched by the Northern armies and helped supply food to Confederate soldiers. In the middle of the 20th century, Chicago used the term “Black Belt of Chicago,” to describe an area of Chicago where mostly African Americans lived. The community was actually built for African Americans because the white people did not want any intermingling. For other uses, see Choctaw (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Chickasaw (disambiguation). ... The Black Belt of Chicago was a term in popular use during the middle part of the 20th century. ...

References

Results from FactBites:

Black Belt (region of Alabama) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (401 words)
	Alabama's Black Belt is a region of the state, part of the larger Black Belt Region of the Southern United States, which stretches from Texas to Virginia.
	In Alabama, the heart of the Black Belt is centered in western part of the state between the Appalachian foothills and the coastal plain.
	With the exception of parts of the city of Birmingham, the outline of Alabama's Seventh Congressional District roughly matches the Black Belt region.

Alabama Geography - NETSTATE (750 words)
	Alabama is bordered by Tennessee on the north, Georgia on the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico on the south and Mississippi on the west.
	Alabama is comprised of coastal plains at the Gulf of Mexico turning to hills and broken terrain in the north.
	This region is comprised of sandstone ridges and fertile limestone valleys.

More results at FactBites »

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