Difference between revisions of "Florida" - New World Encyclopedia

Revision as of 21:43, 23 October 2008

Unification Aspects:

Though today Florida is a diverse mix of races, cultures, and religions that generally get along, Florida has a bloody, intolerant past that saw the virtual extinction and/or expulsion of its Native Americans, enslavement of African Americans before the Civil War, and segregation of and discrimination against non-whites since then. This pattern lasted until the civil rights movement of the 1960s and federal legislation forced change.

Florida is a state of contrasts, home to St. Augustine, the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement on the continent, as well as of Kennedy Space Center, home to the U.S. space program. While it is home to the world's largest vacation resort (Walt Disney World Resort) and its climate and beaches attract 60 million visitors every year, poverty is still widespread, especially among the state's African Americans. Growing congestion, a high crime rate, and pressures on the environment from the needs of the growing population are also issues confronting Florida today.

The need for land and water for its growing population is pitted against the need to preserve the environment. A multimillion-dollar effort is under way to undo the mistakes of the past and restore the ecosystem of the Everglades.

Florida's leaders are challenged not only to bring balance among its citizens (co-prosperity) but also between man and the environment. Good governance translates to human flourishing, which involves both of the above.

Unification Aspects is designed to relate the subject of this article to Unification Thought and to aid
teachers and researchers who wish to further pursue these topics from a unification perspective.

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 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.
+==Looking to the future==
+Florida’s favourable climate and geographic position have led to two major types of migration: retirement-age people who come to Florida from the North and political and economic refugees who enter the state from Latin America. Both of these movements have severely taxed the state’s ability to support the needy. A significant proportion of the state’s population is over 65 years of age. However, there is also a burgeoning young population that has resulted largely from the mass immigration of people from Latin America.
+By the late 1800s, citrus farming for shipment to the national market, phosphate mining, the lumber industry, and cigar manufacturing were of growing importance in Florida’s economy. About the same time, tourism started to develop during the winter months. The tourism sector grew consistently over the subsequent decades, and by the early 21st century it accounted for the largest single portion of the state’s economy. A land boom in the early 20th century focused entrepreneurs on real estate and construction, though sustained prosperity from those activities came only after World War II. Since then, Florida’s economic growth has been among the fastest of all U.S. states, driven largely by services (including retail trade), transportation, and construction—all of which reflect the expanding role of tourism and the rise in population. Manufacturing, on the contrary, constitutes a relatively small part of the economy. Once centred on the processing of citrus products, it has come to include the fabrication of computers and electronic devices and the production of transportation equipment—both now key industries in Florida.
+Florida, famous especially for its oranges, produces the bulk of the country’s citrus fruit and is second only to California in vegetable production. Citrus fruits account for a significant portion of farm receipts, and Florida’s grapefruit production not only is the highest in the country but also represents a large proportion of the world total.
+Directly or indirectly, Florida’s tropical and subtropical climate affects nearly every aspect of the local economy, and it can be quite justifiably considered the state’s chief resource. Together with land and water—both of which have contributed to economic development—climate forms the basis of the state’s wealth. The water resources, important to the fishing industry and tourism alike, include not only a vast expanse of fresh inland water but also a large area of adjacent salt water.
+Socially, Florida regards itself as a progressive state, and a major proportion of the state’s financial resources go into those areas that serve the public, especially education, social welfare, health, and hospitals. The Department of Health administers an array of assistance programs for the elderly, the disabled, and families with dependent children. The Department of Children and Families is primarily responsible for child welfare, including the prevention of child neglect and abuse, but also offers services for refugees, the mentally ill, the homeless, and those with drug and alcohol dependencies. Florida’s expenditure per capita for health and hospitals exceeds the U.S. average and is among the highest of those of the heavily populated states. Public welfare payments, on the other hand, are among the lowest in the country. Florida ranks at the bottom of all Sunbelt and populous states in this respect. In part, this is a reflection of the public’s refusal to offer welfare to the needy of other states who seek refuge in Florida’s tropical and subtropical environment.
+In total personal income, Florida ranks among the top states nationally, and it ranks near the middle in income per capita. Unemployment in Florida usually runs below the national average, and the diversified economy of the state has not been as subject to labour fluctuations as in many other areas where one industry dominates the economy. Major resort areas notwithstanding, the cost of living in Florida is generally below the national urban average.
+{{Unification Aspects|Though today '''Florida''' is a diverse mix of races, cultures, and religions that generally get along, Florida has a bloody, intolerant past that saw the virtual extinction and/or expulsion of its [[Native American]]s, enslavement of [[African American]]s before the [[American Civil War| Civil War]], and [[racial segregation|segregation]] of and discrimination against non-whites since then. This pattern lasted until the [[African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)|civil rights movement]] of the 1960s and federal legislation forced change.
+Florida is a state of contrasts, home to [[St. Augustine, Florida|St. Augustine]], the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement on the continent, as well as of [[John Kennedy Space Center|Kennedy Space Center]], home to the U.S. [[space]] program. While it is home to the world's largest vacation resort (Walt Disney World Resort) and its climate and beaches attract 60 million visitors every year, [[poverty]] is still widespread, especially among the state's African Americans.
+Growing congestion, a high [[crime]] rate, and pressures on the environment from the needs of the growing population are also issues confronting Florida today.
+The need for land and [[water]] for its growing population is pitted against the need to preserve the [[Natural environment|environment]]. A multimillion-dollar effort is under way to undo the mistakes of the past and restore the [[ecosystem]] of the [[Everglades]].
+Florida's leaders are challenged not only to bring balance among its citizens (co-prosperity) but also between man and the environment. Good governance translates to human flourishing, which involves both of the above.
+}}
 ==Notes==