Alabama, in the east south central United States, at the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains and on the Gulf of Mexico. It is one of the principal states of the South and is often referred to as the Heart of Dixie. Alabama covers 135,293 sq km, including 2,507 sq km of inland water and 1,344 sq km of coastal water over which the state has jurisdiction. It is the 30th largest state in the Union. Roughly rectangular in shape.