City of Mobile
The skyline of downtown Mobile from the Battleship Parkway. Battleship Parkway, commonly referred to locally and in the media as the " Causeway " is an elevated long Causeway that carries US 90 and
Flag Seal
Nickname: The Port City or Azalea City or The City of Six Flags
Coordinates: 30°41′40″N 88°02′35″W / 30.69444, -88.04306
Country	US
State	Alabama
County	Mobile
Founded	1702
Incorporated	1814
Government
- Mayor	Sam Jones
Area
- City	412. A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government Alabama (formally the State of Alabama;) is a State located in the southern region of the United States of America. ImageAlabama counties mappng|thumb|right|310px|Alabama counties (clickable mappoly 210 83 208 83 199 75 188 75 176 70 171 70 165 Mobile County is a County of the US state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of a tribe of Indians, the Maubila tribe (see Mobilian A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to cities, counties, Towns A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government Samuel L Jones is serving his first term as mayor of his hometown Mobile, Alabama. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status 9 km² (159. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 4 sq mi)
- Land	305. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 3 km² (117. 9 sq mi)
- Water	107. 6 km² (41. 5 sq mi)
Elevation (lowest)[1]	3 m (10 ft)
Population (2000)[2][3]
- City	198,915
- Metro	399,843
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
Area code(s)	251
FIPS code	01-50000
GNIS feature ID	0155153
Website: http://www.cityofmobile.org

Mobile (IPA: /moʊˈbiːl/) is the third most populous city in the Southern U.S. state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central The Central Time Zone observes Standard time by subtracting six hours from UTC during standard time ( UTC−6) and five hours during Daylight saving Areas using UTC−6 Single zone countries Belize Costa Rica El Salvador Guatemala Daylight saving time ( DST The Central Time Zone observes Standard time by subtracting six hours from UTC during standard time ( UTC−6) and five hours during Daylight saving UTC−5 is the Time offset used in the North American Eastern Time Zone during Standard time and in the North American Central Time Zone during A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating Telephone number ranges to countries regions areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks Area code 251 is a Telephone numbering plan code covering southwestern Alabama serving Mobile, Baldwin, and Washington counties and Federal Information Processing Standards ( FIPS) are publicly announced standards developed by the United States Federal government for use by all non-military The Geographic Names Information System ( GNIS) is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Alabama (formally the State of Alabama;) is a State located in the southern region of the United States of America. A county seat is a term for an Administrative center for a County, primarily used in the United States. Mobile County is a County of the US state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of a tribe of Indians, the Maubila tribe (see Mobilian ^[4] It is located on the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The Gulf Coast region of the United States comprises the coasts of states which border the Gulf of Mexico. The population within the city limits was 198,915 as of the 2000 census. ^[5] Mobile is the principal municipality of the Mobile Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 399,843 residents which is composed solely of Mobile County and is the second largest MSA in the state. Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas|Table of United States Core Based Statistical AreasIn the United States, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB has produced ^[3] Mobile is included in the Mobile-Daphne-Fairhope Combined Statistical Area with a total population of 540,258, the second largest CSA in the state. Daphne is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, USA on the eastern shoreline of Mobile Bay. Fairhope is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, on a sloping plateau along the cliffs and shoreline of Mobile Bay. Table of United States Combined Statistical AreasThe United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. ^[6]

The earliest origins of Mobile began with a Muskhogean Native American people in the fortified Mississippian town of Mauvila, also spelled Maubila, which Hernando de Soto's Spanish expedition destroyed in 1540. Muskhogean stock (also Muskogean) refers to a Native American stock that inhabited the Gulf Coast region of what is today the United States. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States The Mississippian culture was a mound-building Native American culture that flourished in what is now the Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. ^[7] This earlier town is believed to have been further north than is the current city, but the later Mobilian tribe that the French colonists found in the area of Mobile Bay is theorized by scholars to have been descended from this earlier group of people. Mobile Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, lying within the state of Alabama in the United States. ^[7] It is from this latter tribe that Mobile gained its name. ^[7] The city began as the first capital of colonial French Louisiana in 1702, and during its first 100 years, Mobile was a colony for France, then Britain, and lastly Spain. Louisiana (La celina+mario) was the name of an administrative district of New France. Early Modern France is the Early modern period of French history from the end of the 15th century to the end of the 18th century (or from the French Renaissance The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a State in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1800 Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Mobile first became a part of the United States of America` in 1813, left the United States with Alabama in 1861 to become a part of the Confederate States of America, and then back to the United States in 1865. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861 ^[8]

Located at the junction of the Mobile River and Mobile Bay on the northern Gulf of Mexico, the city is the only seaport in Alabama. The Mobile River is located in southern Alabama in the United States. The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world ^[9] The Port of Mobile has always played a key role in the economic health of the city beginning with the city as a key trading center between the French and Native Americans^[10] down to its current role as the 10th largest port in the United States. The Port of Mobile, located in Mobile, Alabama, United States, is the only deep-water port in the state and was the 10th largest in the nation in 2006 ^[11]

As one of the Gulf Coast's cultural centers, Mobile houses several art museums, a symphony orchestra, a professional opera, a professional ballet company, and a large concentration of historic architecture. An orchestra is an instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large with string brass woodwind sections and possibly a percussion section as well Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto Ballet is a formalized form of Dance with its origins in the French court further developed in France and Russia as a Concert dance The term architecture (from Greek αρχιτεκτονικήarchitektoniki) can be used to mean a process a profession or documentation ^[12][13] Mobile is known for having the oldest organized Carnival celebrations in the United States, dating to its early colonial period. Carnival is a festival season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February and March It was also host to the first formally organized Carnival mystic society or krewe in the United States, dating to 1830. A mystic society is a Carnival organization very similar to a Krewe in New Orleans, that presents parades and/or balls for the enjoyment of its members A Krewe (pronounced in the same way as "crew" is an organization that puts on a Parade and or a ball for the Carnival season ^[14] People from Mobile are known as Mobilians. ^[10]

Contents 1 History 1.1 Colonial 1.2 19th century 1.3 20th century 2 Geography and climate 2.1 Geography 2.2 Climate 3 Culture 3.1 Carnival and Mardi Gras 3.2 Archives and libraries 3.3 Entertainment and arts 4 Tourism 4.1 Museums 4.2 Parks and other attractions 4.3 Historic architecture 5 Demographics 6 Government 6.1 City 6.2 State 7 Education 7.1 Primary and secondary 7.1.1 Public facilities 7.1.2 Private facilities 7.2 Tertiary 8 Healthcare 9 Economy 9.1 Expansion 9.2 Brookley Complex 10 Transportation 10.1 Air 10.2 Rail 10.3 Road 10.4 Water 11 Media 11.1 Print 11.2 Television 11.3 Radio 12 Sports 13 International sister cities 14 See also 15 References 16 External links

History

See also: History of Mobile, Alabama

Colonial

The settlement of Mobile, then known as Fort Louis de la Louisiane, was first established in 1702, at Twenty-seven Mile Bluff on the Mobile River, as the first capital of the French colony of Louisiana. See also Mobile Alabama The history of Mobile Alabama differs significantly from the other British colonies because Mobile began as the first capital of The Old Mobile Site was the location of the French settlement La Mobile and the associated Fort Louis de La Louisiane from 1702 until 1712 The Mobile River is located in southern Alabama in the United States. France was a dominant empire in the world from the 1600s to the late 1960s possessing many colonies in various locations around the world Louisiana (La celina+mario) was the name of an administrative district of New France. It was founded by French Canadian brothers Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville and Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville, in order to establish control over France's Louisiana claims with Bienville having been made governor of French Louisiana in 1701. Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville ]] (b 16 July 1661 - d (probably 9 July 1706)founder of the colony of French Louisiana, was born at Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville ]]( February 23, 1680 &ndash March 7, 1767) was a colonizer born in Montreal, Quebec Mobile’s Roman Catholic parish was established on 20 July 1703, by Jean-Baptiste de la Croix de Chevrières de Saint-Vallier, Bishop of Quebec. Jean-Baptiste de la Croix de Chevrière de St Vallier, ( 14 November 1653 &ndash 26 December 1727) was appointed to the see of Quebec The Archdiocese of Québec (Archidioecesis Quebecensis Archidiocèse de Québec is the oldest Catholic see in the New World north ^[15] The parish was the first established on the Gulf Coast of the United States. The Gulf Coast region of the United States comprises the coasts of states which border the Gulf of Mexico. ^[15] The year 1704 saw the arrival of 23 women to the colony aboard the Pélican, along with yellow fever introduced to the ship in Havana. Yellow fever (also called yellow jack, black vomit or sometimes American Plague) is an acute viral disease Havana ( IPA: aˈβana officially Ciudad de La Habana, is the Capital city, major port and leading ^[16] Though most of the "Pélican girls" recovered, a large number of the existing colonists and the neighboring Native Americans died from the illness. ^[16] This early period also saw the arrival of the first African slaves aboard a French supply ship from Saint-Domingue. Slavery is a social-economic system under which certain persons — known as slaves — are deprived of personal freedom and compelled to perform labour or services Saint-Domingue was a French Colony on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola from 1659 to 1804 when it became the independent nation of ^[16] The population of the colony fluctuated over the next few years, growing to 279 persons by 1708 yet descending to 178 persons two years later due to disease. ^[15]

These additional outbreaks of disease and a series of floods caused Bienville to order the town relocated several miles downriver to its present location at the confluence of the Mobile River and Mobile Bay in 1711. The Mobile River is located in southern Alabama in the United States. Mobile Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, lying within the state of Alabama in the United States. ^[17] A new earth and palisade Fort Louis was constructed at the new site during this time. ^[18] By 1712, when Antoine Crozat took over administration of the colony by royal appointment, the colony boasted a population of 400 persons. Antoine Crozat Marquis du Châtel (ca1655 &mdash June 7, 1738) French founder of an immense fortune was the first private proprietary owner of The capital of Louisiana was moved to Biloxi in 1720,^[18] leaving Mobile in role of military and trading center. Louisiana (La celina+mario) was the name of an administrative district of New France. In 1723 the construction of a new brick fort with a stone foundation began^[18] and it was renamed Fort Condé in honor of Louis Henri, Duc de Bourbon and prince of Condé. Fort Conde, located in Mobile Alabama, at 150 South Royal Street is a reconstruction at 4/5 scale of part of the original French Fort Condé at the site Louis IV Henri Joseph de Bourbon-Condé prince de Condé ( duc de Bourbon and d'Enghien) ( August 18 1692 &ndash January 27 1740 The prince de Condé (named after Condé-en-Brie, now in the Aisne département) is a historical French title originally assumed Circa ^[19]

In 1763, the Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the French and Indian War. The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on February 10, 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain The French and Indian War (1754&ndash1763 was the North American chapter of the Seven Years' War. The treaty ceded Mobile and the surrounding territory to the Kingdom of Great Britain, and it was made a part of the expanded British West Florida colony. Most broadly cession (to cede) is the assignment of Property to another entity The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a State in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1800 West Florida was a region on the north shore of the Gulf of Mexico, which underwent several boundary and sovereignty changes during its history ^[20] The British changed the name of Fort Condé to Fort Charlotte, after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, King George III's queen. Queen Charlotte, (née Duchess Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; 19 May 1744 – 17 November 1818) was the George III (George William Frederick 4 June 1738 George III's long reign was marked by a series of military conflicts involving his kingdom much of the rest of Europe and places ^[21] The British were eager not to lose any useful inhabitants and promised religious tolerance to the French colonists, ultimately 112 French Mobilians remained in the colony. ^[22] In 1766 the population was estimated to be 860, though the town's borders were smaller than they had been during the French colonial efforts. ^[22] During the American Revolutionary War, West Florida and Mobile became a refuge for loyalists fleeing the other colonies. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" This article concerns Loyalists in the American Revolution. For information on the role of those Loyalists in Canadian history after their emigration see United Empire ^[23]

The Spanish captured Mobile during the Battle of Fort Charlotte in 1780. They wished to eliminate any British threat to their Louisiana colony, which they had received from France in 1763s Treaty of Paris. ^[23] Their actions were also condoned by the revolting American colonies due to the fact that West Florida, for the most part, remained loyal to the British Crown. West Florida was a region on the north shore of the Gulf of Mexico, which underwent several boundary and sovereignty changes during its history TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy ^[23] The fort was renamed Fortaleza Carlota, with the Spanish holding Mobile as a part of Spanish West Florida until 1813, when it was seized by the U. Fort Conde, located in Mobile Alabama, at 150 South Royal Street is a reconstruction at 4/5 scale of part of the original French Fort Condé at the site West Florida was a region on the north shore of the Gulf of Mexico, which underwent several boundary and sovereignty changes during its history S. General James Wilkinson during the War of 1812. James Wilkinson ( 24 March, 1757 &ndash December 28, 1825) was a U The War of 1812 was fought between the United States of America and the British Empire, particularly Great Britain and her North American colonies ^[24]

19th century

When Mobile was made a part of the Mississippi Territory in 1813, the population had dwindled to roughly 300 people. Mississippi Territory was a historic Organized territory of the United States from April 7, 1798, and expanded twice (in 1804 ^[25] The city was included in the Alabama Territory in 1817, after Mississippi gained statehood. The Alabama Territory was a historic Organized territory of the United States that was formed by the eastern portion of the Mississippi Territory. Mississippi ( is a state located in the Deep South of the United States Alabama was granted statehood in 1819 and Mobile's population had increased to 809 by that time. ^[25] As the inland areas of Alabama and Mississippi were settled by farmers and the plantation economy became established, Mobile's population exploded. Fundamentally a plantation is usually a large Farm or estate, especially in a tropical or semitropical country on which Cotton, Tobacco It came to be settled by merchants, attorneys, mechanics, doctors and others seeking to capitalize on trade with these upriver areas. ^[25] With its location at the mouth of the Mobile River, a river system that served as the principal navigational access for most of Alabama and a large part of Mississippi, Mobile was well situated for this purpose. By 1822 the population was 2800. ^[25]

From the 1830s onward Mobile expanded into a city of commerce with a primary focus on the cotton trade. ^[25] The waterfront was developed with wharves, terminal facilities, and fire-proof brick warehouses. ^[25] The exports of cotton grew in proportion to the amounts being produced in the Black Belt and by 1840 Mobile was second only to New Orleans in cotton exports in the nation. Alabama 's Black Belt is a region of the state and part of the larger Black Belt Region of the Southern United States, which stretches from ^[25] With the economy so focused on this one crop, Mobile's fortunes were always tied to those of cotton and the city weathered many financial crises during this period. ^[25] Though Mobile had a relatively small slave owning population itself compared to the inland areas, it was the slave-trading center of the state until surpassed by Montgomery in the 1850s. Montgomery (məntˈgəmɜriː is the Capital, second most populous city and the 4th most populous metropolitan area in the Southern U ^[26] By 1860 Mobile's population within the city limits had reached 29,258 people, it was the 27th largest city in the United States and 4th largest in what would soon be the Confederate States of America. The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861 ^[27] The population in the whole of Mobile County, including the city, consisted of 29,754 free citizens, of which 1195 were African American. ^[28] Additionally, there were 1785 slave owners, holding 11,376 slaves, for a total county population of 41,130 people. ^[28]

During the American Civil War, Mobile was a Confederate city. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South The first submarine to successfully sink an enemy ship, the H. L. Hunley, was built in Mobile. A submarine is a Watercraft that can operate independently below water as distinct from a Submersible that has only limited underwater capability History Hunley and two earlier submarines were privately developed and paid for by Horace Lawson Hunley, James McClintock, and Baxter Watson ^[29] One of the most famous naval engagements of the war was the Battle of Mobile Bay, resulting in the Union taking possession of Mobile Bay on 5 August 1864. A naval battle is a Battle fought using Ships or other waterborne vessels Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South Battle Commanding the Union forces was Admiral David Farragut, while Admiral Franklin Buchanan commanded the Confederate fleet During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty-three Mobile Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, lying within the state of Alabama in the United States. ^[30] On 12 April 1865, 3 days after the surrender of Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Courthouse, the city of Mobile surrendered to the Union army to avoid destruction following the Union victories at the Battle of Spanish Fort and the Battle of Fort Blakely. Robert Edward Lee (January 19 1807 &ndash October 12 1870 was a career United States Army officer, an Engineer, and among the most celebrated Background On April 1, 1865, Maj Gen Philip Sheridan 's Cavalry turned Lee's flank at the Battle of Five Forks. The Union Army was the army that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. The Battle of Spanish Fort took place from March 27 to April 8, 1865 in Baldwin County Alabama, as part of the Mobile Campaign The Battle of Fort Blakely took place from April 2 - April 9, 1865 in Baldwin County Alabama, as part of the Mobile Campaign of ^[30] Ironically, on 25 May 1865, the city suffered loss when some three hundred people died as a result of an explosion at a federal ammunition depot on Beauregard Street. On May 25, 1865, in Mobile Alabama, in the Southern United States, an ordnance depot or "magazine" exploded killing some 300 persons The federal government of the United States is the central United States Governmental body established by the United States Constitution. An ammunition dump, ammunition compound, ammunition depot, bomb dump or ammo dump, is a Military storage facility for live Ammunition The explosion left a 30-foot (9 m) deep hole at the depot's location, sunk ships docked on the Mobile River, and the resulting fires destroyed the northern portion of the city. ^[31]

Federal Reconstruction in Mobile began after the Civil War and effectively ended in 1874 when the local Democrats gained control of the city government. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ^[32] The last quarter of the 19th century was a time of economic depression and municipal insolvency for Mobile. One example can be provided by the value of Mobile's exports during this period of depression. The value of exports leaving the city fell from $9 million in 1878 to $3 million in 1882. ^[33]

20th century

The turn of the century brought the Progressive Era to Mobile and saw Mobile's economic structure evolve along with a significant increase in population. The Progressive Era in the United States was a period of reform which lasted from the 1890s to the 1920s ^[34] The population increased from around 40,000 in 1900 to 60,000 by 1920. ^[34] During this time the city received $3 million in federal grants for harbor improvements, which drastically deepened the shipping channels in the harbor. ^[34] During and after World War I manufacturing became increasingly vital to Mobile's economic health with shipbuilding and steel production being two of the most important. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All ^[34] During this time social equality and race relations in Mobile worsened, however. ^[34] In 1902 the city government passed Mobile's first segregation ordinance, one that segregated the city streetcars. ^[34] Mobile's African American population responded to this with a two-month boycott which was ultimately unsuccessful. ^[34] After this, Mobile's de facto segregation would increasingly be replaced with legislated segregation. ^[34]

World War II led to a massive military effort causing a considerable increase in Mobile's population, largely due to the huge influx of workers coming into Mobile to work in the shipyards and at the Brookley Army Air Field. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Brookley Complex, also known as the Mobile Downtown Airport According to the FAA 's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2007-2011 it is categorized ^[35] Between 1940 and 1943, more than 89,000 people moved into Mobile to work for war effort industries. ^[35] Mobile was one of eighteen U. S. cities producing Liberty ships at its Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company to support the war effort by producing ships faster than the Axis powers could sink them. History and service In 1936 the American Merchant Marine Act was passed to subsidize the annual construction of 50 commercial merchant vessels to be used in wartime by The Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company (ADDSCO located in Mobile Alabama, was one of the largest marine production facilities in the United The Axis powers also known as the Axis alliance Axis nations Axis countries or sometimes just the Axis were those Countries ^[35] Gulf Shipbuilding Corporation, a subsidiary of Waterman Steamship Corporation, focused on building freighters, Fletcher class destroyers, and minesweepers. Chickasaw Shipyard Village Historic District is a historic district comprising buildings and areas within Chickasaw, Alabama, now a northern suburb of A subsidiary, in business matters is an entity that is controlled by a bigger and more powerful entity Waterman Steamship Corporation is an American deep sea ocean carrier specializing in liner services and time charter contracts A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of Ship or vessel that carries Cargo, goods and materials from one port to another Description The Fletcher class (named for Admiral Frank F Fletcher) was the largest class of Destroyer ordered and was also one of the most successful A minesweeper is a Naval Warship designed to counter the threat posed by Naval mines The dedicated purpose-built minesweeper first appeared during ^[35]

The years after World War II brought about changes in Mobile's social structure and economy. Instead of shipbuilding being a primary economic force, the paper and chemical industries began to take over and most of the old military bases were converted to civilian uses. This period saw the end of racial segregation with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Origins The bill was introduced by President John F Kennedy in his civil rights speech of June 11 1963, in which he asked for legislation "giving Though many in Mobile had considered the city to be tolerant and racially accommodating compared to other cities in the South, with the police force and one local college becoming integrated in the 1950s and the voluntary desegregation of buses and lunch counters by the early 1960s, Mobile's African American citizens were not nearly as content with the status quo as some believed. Status quo is a Latin term meaning the present existing state of affairs or "the state in which" In 1963 three African American students brought a case against the Mobile County School Board for being denied admission to Murphy High School. Murphy High School, located in Mobile Alabama, is a Public high school operated by the Mobile County Public School System that educates grades ^[36] The court ordered that the three students be admitted to Murphy for the 1964 school year, leading to the desegregation of Mobile County's school system. ^[36]

Mobile's economy took a large hit in late 1960s with the closing of Brookley Air Force Base. The Brookley Complex, also known as the Mobile Downtown Airport According to the FAA 's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2007-2011 it is categorized This and other factors ushered in a period of economic depression that lasted through the 1970s. Beginning in the late 1980s, the city council and mayor began an effort termed the "String of Pearls Initiative" to make Mobile into a competitive, urban city. ^[37] This effort would see the building of numerous new facilities and projects around the city and the restoration of hundreds of other historic downtown buildings and homes. ^[37] This period also saw a reduction in the rate of violent crime and a concerted effort by city and county leaders to attract new business ventures to the area. ^[38] The effort continues into the present with new city government leadership. ^[38] Shipbuilding began to make a major comeback in Mobile with the founding in 1999 of Austal USA, a joint venture of Australian shipbuilder, Austal, and Bender Shipbuilding. Austal USA is the American branch of operations for Australia-based shipbuilder Austal. Austal is an Australian company that specializes in shipbuilding especially the design and construction of aluminium vessels ^[39]

Geography and climate

Geography

Mobile is located at 30°40'46" North, 88°6'12" West (30. 679523, -88. 103280)^[40], in the southwestern corner of the U. S. state of Alabama. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 412. 9 km² (159. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 4 mi²). The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 305. 4 km² (117. 9 mi²) of it is land and 107. 6 km² (41. 5 mi²) of it is water. ^[41] The elevation in Mobile ranges from 10 ft (3 m) on Water Street in downtown^[1] to 211 ft (64 m) at the Mobile Regional Airport. ^[42]

Climate

Mobile's geographical location on the Gulf of Mexico provides a mild subtropical climate, with an average annual temperature of 67. The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world The subtropics are the zones of the Earth immediately north and south of the tropic zone which is bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Climate encompasses the temperatures humidity rainfall atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorogical factors in a given region over long periods of 5 °F (20 °C). Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. Normal average January through December temperatures range from 40 °F (4 °C) minimum and 91 °F (33 °C) maximum. ^[43] Mobile has hot, humid summers and mild, rainy winters. A 2007 study by WeatherBill, Inc. WeatherBill is an Electronic commerce Website launched in January 2007 that allows companies to buy contracts based on future Weather events determined that Mobile is the wettest city in the contiguous 48 states, with 67 inches (170 cm) of average annual rainfall. Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. A centimetre ( American spelling: centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one hundredth ^[44] Mobile averages 59 rainy days per year. ^[44] Snow is rare in Mobile, with the last snowfall being on 18 December 1996. ^[45]

Being on the Gulf, Mobile is occasionally affected by major tropical storms and hurricanes. A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a low pressure center and numerous Thunderstorms that produce strong winds and Flooding A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a low pressure center and numerous Thunderstorms that produce strong winds and Flooding ^[46] Mobile suffered a major natural disaster on the night of 12 September 1979 when Category 3 Hurricane Frederic passed over the heart of the city. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is a classification used for most Western Hemisphere Tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of Tropical depressions Hurricane Frederic was the sixth Tropical cyclone, third hurricane and second major hurricane of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm caused tremendous damage to Mobile and the surrounding area. ^[47] Mobile received moderate damage from Hurricane Ivan on 16 September 2004. Hurricane Ivan was the strongest hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. ^[48] Mobile also received moderate damage from Hurricane Katrina on 29 August 2005. Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest in the history of the United States A storm surge of 11. 45 feet (3. 49 m) damaged eastern sections of Mobile and caused extensive flooding in downtown. ^[49]

Weather averages for Mobile, Alabama
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Average high °F (°C)	61 (16)	65 (18)	71 (22)	77 (25)	84 (29)	89 (32)	91 (33)	91 (33)	87 (31)	79 (26)	70 (21)	63 (17)
Average low °F (°C)	40 (4)	42 (6)	49 (9)	55 (13)	63 (17)	69 (21)	72 (22)	72 (22)	68 (20)	56 (13)	48 (9)	42 (6)
Precipitation inches (mm)	6 (152. In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric 4)	5 (127)	7 (177. 8)	5 (127)	6 (152. 4)	5 (127)	6 (152. 4)	6 (152. 4)	6 (152. 4)	3 (76. 2)	5 (127)	5 (127)
Source: US Travel Weather[50] 2007-12-03

Culture

Mobile is home to an array of cultural influences with its French, British, Spanish, African, Creole and Catholic heritage distinguishing it from all other cities in the state of Alabama. The annual Carnival celebration is perhaps the best illustration of this. Carnival is a festival season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February and March Carnival in Mobile has evolved over the course of 300 years from a sedate French Catholic tradition into a mainstream multi-week celebration across the spectrum of cultures. ^[51]

Carnival and Mardi Gras

See also: Mardi Gras in Mobile

See also: Mystic society

Mobile's Carnival celebrations start as early as November with several balls,^[52] with the parades usually beginning after January 5. A ball is a formal Dance. The word 'ball' is derived from the Latin word "ballare" meaning 'to dance' the term also derived into "bailar" which is the A parade (also called march or marchpast) is a procession of people usually organized along a street often in Costume, and often accompanied by Fire ^[53] Carnival celebrations end promptly at the stroke of midnight on Mardi Gras, signaling the beginning of Ash Wednesday and the first day of Lent. " Mardi Gras " ( French for Fat Tuesday) is the day before Ash Wednesday. In the Western Christian Calendar, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and occurs forty days before Easter (excluding Sundays Lent, in some Christian denominations, is the forty-day-long liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. ^[54] Mardi Gras, though literally meaning Fat Tuesday and thus the last day of the Carnival season, is normally used locally to refer to the entire Carnival season. " Mardi Gras " ( French for Fat Tuesday) is the day before Ash Wednesday. During this time Mobile's mystic societies build colorful Carnival floats and parade throughout downtown with masked society members tossing small gifts, known as throws, to the parade spectators. A mystic society is a Carnival organization very similar to a Krewe in New Orleans, that presents parades and/or balls for the enjoyment of its members ^[55] Mobile's mystic societies also give formal masquerade balls, which are almost always invitation only and are oriented to adults. A masquerade ball (or bal masqué) is an event which the participants attend in Costume wearing a Mask. ^[53]

Mobile first celebrated Carnival in 1703 when French settlers began the festivities at the Old Mobile Site. The Old Mobile Site was the location of the French settlement La Mobile and the associated Fort Louis de La Louisiane from 1702 until 1712 ^[14] Mobile's first Carnival society began in 1711 with the Boeuf Gras Society (Fatted Ox Society). ^[56] Mobile's Cowbellion de Rakin Society was the first formally organized and masked mystic society in the United States to celebrate with a parade in 1830. ^[14][54] The Cowbellions got their start when a cotton factor from Pennsylvania, Michael Krafft, began a parade with rakes, hoes, and cowbells. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern ^[54] The Cowbellians introduced horse-drawn floats to the parades in 1840 with a parade entitled, “Heathen Gods and Goddesses. ^[56] The Striker's Independent Society was formed in 1843 and is the oldest remaining mystic society in the United States. The Strikers Independent Society (S I S is a Mystic society founded in 1843in Mobile Alabama (during Mobile's first American periodand participated in ^[56] Carnival celebrations in Mobile were canceled during the American Civil War. Mardi Gras parades were revived by Joe Cain in 1866 when he paraded through the city streets on Fat Tuesday while costumed as a fictional Chickasaw chief named Slacabamorinico, irreverently celebrating the day in front of the occupying Union Army troops. For the football player of the same name see Joe Cain (football player. The Chickasaw' are Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States (Mississippi Alabama Tennessee The Union Army was the army that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. ^[57] The year 2002 saw Mobile's Tricentennial celebrated with parades that represented all of Mobile's mystic societies. An anniversary (from the Latin anniversarius, from the words for year and to turn meaning (returning yearly known in English since c. ^[56]

Archives and libraries

The National African American Archives and Museum features the history of "Colored Carnival", African American participation in Mobile's Mardi Gras, authentic artifacts from the era of slavery, and portraits and biographies of famous African Americans. The National African American Archives and Museum, formerly the Davis Avenue Branch of the Mobile Public Library, is an archive and history museum located in ^[58] The University of South Alabama Archives houses primary source material relating to the history of Mobile and southern Alabama as well as the university's history. The archives are located on the ground floor of the USA Spring Hill Campus and are open to the general public. ^[59] The Mobile Municipal Archives contains the extant records of the City of Mobile, dating from the city's creation as a municipality by the Mississippi Territory in 1814. The majority of the original records of Mobile's colonial history (1702-1813) are housed in Paris, London, Seville, and Madrid. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Seville ( Spanish: Sevilla, see also different names) is the artistic cultural and financial capital of southern Spain. Madrid (pronounced in English in Spanish and colloquially in Spain) is the Capital and largest city of Spain. ^[60] The Mobile Genealogical Society Library and Media Center is located at the Holy Family Catholic Church and School complex and features written and published materials for use in genealogical research. ^[61] The Mobile Public Library system serves Mobile and consists of eight branches across Mobile County, featuring its own large local history and genealogy division housed in a facility next to the newly restored and enlarged Ben May Main Library on Government Street. The Mobile Public Library is Public library system primarily serving Mobile County Alabama. ^[62] The Saint Ignatius Archives, Museum and Theological Research Library contains primary sources, artifacts, documents, photographs and publications that pertain to the history of Saint Ignatius Church and School, the Catholic history of the city, and the history of the Roman Catholic Church. ^[63]

Entertainment and arts

The Mobile Museum of Art features European, Non-Western, American, and Decorative Arts collections. The Mobile Museum of Art is an Art museum located in Mobile, Alabama. ^[12] The Saenger Theatre of Mobile was opened in 1927 and is a modern dynamic performing arts center. The Mobile Saenger Theatre is a historic Theater and contributing building to the Lower Dauphin Street Historic District in Mobile Alabama. It is home to the Mobile Symphony and Space 301, a contemporary art gallery. The Mobile Symphony Orchestra is the symphonic Orchestra of Mobile Alabama. It also serves as a small concert venue for the city. ^[64] The Mobile Civic Center contains three facilities under one roof. Mobile Civic Center is a multi-use event center located in Mobile Alabama. The 400,000 sq ft (37,161 m²) building has an arena, a theater and an exposition hall. The square foot is an Imperial unit / US customary unit (non- SI non- metric) of Area, used mainly in the United States M^2 redirects here For other uses see M². CM2 redirects here It is the primary concert venue for the city and hosts a wide variety of events. It is home to the Mobile Opera and the Mobile Ballet. Mobile Opera is an Opera company located in Mobile, Alabama and is one of the oldest Performing arts organizations in the United States as well ^[13] The 60-year old Mobile Opera averages about 1,200 attendees per performance. Mobile Opera is an Opera company located in Mobile, Alabama and is one of the oldest Performing arts organizations in the United States as well ^[65] A wide variety of events are held at Mobile's Arthur C. Outlaw Convention Center. It contains a 100,000 sq ft (9,290 m²) exhibit hall, a 15,000 sq ft (1,394 m²) grand ballroom, and sixteen meeting rooms. ^[66]

Tourism

Museums

Mobile is home to a variety of museums. Battleship Memorial Park is a military park on the shore of Mobile Bay and features the World War II era battleship USS Alabama (BB-60), the World War II era submarine USS Drum (SS-228), Korean War and Vietnam War Memorials, and a variety of historical military equipment. Battleship Memorial Park is a military park located along the shores of Mobile Bay, on the Battleship Parkway in Mobile Alabama. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including A battleship is a large heavily armored Warship with a main battery consisting of the largest Calibre of Guns Battleships were Active service Atlantic service Alabama was laid down on 1 February 1940 by the Norfolk Navy Yard, launched on 16 February 1942 and sponsored by A submarine is a Watercraft that can operate independently below water as distinct from a Submersible that has only limited underwater capability History Launching and commissioning The boat was launched 12 May 1941 by Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery Maine, sponsored The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia ^[67] The Museum of Mobile chronicles 300 years of Mobile history and material culture and is housed in the historic Old City Hall (1857). Old City Hall, also known as the Southern Market, is a historic complex of adjoining buildings in Mobile, Alabama, that currently houses the Museum Old City Hall, also known as the Southern Market, is a historic complex of adjoining buildings in Mobile, Alabama, that currently houses the Museum ^[68] The Oakleigh Historic Complex features three house museums that interpret the lives of people from three levels of Mobile society in the mid-19th century. Oakleigh is a Historic house museum in Mobile, Alabama, United States. ^[69] The Mobile Carnival Museum, which houses the city's Mardi Gras history and memorabilia, documents the variety of floats, costumes, and displays seen during the history of the festival season. The Mobile Carnival Museum is a history museum that that chronicles over 300 years of Carnival and Mardi Gras in Mobile Alabama. Mardi Gras in Mobile, Alabama is the oldest traditional Carnival celebration in America having begun in 1703over 15 years before ^[70] The Bragg-Mitchell Mansion (1855),^[71] Richards DAR House (1860),^[72] and the Conde-Charlotte House (1822)^[73] are historic antebellum house museums. The Bragg-Mitchell Mansion, also known as the Bragg-Mitchell House, is a historic house museum in Mobile Alabama. The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR is a lineage -based membership organization of women dedicated to promoting Historic preservation, Education The Conde-Charlotte House, also known as the Kirkbride House, is a historic house museum in Mobile Alabama, United States. " Antebellum " is an expression derived from Latin that means "before war" ( ante, "before" and bellum Fort Morgan, Fort Gaines, and Historic Blakeley State Park figure into local American Civil War history. Fort Morgan is a Fort at the mouth of Mobile Bay, Alabama, United States. Fort Gaines is a historic Fort on Dauphin Island, Alabama, United States. Blakeley is a Ghost town in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South The Mobile Medical Museum is housed in the historic Vincent-Doan House (1827) and features artifacts and resources that chronicle the history of medicine in Mobile. ^[74] The Phoenix Fire Museum is located in the restored Phoenix Volunteer Fire Company Number 6 building and features the history of fire companies in Mobile from their organization in 1838. ^[75] The Mobile Police Department Museum features exhibits that chronicle the history of law enforcement in Mobile. ^[76] The Gulf Coast Exploreum is a non-profit science center located in downtown. The Gulf Coast Exploreum is a non-profit Science center that features three permanent exhibitions a wide variety of traveling exhibitions a virtual theater and an IMAX It features permanent and traveling exhibits, an IMAX dome theater, a digital 3D virtual theater, and a hands-on chemistry laboratory. IMAX (short for Image MAXimum is a Film format created by Canada 's IMAX Corporation that has the capacity to display images of far greater size and ^[77] The Dauphin Island Sea Lab is located south of the city near the mouth of Mobile Bay. The Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL is Alabama 's primary marine education and research center Mobile Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, lying within the state of Alabama in the United States. It houses the Estuarium, an aquarium which illustrates the four habitats of the Mobile Bay ecosystem: the river delta, bay, barrier islands and Gulf of Mexico. Mobile Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, lying within the state of Alabama in the United States. An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants animals and micro-organisms( Biotic factors in an area functioning together with all of the non-living physical ( The Mobile River is located in southern Alabama in the United States. Mobile Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, lying within the state of Alabama in the United States. Dauphin Island is a town in Mobile County, Alabama, United States, located on a Barrier island also named Dauphin Island The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world ^[78]

Parks and other attractions

The Mobile Botanical Gardens feature a variety of flora spread over 100 acres (40 ha). The Mobile Botanical Gardens were founded in 1974 and are located on Museum Drive in the Spring Hill community in Mobile, Alabama. The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U Explanation The hectare is commonly used in most countries around the world especially in domains concerned with land planning and management such as Agriculture, It contains the Millie McConnell Rhododendron Garden with 1,000 evergreen and native azaleas and the 30-acre (12 ha) Longleaf Pine Habitat. Rhododendron (from the Greek: rhodos, "rose" and dendron, "tree" is a genus of flowering plants in the family The 'Longleaf Pine' ( Pinus palustris) is a Pine native to the southeast United States, found along the coastal plain from eastern Texas to southeast ^[79] The Bellingrath Gardens and Home are located on Fowl River and contain 65 acres (26 ha) of landscaped gardens and a 10,500 sq ft (975 m²) mansion dating to the 1930s. The Bellingrath Gardens and Home consists of gardens and a mansion located on the Fowl River in Theodore, a suburb of Mobile Alabama. Fowl River is a river in the state of United States}}[[CategoryRivers of Alabama]]{{Alabama-geo-stub The square foot is an Imperial unit / US customary unit (non- SI non- metric) of Area, used mainly in the United States M^2 redirects here For other uses see M². CM2 redirects here ^[80] The 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center is a new facility for exploring the Mobile, Spanish, Tensaw, Appalachee, and Blakeley River delta. ^[81]

Mobile has more than 45 public parks with some that are of special interest. ^[82] Bienville Square is a historic park dating to 1850 in the Lower Dauphin Street Historic District and is named for Mobile’s founder, Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville. Bienville Square is a historic city park in the center of downtown Mobile Alabama. ^[83] This park was once a principle gathering place for the citizens of the city and remains popular today. Cathedral Square is a performing arts park in the Lower Dauphin Street Historic District overlooking the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Cathedral Square, also known as Cathedral Plaza, is a municipal park in Mobile Alabama. ^[84] Fort Condé is a reconstruction of the original Fort Condé, built on the old fort's footprint. Fort Conde, located in Mobile Alabama, at 150 South Royal Street is a reconstruction at 4/5 scale of part of the original French Fort Condé at the site It is the city’s official welcome center and living history museum. ^[18] Spanish Plaza is a downtown park that honors the Spanish occupation of the city between 1780 and 1813. It features the "Arches of Friendship", a fountain presented to Mobile by the city of Málaga, Spain. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. ^[85] Langan Park is a 720-acre (291 ha) municipal park that features lakes and natural spaces. Langan Park, also known as Municipal Park, is a municipal park in Mobile Alabama. ^[82] It is home to the Mobile Museum of Art, Azalea City Golf Course, Mobile Botanical Gardens and Playhouse in the Park. ^[82]

Historic architecture

Mobile has antebellum architectural examples of Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, and Creole cottage. The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries predominantly in northern Europe and the United States The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement which began In the course of the history of Classical architecture, an Italianate style of architecture was a distinct nineteenth-century phase in which Italian sixteenth-century Creole cottage is a term loosely used to refer to a type of vernacular architecture Indigenous to the Gulf Coast of the United States. Later architectural styles found in the city include the various Victorian types, shotgun types, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, Beaux-Arts and many others. The term Victorian architecture can refer to one of a number of Architectural styles predominantly employed during the Victorian era. The shotgun house is a narrow rectangular domestic residence usually no more than 12  feet (3 The Colonial Revival was a Nationalistic Architectural style and Interior design movement in the United States. The Spanish Colonial Revival Style was a United States architectural movement that came about in the early 20th century starting in Florida as a regional expression related Beaux Arts architecture denotes the academic classical Architectural style that was taught at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris. The city currently has nine major historic districts consisting of Old Dauphin Way, Oakleigh Garden, Lower Dauphin Street, Leinkauf, De Tonti Square, Church Street East, Ashland Place, Campground, and Midtown. The Old Dauphin Way Historic District is a Historic district in the city of Mobile, Alabama, United States. The Oakleigh Garden Historic District is a Historic district in Mobile, Alabama, United States. The Lower Dauphin Street Historic District is a Historic district in the city of Mobile, Alabama, United States. The Leinkauf Historic District is a Historic district in the city of Mobile, Alabama, United States. The De Tonti Square Historic District is a Historic district in the city of Mobile, Alabama, United States. The Church Street East Historic District is a Historic district in the city of Mobile, Alabama, United States. The Ashland Place Historic District is a Historic district in the city of Mobile, Alabama, United States. The Campground Historic District is a Historic district in the city of Mobile, Alabama, United States. The Midtown Historic District is a Historic district in the city of Mobile, Alabama, United States. ^[86]

Mobile has a number of historic structures spread throughout the city. Some of Mobile's historic churches include Christ Church Cathedral, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Government Street Presbyterian Church, and Trinity Episcopal Church. Christ Church Cathedral, also known simply as Christ Church, is a historic Episcopal cathedral located in Mobile Alabama, USA. Government Street Presbyterian Church is one of the oldest and least-altered Greek Revival church buildings in the United States. Trinity Episcopal Church is a historic church in Mobile, Alabama, United States. Two historic Roman Catholic convents survive, the Convent and Academy of the Visitation and the Convent of Mercy. The Convent and Academy of the Visitation, properly known today as the Visitation Monastery, is a historic complex of Roman Catholic religious buildings and a small The Convent of Mercy, known today as the St Francis Place Condominiums, is a small complex of historic Roman Catholic religious buildings in Mobile, The Stone Street Baptist Church is a historic African American church that was established in the 1840s. Stone Street Baptist Church is a historic African American Baptist church in Mobile, Alabama. Barton Academy is a historic Greek Revival school building and local landmark on Government Street. Barton Academy is a historic Greek Revival school building located in Mobile, Alabama, United States. The Bishop Portier House and the Carlen House are two of the many surviving examples of Creole cottages in the city. The Bishop Portier House, is located on the southeast corner of Conti Street at Claiborne Street in Mobile Alabama, United States, diagonally across from the The Carlen House, also known as the Carlen House Museum, is a Historic house museum in Mobile, Alabama, United States. Creole cottage is a term loosely used to refer to a type of vernacular architecture Indigenous to the Gulf Coast of the United States. The Mobile City Hospital and the United States Marine Hospital are both restored Greek Revival hospital buildings that predate the Civil War. Mobile City Hospital, also known as Old Mobile General Hospital, is a historic Greek Revival hospital building in Mobile, Alabama, United The United States Marine Hospital is a historic Greek Revival hospital building in Mobile, Alabama, United States. The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries predominantly in northern Europe and the United States The Washington Firehouse No. 5 is a Greek Revival fire station, built in 1851. Washington Firehouse No 5 is a historic Fire station in Mobile, Alabama, United States. A fire station (also called stationhouse) is a structure or other area set aside for storage of firefighting apparatus (i The Hunter House is an example of the Italianate style and was built by a successful 19th century African American businesswoman. The Hunter House is a historic African American residence in Mobile, Alabama, United States. In the course of the history of Classical architecture, an Italianate style of architecture was a distinct nineteenth-century phase in which Italian sixteenth-century The Shepard House is a good example of the Queen Anne style. Monterey Place, best known as the Shepard House, is a historic residence in Mobile, Alabama, United States. The Queen Anne Style is a style of architecture, furniture and decoration that reached its greatest popularity in the last quarter of the 19th century manifesting itself in The Scottish Rite Temple is the only surviving example of Egyptian Revival architecture in the city. The Scottish Rite Temple is a historic building in Mobile, Alabama, United States. Egyptian Revival is an Architectural style that makes use of the motifs and imagery of Ancient Egypt.

The city has several historic cemeteries that were established after the colonial era. They replaced Mobile's colonial Campo Santo, of which no traces remain. A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The Church Street Graveyard contains above-ground tombs and monuments spread over 4 acres (2 ha) and was founded in 1819, during the height of the yellow fever epidemics. Church Street Graveyard is a historic city Cemetery located in Mobile Alabama. ^[87] The nearby 120-acre (49 ha) Magnolia Cemetery was established in 1836 and was Mobile's primary burial site during the 19th century with approximately 80,000 burials. Magnolia Cemetery is a city Cemetery located in Mobile, Alabama, United States. ^[88] It features tombs and many intricately carved monuments and statues. ^[89][90] The Old Catholic Cemetery was established in 1848 by the Archdiocese of Mobile and covers more than 150 acres (61 ha). Old Catholic Cemetery, formerly known as the Stone Street Cemetery, is a historic Cemetery located in Mobile, Alabama, United States The Archdiocese of Mobile ( Archidioecesis Mobiliensis) is a Roman Catholic Archdiocese comprising the lower 28 counties of Alabama. It contains plots for the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, Little Sisters of the Poor, Sisters of Charity, and Sisters of Mercy, in addition to many other historically significant burials. The Brothers of the Sacred Heart is a Roman Catholic congregation founded in 1821 by Père André Coindre, of the Diocese of Lyon, France. The Little Sisters of the Poor is a Roman Catholic Religious order for women Many religious communities have the term Sisters of Charity as part of their name The Religious Order of the Sisters of Mercy (RSM is an order of Catholic Women founded by Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland in ^[91] Mobile's Jewish community dates back to the 1820s and the city has two historic Jewish cemeteries, Ahavas Chesed Cemetery and Sha'arai Shomayim Cemetery. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Ahavas Chesed Cemetery, is a historic Jewish Cemetery located in Mobile Alabama. Sha'arai Shomayim Cemetery is a historic Jewish Cemetery located in Mobile Alabama, United States. ^[92]

Demographics

The 2000 census determined that there were 198,915 people residing within the city limits. ^[2] Mobile is the center of Alabama's second-largest metropolitan area, which consists of all of Mobile County. Alabama (formally the State of Alabama;) is a State located in the southern region of the United States of America. Metropolitan Mobile (MSA) had a population of 399,843 as of 2000 census. Metropolitan Mobile has a population of 400526 within Mobile County in the southwestern tip of Alabama. ^[3] As of the 2006 census estimates there were 87,297 total housing units in the city of Mobile. ^[93] The racial makeup of the city was 48. 2% White, 47. 9% Black or African American, 0. 2% Native American, 1. 8% Asian, 0. 3% Pacific Islander, 0. 5% from other races, 0. 9% from two or more races, and 1. 2% of the population were Latino. ^[93]

There were 73,057 households out of which 22,225 had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29,963 were married couples living together, 15,360 had a female householder with no husband present, 3,488 had a male householder with no wife present, and 24,246 were non-families. NOTICE TO WOULD-BE ROMEOS ************** ^[93] 20,957 of all households were made up of individuals and 7,994 had someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. ^[93] The average household size was 2. 59 and the average family size was 3. 23. ^[93]

The population was spread out with 7. 1% under the age of 5, 73. 6% over 18, and 13. 4% over 65. ^[93] The median age was 35. 6 years. ^[93] The male population was 47. 6% and the female population was 52. 4%. ^[93] The median income for a household in the city was $37,439, and the median income for a family was $45,217. ^[93] The per capita income for the city was $21,612. Per capita income means how much each individual receives in monetary terms of the yearly income generated in the country 21. 3% of the population and 17. 6% of families were below the poverty line. The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of Income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate Standard of living in a given country ^[93]

Government

City

See also: List of mayors of Mobile, Alabama

Since 1985 the government of Mobile has consisted of a mayor and a seven member city council. This is a list of Mayors of Mobile Alabama. 1820 - 1822: Addin Lewis 1822- 1823: John Elliott A city council is a form of Local government, usually covering a City or other Urban area, such as a Town. ^[94] The mayor is elected at-large and the council members are elected from each of the seven city council districts. At-Large is a designation for representative members of a governing body who are Elected or appointed to represent the whole membership of the body (for example a city state A supermajority of five votes is required to conduct council business. A supermajority or a qualified majority is a requirement for a proposal to gain a specified level or type of support which exceeds a simple Majority in order to have This form of city government was chosen by the voters after the previous form of government, which used three city commissioners who were elected at-large, was ruled to substantially dilute the African American vote in the 1975 case Bolden v. City of Mobile. ^[95] Municipal elections are held every four years.

The current mayor, Sam Jones, was elected in September of 2005 and is the first African American mayor of Mobile. Samuel L Jones is serving his first term as mayor of his hometown Mobile, Alabama. ^[96] As of January 2006, the city council is composed of Fredrick Richardson, Jr. from District 1, William Carroll from District 2, Clinton Johnson from District 3, John C. Williams from District 4, Reggie Copeland, Sr. from District 5, Connie Hudson from District 6, and Gina Gregory from District 7. Reggie Copeland, Sr. is currently serving as Council President with Fredrick Richardson, Jr. serving as Council Vice President. ^[97]

In January of 2008, the city hired EDSA, an urban design firm, to create a new comprehensive master plan for the downtown area and surrounding neighborhoods. Urban design concerns the arrangement appearance and functionality of towns and cities and in particular the shaping and uses of urban Public space. The planning area is bordered on the east by the Mobile River, to the south by Interstate 10 and Duval Street, to the west by Houston Street and to the north by Three Mile Creek and the neighborhoods north of Martin Luther King Avenue. ^[98]

State

Mobile is represented in the Alabama Legislature by three senators and nine representatives. The Alabama Legislature is the legislative branch of the state government of Alabama. The Alabama Senate is the Upper house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of the U The Alabama House of Representatives is the Lower house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of the U Mobile is represented in the Alabama Senate by Democrat Vivian Davis Figures from the 33rd district, by Republican Rusty Glover from the 34th district, and by Republican Ben Brooks from the 35th district. The Alabama Senate is the Upper house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of the U The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Vivian Davis Figures (born ( January 24, 1957) is a Democratic member of the Alabama Senate, representing the 33rd District in Mobile Rusty Glover is a Republican member of the Alabama Senate, representing the 34th District since 2007 Ben Brooks is a Republican member of the Alabama Senate, representing the 35th District since 2007 ^[99] Mobile is represented in the Alabama House of Representatives by Democrat Yvonne Kennedy from the 97th district, Democrat James O. The Alabama House of Representatives is the Lower house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of the U Gordon from the 98th district, Democrat James Buskey from the 99th district, Republican Victor Gaston from the 100th district, Republican Jamie Ison from the 101st district, Republican Chad Fincher from the 102nd district, Democrat Joseph C. Mitchell from the 103rd district, Republican Jim Barton from the 104th district, and Republican Spencer Collier from the 105th district. ^[100]

Education

Primary and secondary

Public facilities

See also: Mobile County Public School System

Public schools in Mobile are operated by the Mobile County Public School System. Mobile County Public School System (MCPSS is a School district based in unincorporated Mobile County, Alabama United States. Mobile County Public School System (MCPSS is a School district based in unincorporated Mobile County, Alabama United States. The Mobile County Public School System has an enrollment of over 65,000 students, employs approximately 8,500 public school employees, and had a budget in 2005-2006 of $617,162,616. ^[101] The State of Alabama operates the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science on Dauphin Street in Mobile, which boards advanced Alabama high school students. Academics All courses are taught at the Advanced Placement or Honors level It was founded in 1989 to identify, challenge, and educate future leaders. ^[102]

Private facilities

Mobile also has a large number of private schools, most of them being parochial in nature. Parochial school is one term used (particularly in the United States) to describe a school that engages in Religious education in addition to conventional Education Many of these belong to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile. The Archdiocese of Mobile ( Archidioecesis Mobiliensis) is a Roman Catholic Archdiocese comprising the lower 28 counties of Alabama. The private Catholic institutions include McGill-Toolen Catholic High School (1896), Corpus Christi School, Little Flower Catholic School (1934), Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic School (1900), Saint Dominic School (1961), Saint Ignatius School (1952), Saint Mary Catholic School (1867), Saint Pius X Catholic School (1957), and Saint Vincent DePaul Catholic School (1976). McGill-Toolen Catholic High School, located in Mobile Alabama, is a private co-educational high school operated by the educational system of the Roman Catholic ^[103] The private Protestant institutions include St. Paul's Episcopal School (1947), Mobile Christian School (1961), St. Lukes Episcopal School (1961), Faith Academy (1967), and the Cottage Hill Baptist School System (1970), which operates Cottage Hill Baptist School and Cottage Hill Christian Academy. Faith Academy is a private Christian school in Mobile Alabama. ^[103] UMS-Wright Preparatory School (1893) is an independent, non-religious, co-educational preparatory school. UMS-Wright is an independent non-religious co-educational preparatory school in Mobile Alabama. A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school (usually abbreviated to preparatory school, college prep school, or prep school ^[103]

Tertiary

Colleges and universities in Mobile include the University of South Alabama, Spring Hill College, the University of Mobile, Faulkner University, and Bishop State Community College. ^[104]

The University of South Alabama is a public, doctoral-level university established in 1963. The University of South Alabama ( USA) is a public, doctoral-level University in Mobile, Alabama, USA. A doctorate is an Academic degree that indicates the highest level of academic achievement The university is composed of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Mitchell College of Business, the College of Education, the College of Engineering, the College of Medicine, the Doctor of Pharmacy Program, the College of Nursing, the School of Computer and Information Sciences, and the School of Continuing Education and Special Programs. ^[105]

Spring Hill College, chartered in 1830, was the first Catholic college in the southeastern U. Spring Hill College is a private co-educational Roman Catholic Jesuit College in the United States. S. and is the third oldest Jesuit college in the country. The Society of Jesus ( Latin: Societas Iesu, SJ and SI or SJ, SI) is a Catholic religious order ^[106] This four-year private college offers graduate programs in Business Administration, Education, Liberal Arts, Nursing (MSN), and Theological Studies. ^[107] Undergraduate divisions and programs include the Division of Business, the Communications/Arts Division, International Studies, Interdivisional Studies, the Language and Literature Division, Nursing (BSN), Philosophy and Theology, Political Science, the Sciences Division, the Social Sciences Division, and the Teacher Education Division. ^[108]

The University of Mobile is a four-year private Baptist-affiliated university that was founded in 1961. The University of Mobile is an American four-year private Baptist -affiliated University in Prichard Alabama, an industrial suburb of Mobile It consists of the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business, School of Christian Studies, School of Education, the School of Leadership Development, and the School of Nursing. ^[109]

Faulkner University is a four-year private Church of Christ-affiliated university based in Montgomery, Alabama. Faulkner University is a private Christian University, located in Montgomery Alabama, USA, and affiliated with the Church of Montgomery (məntˈgəmɜriː is the Capital, second most populous city and the 4th most populous metropolitan area in the Southern U The Mobile campus was established in 1975 and offers bachelor's degrees in Business Administration, Management of Human Resources, and Criminal Justice. ^[110] It also offers associate degrees in Business Administration, Business Information Systems, Computer & Information Science, Criminal Justice, Informatics, Legal Studies, Arts, and Science. ^[111]

Bishop State Community College, founded in 1927, is a two-year public institution with four campuses in Mobile and offers a wide array of associate degrees. ^[112]

Healthcare

Mobile serves the central Gulf Coast as a regional center for medicine. The city is served by over 850 physicians and 175 dentists. There are four major medical centers within the city limits: Mobile Infirmary Medical Center with 704 beds, Springhill Medical Center with 252 beds, Providence Hospital with 349 beds, and the University of South Alabama Medical Center with 346 beds and a level I trauma center. A hospital is an institution for Health care providing treatment by specialised staff and equipment and often but not always providing for A trauma center is a Hospital equipped to provide comprehensive Emergency medical services to patients suffering traumatic injuries ^[113] Additionally, the University of South Alabama also operates USA Women’s and Children’s Hospital with 219 beds, dedicated exclusively to the care of women and children, and Mobile Infirmary Medical Center operates Infirmary West with 100 acute care beds. ^[113] BayPointe Hospital and Children’s Residential Services is a 94-bed psychiatric hospital that houses a residential unit for children, an acute unit for children and adolescents, and an involuntary hospital unit for adults undergoing evaluation ordered by the Mobile Probate Court. ^[114] The city has a broad array of outpatient surgical centers, emergency clinics, home health care services, assisted-living facilities and skilled nursing facilities. SNF redirects here For the sports show see NBC Sunday Night Football. ^[115][113]

Economy

Aerospace, retail, services, construction, medicine, and manufacturing are Mobile's major industries. After experiencing economic decline for several decades, Mobile's economy began to rebound in the late 1980s. Between 1993 and 2003 13,983 new jobs were created as 87 new companies were founded and 399 existing companies were expanded. 1,700 new jobs were created from February 2003 to February 2004. ^[116] According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, Mobile's unemployment rate is 4. The United States Department of Labor is a Cabinet department of the United States government responsible for occupational safety wage and hour standards 1% as of February 2008. ^[117]

Expansion

Mobile's Alabama State Docks is currently undergoing the largest expansion in its history by expanding its container processing and storage facility and increasing container storage at the docks by over 1,000%. The Port of Mobile, located in Mobile, Alabama, United States, is the only deep-water port in the state and was the 10th largest in the nation in 2006 ^[118] As of 2006, the Port of Mobile was the 10th largest by tonnage in the United States. ^[11]

In 2005 Austal USA, based in Mobile, expanded their production facility for US defense and commercial aluminium shipbuilding. Austal USA is the American branch of operations for Australia-based shipbuilder Austal. ^[119] In 2007 German steel manufacturer ThyssenKrupp announced plans for a $3. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. ThyssenKrupp AG ( is a large German industrial conglomerate, with more than 200000 employees 7 billion steel mill. ^[120] The new plant is currently under construction in northern Mobile County. Company officials state that 2,700 permanent jobs will be added to the local economy. ^[120]

On 29 February 2008, the United States Air Force announced that a partnership between Northrop Grumman and EADS had won the contract to produce the new KC-45 aerial refueling tanker. Northrop Grumman Corporation ( is an Aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV ( EADS) is a large European aerospace corporation formed by the merger on July 10, WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Aerial refueling, also called air refueling, in-flight refueling ( IFR) air-to-air refueling ( AAR) or tanking, is The contract is considered to be worth up to $40 billion with 179 planes to be delivered over the next ten to fifteen years. The production of these aircraft will be at Mobile's Brookley Complex. ^{[121][122][123]}

Brookley Complex

The Brookley Complex, also known as the Mobile Downtown Airport, is an industrial complex and airport located 3 miles (5 km) south of the central business district of the city. The Brookley Complex, also known as the Mobile Downtown Airport According to the FAA 's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2007-2011 it is categorized An airport is a location where Aircraft such as airplanes, Helicopters and blimps take off and land A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A central business district ( CBD) is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city It is currently the largest industrial and transportation complex in the region with over 100 companies, many of which are aerospace, and 4000 employees on 1,700 acres (688 ha). This article is about the field of research and industry for the corporation see The Aerospace Corporation Aerospace comprises the The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U Explanation The hectare is commonly used in most countries around the world especially in domains concerned with land planning and management such as Agriculture, ^[124] Brookley includes the largest private employer in Mobile County, Mobile Aerospace Engineering, a subsidiary of Singapore Technologies Engineering. ST Mobile Aerospace Engineering ( MAE) provides commercial aircraft maintenance to the North and South American aerospace markets A subsidiary, in business matters is an entity that is controlled by a bigger and more powerful entity ST Engineering (Singapore Technologies Engineering is an integrated engineering group providing solutions and services in the Aerospace, Electronics, land systems ^[124]

Transportation

Air

Local airline passengers are served by the Mobile Regional Airport which directly connects to six major hub airports: Charlotte, Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, Chicago, and Memphis. Mobile Regional Airport is an Airport located 11 miles (18 km west of the Central business district of Mobile, a city in Mobile County Charlotte Douglas International Airport is a public International airport located in Charlotte North Carolina. George Bush Intercontinental Airport is an International airport in the city of Houston, Texas, United States serving the Greater Houston Memphis International Airport is a public Airport located three miles (5 km) south of the Central business district of Memphis, a city ^[125] It is served by American Airlines, Continental Express, Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlink and US Airways Express. American Airlines Inc (AA is a US -based airline and the world's Largest airline in total passenger miles transported and passenger fleet size Continental Express is the operating name Brand of a number of independently owned Regional airlines providing jet feeder service in association with Continental Delta Air Lines Inc ( is a United States Airline based and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Northwest Airlink is the trade name of Northwest Airlines ' Regional airline service which flies Turboprop and Regional jet aircraft from Northwest's US Airways Express is an airline Brand name, rather than a fully certificated airline and as such the US Airways Express name is used by several individually owned Airlines ^[125] The Brookley Complex serves corporate, cargo and private cargo aircraft. ^[125]

Rail

Mobile is served by six railroads. ^[126] Five of these are Class I railroads and include the Burlington Northern Railroad (BN), the Canadian National Railway (CNR), CSX Transportation (CSX), the Kansas City Southern Railway (KCS), and the Norfolk Southern Railway (NS). A Class I railroad in the United States and Mexico, or a Class I rail carrier in Canada, is a large freight Railroad, as classified The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States -based Railroad company operating between 1970 and 1996 Kansas City Southern (, is the Parent company of many Railroads and railroad related companies This article is about the present railroad formed in 1990 For the former regional railroad in Virginia and North Carolina a small part of the new one see Norfolk Southern ^[126] All five of these converge at the Port of Mobile, which provides intermodal freight transport service to companies engaged in importing and exporting. Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in a container or Vehicle, using multiple modes of Transportation ( ^[126] The sixth railroad is the Central Gulf Railroad, which is a rail ship service to Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz in Mexico. Coatzacoalcos is a major port city in the southern part of the Mexican state of Veracruz, on the Coatzacoalcos River. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. ^[126] The city was served by Amtrak's Sunset Limited passenger train service until 2005, when the service was suspended due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Doing business as Amtrak, is a Government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 The Sunset Limited is a Passenger train that for most of its history has run between New Orleans and Los Angeles California, and that from early Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest in the history of the United States ^[127][128]

Road

Two major interstate highways and a spur converge in Mobile. The Dwight D Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly called the Interstate Highway System (or simply the Interstate System) Interstate 10 runs northeast to southwest across the city while Interstate 65 starts in Mobile at Interstate 10 and runs north. Interstate 10 ( I-10) is the southernmost east-west coast-to-coast Interstate highway in the United States. Interstate 65 (I-65 is a major Interstate Highway in the United States. Interstate 165 connects to Interstate 65 north of the city in Prichard and joins Interstate 10 in downtown Mobile. Interstate 165 (I-165 is a spur from Interstate 65 that provides access to Mobile Alabama. Prichard is a city in Mobile County, Alabama, in the United States. ^[129] Mobile is well served by many major highway systems. United States Highways US 31, US 43, US 45, US 90 and US 98 radiate from Mobile traveling east, west, and north. US Route 31 is a long north-south highway connecting northern Michigan to southern Alabama, with termini at Interstate 75 near Mackinaw City US Route 43 is a north-south United States highway that runs for 410 miles (649 km from central Tennessee to Mobile Alabama. US Route 45 is a north-south United States highway. US 45 is a border-to-border route from Lake Superior to the Gulf of Mexico. US Route 90 is an east-west United States highway. Despite the "0" in its route number US 90 never was a full coast-to-coast route it has always ended at US Route 98 is an east-west United States highway that runs from southern Florida to western Mississippi. Mobile has three routes east across the Mobile River and Mobile Bay into neighboring Baldwin County, Alabama. Baldwin County is a County of the US state of Alabama. It is named in honor of Abraham Baldwin, a member of the United States Senate Interstate 10 leaves downtown through the George Wallace Tunnel under the river and then over the bay across the Jubilee Parkway to Spanish Fort/Daphne. The George Wallace Tunnel is a Tunnel along Interstate 10 in Mobile Alabama that crosses beneath the Mobile River. The Jubilee Parkway is a pair of parallel concrete Viaduct Bridges that carry Interstate 10 across Mobile Bay from the George Wallace Spanish Fort is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States, located on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. Daphne is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, USA on the eastern shoreline of Mobile Bay. US 98 leaves downtown through the Bankhead Tunnel under the river onto Blakeley Island and then over the bay across the Battleship Parkway into Spanish Fort, Alabama. The Bankhead Tunnel is a Tunnel in Mobile Alabama that begins on Government Street in downtown Mobile travels eastbound under the Mobile River, and emerges Battleship Parkway, commonly referred to locally and in the media as the " Causeway " is an elevated long Causeway that carries US 90 and US 90 travels over the Cochrane-Africatown USA Bridge to the north of downtown onto Blakeley Island where it becomes co-routed with US 98. The Cochrane-Africatown USA Bridge is a Cable-stayed bridge carrying mainline US 90 and Truck Route US 98 across the Mobile River in ^[129]

Mobile's public transportation is the Wave Transit System which features buses with 18 fixed routes and neighborhood service. ^[130] The Wave Transit System also operates the Moda! electric trolley service in downtown Mobile with 22 stops Monday through Saturday. ^[131] Baylinc is a public transportation bus service provided by the Baldwin Rural Transit System in cooperation with the Wave Transit System that provides service between eastern Baldwin County and downtown Mobile. Baldwin County is a County of the US state of Alabama. It is named in honor of Abraham Baldwin, a member of the United States Senate Baylinc operates Monday through Friday. ^[132] Greyhound Lines provides intercity bus service between Mobile and many locations throughout the United States. Greyhound Lines is an intercity Common carrier of passengers by Bus serving over 3700 destinations in the United States. Mobile is served by several taxi and limousine services. ^[133]

Water

The Port of Mobile has public, deepwater terminals with direct access to 1,500 miles of inland and intracoastal waterways serving the Great Lakes, the Ohio and Tennessee river valleys (via the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway), and the Gulf of Mexico. The Port of Mobile, located in Mobile, Alabama, United States, is the only deep-water port in the state and was the 10th largest in the nation in 2006 The Laurentian Great Lakes are a chain of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada–United States border. The Ohio River is the largest Tributary by volume of the Mississippi River. The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway (popularly known as the Tenn-Tom) is a 234 mile (377 km artificial waterway that provides a connecting link between the Tennessee The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world ^[134] The Alabama State Port Authority owns and operates the public terminals at the Port of Mobile. ^[134] The public terminals handle containerized, bulk, breakbulk, roll-on/roll-off, and heavy lift cargoes. Containerization (or containerisation) is a system of Intermodal freight transport Cargo Transport using standard ISO containers Bulk cargo is Commodity Cargo that is transported unpackaged in large quantities See also Merchant ship Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro Ships are ferries designed to carry wheeled Cargo such as ^[134] The port is also home to private bulk terminal operators, as well as a number of highly specialized shipbuilding and repair companies with two of the largest floating dry docks on the Gulf Coast. ^[134]

The city is home port for Carnival Cruise Lines' MS Holiday cruise ship which sails on four and five day itineraries through the Western Caribbean from the Alabama Cruise Terminal on Water Street. Carnival Cruise Lines is a Cruise line operating a large number of Cruise ships. Ship history Holiday entered service in 1985. She is currently the smallest and oldest ship in the Carnival fleet A cruise ship or cruise liner is a Passenger ship used for pleasure voyages where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting ^[135]

Media

See also: Media in Mobile, Alabama

Print

Mobile's Press-Register is Alabama's oldest active newspaper, dating back to 1813. This is a list of media in the Mobile Alabama metropolitan area. The Press-Register is a daily Newspaper serving the southwest Alabama counties of Mobile and Baldwin, continuing its on-going ^[136] The paper focuses on Mobile and Baldwin counties and the city of Mobile, but also serves southwestern Alabama and southeastern Mississippi. Mobile County is a County of the US state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of a tribe of Indians, the Maubila tribe (see Mobilian Baldwin County is a County of the US state of Alabama. It is named in honor of Abraham Baldwin, a member of the United States Senate ^[136] Mobile's alternative newspaper is the Lagniappe. Lagniappe - "Something Extra for Mobile" - is a bi-weekly Alternative newspaper published in Mobile Alabama. ^[137] The Mobile area's local magazine is Mobile Bay Monthly. ^[138]

Television

Mobile is served locally by four television stations: WPMI 15 (NBC), WKRG 5 (CBS), WALA 10 (FOX), and WBPG 55 (CW). WPMI is the NBC -affiliated television station for South Alabama and much of the Emerald Coast of Florida. The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's WKRG-TV has been the CBS television station in Mobile Alabama and Pensacola, Florida since its inception in 1955. CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. WALA-TV ("Fox Ten" is the Fox Broadcasting Company affiliate for southern Alabama and the western Panhandle area of Florida. WBPG is the CW Television Network affiliate for the Mobile Alabama and Pensacola Florida market The CW Television Network ( The CW) is a Television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006-2007 television season. ^[139] The regional area is also served by WEAR 3 (ABC) and WJTC 44, an independent station. WEAR is the ABC affiliate for the Pensacola Florida, Mobile Alabama, and Fort Walton Beach Florida viewing area The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. WJTC is an independent television station in Mobile Alabama and Pensacola Florida and is owned by Newport Television LLC, which also owns WPMI They are both based in Pensacola, Florida. Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the County seat of Escambia County. Mobile is included in the Mobile-Pensacola-Fort Walton Beach designated market area, as defined by Nielsen Media Research, and is ranked 61st in the United States for the 2007-08 television season. Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the County seat of Escambia County. Fort Walton Beach is a city in Okaloosa County Florida, United States. A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area, DMA or simply market is a region where the Population Nielsen Media Research ( NMR) is an American firm that measures media Audiences including Television, Radio Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[140]

Radio

Thirteen FM radio stations transmit from Mobile: WABB, WAVH, WBHY, WBLX, WDLT, WHIL, WKSJ, WKSJ-HD2, WMXC, WMXC-HD2, WQUA, WRKH, and WRKH-HD2. See also Frequency modulation, FM band FM broadcasting is a broadcast Technology invented by Edwin Howard Armstrong that WAVH (1065 FM, "The Pirate" is an Adult Hits formatted Radio station licensed to Daphne Alabama, and serving the greater Mobile WBHY-FM (885 FM, "Power88" is a Radio station licensed to serve Mobile Alabama, USA WBLX-FM (929 FM, "93BLX" is an American Mainstream Urban music-formatted Radio station that serves Mobile, Lower WDLT-FM (983 FM) is an Urban Adult Contemporary formatted Radio station licensed to Chickasaw Alabama, and serving greater Mobile WHIL-FM (913 FM) is a public Radio station in Mobile Alabama. WKSJ-FM (949 FM, "95 KSJ" is a Country music formatted Radio station that serves Mobile Alabama. WMXC (999 FM) branded as "Lite Mix 999" is an Adult Contemporary formatted Radio station serving Mobile Alabama, and Pensacola WMXC (999 FM) branded as "Lite Mix 999" is an Adult Contemporary formatted Radio station serving Mobile Alabama, and Pensacola WQUA (1021 FM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Religious format WRKH (961 FM) is the call sign for the Mobile Alabama Classic rock formatted Radio station known as "96 WRKH (961 FM) is the call sign for the Mobile Alabama Classic rock formatted Radio station known as "96 Nine AM radio stations transmit from Mobile: WABB, WBHY, WGOK, WIJD, WLPR, WLVV, WMOB, WNTM, and WXQW. WGOK (900 AM) "Gospel 900" is a Radio station serving the Mobile Alabama, area with a Gospel music format WIJD (1270 AM) is a Radio station licensed to the community of Prichard Alabama, USA and serves the greater Mobile Alabama WLPR (960 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Southern Gospel format WLVV (1410 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Gospel format WMOB (1360 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Religious format WNTM (710 AM, "NewsRadio 710" is a talk Radio station based in Mobile, Alabama. WXQW (660 AM, "Gospel 660" is a Gospel music formatted Radio station serving the Mobile Alabama, market The content ranges from Christian Contemporary to Hip hop to Top 40. Hip hop is a cultural movement which developed in New York City in the 1970s primarily among African Americans and Latinos. The Top Forty or Top 40 is a music industry shorthand for the currently most-popular songs in a particular genre. ^[141] Arbitron ranks Mobile's radio market as 93rd in the United States as of autumn 2007. Arbitron ( is a Radio audience research company in the United States which collects listener data on radio audiences similar to that collected by Nielsen Media ^[142]

Sports

See also: History of sports in Mobile, Alabama. Mobile Alabama is home to many different sports teams and events

Mobile is the home of Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Ladd Peebles Stadium (formerly Ernest F Ladd Memorial Stadium) is a Stadium in Mobile Alabama. The football stadium opened in 1948. American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with With a current capacity of 40,646, Ladd-Peebles Stadium is the 4th largest stadium in the state. ^[143] Ladd-Peebles Stadium has been home to the Senior Bowl since 1951, featuring the best college seniors in NCAA football. Senior Bowl is a post-season College football exhibition game played in Mobile Alabama which showcases the best NFL draft prospects of those collegiate The National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA, often pronounced "N-C-Double-A" is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions conferences organizations ^[144] The GMAC Bowl has been played since 1999 featuring opponents from the Mid-American Conference and Conference USA. The GMAC Bowl is a post-season NCAA -sanctioned Division I Football Bowl Subdivision College football Bowl game that has been played The Mid-American Conference ( MAC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA Division I college athletic conference with a membership Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. ^[145] Since 1988, Ladd-Peebles Stadium has hosted the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic. The top graduating high school seniors from their respective states compete each June. ^[146] The public Mobile Tennis Center includes over 50 courts, all lighted and hard-court. ^[147] For golfers, Magnolia Grove, part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, has 36 holes. The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is a collection of championship caliber Golf courses designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr The Falls course was recently named the best par 3 course in America. ^[148] Since 1999, the LPGA Tournament of Champions has been played annually at Magnolia Grove. The LPGA, in full the Ladies Professional Golf Association, is an American organization for female professional Golfers The organization whose headquarters are The Crossings course is home of this tournament. Beginning in 2008, the Bell Micro LPGA Classic will also be held in Mobile. The Bell Micro LPGA Classic is a standard event on the American LPGA tour Mobile is also home to the Azalea Trail Run, which races through historic midtown and downtown Mobile. The Azalea Trail Run is an annual spring race held in Mobile Alabama and is considered one of the United States' premier road races This 10k run has been an annual event since 1978. ^[149] The Azalea Trail Run is one of the premier 10k road races in the U. S. , attracting runners from all over the world. ^[150] Mobile's Hank Aaron Stadium is the home of the Mobile BayBears minor league baseball team. Hank Aaron Stadium is a Baseball stadium in Mobile Alabama, United States. The Mobile BayBears owned by Michael Savit and his HWS Group are a Minor league baseball team based in Mobile Alabama, United States. Part of the History of baseball series Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of Professional baseball leagues in North ^[151] As of December 2007, Mobile's University of South Alabama approved a NCAA Football program to be played at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. ^[152]

International sister cities

Mobile has international links with the following cities:^[153][154]

Cockburn, Australia Havana, Cuba Pau, France Worms, Germany

Gaeta, Italy Ichihara, Japan Veracruz, Mexico Gianjin, People's Republic of China

Bolinao, Philippines Katowice, Poland Constanţa, Romania Košice, Slovakia

King Shaka, South Africa Pyongtaek, South Korea Málaga, Spain

See also

• Mobile in popular culture
• People from Mobile
• Registered Historic Places in Mobile

References

External links

• City of Mobile
• Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce
• Mobile Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau

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