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Mobile Alabama
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Mobile is located at 340 km southwest of Birmingham. Founded by
the French in 1702 on the west side of Mobile Bay, the city was
first called Fort Louis de la Mobile. Its French heritage is
celebrated with an annual Mardi Gras festival. The USS Alabama
Battleship Memorial Park includes the mighty gunship; the
submarine USS Drum; 14 airplanes and a nature observatory. Other
Mobile-area attractions include Conde-Charlotte Museum House and
Fort Conde, originally constructed by the French.
Downtown Mobile's lack of action outside of Mardi Gras is made
up for by an amazing display of greenery, particularly down its
main thoroughfare, Government Street , which is shaded by a
canopy of adjoining oaks, and central Bienville Square , a
popular picnic spot with free lunchtime concerts every Wednesday
during summer.
At the Oakleigh House Museum, an impeccably maintained
antebellum home, costumed guides introduce visitors to the
gentility of southern living. Another home worth touring is the
majestic Bragg-Mitchell Mansion.Surrounded by live oaks, it is
one of the coast's most photographed structures. The Mobile
Museum of Art is worth a look.
Mobile retains an old Southern and French flavor, and it is
known for its gardens and old houses, many of which are
decorated with elaborate wrought-iron work. Tourist attractions
include Fort Condé, a partially reconstructed fort built by the
French in 1711; the Romanesque Cathedral of the Immaculate
Conception; the Museum of the City of Mobile; and the battleship
USS Alabama, which is anchored in the harbor. Popular annual
events are the Mardi Gras celebration and the Azalea Trail
Festival.
- Founded: 1702 (incorporated 1819)
- Head Official: Mayor Michael C. Dow (N-P) (since
1989)
- City Population
- 1980: 200,452
- 1990: 199,973
- 2000: 198,915
- 2003 estimate: 193,464
- Percent change, 1990–2000: -.3%
- U.S. rank in 1980: 72nd
- U.S. rank in 1990: 79th
- U.S. rank in 2000: 105th (State rank: 3rd)
- Metropolitan Area Population
- 1980: 444,000
- 1990: 476,923
- 2000: 540,258
- Percent change, 1990–2000: 13.3%
- U.S. rank in 1980: 74th
- U.S. rank in 1990: Not reported
- U.S. rank in 2000: 78th
- Area: 118 square miles (2000)
- Elevation: 211 feet above sea level
- Average Annual Temperature: 68° F
- Average Annual Precipitation: 66 inches
- Major Economic Sectors: Wholesale and retail trade,
services, government
- Unemployment rate: 6.0% (November 2004)
- Per Capita Income: $18,072 (1999)
- 2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 17,949
- Major Colleges and Universities: University of
South Alabama, University of Mobile, Spring Hill College
- Daily Newspaper: The Mobile Register
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Mobile Alabama
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