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 Seats for Forklifts Birmingham - Birmingham, Alabama is the largest within the state, with more than 212,237 people, according to the latest 2010 statistics. Birmingham is the county seat of Jefferson County. Approximately 1/4 of the state's population is situated in the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area; based on the 2009 U.S. Census Bureau, the population was around 1,212,800.
The city of Birmingham was founded in the year 1871, right after the American Civil War. It was formed by merging 3 pre-existing farm townships, one of which was the former Elyton. The city of Birmingham gradually grew from these roots and annexed a lot of its smaller neighbors to transform the area into a railroad and industrial center. The major businesses within the area at the time comprised mining and production of iron, steel and railroad.
The city gets its name from the industrial city of Birmingham, England. Many of the early settlers which were part of the founding of the city were of English ancestry and origin. The city of Birmingham was intended as a place where inexpensive, non-unionized labor from African-Americans was plentiful from rural Alabama. A lot of these people were employed at the city's blast furnaces and steel mills giving the city a competitive advantage over several industrial cities in the Midwest and Northwest.
The largest employer in the state of Alabama is UAB or the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The biotechnology and the medical research done at the University are key economic factors for the city of Birmingham. Several of the other bigger employers include the US Government, the Jefferson County Public School, Bell South County Public Schools and Baptist Medical Centers.
The city itself is really one of the biggest banking centers within the USA. Steel production and processing continue to play a vital part in the local economy. Many of the top steel manufacturers in the USA have operations in the city of Birmingham. There are also a variety of insurance companies situated here. In addition, the services business is one more key business in the region.
In the neighboring district of Vance, Mercedes-Benz has an automobile plant. Birmingham is amongst the major technology centers for the state. Compared to the various south eastern cities, Birmingham has the most engineering individuals per capita.
Birmingham is also the entertainment and cultural capital of the state of Alabama, with several art galleries in the city. The Birmingham Museum of Art is the biggest art museum in the Southwest. The city is likewise home to Alabama's major ballet, symphony orchestra and opera comprising the Alabama Ballet, the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Opera Birmingham and Birmingham Concert Chorale.
The city hosts various cultural festivals such as music, regional heritage and film events. There are screenings concentrated at the Alabama Theatre during the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival. This gala brings filmmakers from all over the world to be able to have their films judged and viewed. Usually, this festival occurs during the last weekend during the month of September at 8 places all-around the downtown core. The Taste of 4th Annual Jazz Festival is one more well known music festival which is celebrated at the end of September each and every year. This event coincides with the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival. This all day festival features national and local jazz acts. There were about 6000 individuals who came to the 2007 festival. One more yearly event which has been held ever since 2006 is the Birmingham Folk Festival. During 2008, this particular event moved to the Avondale Park. The festival featured 3 touring "headliner bands" together with 9 local bands in 2009.
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