Alabama’s economy is highly diversified and rapidly growing. Minerals are mined in Alabama (mainly coal), lumber and paper are produced, rolled metal products (including cast iron and steel pipes), plastic products, and clothes are sewn.
Agriculture in Alabama is no longer concentrated, as before, on one crop — cotton. The state grows cereals (corn, sorghum), peanuts, soybeans, vegetables and fruits (particularly peaches). Animal husbandry (mainly dairy) and poultry farming are well developed.
But the main directions of development of the economy of modern Alabama are mechanical engineering and high technologies.
In Alabama’s capital, Montgomery, the US federal and state governments are the largest employers.
Near Montgomery is the Maxwell-Gunther Air Force Base, which is one of the main training centers for military pilots in the United States. Several military units are also based here.
Mechanical engineering is developing rapidly in Montgomery. The factories of the city produce water heaters of the well-known brand Rheem in the USA and assemble cars of the Hyundai brand.
In general, Alabama was chosen to create their North American divisions by several of the largest automobile companies in the world. Not far from Montgomery, in the city of Lincoln, there is a production complex of Honda, a number of factories have been built in the state by other well-known car manufacturers.
