South Alabama is the various parts of southern Alabama. Although it is not a strictly defined geographic region, it generally includes all Alabama counties south of the Black Belt. However, residents of the largest population center, Mobile, often make the argument that South Alabama refers only to the extreme southernmost parts of Alabama; in that view, South Alabama consists of just the two counties that border the Gulf of Mexico and Mobile Bay: Baldwin County and Mobile County. The area is characterized by extensive wetlands, but also by long, sandy beaches which are very conducive to tourism.