Birmingham, largest city in Alabama

Alabama is the 22nd state of the United States of America. It is located in the southeastern region of the United States, an area commonly referred to as the American South, or simply the South. Alabama shares a distinct history and culture, most notably with regards to musical styles, sports preference, religion and cuisines with other southeastern states. This southeastern region is popularly known by the nickname Dixie, and Alabama, being in the center of the region, is often referred to as the Heart of Dixieland.

The geography of Alabama is divided into three major physiographic regions: the broad, flat coastal expanse which is the Atlantic Plain stretching across the southern half of the state, then the hills, valleys, mountains, and plateaus that make up the Appalachian Highlands in the northern portion, and the gently rolling terrain of the Interior Plains in the northwestern portion of the state. Alabama is bordered by Georgia to the east, Mississippi to the west, Tennessee to the north, and Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. The capital city of the state is Montgomery, although it’s largest, most populous and most important city is Birmingham.

Alabama’s economy has been historically significant ever since its admittance to the union in 1819. After its statehood, settlers rapidly arrived to take advantage of the fertile soil in the central "Black Belt" region, so named for its dark, rich topsoil. By 1830s, cotton plantations became Alabama's greatest source of wealth, with numerous large cotton plantations throughout the region worked by thousands of African American slaves. In 1871, Birmingham emerged as an industrial powerhouse, with lucrative mining, iron and steel industry that had persisted even to this date.

Redstone Arsenal is located in Madison County, Alabama. It serves as a garrison for a number of high importance United States military, defense and research programs, such as the United States Army Materiel Command, United States Army Aviation and Missile Command, the Department of Defense Missile Defense Agency and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. Redstone Arsenal is the state’s largest employers, providing work for around 25,373 employees.

With strong investments made to improve its education sector, Alabama has seen large educational gains in its public education system over the past few years. However, compared to other neighboring states it still lags behind in academic achievement. According to the U.S. Census, the state’s high school graduation rate, at 75%, is the fourth lowest in the country, after Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi. As such, Alabama is sometimes the object of the same negative stigma as many other Southern states.

Alabama Military Boarding Schools

The presence of several high profile United States military programs made Alabama one of the premier locations for setting up military educational programs. The state has several types of military programs which includes private military schools, college prep military schools, public elementary military schools, as well as a military service academy, the Air University.

To find a military boarding school, just click on any of the links below.