Alabama is a state located in the southern United States; the population of Alabama is 4,447,100 as of 2000. It is the 30th largest state in the United States with 135,765 km2 (52,419 mi2) of total area. 3.2% of that is water, making Alabama 23rd in the amount of surface water. About three-fifths of the land area is a gentle plain with a general incline towards the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. Alabama generally ranges in elevation from sea level at Mobile Bay, to a little more than 1800 feet or 550 meters near the Georgia state line. The highest point is Mount Cheaha.