On December 12, 1819 the state of Alabama, also known as the "Heart of Dixie" became the 22nd state admitted into the United States of America. The Alabama state flag has a white background with a St. Andrews cross (large red X) in the foreground. The word Alabama comes from a Native American language, believed to be Choctaw, which translates to, "I clear the thicket." Alabama sits on the Gulf of Mexico and has several popular tourist destinations along and coast and in further inland as well.