Difference between revisions of "Florida" - New World Encyclopedia

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{{Infobox U.S. state
Name = Florida|
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| Name                 = Florida
Abbreviation = Fla.|
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| Fullname             = State of Florida
Fullname = State of Florida|
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| Flag                 = Flag of Florida.svg
Flag = Flag of Florida.svg |
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| Flaglink             = [[Flag of Florida|Flag]]
Flaglink = Flag of Florida |
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| Seal                 = Florida state seal.svg
Seal = Florida state seal.svg |
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| Map                   = Map of USA FL.svg
Map = Map of USA FL.svg|
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| Nickname             = The Sunshine State
Nickname = The Sunshine State |
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| Demonym              = Floridian
Motto = In God We Trust |
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| Motto                 = [[In God We Trust]]
State Song = Old Folks At Home |
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| StateAnthem          = [[Florida (Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky)|Florida, Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky]]
Capital = Tallahassee |
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| Former                = Florida Territory
Senators = Bill Nelson (D)<br/>Mel Martinez (R) |
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| Capital               = [[Tallahassee, Florida|Tallahassee]]
LargestCity = Jacksonville |
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| Senators             = [[Bill Nelson (politician)|Bill Nelson]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])<br />[[Marco Rubio]] (R)
LargestMetro= Miami metropolitan area |
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| Representative        = 19 Republicans, 6 Democrats
UnincorporatedPlace = Brandon |
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| LargestCity           = [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]] <!-- Jacksonville is the largest city proper, not Miami —>
Governor = Charlie Crist (R)|
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| LargestMetro         = South Florida<br> metropolitan area
PostalAbbreviation = Fla., FL, |
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| Governor              = [[Rick Scott]] ([[Republican (politician)|R]])
OfficialLang = English |
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| Lieutenant Governor   = [[Jennifer Carroll]] (R)
AreaRank = 22<sup>nd</sup> |
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| Legislature          = [[Florida Legislature]]
TotalArea = 170,304<ref name=census>{{cite web |title=2000 Census |url=ftp://ftp.census.gov/census_2000/datasets/Summary_File_4/Florida/flgeo_uf4.zip |publisher=US Census Bureau |format=ZIP}} Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref> |
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| Upperhouse            = [[Florida Senate|Senate]]
TotalAreaUS=65,795<ref name=census/>|
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| Lowerhouse            = [[Florida House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
LandArea = 139,670<ref name=census/> |
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| PostalAbbreviation   = FL
LandAreaUS = 53,927<ref name=census/> |
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| TradAbbreviation      = Fla.
WaterArea = 30,634<ref name=census/> |
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| OfficialLang          = [[American English|English]]<ref name="Article 2, Section 9, Constitution of the State of Florida">{{cite web | url=http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?mode=constitution&submenu=3&tab=statutes#A02S09 | title= Article 2, Section 9, Constitution of the State of Florida | publisher=State of Florida | accessdate=February 4, 2012|}}</ref>
WaterAreaUS = 11,828<ref name=census/>|
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| Languages            = English 76.9%<br />[[Spanish language|Spanish]] 16.5%<ref>[http://www.city-data.com/states/Florida-Languages.html Florida - Languages] Retrieved February 4, 2012.</ref>
PCWater = 17.9 |
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| AreaRank              = 22nd
PopRank = 4<sup>th</sup> |
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| TotalArea             = 170,304<ref name="census">{{cite web|title=2000 Census |url=ftp://ftp.census.gov/census_2000/datasets/Summary_File_4/Florida/flgeo_uf4.zip |publisher=US Census Bureau |accessdate=February 4, 2012 |format=ZIP}}</ref>
2000Pop = 15,982,378 |
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| TotalAreaUS           = 65,755<ref name=census/>
DensityRank = 8<sup>th</sup> |
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| LandArea             = 139,670<ref name=census/>
2000DensityUS =309 |
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| LandAreaUS           = 53,927<ref name=census/>
2000Density = 117.3 |<!--15,982,378 div by 137,374 = 116.3 not 114.43—>
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| WaterArea             = 30,634<ref name=census/>
MedianHouseholdIncome = $41,171 |
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| WaterAreaUS           = 11,828<ref name=census/>
IncomeRank = 36<sup>th</sup> |
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| PCWater               = 17.9
AdmittanceOrder = 27<sup>th</sup> |
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| PopRank              = 4th
AdmittanceDate = March 3, 1845 |
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| 2010Pop              = 19,057,542 (2011 est)<ref name=PopEstUS>{{cite web|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2011|format=[[comma-separated values|CSV]]|work=2011 Population Estimates|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division|date=December 2011}}</ref>
TimeZone = Eastern: UTC-5/DST-4 |
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| DensityRank          = 8th
TZ1Where = peninsula |
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| 2010DensityUS        = 353
TimeZone2 = Central: UTC-6/DST-5 |
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| 2010Density          = 136
TZ2Where = panhandle |
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| MedianHouseholdIncome = $47,778
Latitude = 24°27′ N to 31° N |
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| IncomeRank           = 33rd
Longitude = 80°02′ W to 87°38′ W |
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| AdmittanceOrder       = 27th
Width = 582 |
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| AdmittanceDate       = March 3, 1845
WidthUS= 361|
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| TimeZone             = [[Eastern Time Zone (North America)|Eastern]]: [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]]-5/[[Daylight saving time|-4]]
Length = 721 |
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| TZ1Where             = Peninsula and "[[Big Bend (Florida)|Big Bend]]" region
LengthUS= 447 |
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| TimeZone2             = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central]]: UTC-6/-5
HighestPoint = Britton Hill<ref name=usgs>{{cite web| year =29 April 2005 | url =http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html#Highest| title =Elevations and Distances in the United States| publisher =U.S Geological Survey|}} Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref> |
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| TZ2Where             = [[Florida Panhandle|Panhandle]]
HighestElev = 105 |
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| Latitude             = 24° 27′ N to 31° 00' N
HighestElevUS = 345|
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| Longitude             = 80° 02′ W to 87° 38′ W
MeanElev = 30 |
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| Width                 = 582
MeanElevUS = 98 |
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| WidthUS               = 361
LowestPoint = Atlantic Ocean<ref name=usgs/> |
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| Length               = 721
LowestElev = 0 |
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| LengthUS             = 447
LowestElevUS = 0 |
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| HighestPoint         = [[Britton Hill]]<ref name=USGS>{{cite web|url=http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html|title=Elevations and Distances in the United States|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=2001|accessdate=October 21, 2011}}</ref><ref name=NAVD88>Elevation adjusted to [[North American Vertical Datum of 1988]].</ref>
ISOCode = US-FL |
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| HighestElev           = 105
Website = www.myflorida.com
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| HighestElevUS         = 345
 +
| MeanElev             = 30
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| MeanElevUS           = 100
 +
| LowestPoint           = Atlantic Ocean<ref name=USGS/>
 +
| LowestElev           = 0
 +
| LowestElevUS         = 0
 +
| ISOCode               = US-FL
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| Website               = www.myflorida.com
 
}}
 
}}
[[Image:National-Atlas-Florida-major-road-map.gif|300px|thumb| '''Florida''' map, with major roads/cities.]]
 
[[Image:BahiaHonda.jpg|thumb|200px|The beach at [[Bahia Honda Key|Bahia Honda]] in the [[Florida Keys]].]]
 
[[Image:Flindians1723.JPG‎|thumb|200px|Bernard Picart copper plate engraving of Florida Indians, Circa 1721 "Cérémonies et Coutumes Religieuses de tous les Peuples du Monde" (Private Collection of L.S. Morgan, [[St. Augustine Beach, Florida]])]]
 
The '''State of Florida''' is located in the [[Southeastern United States|southeastern region]] of the [[United States]]. Most of the state is a large [[peninsula]] with the [[Gulf of Mexico]] on its west and the [[Atlantic Ocean]] on its east. Florida is the fourth most populated state in the country, behind [[California]], [[Texas]], and [[New York]].<ref>[http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=n&_lang=en&mt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_GCTPH1R_US9S&format=US-9S&_box_head_nbr=GCT-PH1-R&ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&geo_id=01000US United States population by states], United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref>
 
  
==History==
 
  
Archaeological research indicates that Florida had been inhabited for thousands of years before any European settlements. Of the many indigenous peoples, the largest known were the [[Ais (tribe)|Ais]], the [[Apalachee]], the [[Calusa]], the [[Timucua]] and the [[Tocobago]] tribes. Juan Ponce de León, a Spanish [[conquistador]], named Florida in honor of his discovery of the land on April 2, 1513, during Pascua Florida, a Spanish term for the Easter season. From that date forward, the land became known as "La Florida." (Juan Ponce de León may not have been the first European to reach Florida; according to one report, at least one indigenous tribesman who he encountered in Florida in 1513 spoke Spanish.<ref>Smith, Hale G., and Marc Gottlob. 1978. "Spanish-Indian Relationships: Synoptic History and Archaeological Evidence, 1500-1763." In ''Tacachale: Essays on the Indians of Florida and Southeastern Georgia during the Historic Period.'' Edited by Jerald Milanich and Samuel Proctor. Gainesville, Florida: University Presses of Florida. ISBN 0-8130-0535-3. Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref>
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The '''State of Florida''' is located in the [[Southeastern United States|southeastern region]] of the [[United States]]. Most of the state is a large [[peninsula]] bordered by the [[Gulf of Mexico]] on its west and the [[Atlantic Ocean]] on its east.  
  
Over the following century, both the Spanish and [[France|French]] established settlements in Florida, with varying degrees of success. In 1559, Spanish [[Pensacola, Florida|Pensacola]] was established by Don [[Tristán de Luna y Arellano]] as the first European settlement in the continental United States, but it had become abandoned by 1561 and would not be reinhabited until the 1690s. French [[Huguenots]] founded [[Fort Caroline]] in modern-day Jacksonville in 1564, but the fort was conquered by forces from the new Spanish colony of St. Augustine the following year. After Huguenot leader [[Jean Ribault]] had learned of the new Spanish threat, he launched an expedition to sack the Spanish settlement; en route, however, severe storms at sea waylaid the expedition, which consisted of most of the colony's men, allowing St. Augustine founder [[Pedro Menéndez de Avilés]] time to march his men over land and conquer Fort Caroline. Most of the Huguenots were slaughtered, and Menéndez de Avilés marched south and captured the survivors of the wrecked French fleet, ordering all but a few [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholics]] executed beside a river subsequently called ''[[Matanzas River|Matanzas]]'' (Spanish for 'killings').
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Florida is the fourth most populated state in the United States, following [[California]], [[Texas]], and [[New York]]. This rise in population was caused by a large influx of people moving from other parts of the country, drawn by the climate, as well as the immigration of [[Cuba]]ns, [[Haiti]]ans, and others fleeing political and economic difficulties.  
The Spanish never had a firm hold on Florida, and maintained tenuous control over the region by converting the local tribes, briefly with [[Society of Jesus|Jesuits]] and later with [[Franciscan]] friars. The local leaders ([[caciques]]) demonstrated their loyalty to the Spanish by converting to Roman Catholicism and welcoming the Franciscan priests into their villages.
 
  
The area of Spanish Florida diminished with the establishment of [[England|English]] colonies to the north and French colonies to the west. The English weakened Spanish power in the area by supplying their [[Creek people|Creek Indian]] allies with firearms and urging them to raid the Timucuan and Apalachee client-tribes of the Spanish. The English attacked St. Augustine, burning the city and its cathedral to the ground several times, while the citizens hid behind the walls of the Castillo de San Marcos.
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Florida's modern history, like much of [[United States|America's]], was one of conflict and subjugation. It was discovered by [[Spain|Spanish]] explorers in the fifteenth century and alternately ruled by [[France]] and [[England]]. Exploited for power and wealth, [[Native American]]s and [[Europe]]ans struggled for control of the land until the nineteenth century. After Florida became a state in 1845, the struggle over [[slavery]] continued to mark its history. In the mid-nineteenth century more than 40 percent of Florida's population were slaves.
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{{toc}}
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Florida is a state of contrasts, home to [[St. Augustine, Florida|St. Augustine]], the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement on the [[North America]]n continent, and the [[John Kennedy Space Center|Kennedy Space Center]], home to the United States [[space]] program. It is home to the world's largest vacation resort [[Walt Disney World Resort]]. Its climate and beaches attract 60 million visitors every year, but [[poverty]] is widespread. Housing and traffic congestion and a high [[crime]] rate confront the state. The need for land and [[water]] for its growing population is pitted against the need to preserve the [[Natural environment|environment]].
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[[Image:National-Atlas-Florida-major-road-map.gif|300px|thumb| '''Florida''' map, with major roads/cities.]]
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[[Image:STS-95 Florida From Space.jpg|300px|thumb|Florida taken from [[NASA]] Shuttle Mission STS-95 on October 31, 1998]]
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==Geography==
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Florida is situated mostly on a large [[peninsula]] between the [[Gulf of Mexico]], the [[Atlantic Ocean]], and the [[Straits of Florida]]. It extends to the northwest into a panhandle, extending along the northern Gulf of Mexico. [[Alabama]] and [[Georgia]] form its northern border. To the west, its panhandle is bordered by Alabama. The [[island]]s of the [[Caribbean]], particularly the [[Bahamas]] and [[Cuba]] lie close to its eastern and southern [[shore]]s.
  
The Spanish, meanwhile, encouraged slaves to flee the English-held [[Carolinas]] and come to Florida, where they were converted to Roman Catholicism and given freedom. They settled in a buffer community north of St. Augustine, called Gracie Real de Santa Teresa de Mose, the first completely black settlement in what would become the United States.
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Florida has the third longest shoreline of any of the United States followed by [[Michigan]] and [[Alaska]].
  
Great Britain gained control of Florida diplomatically in 1763 through the [[Treaty of Paris (1763)|Peace of Paris]] (the Castillo de San Marcos surrendered for the first time, having never been taken militarily). Britain divided the colony into East Florida, with its capital at St. Augustine, and West Florida, with its capital at Pensacola. Britain tried to develop the Floridas through the importation of immigrants for labor, including some from [[Minorca]] and [[Greece]], but this project ultimately failed. Spain regained the Floridas after Britain's defeat by the American colonies and the subsequent [[Treaty of Versailles (1783)|Treaty of Versailles]] in 1783, continuing the division into East and West Florida. They offered land grants to anyone who settled in the colonies, and many Americans moved to them. This Americanization resulted, by terms of the [[Adams-Onís Treaty]] of 1819, in Spain ceding Florida to the United States in exchange for the Americans' renunciation of any claims on [[Texas]] and $5 million.
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The Florida peninsula is a porous plateau of [[karst]] [[limestone]] sitting atop [[bedrock]]. Extended systems of underwater [[cave]]s, [[sinkhole]]s, and springs are found throughout the state and supply most of the [[water]] used by residents. The limestone is topped with sandy [[soil]]s deposited as ancient beaches over millions of years as global sea levels rose and fell. During the last [[Ice age|Ice Age]], lower sea levels and a drier climate revealed a much wider peninsula, largely [[desert]]. At the southern end of the peninsula, the [[Everglades]] are in fact an enormously wide, very slow-flowing river.
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At 345 feet (105 m) above mean sea level, Britton Hill is the highest point in Florida and the lowest state highpoint among the fifty [[U.S.]] states.<ref name=Britton> Roger Johnson. [http://www.welcometoamerica.us/fl/brittonhill.html Florida, the Sunshine State] ''Welcome to America''. Retrieved October 16, 2008.</ref> Much of the interior of Florida, typically 25 miles (40&nbsp;km) or more away from the coastline, features hills with elevations ranging from 100 to 250 feet (30 &ndash; 76&nbsp;m) in many locations.  
  
[[Image:Winter in Florida.jpg|thumb|right|Winter in Florida, 1893]]
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===Climate===
On March 3, 1845, Florida became the 27th state of the United States of America. Its population grew slowly. By 1860 it had only 140,424 people, of whom 44 percent were enslaved.  There were fewer than 1,000 free people of color before the Civil War.<ref>[http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/stats/histcensus/php/state.php Historical Census Browser]. Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref>
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The [[climate]] of Florida is tempered somewhat by its proximity to water. Most of the state has a humid subtropical climate, except for the southern part below [[Lake Okeechobee]], which has a true tropical climate. Cold fronts can occasionally bring high winds and cool to cold [[temperature]]s to the entire state during late fall and [[winter]]. The seasons in Florida are determined more by [[precipitation]] than by temperature, with mild to cool, relatively dry winters and [[autumn]]s (the dry season) and hot, wet springs and summers (the wet season). The [[Gulf Stream]] has a moderating effect on the climate, and although much of Florida commonly sees a high [[summer]] temperature over 90°F (32°C), the mercury seldom exceeds 100°F (38°C). The [[Florida Keys]], being surrounded by water, have a more tropical climate, with less variability in temperatures.  
  
On January 10, 1861, before the formal outbreak of the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], Florida seceded from the [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]]; ten days later, the state became a founding member of the [[Confederate States of America]]. The war ended in 1865. On June 25, 1868, Florida's [[United States Congress|congressional]] representation was restored.
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Although Florida's nickname is the "Sunshine State," severe weather is a common occurrence. Central Florida is known as the [[lightning]] capital of the United States, as it experiences more strikes than anywhere else in the country. Florida has the highest average precipitation of any state, in large part because afternoon [[thunderstorm]]s are common in most of the state from late spring until early autumn. These thunderstorms, caused by collisions between airflow from the [[Gulf of Mexico]] and the [[Atlantic Ocean]], pop up in the early afternoon and can bring heavy downpours, high winds, and sometimes [[tornado]]es. Florida leads the United States in tornadoes per square mile, but these tornadoes do not typically reach the intensity of those in the [[Midwest]] and [[Great Plains]]. [[Hail]] often accompanies the most severe thunderstorms.
  
Until the mid-twentieth century, Florida was the least populous Southern state. The climate, tempered by the growing availability of air conditioning, and low cost of living made the state a haven. Migration from the [[Rust Belt]] and the Northeast sharply increased the population. Economic prosperity combined with Florida's sudden elevation in profile led to the Florida land boom of the 1920s, which brought a brief period of intense land development before the [[Great Depression]] brought it all to a halt.  
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[[Snow]] is a rare occurrence. During the Great Blizzard of 1899, Florida experienced blizzard conditions. The most widespread snowfall in Florida history happened on January 19, 1977, when snow fell over much of the state in different times of the month. Snow flurries fell on [[Miami Beach]] for the only time in recorded history.  
  
Florida's economy would not fully recover until [[World War II]]. Today, with an estimated population of over 18 million, Florida is the most populous state in the Southeastern United States, the second most populous state in the South behind Texas, and the fourth most populous in the United States. The [[United States Census Bureau|Census Bureau]] estimates that "Florida, now the fourth most populous state, would edge past New York into third place in total population by 2011".<ref>U.S. Census Bureau News; “Florida, California and Texas to Dominate Future Population Growth, Census Bureau Reports”; April 21, 2005. Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref> <ref>http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/004704.html. Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref>
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Although some storms have formed out of season, [[tropical cyclone]]s pose a severe threat during [[hurricane]] season, which lasts from June 1 to November 30. Florida is the most hurricane-prone U.S. state, with subtropical or tropical water on three sides and a lengthy coastline. It is rare for a hurricane season to pass without any impact in the state by at least a tropical storm.
  
==Geography==
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=== Fauna ===
[[Image:Florida counties map.png|thumb|150px|right|A map of Florida showing county names and boundaries.]]
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Florida is host to many types of wildlife including:
Florida is situated mostly on a large peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, and the [[Straits of Florida]]. It extends to the northwest into a panhandle, extending along the northern Gulf of Mexico. It is bordered on the north by the states of [[Georgia]] and [[Alabama]], and on the west, at the end of the panhandle, by Alabama. It is near the countries of the [[Caribbean]], particularly the [[Bahamas]] and [[Cuba]].
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* [[Marine Mammal]]s : Bottlenose [[Dolphin]], Pilot [[Whale]], Northern Right Whale, [[Manatee]]
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* [[Reptile]]s: [[Alligator]], [[Crocodile]], Eastern Diamondback and Pygmy [[Rattlesnake]]s, Gopher [[Tortoise]], Green & Leatherback Sea [[Turtle]]s, Indigo [[Snake]]
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* Mammals: [[Panther]], Whitetail [[Deer]], Key Deer, [[Bobcat]]s, Southern Black [[Bear]], [[Armadillo]]s
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* [[Bird]]s: Bald [[Eagle]], Crested [[Caracara]], Snail [[Kite]], [[Osprey]], [[Pelican]]s, Sea [[Gull]]s, Whooping and Sandhill [[Crane]]s, [[Spoonbill|Roseate Spoonbill]], Florida Scrub Jay (endemic), and many more.  
  
Florida is one of the largest states east of the Mississippi. Only [[Alaska]] and [[Michigan]] are larger in water area.
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Florida is also a winter home for most species of eastern North American birds.  
  
The Florida peninsula is a porous plateau of [[karst]] [[limestone]] sitting atop bedrock. Extended systems of underwater caves, [[sinkholes]] and springs are found throughout the state and supply most of the water used by residents.  The limestone is topped with sandy soils deposited as ancient [[beaches]] over millions of years as global sea levels rose and fell. During the last [[Ice Age]], lower sea levels and a drier climate revealed a much wider peninsula, largely [[desert]].  At the southern end of the peninsula, the [[Everglades]] are in fact an enormously wide, very slow-flowing river.  
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Its plant life includes eleven types of [[palm]]s, as well as [[beech]], [[cypress]], [[pine]], and [[mangrove]].
  
[[Image:Everglades National Park cypress.jpg|thumb|left|250px|[[Everglades National Park]] in southern Florida.]]
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===Environmental issues===
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[[Image:Florida Scrub Jay.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The [[Florida Scrub Jay]] is found only in Florida.]]
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Florida ranks forty-fifth in total [[energy]] consumption per capita, despite the heavy reliance on air conditioners and pool pumps. This includes [[coal]], [[natural gas]], [[petroleum]], and retail [[electricity]] sales.<ref> ''United States Department of Energy''. [http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/states/sep_sum/html/pdf/rank_use_per_cap.pdf Energy Consumption by Source and Total Consumption per Capita, Ranked by State, 2004] Retrieved October 16, 2008.</ref> It is estimated that approximately 4 percent of energy in the state is generated through [[Renewable energy|renewable resources]]. Florida's energy production is 6.0 percent of the nation's total energy output, while total production of pollutants is lower, with figures of 5.6 percent for [[nitrogen oxide]], 5.1 percent for [[carbon dioxide]], and 3.5 percent for [[sulfur dioxide]].<ref name=DoE-profile> ''US Department of Energy''. [http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=FL State Energy Profiles: Florida] Retrieved October 16, 2008.</ref>
  
At 345 feet (105 m) [[above mean sea level]], Britton Hill is the highest point in Florida and the lowest high point of any U.S. state.<ref name=Britton>{{cite web |url=http://www.welcometoamerica.us/fl/brittonhill.html |title=Florida, the Sunshine State |publisher=Welcome to America}} Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref>Much of the interior of Florida, typically 25 miles (40&nbsp;km) or more away from the coastline, features hills with elevations ranging from 100 to 250 feet (30 &ndash; 76&nbsp;m) in many locations.  
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It is believed that significant [[petroleum]] resources are located off Florida's western coast in the [[Gulf of Mexico]], but that region has been closed to offshore exploration by law since 1981.  
  
===Climate===
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In 2006, the state enacted a "Farm to Fuel" initiative, an effort to increase production of renewable energy from crops, agricultural wastes, and residues produced in the state of Florida. In January 2008, Florida's Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner announced funding for four commercial [[Ethanol fuel|ethanol]] and [[biodiesel]] production facilities, and an additional eight demonstration and research projects.<ref> ''Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services''. [http://www.floridafarmtofuel.com/2008_Grants_Award.htm 2008 Farm to Fuel Grants Program Winners] Retrieved October 16, 2008.</ref>
The climate of Florida is tempered somewhat by its proximity to water. Most of the state has a humid subtropical climate, except for the southern part below Lake Okeechobee which has a true tropical climate.<ref name=Ritter>{{cite web |url=http://www.uwsp.edu/geO/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/climate_systems/climate_classification.html |title=Wet/Dry Tropical Climate |author=Ritter, Michael |publisher=University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point}} Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref> Cold fronts can occasionally bring high winds and cool to cold temperatures to the entire state during late fall and winter. The seasons in Florida are determined more by [[precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]] than by temperature with mild to cool, relatively dry winters and autumns (the dry season) and hot, wet [[spring (season)|springs]] and summers (the wet season). The [[Gulf Stream]] has a moderating effect on the climate, and although much of Florida commonly sees a high summer temperature over 90°F (32°C), the mercury seldom exceeds 100°F (38°C).
 
[[Image:STS-95 Florida From Space.jpg|left|thumb|Florida taken from [[NASA]] Shuttle Mission [[STS-95]] on October 31, 1998]]
 
  
The Florida Keys, being surrounded by water, have a more tropical climate, with less variability in temperatures. At [[Key West, Florida|Key West]], temperatures rarely exceed 90°F in the summer or fall below 60°F in the winter, and frost has never been reported in the Keys.
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In July 2007, Florida Governor Charlie Crist announced plans to sign executive orders that would impose strict new [[air pollution]] standards in the state, with aims to reduce [[Greenhouse gas|greenhouse-gas]] emissions by 80 percent of 1990 levels by 2050.<ref name=enn>Jim Loney, July 12, 2007. [http://www.enn.com/climate/article/6914 Florida To Introduce Tough Greenhouse Gas Targets] ''Environmental News Network.'' Retrieved October 16, 2008.</ref>
  
Florida's nickname is the "Sunshine State," but severe weather is a common occurrence in the state. Central Florida is known as the [[lightning]] capital of the United States, as it experiences more lightning strikes than anywhere else in the country. Florida has the highest average precipitation of any state, in large part because afternoon [[thunderstorm]]s are common in most of the state from late spring until early autumn. These thunderstorms, caused by collisions between airflow from the Gulf of Mexico and airflow from the Atlantic Ocean, pop up in the early afternoon and can bring heavy downpours, high winds, and sometimes [[tornado]]es. Florida leads the United States in tornadoes per square mile, but these tornadoes do not typically reach the intensity of those in the [[Midwest]] and [[Great Plains]]. [[Hail]] often accompanies the most severe thunderstorms.
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Florida obtains much of its drinking water from the Floridan Aquifer and the Biscayne Aquifer, as well as from surface water from [[Lake Okeechobee]] and other lakes, but population increases have begun to strain available sources. The state has built 120 [[desalination]] plants, more than three times as many as any other state,<ref name=ft>Cynthia Barnett, May 1, 2007. [http://www.floridatrend.com/article.asp?page=7&aID=34074976.9637675.604643.7424067.2516428.625&aID2=46502 Salty Solution?] ''Florida Trend Magazine''. Retrieved October 16, 2008.</ref> including the largest plant in the United States.<ref>''Tampa Bay Online''. December 22, 2007. [http://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/dec/22/na-applause-at-last-for-desalination-plant/ Applause, At Last, For Desalination Plant] Retrieved October 16, 2008.</ref> Additionally, an [[electrodialysis reversal]] plant in Sarasota is the largest of its type in the world, <ref>''Eugene R. Reahl''. Half a Century of Desalination with Electrodialysis ''General Electric''.</ref> and a [[nanofiltration]] plant in [[Boca Raton]] is the largest of its type in the western hemisphere.<ref name=ft />
  
[[Image:Tornado miami.jpg|thumb|200px|1997 -Tornado in Downtown Miami.]]
+
Increasing [[landfill]] space is also an issue. St. Lucie County is planning to experiment with burning trash through [[Plasma arc waste disposal|plasma arc gasification]] to generate [[energy]] and reduce landfill space. The experiment will be the largest of its kind in the world to date, and begin operation no later than 2009.<ref> ''USA Today'', September 9, 2006. [http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-09-09-fla-county-trash_x.htm Florida county plans to vaporize landfill trash] Retrieved October 16, 2008.</ref>
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[[Image:Hurricane Frances, September 2nd.jpg|thumb|175px|Hurricane Frances near peak strength.]]
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[[Image:BahiaHonda.jpg|thumb|175px|The beach at Bahia Honda in the Florida Keys.]]
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[[Image:Everglades National Park cypress.jpg|thumb|175px|[[Everglades National Park]] in southern Florida.]]
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[[Image:Sugar cane madeira hg.jpg|thumb|175px|Florida's climate is ideal for growing sugarcane.]]
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</center>
  
Snow is a rare occurrence. During the [[Great Blizzard of 1899]], Florida experienced [[blizzard]] conditions. The most widespread snowfall in Florida history happened on January 19, 1977, when snow fell over much of the state in different times of the month. Snow flurries fell on Miami Beach for the only time in recorded history.  
+
==History==
 
+
[[Image:Flindians1723.JPG‎|thumb|200px|Bernard Picart copper plate engraving of Florida Indians, ca. 1721 "Cérémonies et Coutumes Religieuses de tous les Peuples du Monde" (Private Collection of L.S. Morgan, [[St. Augustine Beach, Florida]])]]
Although some storms have formed out of season, [[tropical cyclone]]s pose a severe threat during hurricane season, which lasts from June 1 to November 30. Florida is the most hurricane-prone US state, with subtropical or tropical water on three sides and a lengthy coastline. It is rare for a hurricane season to pass without any impact in the state by at least a tropical storm.
+
[[Archaeology|Archaeological]] research indicates that Florida had been inhabited as early as twelve thousand years ago. Of the many indigenous peoples, the largest known were the Ais, the [[Apalachee]], the [[Calusa]], the [[Timucua]] and the Tocobago tribes. These tribes were largely wiped out by [[disease]] or removed by the Spanish. Later, members of other tribes to the north moved into Florida and became known as the [[Seminole]]s.
 
 
[[Image:Hurricane Frances, September 2nd.jpg|right|thumb|Hurricane Frances near peak strength.]]
 
  
=== Fauna ===
+
[[Juan Ponce de León]], a [[Spain|Spanish]] [[conquistador]], named Florida in honor of his discovery of the land on April 2, 1513, during ''Pascua Florida,'' a Spanish term for the [[Easter]] season. The land became known as "La Florida." (Juan Ponce de León may not have been the first European to reach Florida; according to one report, at least one [[Native American|indigenous tribesman]] whom he encountered in 1513 spoke Spanish.<ref>Hale G. Smith, and Marc Gottlob. 1978. "Spanish-Indian Relationships: Synoptic History and Archaeological Evidence, 1500-1763." In ''Tacachale: Essays on the Indians of Florida and Southeastern Georgia during the Historic Period,'' Edited by Jerald Milanich and Samuel Proctor. (Gainesville, Florida: University Presses of Florida. ISBN 0813005353).</ref>
[[Image:PeopleBirding.JPG|thumb|166px|right|People [[Birdwatching|Birding]] in Florida.]]
 
Florida is host to many types of wildlife including:
 
* Marine Mammals : Bottlenose [[Dolphin]], Pilot [[Whale]], Northern Right Whale, [[Manatee]]
 
* Reptiles: [[Alligator]], [[Crocodile]], Eastern Diamondback and Pygmy [[Rattlesnake]]s, Gopher [[Tortoise]], Green & Leatherback Sea [[Turtle]]s, Indigo [[Snake]]
 
* Mammals: [[Panther]], Whitetail [[Deer]], Key Deer, [[Bobcat]]s, Southern Black [[Bear]], [[Armadillo]]s
 
* Birds: Bald [[Eagle]], Crested Caracara, Snail Kite, [[Osprey]], [[Pelican]]s, Sea Gulls, Whooping & Sandhill [[Crane]]s, [[Roseate Spoonbill]], Florida Scrub Jay (endemic), and many more. '''Note''' : Florida is a winter home for most species of eastern North American birds.
 
  
===Environmental issues===
+
Over the following century, both the Spanish and [[France|French]] established settlements in Florida, with varying degrees of success. In 1559, Spanish Pensacola was established by Don [[Tristán de Luna y Arellano]] as the first [[Europe]]an settlement in the continental [[United States]], but it had been abandoned by 1561 and would not be reinhabited until the 1690s. French [[Huguenots]] founded Fort Caroline in modern-day [[Jacksonville]] in 1564, but the fort was conquered by forces from the new Spanish colony of [[Saint Augustine, Florida|Saint Augustine]] the following year.
Florida ranks forty-sixth in total energy consumption per capita, despite the heavy reliance on air conditioners and pool pumps. This includes coal, natural gas, petroleum, and retail electricity sales. It is estimated that only 1% of energy in the state is generated through renewable resources.<ref>{{cite web |last=Swartz |first=Kristi E |title=Emission Concern Unites Industry, Advocates'' |url=http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/17015.html |publisher=Harvard University: John F. Kennedy School of Government}} Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref><!-- this link is dead. Need a new link. —>
 
  
Increasing landfill space is also an issue. [[St. Lucie County, Florida|St. Lucie County]] is planning to experiment with burning trash through [[plasma arc gasification]] to generate energy and reduce landfill space. The experiment will be the largest of its kind in the world to date, and begin operation no later than 2009. If successful, experts estimate that the entire St. Lucie County landfill, estimated to contain 4.3 million tons of trash, will disappear within 18 years. Materials created in the energy production can also be used in road construction.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-09-09-fla-county-trash_x.htm |title=Florida county plans to vaporize landfill trash |publisher=[[Associated Press]] |date=9 September 2006}} Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref>
+
The Spanish never had a firm hold on Florida, and maintained tenuous control over the region by [[religious conversion|converting]] the local tribes, briefly with [[Society of Jesus|Jesuits]] and later with [[Franciscan]] friars.
  
[[Image:Florida Scrub Jay.jpg|thumb|166px|right|The [[Florida Scrub Jay]] is found only in Florida.]]
+
The area of Spanish Florida diminished with the establishment of [[England|English]] colonies to the north and French colonies to the west. The English weakened Spanish power in the area by supplying their [[Creek (American Indians)|Creek]] allies with firearms and urging them to raid the Timucuan and Apalachee, client-tribes of the Spanish. The English also attacked St. Augustine, burning the city and its cathedral to the ground several times.
Some are concerned about the effects of [[climate change]] and blame it for the major hurricanes of 2004 and 2005; however, recent research suggests the storms are part of a natural cycle and not [[Global Warming]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.livescience.com/environment/050831_hurricane_freq.html |title=Many More Hurricanes To Come |last=Than |first=Ker |date=31 August 2005 |publisher=[[Imaginova|Live Science]]}} Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.magazine.noaa.gov/stories/mag184.htm |title=NOAA Attributes Recent Increase In Hurricane Activity To Naturally Occurring Multi-Decadal Climate Variability |publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]}} Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref>
 
  
In July 2007, Florida Governor Charlie Crist announced plans to sign executive orders that would impose strict new air-pollution standards in the state, with aims to reduce so called "[[Greenhouse gas|greenhouse-gas]]" emissions by 80 percent of 1990 levels by 2050. Crist's orders would set new emissions targets for power companies, automobiles and trucks, and toughen conservation goals for state agencies and require state-owned vehicles to use alternative fuels.<ref name=enn>{{cite news |url=http://www.enn.com/climate/article/6914 |title=Florida To Introduce Tough Greenhouse Gas Targets |last=Loney |first=Jim |publisher=[[Reuters]] |date=12 July 2007}} Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref>
+
The Spanish, meanwhile, encouraged [[slavery|slaves]] to flee the English-held [[Carolinas]] and come to Florida, where they were converted to [[Roman Catholicism]] and given freedom. They settled in a buffer community north of [[Saint Augustine, Florida|Saint Augustine]], called [[Gracie Real de Santa Teresa de Mose]], the first completely [[African American|black]] settlement in what would become the United States.
  
[[Red tide]] has also been an issue on the Southwest coast of Florida. While there has been a great deal of conjecture over the cause of the toxic algae bloom, there is no evidence that it is being caused by pollution or that there has been an increase in the duration or frequency of red tides.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/03/28/tides_toxins_trouble_lungs_ashore/ |title=Tide's toxins trouble lungs ashore |last=Daley |first=Beth |publisher=''[[Boston Globe]]'' |date=28 March 2005}} Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref>
+
[[Great Britain]] gained control of Florida diplomatically in 1763 through the [[Treaty of Paris (1763)|Peace of Paris]]. Britain divided the colony into East Florida, with its capital at St. Augustine, and West Florida, with its capital at Pensacola. Britain tried to develop the Floridas through the importation of immigrants for labor, including some from [[Minorca]] and [[Greece]], but this project ultimately failed. Spain regained the Floridas after Britain's defeat by the [[Thirteen Colonies|American colonies]] and the subsequent [[Treaty of Versailles (1783)|Treaty of Versailles]] in 1783. It offered [[land grant]]s to anyone who settled in the colonies, and many Americans moved to them. This Americanization resulted, by terms of the [[Adams-Onís Treaty]] of 1819, in Spain ceding Florida to the United States in exchange for the Americans' renunciation of any claims on [[Texas]] and $5 million.
  
Since their accidental importation from South America into North America in the 1930s, the [[Red imported fire ant]] population has increased its territorial range to include most of the [[Southern United States]], including Florida. They are more aggressive than most native ant species and have a painful sting.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/pubs/invasive/4fireant.html |title=Not all alien invaders are from outer space |publisher=[[United States Department of Agriculture]]}} Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref>
+
===The Seminole Wars===
 +
[[Image:Osceola.jpg|right|thumb|180px|[[Osceola]], who led the Second Seminole War, painting by [[George Catlin]].]]
 +
The U.S. Army led increasingly frequent incursions into Spanish territory to recapture escaped slaves, including the 1817–1818 campaign against the [[Seminole]] Indians by [[Andrew Jackson]] that became known as the First Seminole War. Following the war, the United States effectively controlled East Florida.
  
==Demographics==
+
Once the United States acquired Florida in 1819, Jackson was named military governor. As American settlement increased, pressure grew on the federal government to remove the Indians from their lands in Florida so settlers could have access to them. Slave owners also wanted the fugitive slaves living among the Seminoles returned to [[slavery]].
===Population===
 
{{USCensusPop
 
|1830 = 34730
 
|1840 = 54477
 
|1850 = 87445
 
|1860 = 140424
 
|1870 = 187748
 
|1880 = 269493
 
|1890 = 391422
 
|1900 = 528542
 
|1910 = 752619
 
|1920 = 968470
 
|1930 = 1468211
 
|1940 = 1897414
 
|1950 = 2771305
 
|1960 = 4951560
 
|1970 = 6789443
 
|1980 = 9746324
 
|1990 = 12937926
 
|2000 = 15982378
 
|estyear = 2006
 
|estimate = 18089888}}
 
Florida has the 4th highest state population in the United States . The [[center of population]] of Florida is located in [[Polk County, Florida|Polk County]], in the town of [[Lake Wales, Florida|Lake Wales]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/statecenters.txt |title=Population and Population Centers by State: 2000 |publisher=US Census Bureau}} Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref> As of 2006, Florida's population was 18,089,888; an increase of 2,107,510 (over 13%) from 2000. The state grew 321,647, or 1.8% from 2005. Florida grows an average of 26,803 every month, 6700 every week, and 957 daily. Florida is the nation's third-fastest-growing state.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bcnys.org/whatsnew/2005/0420censuspoptable.htm |title=Projected Population Growth Through 2015 - April 2005 |publisher=Business Council of New York State}} Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref>
 
  
===Ancestry Groups===
+
In the 1830s, thousands of Seminoles were forcibly removed from their homelands and forced to march to [[Indian Territory]] in [[Oklahoma]], joining what became known as the [[Trail of Tears]]. In 1832, the U.S. government signed the Treaty of Paynes Landing with a few of the Seminole chiefs, promising them lands west of the [[Mississippi River]] if they agreed to leave Florida voluntarily. The remaining Seminoles prepared for war. In 1835, the U.S. Army arrived to enforce the treaty. Seminole leader [[Osceola]] led the vastly outnumbered resistance during the [[Second Seminole War]]. To survive, the Seminole allies employed hit-and-run [[guerrilla warfare|guerrilla]] tactics with devastating effect against U.S. forces. Osceola was arrested when he came under a flag of truce to negotiations in 1837. He died in jail less than one year later.  
{{US Demographics|state=Florida}}
 
The largest reported ancestries in the 2000 Census were [[German people|German]] (11.8%), [[Irish people|Irish]] (10.3%), [[English people|English]] (9.2%), [[American ancestry|American]] (8%), [[Italian people|Italian]] (6.3%), [[French people|French]] (2.8%), [[Polish people|Polish]] (2.7%) and [[Scottish people|Scottish]] (1.8%).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=&_geoContext=&_street=&_county=&_cityTown=&_state=04000US12&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010 |title=Florida Factstreet |publisher=US Census Bureau}} Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref>
 
  
[[Image:Florida population map.png|thumb|right|200px|Florida Population Density Map]]
+
Other war chiefs continued the Seminole resistance. The war ended, after a full decade of fighting, in 1842. Many Native Americans were forcibly exiled to [[Creek (American Indians)|Creek]] lands west of the [[Mississippi River]]. Others retreated into the [[Everglades]]. The war ended when the United States government abandoned attempts to subjugate the Seminole tribe, leaving a population of less than 100 Seminoles in peace. The Seminoles never surrendered to the United States government and are the only tribe never to sign a formal [[peace treaty]] with the United States.
Before the [[American Civil War]], when [[History of slavery in the United States|slavery]] was legal, and during the [[Reconstruction era (United States)|Reconstruction]] era that followed, [[African Americans]] made up nearly half of the state's population.<ref name=1870census>{{cite web |url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1870e-02.pdf |title=Compendium of the Ninth Census:Population, with race. |publisher=US Census Bureau |page=14 |accessdate=2007-12-03 |format=.PDF}} Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref> Their proportion declined over the next century, as many moved north in the [[Great Migration (African American)|Great Migration]] while large numbers of northern [[European American|whites]] moved to the state. Recently, the state's proportion of black residents has begun to grow again. Today, large concentrations of black residents can be found in northern Florida (notably in Jacksonville, [[Gainesville, Florida|Gainesville]] and Pensacola), the [[Tampa Bay]] area, the Orlando area (especially in the city of Orlando and [[Sanford, Florida|Sanford]]), and South Florida (where their numbers have been bolstered by significant [[immigration to the United States|immigration]] from [[Haiti]] and [[Jamaican American|Jamaica]]).
 
  
Florida's [[Hispanics in the United States|Hispanic]] population includes large communities of [[Cuban Americans]] in Miami and Tampa, [[Puerto Ricans in the United States|Puerto Ricans]] in Tampa and Orlando, and [[Central America]]n migrant workers in inland West-Central and South Florida. The Hispanic community continues to grow more affluent and mobile: between the years of 2000 and 2004, [[Lee County, Florida|Lee County]] in [[Southwest Florida]], which is largely suburban in character, had the fastest Hispanic population growth rate of any county in the United States.<!--This reference is broken, and because it is just a bare URL, there is no way to verify it. This is why it is important to use proper citation formats. Commenting out citation. <ref>[http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060309/NEWS01/603090396/1075 News-Press] Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref> —>
+
===Statehood===
 +
On March 3, 1845, Florida became the 27th state of the United States of America. Its population grew slowly. By 1860 it had only 140,424 people, of whom 44 percent were enslaved. There were fewer than 1,000 [[free people of color]] before the [[American Civil War|Civil War]].<ref>''University of Virginia Library''. Historical Census Browser.</ref>
  
[[White (people)|Whites]] of all ethnicities are present in all areas of the state. Those of [[British American|British]] and [[Irish American|Irish]] ancestry are present in large numbers in all the urban/suburban areas across the state. There is a large [[German American|German]] population in Southwest Florida, a large [[Greek American|Greek]] population in the [[Tarpon Springs, Florida|Tarpon Springs]] area, a sizable and historic [[Italian American|Italian]] community in the Miami area, and white Floridians of longer-present generations in the culturally southern areas of inland and northern Florida. Native white Floridians, especially those who have descended from long-time Florida families, affectionately refer to themselves as "[[Florida cracker]]s." Like all the other southern states, they descend mainly from [[Scots-Irish American|Scots-Irish]] as well as some British settlers.
+
On January 10, 1861, before the formal outbreak of the [[American Civil War]], Florida seceded from the Union; ten days later, the state became a founding member of the [[Confederate States of America]]. The war ended in 1865. On June 25, 1868, Florida's [[United States Congress|congressional]] representation was restored.
  
 +
Until the mid-twentieth century, Florida was the least populous southern state. The climate, tempered by the growing availability of [[air conditioning]], and low cost of living made the state a haven. Migration from the [[Rust Belt]] and the [[Northeast]] sharply increased the population. Economic prosperity combined with Florida's sudden elevation in profile led to the Florida land boom of the 1920s, which brought a brief period of intense land development before the [[Great Depression]] brought it all to a halt.
  
 
+
Florida's economy did not fully recover until [[World War II]]. With an estimated population of more than 18 million, Florida is the most populous state in the Southeast, the second most populous state in the South behind [[Texas]], and the fourth most populous in the United States. The [[United States Census Bureau|Census Bureau]] estimates that Florida may edge past [[New York]] into third place in total population by 2011.<ref> ''U.S. Census Bureau''. August 09, 2007. Florida, California and Texas to Dominate Future
===Languages===
+
Population Growth, Census Bureau Reports.</ref><ref>''United States Census Bureau''. [http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=n&_lang=en&mt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_GCTPH1R_US9S&format=US-9S&_box_head_nbr=GCT-PH1-R&ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&geo_id=01000US United States population by states] Retrieved October 17, 2008.</ref>
As of 2000, 76.91 percent of Florida residents age 5 and older spoke only [[English language|English]] at home as a first language, while 16.46 percent spoke Spanish, and French-based creole languages (predominantly Haitian Creole) was spoken by 1.38 percent of the population. French was spoken by 0.83 percent, followed by German at 0.59 percent, and Italian at 0.44 percent of all residents.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=12&mode=state_tops&order=r |title=Most spoken languages in Florida |publisher=Modern Language Association}} Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref>.
 
 
 
Florida's climate makes it a popular state for immigrants. Florida's public education system identifies over 200 first languages other than English spoken in the homes of students. In 1990, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) won a class action lawsuit against the state Department of Education that required educators to be trained in teaching English for speakers of other languages.
 
 
 
Article II, Section 9, of the Florida Constitution provides that "English is the official language of the State of Florida." This provision was adopted in 1988 by a vote following an Initiative Petition.
 
 
 
===Religion===
 
Florida is mostly Protestant, with a Roman Catholic community that is growing because of [[immigration]]; it is now the single largest denomination in the state. There is also a sizable [[American Jews|Jewish]] community, located mainly in South Florida; no other Southern state has such a large Jewish population. Florida's current religious affiliations are shown in the table below:
 
* [[Christianity|Christian]], 81%
 
** [[Protestantism|Protestant]], 54%
 
*** [[Baptist]], 19%
 
*** [[Methodism|Methodist]], 6%
 
*** [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]], 4%
 
*** [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Episcopal]], 3%
 
*** [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]], 3%
 
*** [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostal]], 3%
 
*** Other Protestant, 16%
 
** [[Roman Catholicism in the United States|Roman Catholic]], 26%
 
** [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|Mormon/LDS]] &ndash; 1%
 
* [[Judaism|Jewish]], 4%
 
* other religions, 1%
 
* non-religious, 14%
 
  
 
==Government==
 
==Government==
 
[[Image:Old Florida Capitol.jpg|thumb|180px|left|Florida Capitol buildings (Old Capitol in foreground)]]
 
[[Image:Old Florida Capitol.jpg|thumb|180px|left|Florida Capitol buildings (Old Capitol in foreground)]]
  
{| align="right" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"
+
The rough-hewn frontier capital, Tallahassee, gradually grew into a town during Florida's territorial period (1821-1845). It became the capital of Florida in 1824. The [[Marquis de Lafayette]], French hero of the [[American Revolution]], returned for a grand tour of the [[United States]] in 1824. The U.S. Congress voted to give him $200,000 (the same amount he had given the colonies in 1778), U.S. citizenship, and a plot of land that currently makes up a portion of the city of Tallahassee. In 1845, a Greek revival masonry structure was erected as the Capitol building in time for statehood. Now known as the "old Capitol," it stands in front of the Capitol highrise building, which was constructed in the 1970s.  
|+ '''Presidential elections results'''
 
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
 
! Year
 
! [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
 
! [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
 
|-
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 2004|2004]]
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''52.10%''' ''3,964,522
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|47.09% ''3,583,544
 
|-
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 2000|2000]]
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''48.85%''' ''2,912,790
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|48.84% ''2,912,253
 
|-
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1996|1996]]
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|42.32% ''2,244,536
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''48.02%''' ''2,546,870
 
|-
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1992|1992]]
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''40.89%''' ''2,173,310
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|39.00% '' ''2,072,698
 
|-
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1988|1988]]
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''60.87%''' ''2,618,885
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|38.51% ''1,656,701
 
|-
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1984|1984]]
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''65.32%''' ''2,730,350
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|34.66% ''1,448,816
 
|-
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1980|1980]]
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''55.52%''' ''2,046,951
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|38.50% ''1,419,475
 
|-
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1976|1976]]
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|46.64% ''1,469,531
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''51.93%''' ''1,636,000
 
|-
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1972|1972]]
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''71.91%''' ''1,857,759
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|27.80% ''718,117
 
|-
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1968|1968]]
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''40.53%''' ''886,804
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|30.93% ''676,794
 
|-
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1964|1964]]
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|48.85% ''905,941
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''51.15%''' ''948,540
 
|-
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1960|1960]]
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''51.51%''' ''795,476
 
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|48.49% ''748,700
 
|}
 
  
The state government consists of three separate branches: judicial, executive, and legislative. The legislature enacts bills, which, if signed by the governor, become Florida Statutes.
+
The basic structure, duties, function, and operations of the government of the State of Florida are defined and established by the [[Florida Constitution]], which establishes the basic law of the state and guarantees various rights and freedoms of the people. The state government consists of three separate branches: judicial, executive, and legislative. The legislature enacts bills, which, if signed by the governor, become Florida Statutes.
  
The Florida Legislature comprises the Florida Senate, which has 40 members, and the Florida House of Representatives, which has 120 members. The current Governor of Florida is [[United States Republican Party|Republican]] Charlie Crist.
+
The Florida legislature comprises the Senate, which has 40 members, and the House of Representatives, which has 120 members.  
  
 
There are 67 counties in Florida, but some reports show only 66 because of Duval County, which is consolidated with the City of Jacksonville.  
 
There are 67 counties in Florida, but some reports show only 66 because of Duval County, which is consolidated with the City of Jacksonville.  
  
Florida was traditionally a Democratic state; at one time, [http://election.dos.state.fl.us/voterreg/history.asp 68.5 percent] of all Floridians were registered Democrats. In the last decades of the twentieth century, the realignment of the "[[Solid South]]" has led many conservative Democrats of Florida to vote with the Republican Party. This tendency, combined with explosive population growth, which has brought many Republicans into the state as well as Cuban immigration has given Florida a Republican edge in practice. As a result, Republicans control the governorship and most other statewide elective offices: both houses of the state legislature, 16 of the state's 25 seats in the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]], and one of the state's two [[United States Senate|Senate]] seats. Because of the state's population and number of electoral votes, political analysts consider it to be a key [[swing state]] in [[President of the United States|presidential]] elections, which became obvious during the 2000 election where Florida played a key role in the election.
+
Florida was traditionally a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] state; at one time, [http://election.dos.state.fl.us/voterreg/history.asp 68.5 percent] of all Floridians were registered Democrats. In the last decades of the twentieth century, the realignment of the "[[Solid South]]" has led many conservative Democrats of Florida to vote with the Republican Party. This tendency, combined with explosive population growth, which has brought many Republicans into the state as well as [[Cuba]]n immigration, has given Florida a Republican edge in practice. As a result, Republicans control the governorship and most other statewide elective offices: both houses of the state legislature, 16 of the state's 25 seats in the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]], and one of the state's two [[United States Senate|Senate]] seats. Because of the state's population and number of electoral votes, political analysts consider it to be a key [[swing state]] in [[President of the United States|presidential]] elections, which became obvious during the 2000 election when Florida played a key role in the election.
  
 
==Economy==
 
==Economy==
[[Image:Florida quarter, reverse side, 2004.jpg|100px|left|thumb|Florida's state quarter.]]
+
{|
[[Image:Space Shuttle Columbia launching.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Launch of [[Space Shuttle Columbia]] from [[Kennedy Space Center]].]]
+
[[Image:Florida quarter, reverse side, 2004.jpg|140px|thumb|Florida's state quarter.]]
[[Image:Florida Trip 197.jpg|thumb|200px|right|[[Walt Disney World]], a major tourist attraction in Central Florida.]]
+
[[Image:Space Shuttle Columbia launching.jpg|thumb|205px|right|Launch of [[Space Shuttle Columbia]] from [[Kennedy Space Center]].]]
[[Image:Sugar cane madeira hg.jpg|thumb|200px|Florida's climate is ideal for growing sugarcane.]]
+
|}
 
+
The gross state product of Florida in 2005 was $596 billion. Its GDP is one of the fastest-growing in the nation, with a 7.7 percent increase from 2004 to 2005. Personal income was $30,098 per capita, ranking 26th in the nation.<ref>''Bureau of Economic Analysis''. October 26, 2006.[http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrelarchive/2006/gsp1006_fax.pdf Advance Estimates of GDP by State for 2005 by NAICS Sector] Retrieved October 17, 2008.</ref>
The gross state product of Florida in 2005 was $596 billion. Its GDP is one of the fastest-growing in the nation, with a 7.7% increase from 2004 to 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrelarchive/2006/gsp1006_fax.pdf |title=Advance Estimates of GDP by State for 2005 by NAICS Sector|publisher=[[Bureau of Economic Analysis]]}} Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref> Personal income was $30,098 per capita, ranking 26th in the nation.
 
  
[[Tourism]] makes up the largest sector of the state economy. Warm weather and hundreds of miles of beaches attract about 60 million visitors to the state every year. [[Amusement park]]s, especially in the [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]] area, make up a significant portion of tourism. The [[Walt Disney World Resort]] is the largest vacation resort in the world, consisting of four [[theme park]]s and more than 20 hotels in [[Lake Buena Vista, Florida]]; it, and [[Universal Orlando Resort]], [[Busch Gardens]], [[SeaWorld]], and other major parks drive state tourism. Many beach towns are also popular tourist destinations, particularly in the winter months.  
+
[[Tourism]] makes up the largest sector of the state economy. Warm weather and hundreds of miles of [[beach]]es attract about 60 million visitors every year. [[Amusement park]]s, especially in the Orlando area, make up a significant portion of tourism. The Walt Disney World Resort is the largest vacation resort in the world, consisting of four theme parks and more than 20 hotels in Lake Buena Vista; it, and Universal Orlando Resort, Busch Gardens, SeaWorld, and other major parks drive state tourism. Many beach towns are also popular tourist destinations, particularly in the winter months.  
  
The second largest industry is [[agriculture]]. [[Citrus]] [[fruit]], especially [[orange (fruit)|orange]]s, are a major part of the economy, and Florida produces the majority of citrus fruit grown in the U.S. &ndash; in 2006 67 percent of all citrus, 74 percent of oranges, 58 percent of [[tangerine]]s, and 54 percent of [[grapefruit]]. About 95 percent of commercial orange production in the state is destined for processing (mostly as [[orange juice]], the official [[state beverage]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://aic.ucdavis.edu/profiles/Citrus-2006.pdf |title=Commodity Profile: Citrus |publisher=Agricultural Issues Center, [[University of California]]}} Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref> [[Citrus canker]] continues to be an issue of concern. Other products include [[sugarcane]] and [[celery]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ipmcenters.org/cropprofiles/docs/FLCelery.html |title= Crop Profile for Celery in Florida |publisher=NSF Center for Integrated Pest Management, [[North Carolina State University]]}} Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref> The Everglades Agricultural Area is a major center for agriculture. The environmental impact of agriculture &mdash; especially [[water pollution]]&mdash; is a major issue in Florida today.
+
The second largest industry is [[agriculture]]. [[Citrus]] [[fruit]], especially [[orange (fruit)|orange]]s, are a major part of the economy, and Florida produces the majority of citrus fruit grown in the U.S. &ndash; in 2006 67 percent of all citrus, 74 percent of oranges, 58 percent of [[tangerine]]s, and 54 percent of [[grapefruit]]. About 95 percent of commercial orange production in the state is destined for processing, mostly as orange juice, the official state beverage.<ref>Hayley Boriss, February 2006. [http://aic.ucdavis.edu/profiles/Citrus-2006.pdf Commodity Profile: Citrus] ''Agricultural Issues Center, University of California''. Retrieved October 17, 2008.</ref> Citrus canker continues to be an issue of concern. Other products include [[sugarcane]] and [[celery]].<ref> ''USDA''. [http://www.ipmcenters.org/cropprofiles/docs/FLCelery.html Crop Profile for Celery in Florida] ''NSF Center for Integrated Pest Management, North Carolina State University.'' Retrieved October 17, 2008.</ref> The environmental impact of agriculture, especially [[water pollution]], is a major issue in Florida today. In the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries a multimillion-dollar effort was undertaken to restore the [[ecosystem]] of the [[Everglades]].
  
[[Image:DSC 0116sml.jpg|thumb|200px|left|The [[Port of Miami]], the largest container port in Florida, as well as the "Cruise Capital of the World" and "Cargo Gateway of the Americas".]]
+
[[Phosphate]] [[mining]] is the state's third-largest industry. The state produces about 75 percent of the phosphate required by farmers in the United States and 25 percent of the world supply, with about 95 percent used for agriculture (fertilizer and livestock feed supplements) and 5 percent for other products.<ref> ''Mosiac''. About Phosphate.</ref>
  
[[Phosphate#Occurrence|Phosphate mining]], concentrated in the [[Bone Valley]], is the state's third-largest industry. The state produces about 75 percent of the phosphate required by farmers in the United States and 25 percent of the world supply, with about 95 percent used for agriculture (90 percent for [[fertilizer]] and 5 percent for [[livestock]] feed supplements) and 5 percent used for other products.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.phosphateflorida.com/mosaic.asp?page=about_phosphate |title=About Phosphate |publisher=[[The Mosaic Company]]}} Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref>
+
Since the arrival of the [[NASA]] Merritt Island launch sites on Cape Canaveral (most notably [[Kennedy Space Center]]) in 1962, Florida has developed a sizable [[Aerospace|aerospace industry]].
 
 
Since the arrival of the NASA [[List of Merritt Island launch sites|Merritt Island launch sites]] on Cape Canaveral (most notably Kennedy Space Center) in 1962, Florida has developed a sizable [[Aerospace|aerospace industry]].
 
  
 
In addition, the state has seen a recent boom in medical and bio-tech industries throughout its major metropolitan areas. Orlando was recently chosen as the official site for the new headquarters of the Burnham Institute, a major bio-tech and medical research company.
 
In addition, the state has seen a recent boom in medical and bio-tech industries throughout its major metropolitan areas. Orlando was recently chosen as the official site for the new headquarters of the Burnham Institute, a major bio-tech and medical research company.
  
The state was one of the few states to not have a state [[minimum wage]] law until 2004, when voters passed a constitutional amendment establishing a state minimum wage and (unique among minimum wage laws) mandating that it be adjusted for inflation every six months. Currently, the minimum wage in the state of Florida is $6.67.
+
The state was one of the few states to not have a state [[minimum wage]] law until 2004, when voters passed a constitutional amendment establishing a state minimum wage and (unique among minimum wage laws) mandating that it be adjusted for inflation every six months.
  
Historically, Florida's economy was based upon cattle farming and agriculture (especially [[sugarcane]], [[citrus]], [[tomato]]es, and [[strawberry|strawberries]]). In the early 1900, land speculators discovered Florida, and businessmen such as [[Henry Plant]] and [[Henry Flagler]] developed [[railroad]] systems, which led people to move in, drawn by the weather and local economies. From then on, tourism boomed, fueling a cycle of development that overwhelmed a great deal of farmland.
+
Historically, Florida's economy was based upon [[cattle]] farming and [[agriculture]] (especially [[sugarcane]], [[citrus]], [[tomato]]es, and [[strawberry|strawberries]]). In the early 1900s, [[land speculation|land speculators]] discovered Florida, and businessmen such as [[Henry Plant]] and [[Henry Flagler]] developed [[railroad]] systems, which led people to move in, drawn by the weather and local economies. From then on, tourism boomed, fueling a cycle of development that overwhelmed a great deal of farmland.
  
In 2004 and 2005, key industries along the west coast—commercial fishing and water-based tourist activities (sports fishing and diving)—were threatened by outbreaks of red tide, a discoloration of seawater caused by an efflorescence of toxin-producing dinoflagellates.
+
In 2004 and 2005, key industries along the west coast—commercial fishing and water-based tourist activities (sports [[fishing]] and diving)—were threatened by outbreaks of red tide, a discoloration of seawater caused by an efflorescence of toxin-producing [[dinoflagellate]]s.
  
Florida is one of the nine states that do not impose a personal [[income tax]] ''([[State income tax|list of others]])''. The state had imposed a tax on "intangible personal property" (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, money market funds, etc.), but this tax was abolished after 2006. The state [[sales tax]] rate is 6%<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.myflorida.com/dor/taxes/sales_tax.html |title=Florida Sales and Use Tax |publisher=State of Florida }} Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref>. Local governments may levy an additional local option sales tax of up to 1.5%. A locale's [[use tax]] rate is the same as its sales tax rate, including local options, if any. Use taxes are payable for purchases made out of state and brought into Florida within six months of the purchase date. [[Revenue stamp|Documentary stamps]] are required on deed transfers and mortgages. Other taxes include corporate income, communication services, unemployment, solid waste, insurance premium, pollutants, and various fuel taxes.
+
Florida is one of the nine states that do not impose a personal [[income tax]]. The state had imposed a tax on "intangible personal property" (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, money market funds, etc.), but this tax was abolished after 2006.
<br style="clear:both;"/>
 
  
 +
==Demographics==
 +
===Population===
 +
Florida has the fourth highest state [[population]] in the [[United States]]. As of 2006, Florida's population was 18,089,888; an increase of 2,107,510 (over 13 percent) from 2000. The state grew 321,647, or 1.8 percent from 2005.
  
 +
===Religion===
 +
Florida is mostly [[Protestant]], with a [[Roman Catholic]] community that is growing because of [[immigration]]; it is now the single largest denomination in the state. There is also a sizable [[Jewish]] community, located mainly in South Florida; no other Southern state has such a large Jewish population. Florida's religious affiliations as of 2008 are shown in the table below:<ref>''The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life''. [http://pewforum.org/religion08/state.php?StateID=2 Religious Composition of Florida] Retrieved October 17, 2008.</ref>     
 +
* [[Christianity|Christian]], 81 percent
 +
** [[Protestantism|Protestant]], 54 percent
 +
*** [[Baptist]], 19 percent
 +
*** [[Methodism|Methodist]], 6 percent
 +
*** [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]], 4 percent
 +
*** [[Episcopalian|Episcopal]], 3 percent
 +
*** [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]], 3 percent
 +
*** [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostal]], 3 percent
 +
*** Other Protestant, 16 percent
 +
** [[Roman Catholic]], 26 percent
 +
** [[Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|Mormon]] &ndash; 1 percent
 +
* [[Judaism|Jewish]], 4 percent
 +
* other religions, 1 percent
 +
* non-religious, 14 percent
  
==Transportation==
+
===Languages===
{{seealso|Transportation in Florida}}
+
As of 2000, 76.91 percent of Florida residents age 5 and older spoke only [[English language|English]] at home as a first [[language]], while 16.46 percent spoke [[Spanish language|Spanish]], and French-based [[creole language]]s (predominantly Haitian Creole) was spoken by 1.38 percent of the population. [[French language|French]] was spoken by 0.83 percent, followed by [[German language|German]] at 0.59 percent, and [[Italian language|Italian]] at 0.44 percent of all residents.<ref> ''MLA Language Map Data Center''. [http://www.mla.org/cgi-shl/docstudio/docs.pl?map_data_results Most spoken languages in Florida in 2005] Retrieved October 17, 2008.</ref>
  
===Highways===
+
Florida's climate makes it a popular state for immigrants. Florida's public [[education]] system identifies over 200 first languages other than English spoken in the homes of students. In 1990, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) won a class action lawsuit against the state Department of Education that required educators to be trained in teaching English for speakers of other languages.
[[Image:I-395.jpg|thumb|right|300px|[[I-395]] heading towards [[Downtown Miami]].]]
 
Florida's [[Interstate highway|interstates]], [[Florida State Roads|state highways]] and [[U.S. Highways]] are maintained by the [[Florida Department of Transportation]].
 
  
Florida's interstate highway system contains 1,473 miles (2,371&nbsp;km) of highway, and there are 9,934 miles (15,987&nbsp;km) of non-interstate highway in the state, such as Florida state highways and U.S. Highways.
+
Article II, Section 9, of the Florida Constitution provides that "English is the official language of the State of Florida." This provision was adopted in 1988 by a vote following an Initiative Petition.
  
Florida's primary interstate routes include:
+
===Ancestry Groups===
* [[Image:I-4.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 4|I-4]], which bisects the state, connecting Tampa, [[Lakeland, Florida|Lakeland]], Orlando, and [[Daytona Beach, Florida|Daytona Beach]], having junctions with I-95 in Daytona Beach and I-75 in Tampa.
 
* [[Image:I-10.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 10|I-10]], which traverses the panhandle, connecting Jacksonville, [[Lake City, Florida|Lake City]], Tallahassee and Pensacola, with junctions with I-95 in Jacksonville and I-75 in Lake City.
 
* [[Image:I-75.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 75|I-75]], which enters the state near Lake City (45 miles west of Jacksonville) and continues southward through Gainesville, [[Ocala, Florida|Ocala]], Tampa's eastern suburbs, Bradenton, [[Sarasota, Florida|Sarasota]], [[Fort Myers, Florida|Fort Myers]] and [[Naples, Florida|Naples]], where it crosses the "[[Alligator Alley]]" as a [[toll road]] to [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida|Fort Lauderdale]] before turning southward and terminating in [[Hialeah, Florida|Hialeah]]/[[Miami Lakes]] having junctions with I-10 in Lake City and I-4 in Tampa.
 
* [[Image:I-95.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 95 in Florida|I-95]], which enters the state near Jacksonville and continues along the Atlantic Coast through [[Daytona Beach, Florida|Daytona Beach]] [[Space Coast|Melbourne/Titusville]], [[Palm Bay, Florida|Palm Bay]], [[Vero Beach, Florida|Vero Beach]], [[Fort Pierce, Florida|Fort Pierce]], [[Port Saint Lucie, Florida|Port Saint Lucie]], [[Stuart, Florida|Stuart]], [[West Palm Beach, Florida|West Palm Beach]], and Fort Lauderdale before terminating in [[Downtown Miami]], with junctions with I-10 in Jacksonville and I-4 in Daytona Beach.
 
  
Prior to the construction of routes under the [[Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956]], Florida began construction of a long cross-state toll road, [[Florida's Turnpike]]. The first section, from [[Fort Pierce, Florida|Fort Pierce]] south to the [[Golden Glades Interchange|Golden Glades]] was completed in 1957. After a second section north through Orlando to [[Wildwood, Florida|Wildwood]] (near present-day [[The Villages, Florida|The Villages]]), and a [[Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike|southward extension]] around Miami to [[Homestead, Florida|Homestead]], it was finished in 1974.
+
The largest reported ancestries in the 2000 census were German (11.8 percent), Irish (10.3 percent), English (9.2 percent), American (8 percent), Italian (6.3 percent), French (2.8 percent), Polish (2.7 percent), and Scottish (1.8 percent).<ref>''U.S. Census Bureau''. [http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=&_geoContext=&_street=&_county=&_cityTown=&_state=04000US12&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010 Florida Factstreet] Retrieved October 17, 2008.</ref>
  
===Intercity rail===
+
[[Image:Florida population map.png|thumb|right|200px|Florida Population Density Map]]
Florida is served by [[Amtrak]]: [[Sanford, Florida|Sanford]], in [[Orlando-Kissimmee, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area|Greater Orlando]], is the southern terminus of the [[Auto Train (Amtrak)|Amtrak Auto Train]], which originates at [[Lorton, Virginia]], south of [[Washington, DC]]. Orlando is also the eastern terminus of the [[Sunset Limited]], which travels across the southern United States via [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]], [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], and [[San Antonio, Texas|San Antonio]] to its western terminus of [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]]. Florida is served by two additional Amtrak trains (the [[Silver Star (Amtrak)|Silver Star]] and the [[Silver Meteor]]), which operate between [[New York, New York|New York City]] and Miami.
+
Before the [[American Civil War]], when [[slavery]] was legal, and during the [[Reconstruction era (United States)|Reconstruction]] era that followed, [[African American]]s made up nearly half of the state's population.<ref name=1870census> ''U.S. Census Bureau''. [http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1870e-02.pdf Compendium of the Ninth Census: Population, with race], (14) Retrieved October 17, 2008.</ref> Their proportion declined over the next century, as many moved north in the Great Migration while large numbers of northern whites moved to the state. Recently, the state's proportion of black residents has begun to grow again. Today, large concentrations of black residents can be found in northern Florida (notably in Jacksonville, Gainesville, and Pensacola), the Tampa Bay area, the Orlando area, and South Florida (where their numbers have been bolstered by significant [[immigration to the United States|immigration]] from [[Haiti]] and [[Jamaica]]).
  
===Airports===
+
Florida's Hispanic population includes large communities of [[Cuba|Cuban]] Americans in Miami and Tampa, [[Puerto Rico|Puerto Ricans]] in Tampa and Orlando, and [[Central America]]n migrant workers in inland west-central and south Florida.  
{{seealso|List of airports in Florida}}
 
Major international airports in Florida which processed more than 15 million passengers each in 2006 are [[Orlando International Airport]] (34,128,048), [[Miami International Airport]] (32,533,974),  [[Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport]](21,369,577) and [[Tampa International Airport]] (18,867,541).
 
  
Secondary airports, with annual passenger traffic exceeding 5 million each in 2006, include [[Southwest Florida International Airport]] (Fort Myers) (7,643,217), [[Palm Beach International Airport]] (West Palm Beach) (7,014,237),<ref>2005 figure; 2006 data not available. Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref> and [[Jacksonville International Airport]] (5,946,188).
+
Whites of all ethnicities are present in all areas of the state. Those of [[Britain|British]] and [[Ireland|Irish]] ancestry are present in large numbers in all the urban/suburban areas across the state. There is a large [[Germany|German]] population in southwest Florida, a large [[Greece|Greek]] population in the Tarpon Springs area, a sizable and historic [[Italy|Italian]] community in the Miami area, and white Floridians of longer-present generations in the culturally southern areas of inland and northern Florida. Native white Floridians, especially those who have descended from long-time Florida families, affectionately refer to themselves as "Florida crackers." Like all the other southern states, they descend mainly from Scots-Irish as well as some British settlers.
  
Regional Airports which processed over one million passengers each in 2006 are [[Pensacola Regional Airport|Pensacola]] (1,620,198) and [[Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport|Sarasota-Bradenton]] (1,423,113). [[Orlando Sanford International Airport|Sanford]], which is primarily served by international charter airlines processed 1,649,565 passengers in 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aci-na.org/asp/traffic.asp?art=215 |title=2006 North America Airports Traffic Statistics |publisher=[[Airports Council International]]}} Retrieved December 21, 2007.</ref>
+
==Looking to the future==
 +
Florida's [[geography]], location and tropical and subtropical [[climate]]s are its best [[natural resource]]s and a major influence on the state's economy. The state produces the bulk of the country’s [[citrus fruit]] and is famous for its [[Orange (fruit)|oranges]]. In addition, its [[grapefruit]] production is the highest in the U.S. and represents a large proportion of the world total.
  
==Sports==
+
The largest single portion of the state’s economy is derived from the [[services industry]], mainly related to [[tourism]], again due to its climate and proliferation of beaches. Walt Disney Resort is the largest vacation resort in the world. Sixty million visitors come to the state each year.
{{seealso|List of sports teams in Florida}}
 
  
[[Image:AAAMiami.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The American Airlines Arena in Miami, home of the [[Miami Heat]].]]
+
Its location has also drawn immigrants to the state, mainly in the form of northern retirees and refugees from [[South America|South]] and [[Central America]]. Its tourism figures coupled with its rise in population has also fostered construction, transportation, and real estate economy.  
[[Image:Dolphinstadiumvikes.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Dolphin Stadium in [[Miami Gardens]], home of the [[Florida Marlins]] and the [[Miami Dolphins]].]]
 
  
Although Florida is the traditional home to [[Major League Baseball]]'s [[spring training]], and nearly 2/3 of all MLB teams still have a spring training presence in the state, Florida did not have a permanent major-league-level professional sports team until the [[American Football League]] added the [[Miami Dolphins]] in 1966. The state now has three [[National Football League|NFL]] teams, two MLB teams, two [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] teams, and two [[National Hockey League|NHL]] teams. With two of its most historically-important teams, Florida is one of the most important markets for the [[Arena Football League]]. [[Golf]], [[tennis]] and [[auto racing]] are also popular. Florida also hosts a variety of minor league [[baseball]], [[American football|football]], [[basketball]], [[ice hockey]], [[football (soccer)|soccer]] and [[indoor football]] teams.
+
The state is socially progressive, and much of its financial resources are dedicated to [[education]], [[social welfare]], health, and hospitals. There is an array of assistance programs for the disabled, elderly, and families with dependent children, as well as for refugees, those with [[addiction]] problems, the homeless, and mentally ill. However, public welfare payments are among the lowest in the nation. In total personal income, Florida ranks among the top states nationally, and ranks near the middle in income per capita. While [[unemployment]] normally runs below the national average, [[poverty]] continues to be widespread.  
  
{| class="wikitable"
+
Florida is faced with the difficulties of a burgeoning population—growing congestion, a high [[crime]] rate, and pressures on the environment. A multimillion-dollar effort is under way to undo the mistakes of the past and restore the [[ecosystem]] of the [[Everglades]]. While its climate, beaches, and location near the [[Caribbean]] guarantee a positive economic future, these same features pose challenges as the state's leaders must find a positive and equitable balance between advantaged and disadvantaged, and both use and preservation of the environment.
!Club
 
!Sport
 
!League
 
!Venue
 
|-
 
|[[Jacksonville Jaguars]]
 
|[[Football (American)|Football]]
 
|National Football League
 
|[[Jacksonville Municipal Stadium]]
 
|-
 
|[[Miami Dolphins]]
 
|Football
 
|National Football League
 
|[[Dolphin Stadium]]
 
|-
 
|[[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]]
 
|Football
 
|National Football League
 
|[[Raymond James Stadium]]
 
|-
 
|[[Miami Heat]]
 
|[[Basketball]]
 
|National Basketball Association
 
|[[American Airlines Arena]]
 
|-
 
|[[Orlando Magic]]
 
|Basketball
 
|National Basketball Association
 
|[[Amway Arena]]
 
|-
 
|[[Florida Panthers]]
 
|[[Ice hockey]]
 
|National Hockey League
 
|[[BankAtlantic Center]]
 
|-
 
|[[Tampa Bay Lightning]]
 
|Ice hockey
 
|National Hockey League
 
|[[St. Pete Times Forum]]
 
|-
 
|[[Florida Marlins]]
 
|[[Baseball]]
 
|Major League Baseball
 
|Dolphin Stadium
 
|-
 
|[[Tampa Bay Rays]]
 
|Baseball
 
|Major League Baseball
 
|[[Tropicana Field]]
 
|-
 
|[[Orlando Predators]]
 
|[[Arena football]]
 
|Arena Football League
 
|Amway Arena
 
|-
 
|[[Tampa Bay Storm]]
 
|Arena football
 
|Arena Football League
 
|St. Pete Times Forum
 
|-
 
|}
 
  
===Spring training===
+
==Notes==
Florida is the traditional home for Major League Baseball spring training, with teams informally organized into the "[[Grapefruit League]]." [[As of 2004]], Florida hosts the following major league teams for spring training:
+
<references/>
  
{| class="wikitable"
+
==References==
!Club
+
* Chang, Perry. ''Florida.'' New York: Marshall Cavendish, 1998. ISBN 0761404201
!Location
+
* Heinrichs, Ann. ''Florida.'' New York: Children's Press, 1998. ISBN 051620632X
|-
+
* Orr, Tamra B. ''Florida.'' New York: Children's Press, 2008. ISBN 978-0531185582
|[[Atlanta Braves]]
 
|Walt Disney World
 
|-
 
|[[Baltimore Orioles]]
 
|Fort Lauderdale
 
|-
 
|[[Boston Red Sox]]
 
|Fort Myers
 
|-
 
|[[Cincinnati Reds]]
 
|Sarasota
 
|-
 
|[[Cleveland Indians]]
 
|Winter Haven
 
|-
 
|[[Detroit Tigers]]
 
|Lakeland
 
|-
 
|'''[[Florida Marlins]]'''
 
|Jupiter
 
|-
 
|[[Houston Astros]]
 
|Kissimmee
 
|-
 
|[[Los Angeles Dodgers]]
 
|Vero Beach
 
|-
 
|[[Minnesota Twins]]
 
|Fort Myers
 
|-
 
|[[New York Mets]]
 
|Port St. Lucie
 
|-
 
|[[New York Yankees]]
 
|Tampa
 
|-
 
|[[Philadelphia Phillies]]
 
|Clearwater
 
|-
 
|[[Pittsburgh Pirates]]
 
|Bradenton
 
|-
 
|[[Saint Louis Cardinals]]
 
|Jupiter
 
|-
 
|'''[[Tampa Bay Rays]]'''
 
|St. Petersburg
 
|-
 
|[[Toronto Blue Jays]]
 
|Dunedin
 
|-
 
|[[Washington Nationals]]
 
|Viera
 
|}
 
  
[[Image:DaytonaSpeedway1.jpg|right|thumb|110px|Daytona International Speedway]]
+
==External links==
 
+
All links retrieved March 28, 2024.
===Auto-racing tracks===
 
* [[Daytona International Speedway]]
 
* [[Homestead-Miami Speedway]]
 
* [[Sebring International Raceway]]
 
* [[Streets of St. Petersburg]]
 
* [[Walt Disney World Speedway]]
 
 
 
==Sister states==
 
*{{flagicon|South Korea}} [[Gyeonggi-do]], [[South Korea]]
 
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Languedoc-Roussillon]], [[France]]
 
*{{flagicon|Venezuela}} [[Nueva Esparta]], [[Venezuela]]
 
*{{flagicon|Taiwan}} [[Taiwan Province]], [[Taiwan]]
 
*{{flagicon|Japan}} [[Wakayama Prefecture]], [[Japan]]
 
*{{flagicon|South Africa}} [[Western Cape]], [[South Africa]]
 
 
 
==See also==
 
* [[List of Florida state symbols]]
 
* [[Florida cracker]]
 
* [[Florida in the American Civil War]]
 
* [[List of Florida bike trails]]
 
* [[List of sister cities in Florida]]
 
* [[Scouting in Florida]]
 
'''State Agencies'''
 
* [[Florida Department of Environmental Protection]]
 
* [[Florida Department of Transportation]]
 
* [[Florida Division of Emergency Management]]
 
* [[Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission]]
 
* [[Florida Highway Patrol]]
 
  
==Notes==
+
* [http://www.visitflorida.com/ Florida travel official site]
{{reflist|2}}
+
* [http://www.myflorida.com/ Official portal of the State of Florida]
==References==
+
* [http://www.nps.gov/ever Everglades National Park]
 +
* [http://www.floridamemory.com/ Florida Memory Project] Over 300,000 photographs and documents from the State Library & Archives of Florida.
 +
* [http://www.floridamemory.com/Collections/SpanishLandGrants/ Online collection of the Spanish Land Grants.]
  
==External links==
 
{{sisterlinks|Florida}}
 
* [http://www.floridamemory.com/ Florida Memory Project] Over 300,000 photographs and documents from the State Library & Archives of Florida. Retrieved December 21, 2007.
 
* [http://www.floridamemory.com/Collections/SpanishLandGrants/ Online collection of the Spanish Land Grants.] Retrieved December 21, 2007.
 
* [http://www.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=FL USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Florida]. Retrieved December 21, 2007.
 
* [http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/UFDC/ University of Florida Digital Collections] Digital collections of texts and images, including Florida aerial photography, ephemeral photographs and postcards, letters, and more. Retrieved December 21, 2007.
 
* [http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/12000.html U.S. Census Bureau]. Retrieved December 21, 2007.
 
* [http://www.ers.usda.gov/StateFacts/FL.htm Economic and farm demographics fact sheet from the USDA]. Retrieved December 21, 2007.
 
*[http://wikis.ala.org/godort/index.php/Florida List of searchable databases produced by Florida state agencies] hosted by the [http://wikis.ala.org/godort/index.php/Main_Page American Library Association Government Documents Roundtable]. Retrieved December 21, 2007.
 
<br clear=all/>
 
{{Florida|expand}}
 
 
{{United States}}
 
{{United States}}
{{Confederate2}}
 
{{US South}}
 
  
{{coor title d|28|N|81.5|W|region:US-FL_type:state}}
+
[[Category:Geography]]
 +
[[Category:United States]]
  
[[Category:Geography]]
+
{{Credit|Florida|179307977|Tallahassee,_Florida|244282436}}
[[Category:Nations and places]]
 
{{Credit|179307977}}
 

Latest revision as of 17:42, 28 March 2024

State of Florida
Flag of Florida State seal of Florida
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): The Sunshine State
Motto(s): In God We Trust
Map of the United States with Florida highlighted
Official language(s) English[1]
Spoken language(s) English 76.9%
Spanish 16.5%[2]
Capital Tallahassee
Largest city Jacksonville
Largest metro area South Florida
metropolitan area
Area  Ranked 22nd
 - Total 65,755[3] sq mi
(170,304[3] km²)
 - Width 361 miles (582 km)
 - Length 447 miles (721 km)
 - % water 17.9
 - Latitude 24° 27′ N to 31° 00' N
 - Longitude 80° 02′ W to 87° 38′ W
Population  Ranked 4th in the U.S.
 - Total 19,057,542 (2011 est)[4]
- Density 353/sq mi  (136/km2)
Ranked 8th in the U.S.


 - Median income  $47,778 (33rd)
Elevation  
 - Highest point Britton Hill[5][6]
345 ft  (105 m)
 - Mean 100 ft  (30 m)
 - Lowest point Atlantic Ocean[5]
0 ft  (0 m)
Admission to Union  March 3, 1845 (27th)
Governor Rick Scott (R)
Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll (R)
U.S. Senators Bill Nelson (D)
Marco Rubio (R)
Time zones  
 - Peninsula and "Big Bend" region Eastern: UTC-5/-4
 - Panhandle Central: UTC-6/-5
Abbreviations FL Fla. US-FL
Web site www.myflorida.com


The State of Florida is located in the southeastern region of the United States. Most of the state is a large peninsula bordered by the Gulf of Mexico on its west and the Atlantic Ocean on its east.

Florida is the fourth most populated state in the United States, following California, Texas, and New York. This rise in population was caused by a large influx of people moving from other parts of the country, drawn by the climate, as well as the immigration of Cubans, Haitians, and others fleeing political and economic difficulties.

Florida's modern history, like much of America's, was one of conflict and subjugation. It was discovered by Spanish explorers in the fifteenth century and alternately ruled by France and England. Exploited for power and wealth, Native Americans and Europeans struggled for control of the land until the nineteenth century. After Florida became a state in 1845, the struggle over slavery continued to mark its history. In the mid-nineteenth century more than 40 percent of Florida's population were slaves.

Florida is a state of contrasts, home to St. Augustine, the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement on the North American continent, and the Kennedy Space Center, home to the United States space program. It is home to the world's largest vacation resort Walt Disney World Resort. Its climate and beaches attract 60 million visitors every year, but poverty is widespread. Housing and traffic congestion and a high crime rate confront the state. The need for land and water for its growing population is pitted against the need to preserve the environment.

Florida map, with major roads/cities.
Florida taken from NASA Shuttle Mission STS-95 on October 31, 1998

Geography

Florida is situated mostly on a large peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Straits of Florida. It extends to the northwest into a panhandle, extending along the northern Gulf of Mexico. Alabama and Georgia form its northern border. To the west, its panhandle is bordered by Alabama. The islands of the Caribbean, particularly the Bahamas and Cuba lie close to its eastern and southern shores.

Florida has the third longest shoreline of any of the United States followed by Michigan and Alaska.

The Florida peninsula is a porous plateau of karst limestone sitting atop bedrock. Extended systems of underwater caves, sinkholes, and springs are found throughout the state and supply most of the water used by residents. The limestone is topped with sandy soils deposited as ancient beaches over millions of years as global sea levels rose and fell. During the last Ice Age, lower sea levels and a drier climate revealed a much wider peninsula, largely desert. At the southern end of the peninsula, the Everglades are in fact an enormously wide, very slow-flowing river.

At 345 feet (105 m) above mean sea level, Britton Hill is the highest point in Florida and the lowest state highpoint among the fifty U.S. states.[7] Much of the interior of Florida, typically 25 miles (40 km) or more away from the coastline, features hills with elevations ranging from 100 to 250 feet (30 – 76 m) in many locations.

Climate

The climate of Florida is tempered somewhat by its proximity to water. Most of the state has a humid subtropical climate, except for the southern part below Lake Okeechobee, which has a true tropical climate. Cold fronts can occasionally bring high winds and cool to cold temperatures to the entire state during late fall and winter. The seasons in Florida are determined more by precipitation than by temperature, with mild to cool, relatively dry winters and autumns (the dry season) and hot, wet springs and summers (the wet season). The Gulf Stream has a moderating effect on the climate, and although much of Florida commonly sees a high summer temperature over 90°F (32°C), the mercury seldom exceeds 100°F (38°C). The Florida Keys, being surrounded by water, have a more tropical climate, with less variability in temperatures.

Although Florida's nickname is the "Sunshine State," severe weather is a common occurrence. Central Florida is known as the lightning capital of the United States, as it experiences more strikes than anywhere else in the country. Florida has the highest average precipitation of any state, in large part because afternoon thunderstorms are common in most of the state from late spring until early autumn. These thunderstorms, caused by collisions between airflow from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, pop up in the early afternoon and can bring heavy downpours, high winds, and sometimes tornadoes. Florida leads the United States in tornadoes per square mile, but these tornadoes do not typically reach the intensity of those in the Midwest and Great Plains. Hail often accompanies the most severe thunderstorms.

Snow is a rare occurrence. During the Great Blizzard of 1899, Florida experienced blizzard conditions. The most widespread snowfall in Florida history happened on January 19, 1977, when snow fell over much of the state in different times of the month. Snow flurries fell on Miami Beach for the only time in recorded history.

Although some storms have formed out of season, tropical cyclones pose a severe threat during hurricane season, which lasts from June 1 to November 30. Florida is the most hurricane-prone U.S. state, with subtropical or tropical water on three sides and a lengthy coastline. It is rare for a hurricane season to pass without any impact in the state by at least a tropical storm.

Fauna

Florida is host to many types of wildlife including:

Florida is also a winter home for most species of eastern North American birds.

Its plant life includes eleven types of palms, as well as beech, cypress, pine, and mangrove.

Environmental issues

The Florida Scrub Jay is found only in Florida.

Florida ranks forty-fifth in total energy consumption per capita, despite the heavy reliance on air conditioners and pool pumps. This includes coal, natural gas, petroleum, and retail electricity sales.[8] It is estimated that approximately 4 percent of energy in the state is generated through renewable resources. Florida's energy production is 6.0 percent of the nation's total energy output, while total production of pollutants is lower, with figures of 5.6 percent for nitrogen oxide, 5.1 percent for carbon dioxide, and 3.5 percent for sulfur dioxide.[9]

It is believed that significant petroleum resources are located off Florida's western coast in the Gulf of Mexico, but that region has been closed to offshore exploration by law since 1981.

In 2006, the state enacted a "Farm to Fuel" initiative, an effort to increase production of renewable energy from crops, agricultural wastes, and residues produced in the state of Florida. In January 2008, Florida's Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner announced funding for four commercial ethanol and biodiesel production facilities, and an additional eight demonstration and research projects.[10]

In July 2007, Florida Governor Charlie Crist announced plans to sign executive orders that would impose strict new air pollution standards in the state, with aims to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 80 percent of 1990 levels by 2050.[11]

Florida obtains much of its drinking water from the Floridan Aquifer and the Biscayne Aquifer, as well as from surface water from Lake Okeechobee and other lakes, but population increases have begun to strain available sources. The state has built 120 desalination plants, more than three times as many as any other state,[12] including the largest plant in the United States.[13] Additionally, an electrodialysis reversal plant in Sarasota is the largest of its type in the world, [14] and a nanofiltration plant in Boca Raton is the largest of its type in the western hemisphere.[12]

Increasing landfill space is also an issue. St. Lucie County is planning to experiment with burning trash through plasma arc gasification to generate energy and reduce landfill space. The experiment will be the largest of its kind in the world to date, and begin operation no later than 2009.[15]

Hurricane Frances near peak strength.
The beach at Bahia Honda in the Florida Keys.
Everglades National Park in southern Florida.
Florida's climate is ideal for growing sugarcane.

History

Bernard Picart copper plate engraving of Florida Indians, ca. 1721 "Cérémonies et Coutumes Religieuses de tous les Peuples du Monde" (Private Collection of L.S. Morgan, St. Augustine Beach, Florida)

Archaeological research indicates that Florida had been inhabited as early as twelve thousand years ago. Of the many indigenous peoples, the largest known were the Ais, the Apalachee, the Calusa, the Timucua and the Tocobago tribes. These tribes were largely wiped out by disease or removed by the Spanish. Later, members of other tribes to the north moved into Florida and became known as the Seminoles.

Juan Ponce de León, a Spanish conquistador, named Florida in honor of his discovery of the land on April 2, 1513, during Pascua Florida, a Spanish term for the Easter season. The land became known as "La Florida." (Juan Ponce de León may not have been the first European to reach Florida; according to one report, at least one indigenous tribesman whom he encountered in 1513 spoke Spanish.[16]

Over the following century, both the Spanish and French established settlements in Florida, with varying degrees of success. In 1559, Spanish Pensacola was established by Don Tristán de Luna y Arellano as the first European settlement in the continental United States, but it had been abandoned by 1561 and would not be reinhabited until the 1690s. French Huguenots founded Fort Caroline in modern-day Jacksonville in 1564, but the fort was conquered by forces from the new Spanish colony of Saint Augustine the following year.

The Spanish never had a firm hold on Florida, and maintained tenuous control over the region by converting the local tribes, briefly with Jesuits and later with Franciscan friars.

The area of Spanish Florida diminished with the establishment of English colonies to the north and French colonies to the west. The English weakened Spanish power in the area by supplying their Creek allies with firearms and urging them to raid the Timucuan and Apalachee, client-tribes of the Spanish. The English also attacked St. Augustine, burning the city and its cathedral to the ground several times.

The Spanish, meanwhile, encouraged slaves to flee the English-held Carolinas and come to Florida, where they were converted to Roman Catholicism and given freedom. They settled in a buffer community north of Saint Augustine, called Gracie Real de Santa Teresa de Mose, the first completely black settlement in what would become the United States.

Great Britain gained control of Florida diplomatically in 1763 through the Peace of Paris. Britain divided the colony into East Florida, with its capital at St. Augustine, and West Florida, with its capital at Pensacola. Britain tried to develop the Floridas through the importation of immigrants for labor, including some from Minorca and Greece, but this project ultimately failed. Spain regained the Floridas after Britain's defeat by the American colonies and the subsequent Treaty of Versailles in 1783. It offered land grants to anyone who settled in the colonies, and many Americans moved to them. This Americanization resulted, by terms of the Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819, in Spain ceding Florida to the United States in exchange for the Americans' renunciation of any claims on Texas and $5 million.

The Seminole Wars

Osceola, who led the Second Seminole War, painting by George Catlin.

The U.S. Army led increasingly frequent incursions into Spanish territory to recapture escaped slaves, including the 1817–1818 campaign against the Seminole Indians by Andrew Jackson that became known as the First Seminole War. Following the war, the United States effectively controlled East Florida.

Once the United States acquired Florida in 1819, Jackson was named military governor. As American settlement increased, pressure grew on the federal government to remove the Indians from their lands in Florida so settlers could have access to them. Slave owners also wanted the fugitive slaves living among the Seminoles returned to slavery.

In the 1830s, thousands of Seminoles were forcibly removed from their homelands and forced to march to Indian Territory in Oklahoma, joining what became known as the Trail of Tears. In 1832, the U.S. government signed the Treaty of Paynes Landing with a few of the Seminole chiefs, promising them lands west of the Mississippi River if they agreed to leave Florida voluntarily. The remaining Seminoles prepared for war. In 1835, the U.S. Army arrived to enforce the treaty. Seminole leader Osceola led the vastly outnumbered resistance during the Second Seminole War. To survive, the Seminole allies employed hit-and-run guerrilla tactics with devastating effect against U.S. forces. Osceola was arrested when he came under a flag of truce to negotiations in 1837. He died in jail less than one year later.

Other war chiefs continued the Seminole resistance. The war ended, after a full decade of fighting, in 1842. Many Native Americans were forcibly exiled to Creek lands west of the Mississippi River. Others retreated into the Everglades. The war ended when the United States government abandoned attempts to subjugate the Seminole tribe, leaving a population of less than 100 Seminoles in peace. The Seminoles never surrendered to the United States government and are the only tribe never to sign a formal peace treaty with the United States.

Statehood

On March 3, 1845, Florida became the 27th state of the United States of America. Its population grew slowly. By 1860 it had only 140,424 people, of whom 44 percent were enslaved. There were fewer than 1,000 free people of color before the Civil War.[17]

On January 10, 1861, before the formal outbreak of the American Civil War, Florida seceded from the Union; ten days later, the state became a founding member of the Confederate States of America. The war ended in 1865. On June 25, 1868, Florida's congressional representation was restored.

Until the mid-twentieth century, Florida was the least populous southern state. The climate, tempered by the growing availability of air conditioning, and low cost of living made the state a haven. Migration from the Rust Belt and the Northeast sharply increased the population. Economic prosperity combined with Florida's sudden elevation in profile led to the Florida land boom of the 1920s, which brought a brief period of intense land development before the Great Depression brought it all to a halt.

Florida's economy did not fully recover until World War II. With an estimated population of more than 18 million, Florida is the most populous state in the Southeast, the second most populous state in the South behind Texas, and the fourth most populous in the United States. The Census Bureau estimates that Florida may edge past New York into third place in total population by 2011.[18][19]

Government

Florida Capitol buildings (Old Capitol in foreground)

The rough-hewn frontier capital, Tallahassee, gradually grew into a town during Florida's territorial period (1821-1845). It became the capital of Florida in 1824. The Marquis de Lafayette, French hero of the American Revolution, returned for a grand tour of the United States in 1824. The U.S. Congress voted to give him $200,000 (the same amount he had given the colonies in 1778), U.S. citizenship, and a plot of land that currently makes up a portion of the city of Tallahassee. In 1845, a Greek revival masonry structure was erected as the Capitol building in time for statehood. Now known as the "old Capitol," it stands in front of the Capitol highrise building, which was constructed in the 1970s.

The basic structure, duties, function, and operations of the government of the State of Florida are defined and established by the Florida Constitution, which establishes the basic law of the state and guarantees various rights and freedoms of the people. The state government consists of three separate branches: judicial, executive, and legislative. The legislature enacts bills, which, if signed by the governor, become Florida Statutes.

The Florida legislature comprises the Senate, which has 40 members, and the House of Representatives, which has 120 members.

There are 67 counties in Florida, but some reports show only 66 because of Duval County, which is consolidated with the City of Jacksonville.

Florida was traditionally a Democratic state; at one time, 68.5 percent of all Floridians were registered Democrats. In the last decades of the twentieth century, the realignment of the "Solid South" has led many conservative Democrats of Florida to vote with the Republican Party. This tendency, combined with explosive population growth, which has brought many Republicans into the state as well as Cuban immigration, has given Florida a Republican edge in practice. As a result, Republicans control the governorship and most other statewide elective offices: both houses of the state legislature, 16 of the state's 25 seats in the House of Representatives, and one of the state's two Senate seats. Because of the state's population and number of electoral votes, political analysts consider it to be a key swing state in presidential elections, which became obvious during the 2000 election when Florida played a key role in the election.

Economy

Florida's state quarter.
Launch of Space Shuttle Columbia from Kennedy Space Center.

The gross state product of Florida in 2005 was $596 billion. Its GDP is one of the fastest-growing in the nation, with a 7.7 percent increase from 2004 to 2005. Personal income was $30,098 per capita, ranking 26th in the nation.[20]

Tourism makes up the largest sector of the state economy. Warm weather and hundreds of miles of beaches attract about 60 million visitors every year. Amusement parks, especially in the Orlando area, make up a significant portion of tourism. The Walt Disney World Resort is the largest vacation resort in the world, consisting of four theme parks and more than 20 hotels in Lake Buena Vista; it, and Universal Orlando Resort, Busch Gardens, SeaWorld, and other major parks drive state tourism. Many beach towns are also popular tourist destinations, particularly in the winter months.

The second largest industry is agriculture. Citrus fruit, especially oranges, are a major part of the economy, and Florida produces the majority of citrus fruit grown in the U.S. – in 2006 67 percent of all citrus, 74 percent of oranges, 58 percent of tangerines, and 54 percent of grapefruit. About 95 percent of commercial orange production in the state is destined for processing, mostly as orange juice, the official state beverage.[21] Citrus canker continues to be an issue of concern. Other products include sugarcane and celery.[22] The environmental impact of agriculture, especially water pollution, is a major issue in Florida today. In the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries a multimillion-dollar effort was undertaken to restore the ecosystem of the Everglades.

Phosphate mining is the state's third-largest industry. The state produces about 75 percent of the phosphate required by farmers in the United States and 25 percent of the world supply, with about 95 percent used for agriculture (fertilizer and livestock feed supplements) and 5 percent for other products.[23]

Since the arrival of the NASA Merritt Island launch sites on Cape Canaveral (most notably Kennedy Space Center) in 1962, Florida has developed a sizable aerospace industry.

In addition, the state has seen a recent boom in medical and bio-tech industries throughout its major metropolitan areas. Orlando was recently chosen as the official site for the new headquarters of the Burnham Institute, a major bio-tech and medical research company.

The state was one of the few states to not have a state minimum wage law until 2004, when voters passed a constitutional amendment establishing a state minimum wage and (unique among minimum wage laws) mandating that it be adjusted for inflation every six months.

Historically, Florida's economy was based upon cattle farming and agriculture (especially sugarcane, citrus, tomatoes, and strawberries). In the early 1900s, land speculators discovered Florida, and businessmen such as Henry Plant and Henry Flagler developed railroad systems, which led people to move in, drawn by the weather and local economies. From then on, tourism boomed, fueling a cycle of development that overwhelmed a great deal of farmland.

In 2004 and 2005, key industries along the west coast—commercial fishing and water-based tourist activities (sports fishing and diving)—were threatened by outbreaks of red tide, a discoloration of seawater caused by an efflorescence of toxin-producing dinoflagellates.

Florida is one of the nine states that do not impose a personal income tax. The state had imposed a tax on "intangible personal property" (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, money market funds, etc.), but this tax was abolished after 2006.

Demographics

Population

Florida has the fourth highest state population in the United States. As of 2006, Florida's population was 18,089,888; an increase of 2,107,510 (over 13 percent) from 2000. The state grew 321,647, or 1.8 percent from 2005.

Religion

Florida is mostly Protestant, with a Roman Catholic community that is growing because of immigration; it is now the single largest denomination in the state. There is also a sizable Jewish community, located mainly in South Florida; no other Southern state has such a large Jewish population. Florida's religious affiliations as of 2008 are shown in the table below:[24]

  • Christian, 81 percent
  • Jewish, 4 percent
  • other religions, 1 percent
  • non-religious, 14 percent

Languages

As of 2000, 76.91 percent of Florida residents age 5 and older spoke only English at home as a first language, while 16.46 percent spoke Spanish, and French-based creole languages (predominantly Haitian Creole) was spoken by 1.38 percent of the population. French was spoken by 0.83 percent, followed by German at 0.59 percent, and Italian at 0.44 percent of all residents.[25]

Florida's climate makes it a popular state for immigrants. Florida's public education system identifies over 200 first languages other than English spoken in the homes of students. In 1990, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) won a class action lawsuit against the state Department of Education that required educators to be trained in teaching English for speakers of other languages.

Article II, Section 9, of the Florida Constitution provides that "English is the official language of the State of Florida." This provision was adopted in 1988 by a vote following an Initiative Petition.

Ancestry Groups

The largest reported ancestries in the 2000 census were German (11.8 percent), Irish (10.3 percent), English (9.2 percent), American (8 percent), Italian (6.3 percent), French (2.8 percent), Polish (2.7 percent), and Scottish (1.8 percent).[26]

Florida Population Density Map

Before the American Civil War, when slavery was legal, and during the Reconstruction era that followed, African Americans made up nearly half of the state's population.[27] Their proportion declined over the next century, as many moved north in the Great Migration while large numbers of northern whites moved to the state. Recently, the state's proportion of black residents has begun to grow again. Today, large concentrations of black residents can be found in northern Florida (notably in Jacksonville, Gainesville, and Pensacola), the Tampa Bay area, the Orlando area, and South Florida (where their numbers have been bolstered by significant immigration from Haiti and Jamaica).

Florida's Hispanic population includes large communities of Cuban Americans in Miami and Tampa, Puerto Ricans in Tampa and Orlando, and Central American migrant workers in inland west-central and south Florida.

Whites of all ethnicities are present in all areas of the state. Those of British and Irish ancestry are present in large numbers in all the urban/suburban areas across the state. There is a large German population in southwest Florida, a large Greek population in the Tarpon Springs area, a sizable and historic Italian community in the Miami area, and white Floridians of longer-present generations in the culturally southern areas of inland and northern Florida. Native white Floridians, especially those who have descended from long-time Florida families, affectionately refer to themselves as "Florida crackers." Like all the other southern states, they descend mainly from Scots-Irish as well as some British settlers.

Looking to the future

Florida's geography, location and tropical and subtropical climates are its best natural resources and a major influence on the state's economy. The state produces the bulk of the country’s citrus fruit and is famous for its oranges. In addition, its grapefruit production is the highest in the U.S. and represents a large proportion of the world total.

The largest single portion of the state’s economy is derived from the services industry, mainly related to tourism, again due to its climate and proliferation of beaches. Walt Disney Resort is the largest vacation resort in the world. Sixty million visitors come to the state each year.

Its location has also drawn immigrants to the state, mainly in the form of northern retirees and refugees from South and Central America. Its tourism figures coupled with its rise in population has also fostered construction, transportation, and real estate economy.

The state is socially progressive, and much of its financial resources are dedicated to education, social welfare, health, and hospitals. There is an array of assistance programs for the disabled, elderly, and families with dependent children, as well as for refugees, those with addiction problems, the homeless, and mentally ill. However, public welfare payments are among the lowest in the nation. In total personal income, Florida ranks among the top states nationally, and ranks near the middle in income per capita. While unemployment normally runs below the national average, poverty continues to be widespread.

Florida is faced with the difficulties of a burgeoning population—growing congestion, a high crime rate, and pressures on the environment. A multimillion-dollar effort is under way to undo the mistakes of the past and restore the ecosystem of the Everglades. While its climate, beaches, and location near the Caribbean guarantee a positive economic future, these same features pose challenges as the state's leaders must find a positive and equitable balance between advantaged and disadvantaged, and both use and preservation of the environment.

Notes

  1. Article 2, Section 9, Constitution of the State of Florida. State of Florida. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
  2. Florida - Languages Retrieved February 4, 2012.
  3. 3.0 3.1 2000 Census (ZIP). US Census Bureau. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
  4. Error on call to template:cite web: Parameters url and title must be specified (CSV). 2011 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division (December 2011).
  5. 5.0 5.1 Elevations and Distances in the United States. United States Geological Survey (2001). Retrieved October 21, 2011.
  6. Elevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988.
  7. Roger Johnson. Florida, the Sunshine State Welcome to America. Retrieved October 16, 2008.
  8. United States Department of Energy. Energy Consumption by Source and Total Consumption per Capita, Ranked by State, 2004 Retrieved October 16, 2008.
  9. US Department of Energy. State Energy Profiles: Florida Retrieved October 16, 2008.
  10. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. 2008 Farm to Fuel Grants Program Winners Retrieved October 16, 2008.
  11. Jim Loney, July 12, 2007. Florida To Introduce Tough Greenhouse Gas Targets Environmental News Network. Retrieved October 16, 2008.
  12. 12.0 12.1 Cynthia Barnett, May 1, 2007. Salty Solution? Florida Trend Magazine. Retrieved October 16, 2008.
  13. Tampa Bay Online. December 22, 2007. Applause, At Last, For Desalination Plant Retrieved October 16, 2008.
  14. Eugene R. Reahl. Half a Century of Desalination with Electrodialysis General Electric.
  15. USA Today, September 9, 2006. Florida county plans to vaporize landfill trash Retrieved October 16, 2008.
  16. Hale G. Smith, and Marc Gottlob. 1978. "Spanish-Indian Relationships: Synoptic History and Archaeological Evidence, 1500-1763." In Tacachale: Essays on the Indians of Florida and Southeastern Georgia during the Historic Period, Edited by Jerald Milanich and Samuel Proctor. (Gainesville, Florida: University Presses of Florida. ISBN 0813005353).
  17. University of Virginia Library. Historical Census Browser.
  18. U.S. Census Bureau. August 09, 2007. Florida, California and Texas to Dominate Future Population Growth, Census Bureau Reports.
  19. United States Census Bureau. United States population by states Retrieved October 17, 2008.
  20. Bureau of Economic Analysis. October 26, 2006.Advance Estimates of GDP by State for 2005 by NAICS Sector Retrieved October 17, 2008.
  21. Hayley Boriss, February 2006. Commodity Profile: Citrus Agricultural Issues Center, University of California. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
  22. USDA. Crop Profile for Celery in Florida NSF Center for Integrated Pest Management, North Carolina State University. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
  23. Mosiac. About Phosphate.
  24. The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Religious Composition of Florida Retrieved October 17, 2008.
  25. MLA Language Map Data Center. Most spoken languages in Florida in 2005 Retrieved October 17, 2008.
  26. U.S. Census Bureau. Florida Factstreet Retrieved October 17, 2008.
  27. U.S. Census Bureau. Compendium of the Ninth Census: Population, with race, (14) Retrieved October 17, 2008.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

External links

All links retrieved March 28, 2024.


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Insular areas American Samoa | Baker Island | Guam | Howland Island | Jarvis Island | Johnston Atoll | Kingman Reef | Midway Atoll | Navassa Island | Northern Mariana Islands | Palmyra Atoll | Puerto Rico | Virgin Islands | Wake Island

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