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| Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United
States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to
the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi
to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in
the size of its inland waterways. The state ranks 23rd in population
with almost 4.6 million residents in 2006. Alabama is the thirtieth largest state in the United States with 52,423 square miles (135,775 kmē) of total area: 3.19% of the area is water, making Alabama twenty-third in the amount of surface water, also giving it the second largest inland waterway system in the United States. About three-fifths of the land area is a gentle plain with a general descent towards the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The North Alabama region is mostly mountainous, with the Tennessee River cutting a large valley creating numerous creeks, streams, rivers, mountains, and lakes. The foundational document for Alabama's government is the Alabama Constitution, which was ratified in 1901. At almost 800 amendments and 310,000 words, it is the world's longest constitution and is roughly forty times the length of the U.S. Constitution. There is a significant movement to rewrite and modernize Alabama's constitution. This movement is based upon the fact that Alabama's constitution highly centralizes power in Montgomery and leaves practically no power in local hands. Any policy changes proposed around the state must be approved by the entire Alabama legislature and, frequently, by state referendum. One criticism of the current constitution claims that its complexity and length were intentional to codify segregation and racism.
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