Difference between revisions of "Florida" - New World Encyclopedia

Revision as of 02:39, 24 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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 ==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.
+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.
+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 America|South]] and [[Central America]]. Its tourism figures coupled with its rise in population has also fostered construction, transportation, and real estate economy.
-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.