The typical division of branches is into a legislature, an executive, and a judiciary. It can be contrasted with the fusion of powers in a parliamentary system where the executive and legislature (and sometimes parts of the judiciary) are unified.
Alabama is nicknamed the Yellowhammer State, after the state bird. Alabama is also known as the Heart of Dixie and the Cotton State. The state tree is the longleaf pine, and the state flower is the camellia.
The most distinctive of Alabama's traditions are almost always associated with football. The nickname Crimson Tide originated with the 1907 Iron Bowl, which occurred during or shortly after a particularly rainy day.