part of the state of Eastern Turkestan, under Yakub Beg, but was conquered again by China in 1877. It is celebrated for its manufactures of cotton cloth and saddlery, and is much resorted to by caravans, as an entrepôt of commerce between Russia, Tartary, and China. Pop. about 25,000.
AKYAB, a town of Burma, the chief seaport of Aracan, is situated on the eastern side of the island of Akyab, at the mouth of the Kuladan river, 190 miles S. E. of Calcutta. In 1826 it was chosen for the chief station of the province, and now is a great rice port. It is well built, with broad and regular streets. Savage Island, with a lighthouse, shelters the harbor. Pop. about 40,000.
ALABAMA, a State in the South Central Division of the North American Union; bounded by Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, and the Gulf of Mexico; gross area, 52,250 square miles; admitted into the Union, Dec. 14, 1819; seceded, Jan. 11, 1861; readmitted, June 25, 1868; number of counties, 67. Pop. (1900) 1,828,697; (1910) 2,138,093; (1920) 2,348,174. Capital, Montgomery.
Topography.—The surface is highest in the N. E., where the Blue Ridge range of the Appalachian mountains enters the State. South of this the surface is almost level, and consists of plains forming a gentle declivity toward the Gulf. The State comprises four distinctive belts: the cereal, mineral, cotton, and timber; the first covering 8 counties, the second 28, the third 17, and the fourth, the remainder. Among the valleys, those of the Tennessee, the Warrior, and the Coosa are the most important. The principal rivers are the Alabama, Tennessee, Mobile, Tombigbee, Black Warrior, and Chattahoochee. A number of others, rising in Alabama, have their outlets in Florida. Bays comprise the Grand, Bon Secours, Perdido, and Mobile, the last being one of the most important in the country.
Geology.—All of the formations of the Appalachian region are found in this State, which has three geological divisions: (1) the northern, showing subcarboniferous rock masses and coal measures; (2) the middle, metamorphic, and calcareous rocks, silurian sediments, and coal measures; and (3) the southern, drift beds over cretaceous and tertiary rocks.
Mineralogy.—The State has large wealth in its mineral resources, which include coal, iron, asbestos, asphalt, pottery and porcelain clays, marble, granite phosphates, natural gas, gold, silver, and copper. The most valuable of these at present are coal and iron. Alabama produces a large amount of coal and iron. The coal production, which is bituminous, was, in 1918, 21,280,000 short tons. The shipment of iron ore from the State in 1917 was 6,121,087 tons, valued at $15,334,561. The production for 1919 was valued at $21,280,000. In the production of iron Alabama ranks third, being surpassed only by Michigan and Minnesota. The State is also an important producer of cement, coke, and pig iron. The rapid development of its mineral resources in recent years has greatly increased the industrial importance of the State, as is indicated by the rapid growth of several cities, notably Birmingham. The total value of the mineral products of the State in 1917 was $65,371,469.
Soil.—In the S. part of the State the soil is a light alluvial and diluvial; in the central, the cotton belt, limestone and chalk lands predominate; and in the N. part, which contains the Tennessee valley, are exceedingly rich mineral lands. Besides the agricultural, mineral, and grazing lands, there are large tracts of valuable yellow pine forests.
Agriculture.—The production and value of the principal crops in 1919 was as follows: Corn, 62,843,000 bushels, valued at $99,920,000; wheat, 1,242,000 bushels, valued at $3,043,000; oats, 6,696,000 bushels, valued at $7,031,000; tobacco, 1,890,000 pounds, valued at $567,000; rye, 38,000 bushels, valued at $99,000; rice, 16,000 bushels; valued at $43,000; potatoes, 3,520,000 bushels, valued at $7,568,000; sweet potatoes, 14,194,000 bushels, valued at $16,139,000; hay, 1,367,000 tons, valued at $30,484,000; cotton, 715,000 bales, valued at $124,410,000; peanuts, 6,840,000 bushels, valued at $14,911,000.
Manufactures.—In 1914 there were 3,242 manufacturing establishments, with an average of 78,717 wage earners. The capital invested was $227,505,000; value of materials, $107,412,000; and value of the finished product, $178,798,000.
Banking.—In 1919 there were 95 National banks in operation, having $10,825,000 in capital. There were also 261 State banks, with $10,877,000 in capital, $81,576,000 in deposits, and $101,700,000 in resources. The exchanges at the United States clearing-house at Birmingham aggregated $146,918,000 in the year ending Sept. 30, 1919.
Education.—Alabama, in common with other Southern States, has had great difficulty in developing its educational system. The common schools of the State are fairly well equipped, and nearly all counties are provided with high
