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MOBILE, ALABAMA - USA
Mobile is a city located in Mobile County, Alabama. As of the 2000 census,
the population of the city is 198,915. Its name derived from the presence of
the Mobile (Mauvile or Maubila) Indians in the area at the time of founding.
(See Mobilian.) The city is the county seat of Mobile County.
The city is served by Mobile Regional Airport, which also serves Pascagoula,
Mississippi.
History
The settlement was first established in 1702, at Twenty-seven Mile Bluff on
the Mobile River, as the capital of the French colony of Louisiana. It was
relocated downriver to its present location near the head of Mobile Bay in
1711. Mobile was transferred to the British in 1763 as a result of the
Treaty of Paris and was captured by the Spanish in 1780. The Spanish held
Mobile until 1814 when it was captured by the American General Wilkinson; by
then it was the second largest seaport on the Gulf Coast.
One incident of some historical interest occurred in 1860, when the
Clotilde, the last known ship to arrive in the Americas with a cargo of
slaves, was abandoned by its captain near Mobile. A number of the slaves
escaped and formed their own community on the banks of the Mobile River,
which became known as Africatown. The inhabitants of this community retained
their African customs and language well into the 20th century.
Mobile grew substantially in the period leading up to the American Civil War
when it was heavily fortified and held by the Confederates. Union naval
forces established a blockade under the command of Admiral David Farragut.
Farragut did not attack the city until August 1864. The ensuing Battle of
Mobile Bay was a Union victory but the city held out for another nine months.
During the later federal occupation of the city, in May, 1865, an ammunition
depot explostion -- called the great Mobile magazine explosion -- killed
some 300 people.
After the war the harbour was substantially improved and deepened, and ship-building
became a notable industry.
Four members of the Baseball Hall of Fame were born in Mobile: Hank Aaron,
Willie McCovey, Satchel Paige and Ozzie Smith.
Notable yearly activities that take place in Mobile include the Senior Bowl,
Mardi Gras (the oldest in the country), and the Junior Miss Pageant.
Mobile and the Eastern Shore (across Mobile Bay) periodically experience a
unique phenomenon called a Jubilee. A Jubilee, which usually takes place
around 3-4am, describes a massive upsurge of sea life from the bottom of the
bay. This upsurge to the surface usually consists of crabs, shrimp, oysters,
and other sea delicacies. Needless to say, a Jubilee, when first realized,
is quickly spread by word of mouth along the coast, providing an impromptu
fishing party in the middle of the night.
Geography
Mobile is located at 30°40'46" North, 88°6'12" West (30.679523,
-88.103280)1.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 412.9 km˛
(159.4 mi˛). 305.4 km˛ (117.9 mi˛) of it is land and 107.6 km˛ (41.5 mi˛) of
it is water. The total area is 26.05% water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 198,915 people, 78,480 households, and
50,776 families residing in the city. The population density is 651.4/km˛
(1,687.1/mi˛). There are 86,187 housing units at an average density of
282.2/km˛ (731.0/mi˛). The racial makeup of the city is 50.40% White, 46.29%
Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 1.52% Asian, 0.03% Pacific
Islander, 0.53% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. 1.42% of
the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 78,480 households out of which 30.9% have children under the age
of 18 living with them, 41.1% are married couples living together, 19.9%
have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% are non-families.
30.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.5% have someone
living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is
2.46 and the average family size is 3.09.
In the city the population is spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18,
10.8% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who
are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100
females there are 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there
are 82.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $31,445, and the median
income for a family is $39,752. Males have a median income of $31,629 versus
$22,051 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,072. 21.2% of
the population and 17.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the
total people living in poverty, 31.4% are under the age of 18 and 14.7% are
65 or older.
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