Montgomery (population 205,764) is the capital city of Alabama, within the southeastern United States. The city of Montgomery is situated on the Gulf Coastal Plain along the Alabama River, in the south-central portion of the state of Alabama. It serves as the county seat of Montgomery County. The city of Montgomery is the state's second-largest city (Birmingham is the largest). The Montgomery Metropolitan Statistical Area has a population of roughly 375,000, making it the fourth-biggest MSA within the state.
In 1819, two towns along the Alabama River merged to become the city of Montgomery. Nearly 30 years afterward, Montgomery became the state capital. The shift of state government to this particular area of Alabama acknowledged the importance of producing cotton. For some short months during the mid-1800s, the city of Montgomery was chosen as the capital of the Confederate States of America, quickly losing out to Richmond, Virginia. Montgomery won a place for itself in the African-American rights history as the site of Civil Rights marches and the crucial Montgomery Bus Boycott.
A significant section of Montgomery's jobs is provided by the regional and state government. These governmental agencies provide about one quarter of the local employment. One more key cog in the local economy is the Maxwell Air Force Base. Besides military and government, major jobs derives from the following sectors: healthcare, wholesale and retail trade, agriculture, construction, transportation, insurance and finance, utilities, business and professional services, manufacturing, education and leisure and hospitality. High-tech manufacturing companies located in Montgomery include the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing plant. The city is home to two public universities: Alabama State and Auburn University-Montgomery. Montgomery is a major agricultural crops processing center. Primary crops grown in the area consist of peanuts, soybeans and cotton. Montgomery is also a major regional distribution and wholesale center.
The Montgomery Zoo is a premier attraction within the city, accommodating 700 kinds of animals. During 1989, the zoo expanded to more than 48 acres. The Mann Wildlife Learning Museum is a huge natural history museum located at the zoo. Housing a huge selection of North American wildlife, the museum displays permit viewing from all sides. The city of Montgomery has the oldest fine arts museum in Alabama, The Museum of Fine Arts. Established in the year 1930, the museum has temporary exhibitions and educational programs, as well as Southern regional art, a fine collection of American paintings, Old Master prints and decorative arts.