83 Facts About Florida

Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States.

Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to the south by the Straits of Florida and Cuba; it is the only state that borders both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.

Florida was repeatedly contested by Spain and Great Britain, before being ceded to the U S in 1819; it was admitted as the 27th state on March 3, 1845.

Florida was the principal location of the Seminole Wars, the longest and most extensive of the Indian Wars in U S history.

Since the mid-20th century, Florida has experienced rapid demographic and economic growth.

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Florida is world-renowned for its beach resorts, amusement parks, warm and sunny climate, and nautical recreation; attractions such as Walt Disney World, the Kennedy Space Center, and Miami Beach draw tens of millions of visitors annually.

Florida is a popular destination for retirees, seasonal vacationers, and both domestic and international migrants; it hosts nine out of the ten fastest-growing communities in the U S The state's close proximity to the ocean has shaped its culture, identity, and daily life; its colonial history and successive waves of migration are reflected in African, European, Indigenous, Latino, and Asian influences.

Florida has attracted or inspired writers such as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams, and continues to attract celebrities and athletes, particularly in golf, tennis, auto racing, and water sports.

Florida is heavily noted for being a battleground state in American presidential elections, notably those in 2000, 2016, and 2020.

About two-thirds of Florida occupies a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.

Florida has 4, 510 islands that are ten acres or larger in area, the second highest number after Alaska.

Florida is the flattest state in the country, with the lowest high point of any U S state, at just 345 feet.

Consequently, Florida has several unique ecosystems, most notably Everglades National Park, the largest tropical wilderness in the U S and among the largest in the Americas.

The Florida Reef is the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States, and the third-largest coral barrier reef system in the world.

Florida was the first region of what is the contiguous United States to be visited and settled by Europeans.

Florida described a thick wall of red mangroves spread mile after mile, some reaching as high as 70 feet, with intertwined and elevated roots making landing difficult.

Geographical area of Spanish claims in La Florida diminished with the establishment of English settlements to the north and French claims to the west.

Florida remained a Loyalist stronghold for the duration of the American Revolution.

In 1810, parts of West Florida were annexed by the proclamation of President James Madison, who claimed the region as part of the Louisiana Purchase.

Traditionally, historians argued that Seminoles based in East Florida began raiding Georgia settlements, and offering havens for runaway slaves.

Control was necessary according to Secretary of State John Quincy Adams because Florida had become "a derelict open to the occupancy of every enemy, civilized or savage, of the United States, and serving no other earthly purpose than as a post of annoyance to them.

The Seminole were moved out of their rich farmland in northern Florida and confined to a large reservation in the interior of the Florida peninsula by the Treaty of Moultrie Creek.

Florida had become a burden to Spain, which could not afford to send settlers or troops due to the devastation caused by the Peninsular War.

On March 3, 1845, only one day before the end of President John Tyler's term in office, Florida became the 27th state, admitted as a slave state and no longer a sanctuary for runaway slaves.

Florida charted the "Village of Miami" on the south bank of the Miami River and sold several plots of land.

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American settlers began to establish cotton plantations in north Florida, which required numerous laborers, which they supplied by buying slaves in the domestic market.

Instead of troops and manufactured goods, Florida did provide salt and, more importantly, beef to feed the Confederate armies.

Until the mid-20th century, Florida was the least populous state in the southern United States.

Economic prosperity in the 1920s stimulated tourism to Florida and related development of hotels and resort communities.

Florida's economy did not fully recover until the military buildup for World War II.

In 1939, Florida was described as "still very largely an empty State.

The population of Florida has boomed in recent years with the state being the recipient of the largest number of out-of-state movers in the country as of 2019.

Florida's growth has been widespread, as cities throughout the state have continued to see population growth.

In February 2018, 17 people were killed in a school shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, leading to new gun control regulations at both the state and federal level.

Much of Florida is on a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean and the Straits of Florida.

Florida is the southernmost of the 48 contiguous states, Hawaii being the only one of the fifty states reaching farther south.

Florida is one of the largest states east of the Mississippi River, and only Alaska and Michigan are larger in water area.

Climate of Florida is tempered somewhat by the fact that no part of the state is distant from the ocean.

North of Lake Okeechobee, the prevalent climate is humid subtropical, while areas south of the lake (including the Florida Keys) have a true tropical climate (Koppen: Aw, Am, and Af).

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 one of the highest average precipitation levels of any state, in large part because afternoon thunderstorms are common in much of the state from late spring until early autumn.

Florida leads the United States in tornadoes per area, but they do not typically reach the intensity of those in the Midwest and Great Plains.

Florida is the most hurricane-prone state, with subtropical or tropical water on a lengthy coastline.

From 1851 to 2006, Florida was struck by 114 hurricanes, 37 of them major—category3 and above.

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In 1992, Florida was the site of what was then the costliest weather disaster in U S history, Hurricane Andrew, which caused more than $25billion in damages when it struck during August; it held that distinction until 2005, when Hurricane Katrina surpassed it, and it has since been surpassed by six other hurricanes.

Florida has more than 500 nonnative animal species and 1, 000 nonnative insects found throughout the state.

Many of the smallest coral islands in the Florida Keys are known to have abundant coconut palms sprouting from coconuts deposited by ocean currents.

Ninety percent of the Florida mangroves are in southern Florida, in Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties.

Florida Reef is the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States.

The Florida Reef extends into other parks and sanctuaries as well including Dry Tortugas National Park, Biscayne National Park, and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

The Florida Reef, being a delicate ecosystem like other coral reefs, faces many threats including overfishing, plastics in the ocean, coral bleaching, rising sea levels, and changes in sea surface temperature.

Florida peninsula is a porous plateau of karst limestone sitting atop bedrock known as the Florida Platform.

Florida has 22 Metropolitan Statistical Areas defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

In Florida there is no legal difference between towns, villages and cities.

Florida is a highly urbanized state, with 89 percent of its population living in urban areas in2000, compared to 79 percent nationally.

Florida was the seventh fastest-growing state in the U S in the 12-month period ending July 1, 2012.

The Florida population was 21, 477, 737 residents or people according to the U S Census Bureau's 2019 Population Estimates Program.

Florida has a large and diverse Hispanic population, with Cubans and Puerto Ricans being the largest groups in the state.

Florida has the second-largest Puerto Rican population after New York, as well as the fastest-growing in the nation.

Florida has the largest West Indian population of any state, originating from many Caribbean countries, with Haitian Americans being the most numerous.

In 2016, Florida had the highest percentage of West Indians in the United States at 4.

Florida is mostly Christian, although there is a large irreligious and relatively significant Jewish community.

In 2010, the three largest denominations in Florida were the Catholic Church, the Southern Baptist Convention, and the United Methodist Church.

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.

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Cramer built a different Republican Party in Florida, attracting local white conservatives and transplants from northern and midwestern states.

Florida is sometimes considered a bellwether state in presidential elections because every candidate who won the state from 1996 until 2020 won the election.

The Florida results were contested and a recount was ordered by the court, with the results settled in a Supreme Court decision, Bush v Gore.

Florida has been listed as a swing state in presidential elections since 1952, voting for the losing candidate only twice in that period of time.

Florida approved its lottery by amending the constitution in 1984.

Economy of the state of Florida is the fourth-largest in the United States, with a $1.

In 2013, Florida refused to participate in providing coverage for the uninsured under the Affordable Care Act, colloquially called Obamacare.

The Florida legislature refused to accept additional Federal funding for Medicaid, although this would have helped its constituents at no cost to the state.

Florida has the largest collection of Art Deco and Streamline Moderne buildings, both in the United States and in the entire world, most of which are located in the Miami metropolitan area, especially Miami Beach's Art Deco District, constructed as the city was becoming a resort destination.

In 2020, Florida was ranked the third best state in America for K-12 education, outperforming the nation in 15 out of 18 metrics in Education Week's 2020 Quality Counts report.

Florida spent $8, 920 for each student in 2016, and was 43rd in the nation in expenditures per student.

State University System of Florida was founded in 1905, and is governed by the Florida Board of Governors.

In 2016, Florida charged the second lowest tuition in the nation for four-year programs, at $26, 000 for in-state students and $86, 000 for out-of-state students; this compares with an average of $34, 800 nationally for in-state students.

Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida is an association of 30 private, educational institutions in the state.

Florida has three NFL teams, two MLB teams, two NBA teams, two NHL teams, and two MLS teams.

Florida gained its first permanent major-league professional sports team in 1966 when the American Football League added the Miami Dolphins.

Florida has given professional sports franchises some subsidies in the form of tax breaks since 1991.

Florida has teams in all five American major league sports.