Familypedia
Register
Advertisement
State of Florida
Flag of Florida State seal of Florida
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): The Sunshine State
Motto(s): In God We Trust
State anthem: Florida, Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky
Map of the United States with Florida highlighted
Official language(s) English[1]
Spoken language(s) English 73.36%
Spanish 19.54%
French Creole 1.84%[2]
Demonym Floridian
Capital Tallahassee
Largest city Jacksonville
Largest metro area Miami
Area  Ranked 22nd in the U.S.
 - 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 3rd in the U.S.
 - Total 21,538,187
 - Density 402/sq mi  (155/km2)
Ranked 8th in the U.S.
Elevation  
 - Highest point Britton Hill[4][5]
345 ft (105 m)
 - Mean 100 ft  (30 m)
 - Lowest point Atlantic Ocean[4]
sea level
Admission to Union  March 3, 1845 (27th)
Governor Ron DeSantis (R)
Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nunez (R)
Legislature Florida Legislature
 - Upper house Senate
 - Lower house House of Representatives
U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R)
Rick Scott (R)
U.S. House delegation 16 Republicans, 11 Democrats (list)
Time zones  
 - Peninsula and "Big Bend" region EST: UTC −5/−4
 - Panhandle west of the Apalachicola River CST: UTC −6/−5
Abbreviations FL Fla. US-FL
Website myflorida.com

Florida State Symbols
Flag of Florida
The Flag of Florida.

Animate insignia
Amphibian Barking tree frog
Bird(s) Northern Mockingbird
Butterfly Zebra Longwing
Fish Florida largemouth bass, Atlantic sailfish
Flower(s) Orange blossom
Mammal(s) Florida panther, Manatee, Bottle-nosed dolphin, Florida Cracker Horse[6]
Reptile American Alligator, Loggerhead turtle[6]
Tree Sabal Palmetto

Inanimate insignia
Beverage Orange juice
Food Key lime pie, Orange
Gemstone Moonstone
Shell Horse conch
Soil Myakka
Song(s) "Old Folks at Home" ("Way Down Upon The Swanee River")

Route marker(s)
Florida Route Marker

State Quarter
Quarter of Florida
Released in 2004

Lists of United States state insignia
File:FlaCitiesMap.PNG

Map of Florida's incorporated municipalities (click for larger version)

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. Spanning 65,758 square miles (170,310 km2), Florida ranks 22nd in area among the 50 states, and with a population of over 21 million, is the third-most populous. The state capital is Tallahassee and the most populous city is Jacksonville. The Miami metropolitan area, with a population of almost 6.2 million, is the most populous urban area in Florida and the seventh-most populous in the United States; other urban conurbations with over one million people are Tampa Bay, Orlando, and Jacksonville.

Various Native American groups have inhabited Florida for at least 14,000 years. In 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León became the first known European to make landfall, calling the region La Florida ([la floˈɾiða] for its lush greenery and the Easter season (Pascua Florida in Spanish). Florida subsequently became the first area in the continental U.S. to be permanently settled by Europeans, with the Spanish colony of St. Augustine, founded in 1565, being the oldest continuously inhabited city. 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 (1816–1858), the longest and most extensive of the Indian Wars in U.S. history. The state seceded from the Union on January 10, 1861, becoming one of the seven original Confederate States. After the Civil War, Florida was restored to the Union on June 25, 1868.

Since the mid-20th century, Florida has experienced rapid demographic and economic growth. Its $1.0 trillion economy is the fourth-largest of any U.S. state and the 16th-largest in the world; the main sectors are tourism, hospitality, agriculture, real estate, and transportation. 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 also 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. It has the longest coastline in the contiguous United States, spanning approximately 1,350 miles (2,170 km), not including its many barrier islands. Florida has 4,510 islands that are ten acres (4 ha) or larger in area, the second highest number after Alaska. Much of the state is at or near sea level, and is characterized by sedimentary soil. Florida is the flattest state in the country, with the lowest high point of any U.S. state, at just 345 feet (105 meters). Lake Okeechobee is its largest freshwater lake, and the second-largest located entirely within the contiguous 48 states. Several beaches in Florida have turquoise and emerald-colored coastal waters.

Florida's climate varies from subtropical in the north to tropical in the south. It is the only state besides Hawaii to have a tropical climate, and is the only continental state with both a tropical climate (at the lower tip of the peninsula) and a coral reef. 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. Unique wildlife include the American alligator, American crocodile, American flamingo, Roseate spoonbill, Florida panther, bottlenose dolphin, and manatee. 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 (after the Great Barrier Reef and Belize Barrier Reef).

History[]

People, known as Paleo-Indians, entered Florida at least 14,000 years ago.[7] By the 16th century, the earliest time for which there is a historical record, major groups of people living in Florida included the Apalachee of the Florida Panhandle, the Timucua of northern and central Florida, the Ais of the central Atlantic coast, and the Calusa of southwest Florida, with many smaller groups throughout what is now Florida.

European arrival[]

Chiaves-la-florida-1584

Map of Florida, likely based on the expeditions of Hernando de Soto (1539–1543)

Florida was the first region of the continental United States to be visited and settled by Europeans. The earliest known European explorers came with the Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León. Ponce de León spotted and landed on the peninsula on April 2, 1513. He named it La Florida in recognition of the verdant landscape and because it was the Easter season, which the Spaniards called Pascua Florida (Festival of Flowers). The following day they came ashore to seek information and take possession of this new land.[8][9] The story that he was searching for the Fountain of Youth is mythical and appeared only long after his death.[10]

In May 1539, Conquistador Hernando de Soto skirted the coast of Florida, searching for a deep harbor to land. He described a thick wall of red mangroves spread mile after mile, some reaching as high as 70 feet (21 m), with intertwined and elevated roots making landing difficult.[11] The Spanish introduced Christianity, cattle, horses, sheep, the Castilian language, and more to Florida.[12] Spain established several settlements in Florida, with varying degrees of success. In 1559, Don Tristán de Luna y Arellano established a settlement at present-day Pensacola, making it the first attempted settlement in Florida, but it was mostly abandoned by 1561.

In 1564-65 there was a French settlement at Fort Caroline, in present Duval County, which was destroyed by the Spanish.[13]

In 1565, the settlement of St. Augustine (San Agustín) was established under the leadership of admiral and governor Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, creating what would become one of the oldest, continuously occupied European settlements in the continental U.S. and establishing the first generation of Floridanos and the Government of Florida.[14] Spain maintained strategic control over the region by converting the local tribes to Christianity. The marriage between Luisa de Abrego, a free black domestic servant from Seville, and Miguel Rodríguez, a white Segovian, occurred in 1565 in St. Augustine. It is the first recorded Christian marriage in the continental United States.[15]

Some Spanish married or had unions with Pensacola, Creek or African women, both slave and free, and their descendants created a mixed-race population of mestizos and mulattos. The Spanish encouraged slaves from the Thirteen Colonies to come to Florida as a refuge, promising freedom in exchange for conversion to Catholicism. King Charles II of Spain issued a royal proclamation freeing all slaves who fled to Spanish Florida and accepted conversion and baptism. Most went to the area around St. Augustine, but escaped slaves also reached Pensacola. St. Augustine had mustered an all-black militia unit defending Spanish Florida as early as 1683.[16]

Castillo de San Marcos Fort Panorama 1

The Castillo de San Marcos. Originally white with red corners, its design reflects the colors and shapes of the Cross of Burgundy and the subsequent Flag of Florida.

The geographical area of Spanish claims in La Florida diminished with the establishment of English settlements to the north and French claims to the west. English colonists and buccaneers launched several attacks on St. Augustine in the 17th and 18th centuries, razing the city and its cathedral to the ground several times. Spain built the Castillo de San Marcos in 1672 and Fort Matanzas in 1742 to defend Florida's capital city from attacks, and to maintain its strategic position in the defense of the Captaincy General of Cuba and the Spanish West Indies.

In 1738, the Spanish governor of Florida Manuel de Montiano established Fort Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose near St. Augustine, a fortified town for escaped slaves to whom Montiano granted citizenship and freedom in return for their service in the Florida militia, and which became the first free black settlement legally sanctioned in North America.[17][18]

In 1763, Spain traded Florida to the Kingdom of Great Britain for control of Havana, Cuba, which had been captured by the British during the Seven Years' War. The trade was done as part of the 1763 Treaty of Paris which ended the Seven Years' War. Spain was granted Louisiana from France due to their loss of Florida. A large portion of the Florida population left, taking along large portions of the remaining indigenous population with them to Cuba.[19] The British soon constructed the King's Road connecting St. Augustine to Georgia. The road crossed the St. Johns River at a narrow point called Wacca Pilatka, or the British name "Cow Ford", reflecting the fact that cattle were brought across the river there.[20][21][22]

West Florida Map 1767

East Florida and West Florida in British period (1763–1783)

The British divided and consolidated the Florida provinces (Las Floridas) into East Florida and West Florida, a division the Spanish government kept after the brief British period.[23] The British government gave land grants to officers and soldiers who had fought in the French and Indian War in order to encourage settlement. In order to induce settlers to move to Florida, reports of its natural wealth were published in England. A number of British settlers who were described as being "energetic and of good character" moved to Florida, mostly coming from South Carolina, Georgia and England. There was also a group of settlers who came from the colony of Bermuda. This was the first permanent English-speaking population in what is now Duval County, Baker County, St. Johns County and Nassau County. The British constructed good public roads and introduced the cultivation of sugar cane, indigo and fruits, as well as the export of lumber.[24][25]

The British governors were directed to call general assemblies as soon as possible in order to make laws for the Floridas, and in the meantime they were, with the advice of councils, to establish courts. This was the first introduction of the English-derived legal system which Florida still has today, including trial by jury, habeas corpus and county-based government.[24][25] Neither East Florida nor West Florida sent any representatives to Philadelphia to draft the Declaration of Independence. Florida remained a Loyalist stronghold for the duration of the American Revolution.[26]

Spain regained both East and West Florida after Britain's defeat in the Revolutionary War and the subsequent Treaty of Versailles in 1783, and continued the provincial divisions until 1821.[27]

Statehood and Indian removal[]

Remington A cracker cowboy

A Cracker cowboy, 19th century

Defense of Florida's northern border with the United States was minor during the second Spanish period. The region became a haven for escaped slaves and a base for Indian attacks against U.S. territories, and the U.S. pressed Spain for reform.

Americans of English and Scots-Irish descent began moving into northern Florida from the backwoods of Georgia and South Carolina. Though technically not allowed by the Spanish authorities and the Floridan government, they were never able to effectively police the border region and the backwoods settlers from the United States would continue to immigrate into Florida unchecked. These migrants, mixing with the already present British settlers who had remained in Florida since the British period, would be the progenitors of the population known as Florida Crackers.[28]

These American settlers established a permanent foothold in the area and ignored Spanish authorities. The British settlers who had remained also resented Spanish rule, leading to a rebellion in 1810 and the establishment for ninety days of the so-called Free and Independent Republic of West Florida on September 23. After meetings beginning in June, rebels overcame the garrison at Baton Rouge (now in Louisiana), and unfurled the flag of the new republic: a single white star on a blue field. This flag would later become known as the "Bonnie Blue Flag".

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. These parts were incorporated into the newly formed Territory of Orleans. The U.S. annexed the Mobile District of West Florida to the Mississippi Territory in 1812. Spain continued to dispute the area, though the United States gradually increased the area it occupied. In 1812, a group of settlers from Georgia, with de facto support from the U.S. federal government, attempted to overthrow the Floridan government in the province of East Florida. The settlers hoped to convince Floridians to join their cause and proclaim independence from Spain, but the settlers lost their tenuous support from the federal government and abandoned their cause by 1813.[29]

Seminoles based in East Florida began raiding Georgia settlements, and offering havens for runaway slaves. The United States Army led increasingly frequent incursions into Spanish territory, including the 1817–1818 campaign against the Seminole Indians by Andrew Jackson that became known as the First Seminole War. The United States now effectively controlled East Florida. 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."[30]

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. Madrid, therefore, decided to cede the territory to the United States through the Adams–Onís Treaty, which took effect in 1821.[31] President James Monroe was authorized on March 3, 1821, to take possession of East Florida and West Florida for the United States and provide for initial governance.[32] Andrew Jackson, on behalf of the U.S. federal government, served as a military commissioner with the powers of governor of the newly acquired territory for a brief period.[33] On March 30, 1822, the U.S. Congress merged East Florida and part of West Florida into the Florida Territory.[34]

File:William Cooley Attack+Cleaned.png

A contemporaneous depiction of the New River Massacre in 1836

By the early 1800s, Indian removal was a significant issue throughout the southeastern U.S. and also in Florida. In 1830, the U.S. Congress passed the Indian Removal Act and as settlement increased, pressure grew on the U.S. government to remove the Indians from Florida. Seminoles offered sanctuary to blacks, and these became known as the Black Seminoles, and clashes between whites and Indians grew with the influx of new settlers. In 1832, the Treaty of Payne's Landing promised to the Seminoles lands west of the Mississippi River if they agreed to leave Florida. Many Seminole left at this time.

Some Seminoles remained, and the U.S. Army arrived in Florida, leading to the Second Seminole War (1835–1842). Following the war, approximately 3,000 Seminole and 800 Black Seminole were removed to Indian Territory. A few hundred Seminole remained in Florida in the Everglades.


The Call-Collins House, The Grove- Tallahassee, Florida (7157983334)
The Historic Call-Collins House, the Grove, built by slaves in the 1840s, is an antebellum plantation house in Tallahassee
$ 10 reward for runaway slave "SMART" by Geo Willis Navy Agent Pensacola Gazette 22 Aug 1840 p 3
1840 advertisement in the Pensacola Gazette offering a $10 reward for the return of a fugitive slave

On March 3, 1845, only one day before the end of President John Tyler's term in office, Florida became the 27th state,[35] admitted as a slave state and no longer a sanctuary for runaway slaves. Initially its population grew slowly.[36]

As European settlers continued to encroach on Seminole lands, the United States intervened to move the remaining Seminoles to the West. The Third Seminole War (1855–58) resulted in the forced removal of most of the remaining Seminoles, although hundreds of Seminole Indians remained in the Everglades.[37]

The first settlements and towns in South Florida were founded much later than those in the northern part of the state. The first permanent European settlers arrived in the early 19th century. People came from the Bahamas to South Florida and the Keys to hunt for treasure from the ships that ran aground on the treacherous Great Florida Reef. Some accepted Spanish land offers along the Miami River. At about the same time, the Seminole Indians arrived, along with a group of runaway slaves. The area was affected by the Second Seminole War, during which Major William S. Harney led several raids against the Indians. Most non-Indian residents were soldiers stationed at Fort Dallas. It was the most devastating Indian war in American history, causing almost a total loss of population in Miami.

After the Second Seminole War ended in 1842, William English re-established a plantation started by his uncle on the Miami River. He charted the "Village of Miami" on the south bank of the Miami River and sold several plots of land. In 1844, Miami became the county seat, and six years later a census reported there were ninety-six residents in the area.[38] The Third Seminole War was not as destructive as the second, but it slowed the settlement of southeast Florida. At the end of the war, a few of the soldiers stayed.

Civil War and Reconstruction[]

Battle of Olustee

The Battle of Olustee during the American Civil War, 1864

American settlers began to establish cotton plantations in north Florida, which required numerous laborers, which they supplied by buying slaves in the domestic market. By 1860, Florida had only 140,424 people, of whom 44% were enslaved. There were fewer than 1,000 free African Americans before the American Civil War.[39]

On January 10, 1861, nearly all delegates in the Florida Legislature approved an ordinance of secession,[40][41] declaring Florida to be "a sovereign and independent nation"—an apparent reassertion to the preamble in Florida's Constitution of 1838, in which Florida agreed with Congress to be a "Free and Independent State." The ordinance declared Florida's secession from the Union, allowing it to become one of the founding members of the Confederate States.

The Confederacy received little military help from Florida; the 15,000 troops it offered were generally sent elsewhere. Instead of troops and manufactured goods, Florida did provide salt and, more importantly, beef to feed the Confederate armies. This was particularly important after 1864, when the Confederacy lost control of the Mississippi River, thereby losing access to Texas beef.[42][43] The largest engagements in the state were the Battle of Olustee, on February 20, 1864, and the Battle of Natural Bridge, on March 6, 1865. Both were Confederate victories.[44] The war ended in 1865.

Following the American Civil War, Florida's congressional representation was restored on June 25, 1868, albeit forcefully after Reconstruction and the installation of unelected government officials under the final authority of federal military commanders. After the Reconstruction period ended in 1876, white Democrats regained power in the state legislature. In 1885, they created a new constitution, followed by statutes through 1889 that disfranchised most blacks and many poor whites.[45]

In the pre-automobile era, railroads played a key role in the state's development, particularly in coastal areas. In 1883, the Pensacola and Atlantic Railroad connected Pensacola and the rest of the Panhandle to the rest of the state. In 1884 the South Florida Railroad (later absorbed by Atlantic Coast Line Railroad) opened full service to Tampa. In 1894 the Florida East Coast Railway reached West Palm Beach; in 1896 it reached Biscayne Bay near Miami. Numerous other railroads were built all over the interior of the state.

20th and 21st century[]

Don CeSar Hotel- St

People at the newly opened Don Cesar Hotel in St. Pete Beach, Florida in 1928

Historically, Florida's economy has been based primarily upon agricultural products such as citrus fruits, strawberries, nuts, sugarcane and cattle.[46] The boll weevil devastated cotton crops during the early 20th century.

Until the mid-20th century, Florida was the least populous state in the southern United States. In 1900, its population was only 528,542, of whom nearly 44% were African American, the same proportion as before the Civil War.[47] Forty thousand blacks, roughly one-fifth of their 1900 population levels in Florida, left the state in the Great Migration. They left due to lynchings and racial violence, and for better opportunities in the North and the West.[48] Disfranchisement for most African Americans in the state persisted until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s gained federal legislation in 1965 to enforce protection of their constitutional suffrage.

Black and white photograph of segregationists fighting on a beach

White segregationists (foreground) trying to prevent black people from swimming at a "White only" beach in St. Augustine during the 1964 Monson Motor Lodge protests

In response to racial segregation in Florida, a number of protests occurred in Florida during the 1950s and 1960s as part of the Civil Rights Movement. In 1956–1957, students at Florida A&M University organized a bus boycott in Tallahassee to mimic the Montgomery bus boycott and succeeded in integrating the city's buses.[49] Students also held sit-ins in 1960 in protest of segregated seating at local lunch counters, and in 1964 an incident at a St. Augustine motel pool, in which the owner poured acid into the water during a demonstration, influenced the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.[50]

Economic prosperity in the 1920s stimulated tourism to Florida and related development of hotels and resort communities. Combined with its sudden elevation in profile was the Florida land boom of the 1920s, which brought a brief period of intense land development. In 1925, the Seaboard Air Line broke the FEC's southeast Florida monopoly and extended its freight and passenger service to West Palm Beach; two years later it extended passenger service to Miami. Devastating hurricanes in 1926 and 1928, followed by the Great Depression, brought that period to a halt. Florida's economy did not fully recover until the military buildup for World War II.

Miami Freedom Tower by Tom Schaefer

Miami's Freedom Tower, built in 1925, was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1979

In 1939, Florida was described as "still very largely an empty State."[51] Subsequently, the growing availability of air conditioning, the climate, and a low cost of living made the state a haven. Migration from the Rust Belt and the Northeast sharply increased Florida's population after 1945. In the 1960s, many refugees from Cuba fleeing Fidel Castro's communist regime arrived in Miami at the Freedom Tower, where the federal government used the facility to process, document and provide medical and dental services for the newcomers. As a result, the Freedom Tower was also called the "Ellis Island of the South."[52] In recent decades, more migrants have come for the jobs in a developing economy.

With a population of more than 18Template:Nbsmillion, according to the 2010 census, Florida is the most populous state in the southeastern United States and the third-most populous in the United States.[53] 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.[54] Florida's growth has been widespread, as cities throughout the state have continued to see population growth.[55]

Florida was the site of the killing of Trayvon Martin, a young black man killed by George Zimmerman in Sanford. The incident drew national attention to Florida's stand-your-ground laws, and it sparked African American activism nationally, including the Black Lives Matter movement.[56]

After Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in September 2017, a large population of Puerto Ricans began moving to Florida to escape the widespread destruction. Hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans arrived in Florida after Maria dissipated, with nearly half of them arriving in Orlando and large populations also moving to Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach.[57]

A handful of high-profile mass shootings have occurred in Florida in the twenty-first century. In June 2016, a gunman killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando. 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.[58]

On June 24, 2021, a condominium in Surfside, Miami collapsed, killing at least 97 people.[59]

Geography[]

Florida topographic map-en

Florida is mostly low-lying and flat as this topographic map shows.

Much of Florida is on a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean and the Straits of Florida. Spanning two time zones, it extends to the northwest into a panhandle, extending along the northern Gulf of Mexico. It is bordered on the north by Georgia and Alabama, and on the west, at the end of the panhandle, by Alabama. It is the only state that borders both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Florida also is the southernmost of the 48 contiguous states, Hawaii being the only one of the fifty states reaching farther south. Florida is west of The Bahamas and 90 miles (140 km) north of Cuba. Florida is one of the largest states east of the Mississippi River, and only Alaska and Michigan are larger in water area. The water boundary is 3 nautical miles (3.5 mi; 5.6 km) offshore in the Atlantic Ocean[60] and 9 nautical miles (10 mi; 17 km) offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.[60]

At 345 feet (105 m) above mean sea level, Britton Hill is the highest point in Florida and the lowest highpoint of any U.S. state.[61] Much of the state south of Orlando lies at a lower elevation than northern Florida, and is fairly level. Much of the state is at or near sea level. However, some places such as Clearwater have promontories that rise 50 to 100 ft (15 to 30 m) above the water. Much of Central and North Florida, typically 25 mi (40 km) or more away from the coastline, have rolling hills with elevations ranging from 100 to 250 ft (30 to 76 m). The highest point in peninsular Florida (east and south of the Suwannee River), Sugarloaf Mountain, is a 312-foot (95 m) peak in Lake County.[62] On average, Florida is the flattest state in the United States.[63]

Climate[]

Spalmetto2

The state tree, Sabal palmetto, flourishes in Florida's overall warm climate.

The 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 (Köppen: Cfa), while areas south of the lake (including the Florida Keys) have a true tropical climate (Köppen: Aw, Am, and Af).[64] Mean high temperatures for late July are primarily in the low 90s Fahrenheit (32–34Template:Nbs°C). Mean low temperatures for early to mid January range from the low 40s Fahrenheit (4–7Template:Nbs°C) in north Florida to above 60 °F (16 °C) from Miami on southward. With an average daily temperature of 70.7 °F (21.5 °C), it is the warmest state in the U.S.[65][66]

In the summer, high temperatures in the state rarely exceed 100 °F (37.8 °C). Several record cold maxima have been in the 30s °F (−1 to 4Template:Nbs°C) and record lows have been in the 10s (−12 to −7Template:Nbs°C). These temperatures normally extend at most a few days at a time in the northern and central parts of Florida. South Florida, however, rarely encounters below freezing temperatures.[67] The hottest temperature ever recorded in Florida was 109 °F (43 °C), which was set on June 29, 1931, in Monticello. The coldest temperature was −2 °F (−19 °C), on February 13, 1899, just 25 miles (40 km) away, in Tallahassee.[68][69]

Due to its subtropical and tropical climate, Florida rarely receives measurable snowfall.[70] However, on rare occasions, a combination of cold moisture and freezing temperatures can result in snowfall in the farthest northern regions like Jacksonville, Gainesville or Pensacola. Frost, which is more common than snow, sometimes occurs in the panhandle.[71] The USDA Plant hardiness zones for the state range from zone 8a (no colder than 10 °F or −12 °C) in the inland western panhandle to zone 11b (no colder than 45 °F or 7 °C) in the lower Florida Keys.[72] Fog also occurs all over the state or climate of Florida.[73]

Average high and low temperatures for various Florida cities
°F Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Jacksonville[74] 65/42 68/45 74/50 79/55 86/63 90/70 92/73 91/73 87/69 80/61 74/51 67/44
Miami[75] 76/60 78/62 80/65 83/68 87/73 89/76 91/77 91/77 89/76 86/73 82/68 78/63
Orlando[76] 71/49 74/52 78/56 83/60 88/66 91/72 92/74 92/74 90/73 85/66 78/59 73/52
Pensacola[77] 61/43 64/46 70/51 76/58 84/66 89/72 90/74 90/74 87/70 80/60 70/50 63/45
Tallahassee[78] 64/39 68/42 74/47 80/52 87/62 91/70 92/72 92/72 89/68 82/57 73/48 66/41
Tampa[79] 70/51 73/54 77/58 81/62 88/69 90/74 90/75 91/76 89/74 85/67 78/60 72/54
°C Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Jacksonville 18/6 20/7 23/10 26/13 30/17 32/21 33/23 33/23 31/21 27/16 23/11 19/7
Miami 24/16 26/17 27/18 28/20 31/23 32/24 33/25 33/25 32/24 30/23 28/20 26/17
Orlando 22/9 23/11 26/13 28/16 31/19 33/22 33/23 33/23 32/23 29/19 26/15 23/11
Pensacola 16/6 18/8 21/11 24/14 29/19 32/22 32/23 32/23 31/21 27/16 21/10 17/7
Tallahassee 18/4 20/6 23/8 27/11 31/17 33/21 33/22 33/22 32/20 28/14 23/9 19/5
Tampa 21/11 23/12 25/14 27/17 31/21 32/23 32/24 33/24 32/23 29/19 26/16 22/12

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.[80] Florida has one of the highest average precipitation levels of any state,[81] in large part because afternoon thunderstorms are common in much of the state from late spring until early autumn.[82] A narrow eastern part of the state including Orlando and Jacksonville receives between 2,400 and 2,800 hours of sunshine annually. The rest of the state, including Miami, receives between 2,800 and 3,200 hours annually.[83]

Florida leads the United States in tornadoes per area (when including waterspouts),[84] but they do not typically reach the intensity of those in the Midwest and Great Plains. Hail often accompanies the most severe thunderstorms.[85]

Hurricanes pose a severe threat each year from JuneTemplate:Nbs1 to November 30, particularly from August to October. Florida is the most hurricane-prone state, with subtropical or tropical water on a lengthy coastline. Of the [[Category 4 typhoon|categoryTemplate:Nbs4]] or higher storms that have struck the United States, 83% have either hit Florida or Texas.[86]

From 1851 to 2006, Florida was struck by 114 hurricanes, 37 of them major—[[Saffir–Simpson scale|categoryTemplate:Nbs3]] and above.[86] It is rare for a hurricane season to pass without any impact in the state by at least a tropical storm.[87]

In 1992, Florida was the site of what was then the costliest weather disaster in U.S. history, Hurricane Andrew, which caused more than $25Template:Nbsbillion 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. Andrew is currently the second-costliest hurricane in Florida's history.[88]

Fauna[]

Anhingatrailalligator

An alligator in the Florida Everglades

Manatee with calf

West Indian manatee

Florida is host to many types of wildlife including:

  • Marine mammals: bottlenose dolphin, short-finned pilot whale, North Atlantic right whale, West Indian manatee
  • Mammals: Florida panther, northern river otter, mink, eastern cottontail rabbit, marsh rabbit, raccoon, striped skunk, squirrel, white-tailed deer, Key deer, bobcats, red fox, gray fox, coyote, wild boar, Florida black bear, nine-banded armadillos, Virginia opossum
  • Reptiles: eastern diamondback and pygmy rattlesnakes, gopher tortoise, green and leatherback sea turtles,[89] brown anoles, and eastern indigo snake. In 2012, there were about one million American alligators and 1,500 crocodiles.[90]
  • Birds: peregrine falcon,[91] bald eagle, American flamingo,[92] crested caracara, snail kite, osprey, white and brown pelicans, sea gulls, whooping and sandhill cranes, roseate spoonbill, American white ibis, Florida scrub jay (state endemic), and others. One subspecies of wild turkey, Meleagris gallopavo osceola, is found only in Florida.[93] The state is a wintering location for many species of eastern North American birds.
As a result of climate change, there have been small numbers of several new species normally native to cooler areas to the north: snowy owls, snow buntings, harlequin ducks, and razorbills. These have been seen in the northern part of the state.[94]
  • Invertebrates: carpenter ants, termites, American cockroach, Africanized bees, the Miami blue butterfly, and the grizzled mantis.

Florida also has more than 500 nonnative animal species and 1,000 nonnative insects found throughout the state.[95] Some exotic species living in Florida include the Burmese python, green iguana, veiled chameleon, Argentine black and white tegu, peacock bass, mayan cichlid, lionfish, White-nosed coati, rhesus macaque, vervet monkey, Cuban tree frog, cane toad, Indian peafowl, monk parakeet, tui parakeet, and many more. Some of these nonnative species do not pose a threat to any native species, but some do threaten the native species of Florida by living in the state and eating them.[96]

Flora[]

File:Red mangrove-everglades natl park.jpg

Red mangroves in Everglades National Park

The state has more than 26,000 square miles (67,000 km2) of forests, covering about half of the state's land area.[97]

There are about 3,000 different types of wildflowers in Florida.[98] This is the third-most diverse state in the union, behind California and Texas, both larger states.[99] In Florida, wild populations of coconut palms extend up the East Coast from Key West to Jupiter Inlet, and up the West Coast from Marco Island to Sarasota. Many of the smallest coral islands in the Florida Keys are known to have abundant coconut palms sprouting from coconuts deposited by ocean currents. Coconut palms are cultivated north of south Florida to roughly Cocoa Beach on the East Coast and the Tampa Bay Area on the West Coast.[100]

On the east coast of the state, mangroves have normally dominated the coast from Cocoa Beach southward; salt marshes from St. Augustine northward. From St. Augustine south to Cocoa Beach, the coast fluctuates between the two, depending on the annual weather conditions.[94] All three mangrove species flower in the spring and early summer. Propagules fall from late summer through early autumn. Florida mangrove plant communities covered an estimated 430,000 to 540,000 acres (1,740 to Expression error: Unexpected < operator. km2) in Florida in 1981. Ninety percent of the Florida mangroves are in southern Florida, in Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties.

Florida Reef[]

Molasses11

Elkhorn coral near Key Largo

The Florida Reef is the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States.[101] It is also the third-largest coral barrier reef system in the world, after the Great Barrier Reef and the Belize Barrier Reef.[102] The reef lies a little bit off of the coast of the Florida Keys. A lot of the reef lies within John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, which was the first underwater park in the United States.[103] The park contains a lot of tropical vegetation, marine life, and seabirds. 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. Almost 1,400 species of marine plants and animals, including more than 40 species of stony corals and 500 species of fish, live on the Florida Reef.[104] 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.

Environmental issues[]

Florida flamingos

American flamingos in South Florida

Gator and Python

An American alligator and an invasive Burmese python in Everglades National Park

Florida is a low per capita energy user.[105] As of 2008, it is estimated that approximately 4% of energy in the state is generated through renewable resources.[106] Florida's energy production is 6% of the nation's total energy output, while total production of pollutants is lower, with figures of 6% for nitrogen oxide, 5% for carbon dioxide, and 4% for sulfur dioxide.[106] Wildfires in Florida occur at all times of the year.[107]

All potable water resources have been controlled by the state government through five regional water authorities since 1972.[108]

Red tide has been an issue on the southwest coast of Florida, as well as other areas. 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.[109] Red tide is now killing off wildlife or Tropical fish and coral reefs putting all in danger.[110]

The Florida panther is close to extinction. A record 23 were killed in 2009, mainly by automobile collisions, leaving about 100 individuals in the wild. The Center for Biological Diversity and others have therefore called for a special protected area for the panther to be established.[111] Manatees are also dying at a rate higher than their reproduction.[112] American flamingos are rare to see in Florida due to being hunted in the 1900s, where it was to a point considered completely extirpated. Now the flamingos are reproducing toward making a comeback to South Florida since it is adamantly considered native to the state and also are now being protected.[113][114]

Much of Florida has an elevation of less than 12 feet (3.7 m), including many populated areas. Therefore, it is susceptible to rising sea levels associated with global warming.[115] The Atlantic beaches that are vital to the state's economy are being washed out to sea due to rising sea levels caused by climate change. The Miami beach area, close to the continental shelf, is running out of accessible offshore sand reserves.[116] Elevated temperatures can damage coral reefs, causing coral bleaching. The first recorded bleaching incident on the Florida Reef was in 1973. Incidents of bleaching have become more frequent in recent decades, in correlation with a rise in sea surface temperatures. White band disease has also adversely affected corals on the Florida Reef.[117]

Geology[]

Floridakeys-nasa

The Florida Keys as seen from a satellite.[118]

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

The largest deposits of potash in the United States are found in Florida.[119] The largest deposits of rock phosphate in the country are found in Florida.[119] Most of this is in Bone Valley.[120]

Extended systems of underwater caves, sinkholes and springs are found throughout the state and supply most of the water used by residents.[121] 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 glacial period, lower sea levels and a drier climate revealed a much wider peninsula, largely savanna.[122] While there are sinkholes in much of the state, modern sinkholes have tended to be in West-Central Florida.[123][124] Everglades National Park covers 1,509,000 acres (6,107 km2), throughout Dade, Monroe, and Collier counties in Florida. The Everglades, an enormously wide, slow-flowing river encompasses the southern tip of the peninsula. Sinkhole damage claims on property in the state exceeded a total of $2Template:Nbsbillion from 2006 through 2010.[125] Winter Park Sinkhole, in central Florida, appeared May 8, 1981. It was approximately 350 feet (107Template:Nbsm) wide and 75 feet (23Template:Nbsm) deep. It was notable as one of the largest recent sinkholes to form in the United States. It is now known as Lake Rose.[126] The Econlockhatchee River (Econ River for short) is an 87.7-kilometer-long (54.5 mi)[127] north-flowing blackwater tributary of the St. Johns River, the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida. The Econ River flows through Osceola, Orange, and Seminole counties in Central Florida, just east of the Orlando Metropolitan Area (east of State Road 417). It is a designated Outstanding Florida Waters.[128]

Earthquakes are rare because Florida is not located near any tectonic plate boundaries.[129]

Regions[]

Florida counties

All of the 67 counties in Florida

  • Florida Panhandle
    • Emerald Coast
    • Forgotten Coast
    • North Florida
    • Pensacola metropolitan area
    • Tallahassee metropolitan area
  • North Central Florida
    • Big Bend
    • Nature Coast
    • North Florida
    • Gainesville metropolitan area
  • Northeast Florida
    • First Coast
    • Jacksonville metropolitan area
    • North Florida
  • Central West Florida
    • Nature Coast
    • Tampa Bay Area
    • Florida Suncoast
  • Central Florida
    • Greater Orlando
  • Central East Florida
    • Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach metropolitan area
    • Surf Coast/Fun Coast/Halifax Area
    • Space Coast
    • Treasure Coast
  • Southwest Florida
    • Florida Heartland
    • Florida Everglades
    • Florida Suncoast
    • Sarasota metropolitan area
    • Ten Thousand Islands
  • South Florida
    • Everglades
    • Gold Coast
    • Florida Keys
    • Miami metropolitan area

Cities and towns[]

The largest metropolitan area in the state as well as the entire southeastern United States is the Miami metropolitan area, with about 6.06Template:Nbsmillion people. The Tampa Bay Area, with more than 3.02Template:Nbsmillion, is the second largest; the Orlando metropolitan area, with more than 2.44Template:Nbsmillion, is third; and the Jacksonville metropolitan area, with more than 1.47Template:Nbsmillion, is fourth.[130]

Florida has 22 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Forty-three of Florida's 67 counties are in an MSA.

The legal name in Florida for a city, town or village is "municipality". In Florida there is no legal difference between towns, villages and cities.[131]

Florida is a highly urbanized state, with 89 percent of its population living in urban areas in 2000, compared to 79 percent nationally.[132]

In 2012, 75% of the population lived within 10 miles (16 km) of the coastline.[133]

 
Largest cities or towns in Florida
Source:[134]
Rank County Pop. Rank County Pop.
Jacksonville
Jacksonville
Miami
Miami
1 Jacksonville Duval 949,611 11 Pembroke Pines Broward 171,178 Tampa
Tampa
Orlando
Orlando
2 Miami Miami-Dade 442,241 12 Hollywood Broward 153,067
3 Tampa Hillsborough 384,959 13 Gainesville Alachua 141,085
4 Orlando Orange 307,573 14 Miramar Broward 134,721
5 St. Petersburg Pinellas 258,308 15 Coral Springs Broward 134,394
6 Hialeah Miami-Dade 223,109 16 Palm Bay Brevard 119,760
7 Port St. Lucie St. Lucie 204,851 17 West Palm Beach Palm Beach 117,415
8 Tallahassee Leon 196,169 18 Clearwater Pinellas 117,292
9 Cape Coral Lee 194,016 19 Lakeland Polk 112,641
10 Fort Lauderdale Broward 182,760 20 Pompano Beach Broward 112,046

Demographics[]

Population[]

Florida population map

Florida's population density

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1830 34,730
1840 54,477 56.9%
1850 87,445 60.5%
1860 140,424 60.6%
1870 187,748 33.7%
1880 269,493 43.5%
1890 391,422 45.2%
1900 528,542 35.0%
1910 752,619 42.4%
1920 968,470 28.7%
1930 1,468,211 51.6%
1940 1,897,414 29.2%
1950 2,771,305 46.1%
1960 4,951,560 78.7%
1970 6,789,443 37.1%
1980 9,746,324 43.6%
1990 12,937,926 32.7%
2000 15,982,378 23.5%
2010 18,801,310 17.6%
Sources: 1910–2020[135]

The United States Census Bureau estimated that the population of Florida was 21,477,737 on July 1, 2019, a 14.24% increase since the 2010 United States census.[136] The population of Florida in the 2010 census was 18,801,310.[137] Florida was the seventh fastest-growing state in the U.S. in the 12-month period ending July 1, 2012.[138] In 2010, the center of population of Florida was located between Fort Meade and Frostproof. The center of population has moved less than 5 miles (8 km) to the east and approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) to the north between 1980 and 2010 and has been located in Polk County since the 1960 census.[139] The population exceeded 19.7Template:Nbsmillion by December 2014, surpassing the population of the state of New York for the first time, making Florida the third most populous state.[140][141] The Florida population was 21,477,737 residents or people according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2019 Population Estimates Program.[142] By the 2020 census, its population increased to 21,538,187.

Florida contains the highest percentage of people over 65 (17%) in the U.S.[143] There were 186,102 military retirees living in the state in 2008.[144] About two-thirds of the population was born in another state, the second-highest in the U.S.[145]

In 2010, undocumented immigrants constituted an estimated 5.7% of the population. This was the sixth highest percentage of any U.S. state.[146][147] There were an estimated 675,000 illegal immigrants in the state in 2010.[148] Florida has banned sanctuary cities.[149]

Florida racial breakdown
Racial composition 1970[150] 1990[150] 2000[151] 2010[152] 2020[153]
Black or African American alone 15.3% 13.6% 14.6% 16.0% 16.9%
Asian alone 0.2% 1.2% 1.7% 2.4% 3.0%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 6.6% 12.2% 16.8% 22.5% 26.4%
Native American alone 0.1% 0.3% 0.3% 0.4% 0.5%
Two or more races 2.3% 2.5% 2.2%
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino 77.9% 73.2% 65.4% 57.9% 53.2%
White alone 84.2% 83.1% 78.0% 75.0% 77.3%

In 2020, Hispanic and Latinos of any race(s) made up 26.4% of the population, while Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders made up 0.1% of all Broward County residents.[153]

In 2010, 6.9% of the population (1,269,765) considered themselves to be of only American ancestry (regardless of race or ethnicity).[154][155] Many of these were of English or Scotch-Irish descent; however, their families have lived in the state for so long they choose to identify as having "American" ancestry or do not know their ancestry.[156][157][158][159][160][161] In the 1980 United States census, the largest ancestry group reported in Florida was English with 2,232,514 Floridians claiming they were of English or mostly English American ancestry.[162] Some of their ancestry dated to the original thirteen colonies.

As of 2010, those of (non-Hispanic white) European ancestry accounted for 57.9% of Florida's population. Out of the 57.9%, the largest groups were 12.0% German (2,212,391), 10.7% Irish (1,979,058), 8.8% English (1,629,832), 6.6% Italian (1,215,242), 2.8% Polish (511,229), and 2.7% French (504,641).[154][155] White Americans of all European backgrounds are present in all areas of the state. In 1970, non-Hispanic whites constituted nearly 80% of Florida's population.[163] Those of English and Irish ancestry are present in large numbers in all the urban/suburban areas across the state. Some native white Floridians, especially those who have descended from long-time Florida families, may refer to themselves as "Florida crackers"; others see the term as a derogatory one. Like whites in most other states of the southern U.S., they descend mainly from English and Scots-Irish settlers, as well as some other British American settlers.[164]

Cuban American men playing dominoes in Little Havana Miami, Florida

Cuban men playing dominoes in Miami's Little Havana. In 2010, Cubans made up 34.4% of Miami's population and 6.5% of Florida's.[165][166]

As of 2010, those of Hispanic or Latino ancestry accounted for 22.5% (4,223,806) of Florida's population. Out of the 22.5%, the largest groups were 6.5% (1,213,438) Cuban, and 4.5% (847,550) Puerto Rican.[166] Florida's Hispanic population includes large communities of Cuban Americans in Miami and Tampa, Puerto Ricans in Orlando and Tampa, and Mexican/Central American migrant workers. The Hispanic community continues to grow more affluent and mobile. Florida has a large and diverse Hispanic population, with Cubans and Puerto Ricans being the largest groups in the state. Nearly 80% of Cuban Americans live in Florida, especially South Florida where there is a long-standing and affluent Cuban community.[167] Florida has the second-largest Puerto Rican population after New York, as well as the fastest-growing in the nation.[168] Puerto Ricans are more widespread throughout the state, though the heaviest concentrations are in the Orlando area of Central Florida.[169] Florida has one of the largest and most diverse Hispanic/Latino populations in the country, especially in South Florida around Miami, and to a lesser degree Central Florida. Aside from the dominant Cuban and Puerto Rican populations, there are also large populations of Mexicans, Colombians, Venezuelans and Dominicans, among numerous other groups, as most Latino groups have sizable numbers in the state.

As of 2010, those of African ancestry accounted for 16.0% of Florida's population, which includes African Americans. Out of the 16.0%, 4.0% (741,879) were West Indian or Afro-Caribbean American.[154][155][166] During the early 1900s, black people made up nearly half of the state's population.[170] In response to segregation, disfranchisement and agricultural depression, many African Americans migrated from Florida to northern cities in the Great Migration, in waves from 1910 to 1940, and again starting in the later 1940s. They moved for jobs, better education for their children and the chance to vote and participate in society. By 1960, the proportion of African Americans in the state had declined to 18%.[171] Conversely, large numbers of northern whites moved to the state. Today, large concentrations of black residents can be found in northern and central Florida. Aside from blacks descended from African slaves brought to the southern U.S., there are also large numbers of blacks of West Indian, recent African, and Afro-Latino immigrant origins, especially in the Miami/South Florida area.[172] 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 4.5%, with 2.3% (483,874) from Haitian ancestry, 1.5% (303,527) Jamaican, and 0.2% (31,966) Bahamian, with the other West Indian groups making up the rest.[173]

As of 2010, those of Asian ancestry accounted for 2.4% of Florida's population.[154][155]

Languages[]

In 1988, English was affirmed as the state's official language in the Florida Constitution. Spanish is also widely spoken, especially as immigration has continued from Latin America.[174] About twenty percent of the population speak Spanish as their first language. Twenty-seven percent of Florida's population reports speaking a mother language other than English, and more than 200 first languages other than English are spoken at home in the state.[175][176]

The most common languages spoken in Florida as a first language in 2010 are:[175]

  • 73% English
  • 20% Spanish
  • 2% Haitian Creole
  • Other languages less than 1% each

Religion[]

Church of the Little Flower

Church of the Little Flower in Coral Gables, Florida

Hindu Temple Tampa

Hindu Temple of Florida

Florida is mostly Christian (70%),[177] although there is a large irreligious and relatively significant Jewish community. Protestants account for almost half of the population, but the Catholic Church is the largest single denomination in the state mainly due to its large Hispanic population and other groups like Haitians. Protestants are very diverse, although Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals and nondenominational Protestants are the largest groups. Smaller Christian groups include The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Jehovah's Witness. There is also a sizable Jewish community in South Florida. This is the largest Jewish population in the southern U.S. and the third-largest in the U.S. behind those of New York and California.[178]

In 2010, the three largest denominations in Florida were the Catholic Church, the Southern Baptist Convention, and the United Methodist Church.[179]

The Pew Research Center survey in 2014 gave the following religious makeup of Florida:[180]

Religion in Florida (2014)[177]
Protestant
  
46%
Catholic
  
21%
Mormon
  
1%
Jehovah's Witness
  
1%
Other Christian
  
1%
Nothing in Particular
  
17%
Agnostic
  
4%
Atheist
  
3%
Jewish
  
3%
Other faiths
(e.g. Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism)
  
3%

Governance[]

Old and New Florida State Capitol, Tallahassee, East view 20160711 1

Old and New Florida State Capitol, Tallahassee, East view

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 law.

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 Ron DeSantis. The Florida Supreme Court consists of a chief justice and six justices.

Florida has 67 counties. Some reference materials may show only 66 because Duval County is consolidated with the City of Jacksonville. There are 379 cities in Florida (out of 411) that report regularly to the Florida Department of Revenue, but there are other incorporated municipalities that do not. The state government's primary revenue source is sales tax. Florida does not impose a personal income tax. The primary revenue source for cities and counties is property tax; unpaid taxes are subject to tax sales, which are held (at the county level) in May and (due to the extensive use of online bidding sites) are highly popular.

There were 800 federal corruption convictions from 1988 to 2007, more than any other state.[181]

In a 2020 study, Florida was ranked as the 11th hardest state for citizens to vote in.[182]

Elections history[]

United States presidential election results for Florida[183]
Year Republican / Whig Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 5,668,731 51.11% 5,297,045 47.76% 125,982 1.14%
2016 4,617,886 48.60% 4,504,975 47.41% 379,886 4.00%
2012 4,163,447 49.03% 4,237,756 49.90% 90,972 1.07%
2008 4,046,219 48.10% 4,282,367 50.91% 83,662 0.99%
2004 3,964,522 52.10% 3,583,544 47.09% 61,744 0.81%
2000 2,912,790 48.85% 2,912,253 48.84% 138,067 2.32%
1996 2,244,536 42.32% 2,546,870 48.02% 512,388 9.66%
1992 2,173,310 40.89% 2,072,698 39.00% 1,068,384 20.10%
1988 2,618,885 60.87% 1,656,701 38.51% 26,727 0.62%
1984 2,730,350 65.32% 1,448,816 34.66% 885 0.02%
1980 2,046,951 55.52% 1,419,475 38.50% 220,600 5.98%
1976 1,469,531 46.64% 1,636,000 51.93% 45,100 1.43%
1972 1,857,759 71.91% 718,117 27.80% 7,407 0.29%
1968 886,804 40.53% 676,794 30.93% 624,207 28.53%
1964 905,941 48.85% 948,540 51.15% 0 0.00%
1960 795,476 51.51% 748,700 48.49% 0 0.00%
1956 643,849 57.27% 480,371 42.73% 0 0.00%
1952 544,036 54.99% 444,950 44.97% 351 0.04%
1948 194,280 33.63% 281,988 48.82% 101,375 17.55%
1944 143,215 29.68% 339,377 70.32% 0 0.00%
1940 126,158 25.99% 359,334 74.01% 0 0.00%
1936 78,248 23.90% 249,117 76.08% 67 0.02%
1932 69,170 25.04% 206,307 74.68% 775 0.28%
1928 144,168 56.83% 101,764 40.12% 7,742 3.05%
1924 30,633 28.06% 62,083 56.88% 16,438 15.06%
1920 44,853 30.79% 90,515 62.13% 10,313 7.08%
1916 14,611 18.10% 55,984 69.34% 10,139 12.56%
1912 4,279 8.42% 35,343 69.52% 11,215 22.06%
1908 10,654 21.58% 31,104 63.01% 7,602 15.40%
1904 8,314 21.15% 27,046 68.80% 3,949 10.05%
1900 7,355 18.55% 28,273 71.31% 4,021 10.14%
1896 11,298 24.30% 32,756 70.46% 2,434 5.24%
1892 0 0.00% 30,153 85.01% 5,318 14.99%
1888 26,529 39.89% 39,557 59.48% 414 0.62%
1884 28,031 46.73% 31,769 52.96% 190 0.32%
1880 23,654 45.83% 27,964 54.17% 0 0.00%
1876 23,849 50.99% 22,927 49.01% 0 0.00%
1872 17,763 53.52% 15,427 46.48% 0 0.00%
1860 0 0.00% 223 1.68% 13,078 98.32%
1856 0 0.00% 6,358 56.81% 4,833 43.19%
1852 2,875 39.97% 4,318 60.03% 0 0.00%
1848 4,120 57.20% 3,083 42.80% 0 0.00%



From 1952 to 1964, most voters were registered Democrats, but the state voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election except for 1964. The following year, Congress passed and President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, providing for oversight of state practices and enforcement of constitutional voting rights for African Americans and other minorities in order to prevent the discrimination and disenfranchisement which had excluded most of them for decades from the political process.

From the 1930s through much of the 1960s, Florida was essentially a one-party state dominated by white conservative Democrats, who together with other Democrats of the Solid South, exercised considerable control in Congress. They have gained slightly less federal money from national programs than they have paid in taxes.[184] Since the 1970s, conservative white voters in the state have largely shifted from the Democratic to the Republican Party. Though the majority of registered voters in Florida are Democrats,[185] it continued to support Republican presidential candidates through 2004, except in 1976 and 1996, when the Democratic nominee was from the South.

In the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections, Barack Obama carried the state as a northern Democrat, attracting high voter turnout, especially among the young, Independents, and minority voters, of whom Hispanics comprise an increasingly large proportion. 2008 marked the first time since 1944, when Franklin D. Roosevelt carried the state for the fourth time, that Florida was carried by a Northern Democrat for president.

The first post-Reconstruction era Republican elected to Congress from Florida was William C. Cramer in 1954 from Pinellas County on the Gulf Coast,[186] where demographic changes were underway. In this period, African Americans were still disenfranchised by the state's constitution and discriminatory practices; in the 19th century, they had made up most of the Republican Party. Cramer built a different Republican Party in Florida, attracting local white conservatives and transplants from northern and midwestern states. In 1966, Claude R. Kirk, Jr. was elected as the first post-Reconstruction Republican governor, in an upset election.[187] In 1968, Edward J. Gurney, also a white conservative, was elected as the state's first post-reconstruction Republican US senator.[188] In 1970, Democrats took the governorship and the open US Senate seat and maintained dominance for years.

Florida is sometimes considered a bellwether state in presidential elections because every candidate who won the state from 1996 until 2020 won the election.[189] The 2020 election broke that streak when Donald Trump won Florida but lost the election.

In 1998, Democratic voters dominated areas of the state with a high percentage of racial minorities and transplanted white liberals from the northeastern United States, known colloquially as "snowbirds".[190] South Florida and the Miami metropolitan area are dominated by both racial minorities and white liberals. Because of this, the area has consistently voted as one of the most Democratic areas of the state. The Daytona Beach area is similar demographically and the city of Orlando has a large Hispanic population, which has often favored Democrats. Republicans, made up mostly of white conservatives, have dominated throughout much of the rest of Florida, particularly in the more rural and suburban areas. This is characteristic of its voter base throughout the Deep South.[190]

The fast-growing I-4 corridor area, which runs through Central Florida and connects the cities of Daytona Beach, Orlando, and Tampa/St. Petersburg, has had a fairly even breakdown of Republican and Democratic voters. The area is often seen as a merging point of the conservative northern portion of the state and the liberal southern portion, making it the biggest swing area in the state. Since the late 20th century, the voting results in this area, containing 40% of Florida voters, has often determined who will win the state in federal presidential elections.[191]

The Democratic Party maintained an edge in voter registration, both statewide and in 18 of the 67 counties, including Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, the state's three most populous.[192]

2000–present[]

In 2000, George W. Bush won the U.S. presidential election by a margin of 271–266 in the Electoral College.[193] Of the 271 electoral votes for Bush, 25 were cast by electors from Florida.[194] 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.

Reapportionment following the 2010 United States Census gave the state two more seats in the House of Representatives.[195] The legislature's redistricting, announced in 2012, was quickly challenged in court, on the grounds that it had unfairly benefited Republican interests. In 2015, the Florida Supreme Court ruled on appeal that the congressional districts had to be redrawn because of the legislature's violation of the Fair District Amendments to the state constitution passed in 2010; it accepted a new map in early December 2015.

The political make-up of congressional and legislative districts has enabled Republicans to control the governorship and most statewide elective offices, and 17 of the state's 27 seats in the 2012 House of Representatives.[196] 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.[197]

United States presidential election in Florida, 2016

Treemap of the popular vote by county, 2016 presidential election

In the closely contested 2000 election, the state played a pivotal role.[193][194][198][199][200][201] Out of more than 5.8Template:Nbsmillion votes for the two main contenders Bush and Al Gore, around 500 votes separated the two candidates for the all-decisive Florida electoral votes that landed Bush the election win. Florida's felony disenfranchisement law is more severe than most European nations or other American states. A 2002 study in the American Sociological Review concluded that "if the state's 827,000 disenfranchised felons had voted at the same rate as other Floridians, Democratic candidate Al Gore would have won Florida—and the presidency—by more than 80,000 votes."[202]

In 2008, delegates of both the Republican Florida primary election and Democratic Florida primary election were stripped of half of their votes when the conventions met in August due to violation of both parties' national rules.

In the 2010 elections, Republicans solidified their dominance statewide, by winning the governor's mansion, and maintaining firm majorities in both houses of the state legislature. They won four previously Democratic-held seats to create a 19–6 Republican majority delegation representing Florida in the federal House of Representatives.

In 2010, more than 63% of state voters approved the initiated AmendmentsTemplate:Nbs5 andTemplate:Nbs6 to the state constitution, to ensure more fairness in districting. These have become known as the Fair District Amendments. As a result of the 2010 United States Census, Florida gained two House of Representative seats in 2012.[195] The legislature issued revised congressional districts in 2012, which were immediately challenged in court by supporters of the above amendments.

The court ruled in 2014, after lengthy testimony, that at least two districts had to be redrawn because of gerrymandering. After this was appealed, in July 2015 the Florida Supreme Court ruled that lawmakers had followed an illegal and unconstitutional process overly influenced by party operatives, and ruled that at least eight districts had to be redrawn. On December 2, 2015, a 5–2 majority of the Court accepted a new map of congressional districts, some of which was drawn by challengers. Their ruling affirmed the map previously approved by Leon County Judge Terry Lewis, who had overseen the original trial. It particularly makes changes in South Florida. There are likely to be additional challenges to the map and districts.[203]

Voter registration totals as of February 28, 2022[204]
Party Registered voters Percentage
style="background-color:#FF3333;" width=10px | Republican 5,135,377 35.95%
style="background-color:#3333FF;" width=10px | Democratic 5,045,849 35.32%
style="background-color:#DDDDDD;" width=10px | Unaffiliated 3,847,814 26.94%
style="background-color:Template:Other parties (US)/meta/color;" width=10px | Minor parties 255,306 1.79%
Total 14,284,346 100%

According to The Sentencing Project, the effect of Florida's felony disenfranchisement law is such that in 2014, "[m]ore than one in ten Floridians—and nearly one in four African-American Floridians—are [were] shut out of the polls because of felony convictions", although they had completed sentences and parole/probation requirements.[205]

The state switched back to the GOP in the 2016 presidential election, and again in 2020, when Donald Trump headed the party's ticket both times. 2020 marked the first time Florida sided with the eventual loser of the national election since 1992.

In the 2018 elections, the ratio of Republican to Democratic representation fell from 16:11 to 14:13. The U.S. Senate election between Democratic incumbent senator Bill Nelson and former governor Rick Scott was close, with 49.93% voting for the incumbent and 50.06% voting for the former governor. Republicans also held onto the governorship in a close race between Republican candidate Ron DeSantis and Democratic candidate Andrew Gillum, with 49.6% voting for the DeSantis and 49.3% voting for Gillum.

In November 2021, for the first time in Florida's history, the total number of registered Republican voters exceeded the number of registered Democrats.[206]

Statutes[]

Florida Supreme Court Building 2011

Florida Supreme Court Building in Tallahassee

In 1972, the state made personal injury protection auto insurance mandatory for drivers, becoming the second in the nation to enact a no-fault insurance law.[207] The ease of receiving payments under this law is seen as precipitating a major increase in insurance fraud.[208] Auto insurance fraud was the highest in the nation in 2011, estimated at close to $1Template:Nbsbillion.[209] Fraud is particularly centered in the Miami-Dade and Tampa areas.[210][211][212]

Capital punishment is applied in Florida.[213] If a person committing a predicate felony directly contributed to the death of the victim then the person will be charged with murder in the first degree. The only two sentences available for that statute are life imprisonment and the death penalty.[214][215] If a person commits a predicate felony, but was not the direct contributor to the death of the victim then the person will be charged with murder in the second degree. The maximum prison term is life.[214][215] In 1995, the legislature modified Chapter 921 to provide that felons should serve at least 85% of their sentence.[216][217]

Florida approved its lottery by amending the constitution in 1984. It approved slot machines in Broward and Miami-Dade County in 2004. It has disapproved casinos (outside of sovereign Seminole and Miccosukee tribal areas) three times: 1978, 1986, and 1994.[218]

Taxation[]

Tax is collected by the Florida Department of Revenue.

Economy[]

The economy of the state of Florida is the fourth-largest in the United States, with a $1.2Template:Nbstrillion gross state product (GSP) as of 2021.[219] If Florida were a sovereign nation (2021), it would rank as the world's 16th-largest economy according to the International Monetary Fund, ahead of Indonesia and behind Mexico.[219][220][221] In the 20th century, tourism, industry, construction, international banking, biomedical and life sciences, healthcare research, simulation training, aerospace and defense, and commercial space travel have contributed to the state's economic development.{{{1}}} United States Federal Census, {{{2}}}, [[{{{3}}} County, {{{4}}}|{{{3}}} County]], [[{{{4}}}]].

Health[]

There were 2.7Template:Nbsmillion Medicaid patients in Florida in 2009. The governor has proposed adding $2.6Template:Nbsbillion to care for the expected 300,000 additional patients in 2011.[222] The cost of caring for 2.3Template:Nbsmillion clients in 2010 was $18.8Template:Nbsbillion.[223] This is nearly 30% of Florida's budget.[224] Medicaid paid for 60% of all births in Florida in 2009. The state has a program for those not covered by Medicaid.

In 2013, Florida refused to participate in providing coverage for the uninsured under the Affordable Care Act, colloquially called Obamacare. The Florida legislature also refused to accept additional Federal funding for Medicaid, although this would have helped its constituents at no cost to the state. As a result, Florida is second only to Texas in the percentage of its citizens without health insurance.[225]

Architecture[]

SouthBeachMiamiBeach

Miami Art Deco District, built during the 1920s–1930s

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.[226] A unique architectural design found only in Florida is the post-World WarTemplate:NbsII Miami Modern, which can be seen in areas such as Miami's MiMo Historic District.[227]

Being of early importance as a regional center of banking and finance, the architecture of Jacksonville displays a wide variety of styles and design principles. Many of the state's earliest skyscrapers were constructed in Jacksonville, dating as far back as 1902,[228] and last holding a state height record from 1974 to 1981.[229] The city is endowed with one of the largest collections of Prairie School buildings outside of the Midwest.[230] Jacksonville is also noteworthy for its collection of Mid-Century modern architecture.[231]

Some sections of the state feature architectural styles including Spanish revival, Florida vernacular, and Mediterranean Revival.[232] A notable collection of these styles can be found in St. Augustine, the oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement within the borders of the United States.[233]

Education[]

UCFlibrary

University of Central Florida, Orlando

Florida International University

Florida International University, Miami

USF Marshall Center Running of the Bulls

University of South Florida, Tampa

FSUWestcottBuilding-2

Florida State University, Tallahassee

Gville UF Century Tower01

University of Florida, Gainesville

In 2021, Florida was ranked the 3rd best state in America for Education. Florida's higher education was ranked 1st and Pre-K-12 was ranked 27th best in America by U.S. News & World Report.[234]

Primary and secondary education[]

With an educational system made up of public school districts and independent private institutions, Florida had 2,833,115 students enrolled in 4,269 public primary, secondary, and vocational schools in Florida's 67 regular or seven special school districts as of 2018.[235] Miami-Dade County is the largest of Florida's 67 regular districts with more than 350 thousand students and Jefferson County is the smallest with less than one thousand students. Florida spent $8,920 for each student in 2016, and was 43rd in the nation in expenditures per student.[236]

Florida's primary and secondary school systems are administered by the Florida Department of Education. School districts are organized within county boundaries. Each school district has an elected Board of Education that sets policy, budget, goals, and approves expenditures. Management is the responsibility of a Superintendent of schools.

The Florida Department of Education is required by law to train educators in teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).[237]

Higher education[]

The State University System of Florida was founded in 1905, and is governed by the Florida Board of Governors. During the 2019 academic year, 346,604 students attended one of these twelve universities.[238] In 2016, Florida charged the second lowest tuition in the nation for four years, $26,000 for in-state students, to $86,000 for out-of-state students. This compares with an average of $34,800 nationally for in-state students.[239]

As of 2020, four Florida universities are among the top 10 largest universities by enrollment in the United States. The University of Central Florida is ranked 1st, Florida International University is ranked 4th, the University of Florida is ranked 5th, and the University of South Florida is ranked the 8th largest university in the USA.

The Florida College System comprises 28 public community and state colleges with 68 campuses spread out throughout the state. In 2016, enrollment consisted of more than 813,838 students.[240]

The Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida is an association of 30 private, educational institutions in the state.[241] This Association reported that their member institutions served more than 158,000 students in the fall of 2020.[242]

The University of Miami, located in Miami-Dade County and Nova Southeastern University, located in Davie, are some of the top private research institutions in the United States. Florida's first private university, Stetson University, was founded in 1883.

State University System of Florida
Institution Location Established Enrollment
Florida A&M University Tallahassee 1887[lower-alpha 1] 10,031
Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton 1961 30,808
Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers 1991 15,080
Florida International University Miami 1965 58,787
Florida Polytechnic University Lakeland 2012 1,236
Florida State University Tallahassee 1851[lower-alpha 1] 41,551
New College of Florida Sarasota 1960 838
University of Central Florida Orlando 1963 69,525
University of Florida Gainesville 1853[lower-alpha 1] 56,567
University of North Florida Jacksonville 1972 17,002
University of South Florida Tampa 1956 51,646
University of West Florida Pensacola 1963 12,850
  1. ^ a b c In 1836, the United States Congress authorized the establishment of a University of Florida in the Florida Territory, to be located on lands reserved in both East and West Florida. In 1851, the Florida legislature voted to establish two seminaries of learning: West Florida Seminary (which later became Florida State University) and East Florida Seminary (which later became the University of Florida).[243] In 1905, when the Buckman Act reorganized higher education in Florida, the three resulting state institutions (Florida, Florida State, and Florida A&M) all adopted 1905 as their founding date. In 1935 the Florida Board of Control changed the founding dates of Florida and Florida State to the years their predecessor Seminaries opened: 1853 and 1857, respectively. In 2000, Florida State declared 1851 to be its founding date, reflecting the date the legislature authorized both seminaries. Florida A&M later declared its founding date to be 1885 to reflect when its predecessor, the State Normal College for Colored Students, was founded.[244]

Transportation[]

SunshineSkywayBridge-4SC 6643-15

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay is a part of Florida's interstate system.

Highways[]

Florida's highway system contains 1,495 mi (2,406 km) of interstate highway, and 10,601 mi (17,061 km) of non-interstate highway, such as state highways and U.S. Highways. Florida's interstates, state highways, and U.S. Highways are maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation.[245]

In 2011, there were about 9,000 retail gas stations in the state. Floridians consumed 21Template:Nbsmillion gallons of gasoline daily in 2011, ranking it third in national use behind California and Texas.[246] Motorists have the 45th lowest rate of car insurance in the U.S. 24% are uninsured.[247]

Drivers between 15 and 19 years of age averaged 364 car crashes a year per ten thousand licensed Florida drivers in 2010. Drivers 70 and older averaged 95 per 10,000 during the same time frame. A spokesperson for the non-profit Insurance Institute stated "Older drivers are more of a threat to themselves."[248]

Intercity bus travel, which utilizes Florida's highway system, is provided by Greyhound, Megabus, and Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach.

Before 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 south to the Golden Glades Interchange was completed in 1957. After a second section north through Orlando to Wildwood (near present-day The Villages), and a southward extension around Miami to Homestead, it was finished in 1974.

Florida's primary interstate routes include:

  • I-4 I-4, which spans 133 miles, bisects the state, connecting Tampa, Lakeland, Orlando, and Daytona Beach, connecting with I-75 in Tampa and I-95 in Daytona Beach.
  • I-10 I-10, which spans 362 miles in Florida, traverses the panhandle, connecting Pensacola, Tallahassee, Lake City, and Jacksonville, with interchanges with I-75 in Lake City and I-95 in Jacksonville. It is the southernmost east–west interstate in the United States terminating in Santa Monica with a total length of 2460 miles.
  • I-75 I-75, which spans 470 miles in Florida, enters the state near Lake City (45 miles (72 km) west of Jacksonville) and continues southward through Gainesville, Ocala, Tampa's eastern suburbs, Bradenton, Sarasota, Fort Myers and Naples, where it crosses the "Alligator Alley" as a toll road to Fort Lauderdale before turning southward and terminating in Hialeah/Miami Lakes having interchanges with I-10 in Lake City and I-4 in Tampa. It is the second longest north–south interstate with a total length of 1786 miles and terminates at the Canadian border at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
  • I-95 I-95, which spans 382 miles in Florida, enters the state near Jacksonville and continues along the Atlantic Coast through Daytona Beach, the Melbourne/Titusville, Palm Bay, Vero Beach, Fort Pierce, Port Saint Lucie, Stuart, West Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale, before terminating in Downtown Miami. It has interchanges with I-10 in Jacksonville and I-4 in Daytona Beach, and there are four auxiliary routes associated with the interstate. It is the longest north–south interstate with a total length of 1924 miles and terminates at the Canadian border northeast of Houlton, Maine.

Airports[]

Orlando International Airport terminal from arriving airplane

Orlando International Airport is the busiest airport in the state with 44.6Template:Nbsmillion total passengers traveled in 2017.[249]

Florida has 131 public airports.[250] Florida's seven large hub and medium hub airports, as classified by the FAA,[251] are the following:

City served Code Airport name FAA
Category
Enplanements
Orlando MCO Orlando International Airport Large Hub 21,565,448
Miami MIA Miami International Airport Large Hub 20,709,225
Fort Lauderdale FLL Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood Int'l Airport Large Hub 15,817,043
Tampa TPA Tampa International Airport Large Hub 9,548,580
Fort Myers RSW Southwest Florida International Airport Medium Hub 4,364,224
West Palm Beach PBI Palm Beach International Airport Medium Hub 3,110,450
Jacksonville JAX Jacksonville International Airport Medium Hub 2,701,861

Intercity rail[]

Brightline train at Fort Lauderdale station

Brightline train at Fort Lauderdale

  • Brightline is a diesel–electric higher-speed rail system.[252] Currently service is only from West Palm Beach to Miami through express intercity service, with a stop at Fort Lauderdale. The complete project is intended to connect Miami and South Florida to Orlando, which requires a new line westward from the coast. It partially opened for passenger service between Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach on January 13, 2018, as the only privately owned and operated passenger railroad in the United States.[253] With a top speed of 125 mph (201 km/h), Brightline will eventually be tied with Amtrak's Northeast Regional and the MARC's Penn Line commuter rail as the second fastest passenger train in North America, after Amtrak's Acela.
  • Florida is also served by Amtrak, operating numerous lines throughout, connecting the state's largest cities to points north in the United States and Canada. The busiest Amtrak train stations in Florida in 2011 were: Sanford (259,944), Orlando (179,142), Tampa Union Station (140,785), Miami (94,556), and Jacksonville (74,733).[254] Sanford, in Greater Orlando, is the southern terminus of the Auto Train, which originates at Lorton, Virginia, south of Washington, D.C. Until 2005, Orlando was also the eastern terminus of the Sunset Limited, which travels across the southern United States via New Orleans, Houston, and San Antonio to its western terminus of Los Angeles. Florida is served by two additional Amtrak trains (the Silver Star and the Silver Meteor), which operate between New York City and Miami. MiamiCentral in Greater Downtown Miami and the Miami Intermodal Center near Miami International Airport are major hubs for rapid transit, commuter rail, intercity rail, and buses.

Public transit[]

Miami Metrorail Hitachi train 20190117

The Miami Metrorail is the state's only rapid transit system. About 15% of Miamians use public transit daily.

  • Miami: Miami's public transportation is served by Miami-Dade Transit that runs Metrorail, a heavy rail rapid transit system, Metromover, a people mover train system in Downtown Miami, and Metrobus, Miami's bus system. Metrorail runs throughout Miami-Dade County and has two lines and 23 stations connecting to Downtown Miami's Metromover and Tri-Rail. Metromover has three lines and 21 stations throughout Downtown Miami. Outside of Miami-Dade County, public transit in the Miami metropolitan area is served by Broward County Transit and Palm Tran; intercounty commuter rail service is provided by Tri-Rail, with 18 stations including the region's three international airports.[255]
  • Orlando: Orlando is served by the SunRail commuter train, which runs on a 32 miles (51 km) (61 miles (98 km) when complete) line including four stops in downtown. Lynx bus serves the greater Orlando area in Orange, Seminole, and Osceola counties.[256]
  • Tampa: Tampa and its surrounding area use the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority system ("HART"). In addition, downtown Tampa has continuous trolley services in the form of a heritage trolley powered by Tampa Electric Company. Pinellas County and St. Petersburg provide similar services through the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority or "PSTA". The beaches of Pinellas County also have a continuous trolley bus. Downtown St. Petersburg has a trolley system.[257][258]
  • Jacksonville: Jacksonville is served by the Jacksonville Skyway, an automated people mover monorail connecting the Florida State College downtown campus, the Northbank central business district, Convention Center, and Southbank locations. The system includes eight stops connected by two lines. JTA bus has 180 vehicles with 56 lines.[259]

Sports[]

American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL, jjron 29.03

American Airlines Arena in Miami

Marlins First Pitch at Marlins Park, April 4, 2012 (cropped)

Marlins Park in Little Havana

Green flag at Daytona

Daytona International Speedway is home to various auto racing events.

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.[260]

About half of all Major League Baseball teams conduct spring training in the state, with teams informally organized into the "Grapefruit League". Throughout MLB history, other teams have held spring training in Florida.

NASCAR (headquartered in Daytona Beach) begins all three of its major auto racing series in Florida at Daytona International Speedway in February, featuring the Daytona 500. Daytona also has the Coke Zero Sugar 400 NASCAR race weekend in August. NASCAR also has a race weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead in October. The 24 Hours of Daytona is one of the world's most prestigious endurance auto races. The Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and Grand Prix of Miami have held IndyCar races as well.

Florida is a major golf hub. The PGA of America is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, the PGA Tour is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, and the LPGA is headquartered in Daytona Beach. The Players Championship, WGC-Cadillac Championship, Arnold Palmer Invitational, Honda Classic and Valspar Championship are PGA Tour rounds.

Florida has teams in all five American major league sports. Florida's most recent major-league team, Inter Miami, began play in MLS in 2020.[261]

The Miami Masters is an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 and WTA Premier tennis event, whereas the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships is an ATP World Tour 250 event.

There are minor league baseball, football, basketball, ice hockey, soccer and indoor football teams based in Florida.[262] Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is the largest football stadium in Florida, the 12th largest stadium in American college football, and the 18th largest stadium in the world, as measured by its official seating capacity of 88,548—though, it has often held over 90,000 for Florida's home football games.

Florida's universities have a number of collegiate sport programs. Major college football programs include the Florida State Seminoles and Miami Hurricanes of the Atlantic Coast Conference, and the Florida Gators of the Southeastern Conference.[263] Since 1996, Florida has added four additional teams to the ranks of Division I FBS: UCF Knights, South Florida Bulls, Florida Atlantic Owls and FIU Panthers.

State symbols[]

Florida license plate In God We Trust

In God We Trust motto on Florida license plate

Florida panther (7013874693)

The Florida panther is the state animal.

OrangeBloss wb

The Orange blossom is the state flower.

The majority of the symbols were chosen after 1950; only the two oldest symbols—the state flower (chosen in 1909), and the state bird (chosen in 1927), and the state nickname (chosen in 1970)—are not listed in the 2010 Florida Statutes.[264]

  • Amphibian: Barking tree frog
  • Animal: Florida panther
  • Anthem: "Florida (Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky)"
  • Beverage: Orange juice
  • Bird: Northern mockingbird
  • Bird: American flamingo
  • Festival: "Calle Ocho-Open House 8"
  • Fish
    (fresh water)
    : Florida largemouth bass
  • Fish
    (salt water)
    : Atlantic sailfish
  • Flower: Orange blossom
  • Fruit: Orange
  • Gem: Moonstone
  • Horse: Florida Cracker Horse
  • Insect: Zebra longwing
  • Mammal
    (salt water)
    : Common bottlenose dolphin
  • Mammal
    (marine)
    : Florida manatee
  • Motto: "In God We Trust"
  • Nickname: The Sunshine State
  • Palm Tree: Coconut palm
  • Pie: Key lime pie
  • Play: Cross and Sword
  • Reptile: American alligator
  • Reptile
    (salt water)
    : Loggerhead sea turtle
  • Rodeo: Silver Spurs Rodeo
  • Shell: Horse conch
  • Soil: Myakka soil
  • Song: "Old Folks at Home"
  • State day/week: Pascua Florida
  • Stone: Agatized coral
  • Tortoise: Gopher tortoise
  • Tree: Sabal palmetto
  • Wildflower: Tickseed

Sister states[]

Sister jurisdiction Country Year[265]
Languedoc-Roussillon Flag of France France 1989
Taiwan Province Flag of the Republic of China Taiwan, R.O.C. 1992
Wakayama Prefecture Flag of Japan Japan 1995
Western Cape Flag of South Africa South Africa 1995
Nueva Esparta Flag of Venezuela Venezuela 1999
Kyonggi Flag of South Korea South Korea 2000

See also[]

  • Index of Florida-related articles
  • Outline of Florida
  • List of people from Florida

References[]

  1. ^ "Article 2, Section 9, Constitution of the State of Florida". State of Florida. 1988. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Constitution#A2S09. 
  2. ^ "Florida". Modern Language Association. http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&SRVY_YEAR=2010&geo=state&state_id=12&county_id=&mode=geographic&lang_id=&zip=&place_id=&cty_id=&region_id=&division_id=&ll=&ea=n&order=&a=n&pc=1. Retrieved 29 June 2014. 
  3. ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  4. ^ a b "Elevations and Distances in the United States". United States Geological Survey. 2001. http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html. Retrieved October 21, 2011. 
  5. ^ Elevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988.
  6. ^ a b "SB 230 – State Symbols/Fla. Cracker Horse/Loggerhead Turtle [RPCC"]. Florida House of Representatives. http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=37196&. Retrieved April 7, 2012. 
  7. ^ Dunbar, James S.. "The pre-Clovis occupation of Florida: The Page-Ladson and Wakulla Springs Lodge Data". http://www.clovisinthesoutheast.net/dunbar.html. 
  8. ^ Jonathan D. Steigman (September 25, 2005). La Florida Del Inca and the Struggle for Social Equality in Colonial Spanish America. University of Alabama Press. p. 33. ISBN 978-0-8173-5257-8. https://books.google.com/books?id=QTjoOz7WMiIC&pg=PA33. 
  9. ^ From the 1601 publication by the pre-eminent historian of 16th-century Spanish exploration in America, Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas, in Stewart, George (1945). Names on the Land: A Historical Account of Place-Naming in the United States. New York: Random House. pp. 11–12. ISBN 978-1-59017-273-5. https://archive.org/details/namesofland0000unse. 
  10. ^ "Michael Francis: La historia entre Florida y España es de las más ricas de Estados Unidos". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0vr122VYG8. 
  11. ^ Davidson, James West. After the Fact: The Art of Historical Detection Volume 1. Mc Graw Hill, New York 2010, Chapter 1, p. 7.
  12. ^ Proclamation, presented by Dennis O. Freytes, MPA, MHR, BBA, Chair/Facilitator, 500th Florida Discovery Council Round Table, VP NAUS SE Region; Chair Hispanic Achievers Grant Council
  13. ^ Hoffman, Paul E., 1943- (2004). A new Andalucia and a way to the Orient : the American Southeast during the sixteenth century. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press. pp. 278. ISBN 0-8071-1552-5. OCLC 20594668. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/20594668. 
  14. ^ "Los Floridanos". http://losfloridanos.org/. 
  15. ^ J. Michael Francis, PhD, Luisa de Abrego: Marriage, Bigamy, and the Spanish Inquisition, University of South Florida, http://laflorida.org/florida-stories/ 
  16. ^ Gene Allen Smith, Texas Christian University, Sanctuary in the Spanish Empire: An African American officer earns freedom in Florida, National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/articles/sanctuary-in-the-spanish-empire.htm 
  17. ^ Pope, Sarah Dillard. "Aboard the Underground Railroad—Fort Mose Site". http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/underground/fl2.htm. 
  18. ^ "Fort Mose Historical Society". http://www.fortmose.org/. 
  19. ^ Florida Center for Instructional Technology. "Floripedia: Florida: As a British Colony". Fcit.usf.edu. http://fcit.usf.edu/Florida/docs/f/florbrit.htm. 
  20. ^ Wood, Wayne (1992). Jacksonville's Architectural Heritage. University Press of Florida. p. 22. ISBN 978-0-8130-0953-7. 
  21. ^ Beach, William Wallace (1877). The Indian Miscellany. J. Munsel. p. 125. https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_lqqAAAAAIAAJ. 
  22. ^ Wells, Judy (March 2, 2000). "City had humble beginnings on the banks of the St. Johns". The Florida Times-Union. http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/030200/ent_S0302FIR.html. 
  23. ^ A History of Florida. Caroline Mays Brevard, Henry Eastman Bennett p. 77
  24. ^ a b A History of Florida. Caroline Mays Brevard, Henry Eastman Bennett
  25. ^ a b The Land Policy in British East Florida. Charles L. Mowat, 1940
  26. ^ Clark, James C.; "200 Quick Looks at Florida History" p. 20 ISBN 1561642002
  27. ^ "Transfer of Florida". https://fcit.usf.edu/florida/lessons/trnsfer/trnsfer1.htm. 
  28. ^ Ste Claire, Dana (2006). Cracker: Cracker Culture in Florida History. University Press of Florida. ISBN 978-0-8130-3028-9
  29. ^ "Florida's Early Constitutions—Florida Memory". https://www.floridamemory.com/collections/constitution/. 
  30. ^ Alexander Deconde, A History of American Foreign Policy (1963) p. 127
  31. ^ Tebeau, Charlton W. (1971). A History of Florida. Coral Gables, Florida: University of Miami Press. pp. 114–118. ISBN 9780870241499. https://archive.org/details/historyofflorida00char. 
  32. ^ "A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774–1875". http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsl&fileName=003/llsl003.db&recNum=678. 
  33. ^ "Andrew Jackson". Florida Department of State. http://dos.myflorida.com/florida-facts/florida-history/florida-governors/andrew-jackson/. 
  34. ^ "A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774–1875". http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsl&fileName=003/llsl003.db&recNum=695. 
  35. ^ "A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774–1875". http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsl&fileName=005/llsl005.db&recNum=779. 
  36. ^ "Florida state population". https://population.us/fl/. 
  37. ^ Tindall, George Brown, and David Emory Shi. (edition unknown) America: A Narrative History. W. W. Norton & Company. 412. ISBN 978-0-393-96874-3
  38. ^ History of Miami-Dade county retrieved January 26, 2006 Archived January 10, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  39. ^ Historical Census Browser, Retrieved October 31, 2007 Archived August 23, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  40. ^ "Ordinance of Secession, 1861". State Library & Archives of Florida. https://www.floridamemory.com/exhibits/floridahighlights/secession/. 
  41. ^ "Florida Seceded! January 10, 1861|America's Story from America's Library". http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/civil/jb_civil_florida_1.html. 
  42. ^ Florida, State Library and Archives of. "Florida in the Civil War". https://www.floridamemory.com/onlineclassroom/floridacivilwar/. 
  43. ^ Taylor, R. (1988). Rebel Beef: Florida Cattle and the Confederate Army, 1862-1864. The Florida Historical Quarterly, 67(1), 15-31. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/30147921
  44. ^ Taylor, Paul. (2012) Discovering the Civil War in Florida: A Reader and Guide (2nd edition). pp. 3–4, 59, 127. Sarasota, Fl.: Pineapple Press.
  45. ^ Nancy A. Hewitt (2001). Southern Discomfort: Women's Activism in Tampa, Florida, 1880s–1920s. University of Illinois Press. p. 22. ISBN 978-0-252-02682-9. https://books.google.com/books?id=MbawYOvvUrkC&pg=PA22. 
  46. ^ "Florida Agriculture Overview and Statistics - Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services". https://www.fdacs.gov/Agriculture-Industry/Florida-Agriculture-Overview-and-Statistics. 
  47. ^ Historical Census Browser, 1900 Federal Census, University of Virginia [1] . Retrieved March 15, 2008.
  48. ^ Rogers, Maxine D.; Rivers, Larry E.; Colburn, David R.; Dye, R. Tom & Rogers, William W. (December 1993), "Documented History of the Incident Which Occurred at Rosewood, Florida in January 1923" Archived May 15, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, p. 5. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
  49. ^ "The Tallahassee Bus Boycott 1956-57". https://www.floridamemory.com/learn/classroom/learning-units/civil-rights/tallahasseebusboycott/. 
  50. ^ "The Civil Rights Movement in Florida". https://www.floridamemory.com/learn/classroom/learning-units/civil-rights/. 
  51. ^ Federal Writers' Project (1939). Florida. A Guide to the Southernmost State. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 7. 
  52. ^ "Freedom Tower—American Latino Heritage: A Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary". https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/american_latino_heritage/freedom_tower.html. 
  53. ^ Munzenrieder, Kyle (December 23, 2014). "Florida Is Now Officially the Third Most Populous State". https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/florida-is-now-officially-the-third-most-populous-state-6554486. 
  54. ^ Lea, Brittany De (August 9, 2019). "Florida to see population boom over coming years as SALT deductions remain capped". https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/florida-population-boom-taxes. 
  55. ^ Millsap, Adam. "Florida's Population Is Booming--But Should We Worry About Income Growth?". https://www.forbes.com/sites/adammillsap/2018/06/06/floridas-population-is-booming-but-should-we-worry-about-income-growth/. 
  56. ^ Nicole Chavez (December 5, 2019). "George Zimmerman lawsuit reminds us of how significant the Trayvon Martin case was for a divided country". https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/05/us/trayvon-martin-shooting-race-in-america/index.html. 
  57. ^ "A Great Migration From Puerto Rico Is Set to Transform Orlando". The New York Times. November 17, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/17/us/puerto-ricans-orlando.html. 
  58. ^ Andone, Dakin. "Parkland students turned from victims to activists and inspired a wave of new gun safety laws". https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/11/us/parkland-change-gun-control-legislation/index.html. 
  59. ^ "97 dead as recovery effort at collapsed Florida condo nears end" (in en-US). July 16, 2021. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/16/97-dead-as-recovery-effort-at-collapsed-florida-condo-nears-end. 
  60. ^ a b Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (July 1, 2011). "State Coastal Zone Boundaries". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. http://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/mystate/docs/StateCZBoundaries.pdf. 
  61. ^ Main, Martin B.; Allen, Ginger M. (July 2007). "The Florida Environment: An Overview". University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/UW268. 
  62. ^ "Green Mountain Scenic Byway". Florida Department of Transportation. http://www.dot.state.fl.us/EMO/ScenicHWY/designated/greenmountain.htm. 
  63. ^ Megan Garber (March 11, 2014). "Science: Several U.S. States, Led by Florida, Are Flatter Than a Pancake". https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/03/science-several-us-states-led-by-florida-are-flatter-than-a-pancake/284348/. 
  64. ^ Ritter, Michael. "Wet/Dry Tropical Climate". University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point. http://www.uwsp.edu/geO/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/climate_systems/climate_classification.html. 
  65. ^ "Average Annual Temperature for Each US State". Current Results Nexus. http://www.currentresults.com/Weather/US/average-annual-state-temperatures.php. 
  66. ^ "Hottest States in the US—Current Results". https://www.currentresults.com/Weather-Extremes/US/hottest-states.php. 
  67. ^ "Cold Weather Hazards". https://www.weather.gov/mfl/about_cold. 
  68. ^ "Hazardous Weather: A Florida Guide—Temperatures". FloridaDisaster.org. http://floridadisaster.org/kids/temperatures.htm. 
  69. ^ "Temperature Extremes". June 11, 2012. https://www.mymanatee.org/home/government/departments/public-safety/emergency-management/breaking-news/archived-news/temperature-extremes.html. 
  70. ^ "Has It Ever Snowed in Florida?". October 25, 2017. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/has-it-ever-snowed-in-florida.html. 
  71. ^ Geggis, Anne. "Brrrrr! South Florida may see frost by week's end". http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/weather/fl-reg-chance-of-frost-20180101-story.html. 
  72. ^ United States National Arboretum. "Florida Hardiness Zones". St Johns River Water Management District. http://publicserver2.sjrwmd.com/waterwise/hardiness_zones.html. 
  73. ^ "Dense Fog Advisory". https://miami.cbslocal.com/tag/dense-fog-advisory/. 
  74. ^ "NowData—NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=jax. 
  75. ^ "NowData—NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=mfl. 
  76. ^ "NowData—NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=mlb. 
  77. ^ "PENSACOLA FAA ARPT, FLORIDA—Climate Summary". Southeast Regional Climate Center. http://www.sercc.com/cgi-bin/sercc/cliMAIN.pl?fl6997. 
  78. ^ "NowData—NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=tae. 
  79. ^ "NowData—NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=tbw. 
  80. ^ "Lightning Information Center". National Weather Service. http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mlb/ltgcenter/ltgmain.html. 
  81. ^ "Total Precipitation in inches by month". NOAA. http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/data/usclimate/pcp.state.19712000.climo. 
  82. ^ "Thunderstorms—Florida Climate Center". http://climatecenter.fsu.edu/topics/thunderstorms. 
  83. ^ "united states annual sunshine map". HowStuffWorks, Inc. https://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/maps/pdf/NAM_US_THEM_AnnualSun.pdf. 
  84. ^ Aten, Tim (July 1, 2007). "Waterspouts common off coastal Florida in summer". Naples Daily News. http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2007/jul/01/waterspouts_common_coastal_florida_summer/?breaking_news. 
  85. ^ "Hail Storm". https://miami.cbslocal.com/tag/hail-storm/. 
  86. ^ a b "Florida is US lightning capital". Florida Today Factbook: p. 34. March 28, 2009. 
  87. ^ "How Often Hurricanes Make Landfall in Florida". https://www.tripsavvy.com/how-often-do-hurricanes-hit-florida-3266726. 
  88. ^ "The 25th Anniversary of Hurricane Andrew". http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/keynotes/keynotes_0817_andrew25.html. 
  89. ^ "Leatherback Nesting in Florida". http://myfwc.com/research/wildlife/sea-turtles/nesting/leatherback/. 
  90. ^ Morgan, Curtis (April 9, 2012). "Crocs crawl back to coast". Florida Today (Melbourne, Florida): pp. 8B. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/mh-crocodiles-rebound-20120408,0,5816687.story. 
  91. ^ Winston, Keith (December 24, 2013). "Predator animals rebound". Florida Today (Melbourne, Florida): pp. 7B. http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20131224/COLUMNISTS0410/312240021/Keith-Winsten-Predator-animals-rebound. 
  92. ^ "Surprising Origin of American Flamingos Discovered". March 10, 2018. https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/03/birds-animals-flamingos-florida-native/. 
  93. ^ C. Michael Hogan. 2008. Wild turkey: Meleagris gallopavo, GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg Archived July 25, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
  94. ^ a b Winsten, Keith (January 7, 2014). "'Snow' bird species in South". Florida Today (Melbourne, Florida): pp. 7B. http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20140107/NEWS01/301070029/Keith-Winsten-Snow-bird-species-show-up-far-south. 
  95. ^ "BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF INVASIVE INSECT PESTS OF CROPS AND NATIVE FLORA IN FLORIDA". https://reeis.usda.gov/web/crisprojectpages/0220406-biological-control-of-invasive-insect-pests-of-crops-and-native-flora-in-florida.html. 
  96. ^ "Nonnative Species". http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/nonnatives/. 
  97. ^ Waymer, Jim (April 1, 2020). "Florida forests help roll out toilet paper". Florida Today (Melbourne, Florida): pp. 1A,10A. https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/environment/2020/03/31/coronavirus-fuels-forestry-florida/5088495002/. 
  98. ^ "Native Plants—University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences". http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/native-plants.html. 
  99. ^ Sonnenberg, Maria (September 21, 2013). "Florida's flowers". Florida Today (Melbourne, Florida): p. 1D. http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20130921/SPACES/309210025/Florida-s-flowers-brighten-fields. 
  100. ^ Crane, Timothy K. Broschat and Jonathan H. (April 4, 2018). "The Coconut Palm in Florida". http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg043. 
  101. ^ "The biggest coral reef in the continental U.S. is dissolving into the ocean". Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/05/04/the-largest-coral-reef-in-the-continental-u-s-is-dissolving-into-the-ocean/. 
  102. ^ US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "NOAA CoRIS—Regional Portal—Florida". https://www.coris.noaa.gov/portals/florida.html. 
  103. ^ "About—Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park". http://pennekamppark.com/about/. 
  104. ^ "SOFIA—Circular 1134—the Natural System—Florida Reef Tract". https://archive.usgs.gov/archive/sites/sofia.usgs.gov/publications/circular/1134/esns/frt.html. 
  105. ^ "Energy Consumption by Source and Total Consumption per Capita, Ranked by State, 2004". U.S. Department of Energy. http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/states/sep_sum/html/pdf/rank_use_per_cap.pdf. 
  106. ^ a b "State Energy Profiles: Florida". U.S. Department of Energy. http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=FL. 
  107. ^ "Current Wildfire Conditions / Wildland Fire / Florida Forest Service / Divisions & Offices / Home—Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services". https://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Florida-Forest-Service/Wildland-Fire/Current-Wildfire-Conditions2. 
  108. ^ "Florida Statutes". Leg.state.fl.us. http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0373/SEC503.HTM&Title=-. 
  109. ^ Daley, Beth (March 28, 2005). "Tide's toxins trouble lungs ashore". Boston Globe. https://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/03/28/tides_toxins_trouble_lungs_ashore/. 
  110. ^ "Why Florida's red tide is killing fish, manatees, and turtles". August 30, 2018. https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2018/8/30/17795892/red-tide-2018-florida-gulf-sarasota-sanibel-okeechobee. 
  111. ^ Williams Hale, Leslie (December 29, 2009). "Record number of panthers killed by vehicles in 2009". Naples News. http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/dec/29/16-record-number-panthers-killed-vehicles-2009/. 
  112. ^ "More manatees have died in Florida so far this year than in all of 2017. Here's why". https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article217064995.html. 
  113. ^ "Florida's Long-Lost Wild Flamingos Were Hiding in Plain Sight". https://www.npr.org/2018/03/06/590378419/floridas-long-lost-wild-flamingos-were-hiding-in-plain-sight. 
  114. ^ "Now that we agree these flamingos are Florida natives, it's time to protect them, experts say". https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article213645084.html. 
  115. ^ Jeff Goodell (June 20, 2013). "Goodbye, Miami". Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/why-the-city-of-miami-is-doomed-to-drown-20130620. 
  116. ^ "Where Sand Is Gold, the Reserves Are Running Dry". The New York Times. August 25, 2013. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/25/us/where-sand-is-gold-the-coffers-are-running-dry-in-florida.html. 
  117. ^ Precht and Miller:243–44, 245, 247–48, 249
    The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the Florida Keys Accessed December 17, 2010
  118. ^ Wilkinson, Jerry. "History of Keys Geology". http://www.keyshistory.org/keysgeology.html. 
  119. ^ a b "Industry overview". First research. Hoover's. March 25, 2010. http://www.hoovers.com/chemical-manufacturing---agricultural-/--ID__161--/free-ind-fr-profile-basic.xhtml. 
  120. ^ Parsons, Victoria (Spring 2011). "The Real Cost of Fertilizer". Bay Soundings. http://baysoundings.com/the-real-cost-of-fertilizer/. 
  121. ^ "Florida Springs, Springs in Florida, Florida Cave Diving—Florida's Springs: Protecting Nature's Gems—Florida DEP—Springshed Map". February 11, 2011. http://www.floridasprings.org/expedition/wakulla/protectingwakulla/springshedmap/. 
  122. ^ Allen, Ginger M.; Main, Martin B (May 2005). "Florida's Geological History". University of Florida. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/UW208. 
  123. ^ Tihansky, Ann B.. "Sinkholes, West-Central Florida. A link between surface water and ground water". U.S. Geological Survey, Tampa, Florida. http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/circ1182/pdf/15WCFlorida.pdf. 
  124. ^ "Sinkhole Maps of Florida Counties". Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education. University of South Florida. 2007. http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/maps/galleries/sinkholes/index.php. 
  125. ^ "State Farm seeks 28% rate hike". Florida Today (Melbourne, Florida): p. 8B. February 16, 2011. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-16/state-farm-seeks-rate-hikes-in-property-insurance.html. 
  126. ^ Huber, Red (November 13, 2012). "Looking back at Winter Park's famous sinkhole". Orlando Sentinel. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/os-fla360-looking-back-at-winter-parks-famous-sinkhole-20121113-story.html. 
  127. ^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map Archived March 29, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, accessed April 21, 2011
  128. ^ (2013-01-02). "Econlockhatchee River". Saint Johns River Water Management District. Retrieved on August 4, 2014.
  129. ^ "Florida's Earthquake History and Tectonic Setting". January 23, 2015. https://www.decodedscience.org/florida-earthquake-history-tectonic-setting/52225. 
  130. ^ Millsap, Adam. "Big Metro Areas in Florida Keep Getting Bigger". https://www.forbes.com/sites/adammillsap/2018/03/23/big-metro-areas-in-florida-keep-getting-bigger/. 
  131. ^ "Local Government Vocabulary". http://www.floridaleagueofcities.com/Resources.aspx?CNID%3D877. 
  132. ^ "Population data". bebr.ufl.edu. 2005. https://www.bebr.ufl.edu/sites/default/files/FloridaPop2005_0.pdf. 
  133. ^ Fishkind, Hank (November 9, 2013). "Beaches are critically important to us". Florida Today (Melbourne, Florida): pp. 4B. http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20131109/COLUMNISTS0707/311090013/Hank-Fishkind-Beaches-critically-important-us. 
  134. ^ "2020 Decennial US Census". 2020 US Census. November 2021. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/about/rdo.html. 
  135. ^ "Historical Population Change Data (1910-2020)". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html. 
  136. ^ "Table 1. Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2019". U.S. Census Bureau. January 29, 2019. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/FL,US/PST045219. 
  137. ^ Website Services & Coordination Staff (WSCS). "2010 Census Interactive Population Search". http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=12. 
  138. ^ Weissmann, Jordan (December 22, 2012). "The Fastest-Growing States in America (and Why They're Booming)". https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/12/the-fastest-growing-states-in-america-and-why-theyre-booming/266541/. 
  139. ^ "Florida's Population Center Migrates through History". University of Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research. http://www.bebr.ufl.edu/articles/floridas-population-center-migrates-through-history. 
  140. ^ "Florida Leaves New York Behind in Its Rear-View Mirror—National Review". December 23, 2014. http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/395312/florida-leaves-new-york-behind-its-rear-view-mirror-john-fund. 
  141. ^ Pramuk, Jacob (December 23, 2014). "Move over, NY: This state now 3rd most populous". https://www.cnbc.com/2014/12/23/florida-surpasses-ny-as-3rd-most-populous-state.html. 
  142. ^ "Florida Demographics—Get Current Census Data for Florida". https://www.florida-demographics.com/. 
  143. ^ Michael B. Sauter; Douglas A. McIntyre (May 10, 2011). "The States with the Oldest And Youngest Residents". wallst.com. http://247wallst.com/2011/05/10/the-states-with-the-oldest-and-youngest-residents/3/. 
  144. ^ "Retired Military Personnel". The Intercom (Patrick Air Force Base, Florida: Military Officers Association of Cape Canaveral): p. 4. June 2009. 
  145. ^ Amy Goodman (April 6, 2009). ""A Ponzi State"—Univ. of South Florida Professor Examines the Economic Crisis in Florida". http://www.democracynow.org/2009/4/6/a_ponzi_state_univ_of_south. 
  146. ^ Slevin, Peter (April 30, 2010). "New Arizona law puts police in 'tenuous' spot". The Washington Post (Washington, D.C.): p. A4. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/29/AR2010042904970.html. 
  147. ^ behind Nevada, Arizona, New Jersey, California and Texas
  148. ^ Reed, Matt (January 18, 2011). "E-Verify best way to find illegals". Florida Today (Melbourne, Florida): p. 1B. http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110118/COLUMNISTS0207/101180318/1086/Matt+Reed++Fearmongering+on+E-Verify+shields+illegals. 
  149. ^ Shoichet, Catherine E. (May 9, 2019). "Florida is about to ban sanctuary cities. At least 11 other states have, too". https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/09/politics/sanctuary-city-bans-states/index.html. 
  150. ^ a b Population Division, Laura K. Yax. "Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals By Race, 1790 to 1990, and By Hispanic Origin, 1970 to 1990, For The United States, Regions, Divisions, and States". https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0056/twps0056.html. 
  151. ^ [2]
  152. ^ Center for New Media and Promotions(C2PO). "2010 Census Data". https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.2010.html. 
  153. ^ a b "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Florida". https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/FL/RHI825216#viewtop. 
  154. ^ a b c d "Florida Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov. 
  155. ^ a b c d "Florida: SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES—2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov. 
  156. ^ "Florida Factstreet". US 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. 
  157. ^ Pulera, Dominic (October 20, 2004). Sharing the Dream: White Males in Multicultural America. A&C Black. ISBN 9780826416438. https://books.google.com/books?id=SVoAXh-dNuYC&pg=PA57. 
  158. ^ Reynolds Farley, 'The New Census Question about Ancestry: What Did It Tell Us?', Demography, Vol. 28, No. 3 (August 1991), pp. 414, 421.
  159. ^ Stanley Lieberson and Lawrence Santi, 'The Use of Nativity Data to Estimate Ethnic Characteristics and Patterns', Social Science Research, Vol. 14, No. 1 (1985), pp. 44–6.
  160. ^ Stanley Lieberson and Mary C. Waters, 'Ethnic Groups in Flux: The Changing Ethnic Responses of American Whites', Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 487, No. 79 (September 1986), pp. 82–86.
  161. ^ Mary C. Waters, Ethnic Options: Choosing Identities in America (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990), p. 36.
  162. ^ "Ancestry of the Population by State: 1980—Table 3". https://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/files/pc80-s1-10/tab03.pdf. 
  163. ^ "Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals By Race, 1790 to 1990, and By Hispanic Origin, 1970 to 1990, For The United States, Regions, Divisions, and States". U.S. Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0056/twps0056.html. 
  164. ^ David Hackett Fischer, Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America, New York: Oxford University Press, 1989, pp.633–639
  165. ^ "Miami, Florida Race and Hispanic or Latino Origin: 2010 Census Summary File 1". US Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_SF1_QTP10. 
  166. ^ a b c "Florida Hispanic or Latino by Type: 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov. 
  167. ^ Data Access and Dissemination Systems (DADS). "American FactFinder—Results". http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_SF1_QTP10&prodType=table. 
  168. ^ "Thedailyjournal—Puerto Rico's population exodus is all about jobs". http://content.usatoday.com/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=thedailyjournal&sParam=53490820.story. 
  169. ^ Brinkmann, Paul. "How many Puerto Ricans have moved to Florida? State's numbers questioned". http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/brinkmann-on-business/os-bz-puerto-rico-numbers-20180105-story.html. 
  170. ^ "Compendium of the Ninth Census:Population, with race". US Census Bureau. p. 14. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1870e-02.pdf. 
  171. ^ "Historical Census Browser: 1960 US Census". University of Virginia Library. 2004. http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/stats/histcensus/php/start.php?year=V1960. 
  172. ^ "As Caribbean immigration rises, Miami's black population becomes more foreign". https://www.miamiherald.com/article18228377.html. 
  173. ^ "Grid View: Table B04006—Census Reporter". https://censusreporter.org/data/table/?table=B04006&geo_ids=04000US12&primary_geo_id=04000US12#valueType%7Cpercentage. 
  174. ^ "Immigrants in Florida". January 1, 2015. https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/immigrants-florida. 
  175. ^ a b "Florida". Modern Language Association. http://www.mla.org/map_data. 
  176. ^ MacDonald, Victoria M. (April 2004). "The Status of English Language Learners in Florida: Trends and Prospects". Education Policy Research Unit, Arizona State University. http://www.collier.k12.fl.us/ell/docs/Status%20of%20ELL%20in%20Florida.pdf. 
  177. ^ a b "Religious Landscape Study". Pew Forum. May 11, 2015. http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/state/florida/. 
  178. ^ "Jewish Population of the United States, by State (2011)". Jewish Virtual Library. https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/US-Israel/usjewpop.html. Retrieved September 13, 2013. 
  179. ^ "The Association of Religion Data Archives | State Membership Report". www.thearda.com. http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/12/rcms2010_12_state_adh_2010.asp. 
  180. ^ Pew Research Center, "Religious Landscape Study: Florida"
  181. ^ "Editorial:Culture of corruption". Florida Today (Melbourne, Florida): p. 1A. January 7, 2011. http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110107/OPINION/110106021/Our-Views-Culture-of-corruption-Jan-7-. 
  182. ^ (December 15, 2020) "Cost of Voting in the American States: 2020". Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy 19 (4): 503–509. DOI:10.1089/elj.2020.0666. 
  183. ^ Leip, David. "General Election Results – Florida". United States Election Atlas. http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/. 
  184. ^ "Alabama : Federal Taxes Paid vs. Federal Spending Received : 1981–present". https://files.taxfoundation.org/legacy/docs/ftsbs-timeseries-20071016-.pdf. 
  185. ^ "Voter Registration—Current by County—Division of Elections—Florida Department of State". October 24, 2016. http://dos.myflorida.com/elections/data-statistics/voter-registration-statistics/voter-registration-monthly-reports/voter-registration-current-by-county/. 
  186. ^ Saxon, Wolfgang (October 27, 2003). "William C. Cramer, 81, a Leader of G.O.P. Resurgence in South". The New York Times. https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E03EFDF1131F934A15753C1A9659C8B63. 
  187. ^ "Claude Roy Kirk, Jr". Office of Cultural and Historic Programs, State of Florida. http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/museum/collections/governors/about.cfm?id=43. 
  188. ^ Thomas, Jr, Robert McG (May 23, 1996). "E. J. Gurney, 82, Senator Who Backed Nixon". The New York Times. https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D01E4DD1E39F930A15756C0A960958260. 
  189. ^ Chris, Moody. "Florida is the true US presidential election bellwether state". https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/10/1/florida-is-the-uss-true-presidential-election-bellwether. 
  190. ^ a b Navarro, Mireya (September 21, 1998). "Florida's Split: Will It Play in the Panhandle?". The New York Times. https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01E1D81330F932A1575AC0A96E958260. 
  191. ^ Lengell, Sean. "As I-4 corridor goes, so goes Florida". http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080128/NATION/3421225/1001. 
  192. ^ "Voter Registration by Party Affiliation and County". Florida Department of State. January 2008. http://election.dos.state.fl.us/voterreg/registration.asp. 
  193. ^ a b "U.S. Electoral College". https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/votes/2000.html. 
  194. ^ a b "Florida Certificate of Vote". https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/2000_certificates/vote_florida.html. 
  195. ^ a b Leary, Alex: "Florida gains two U.S. House seats in Census" Archived December 24, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, St. Petersburg Times, December 21, 2010
  196. ^ Pear, Robert. "Elections 2012, State Results". The New York Times. http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/results/states/florida. 
  197. ^ "Florida". 270towin.com. January 2, 2010. http://www.270towin.com/states/Florida. 
  198. ^ See Bush v. Gore, 531 U.S. 98 (2000)
  199. ^ See also Bush v. Palm Beach County Canvassing Board, 531 U.S. 70 (2000).
  200. ^ Fessenden, Ford; Broder, John M. (November 12, 2001). "Study of Disputed Florida Ballots Finds Justices Did Not Cast the Deciding Vote". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/12/politics/12VOTE.html. 
  201. ^ Cf. Fla. Stat. § 103.011 (web version) ("Votes cast for the actual candidates for President and Vice President shall be counted as votes cast for the presidential electors supporting such candidates. The Department of State shall certify as elected the presidential electors of the candidates for President and Vice President who receive the highest number of votes.")
  202. ^ Matt Ford, "Restoring Voting Rights for Felons in Maryland", The Atlantic, February 9, 2016, accessed March 23, 2016
  203. ^ Mary Ellen Klas, "Florida Supreme Court approves congressional map drawn by challengers", Tampa Bay Times, December 2, 2015, accessed December 11, 2016
  204. ^ "Voter Registration—By Party Affiliation". Florida Department of State. https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/data-statistics/voter-registration-statistics/voter-registration-reportsxlsx/voter-registration-by-party-affiliation/. 
  205. ^ Brent Staples, "Florida Leads the Pack—in Felon Disenfranchisement", The New York Times, November 7, 2014, accessed March 23, 2016
  206. ^ "The Collapse of the Florida Democratic Party", Florida Political Review, January 4, 2022, accessed January 12, 2022
  207. ^ "Florida's Motor Vehicle : No-Fault Law : Report Number 2006-102". http://archive.flsenate.gov/data/publications/2006/senate/reports/interim_reports/pdf/2006-102bilong.pdf. 
  208. ^ "Personal Injury Protection (PIP)". The Florida Senate, Committee on Banking and Insurance. August 2011. http://www.flsenate.gov/PublishedContent/Session/2012/InterimReports/2012-203bi.pdf. 
  209. ^ "Corruption at Miami-Dade auto accident clinics creates huge financial burden on drivers". United Auto Insurance Co.. January 15, 2012. http://www.unitedautocourtsreport.com/blog/?p=558. 
  210. ^ Deslatte, Aaron (January 26, 2012). "Scott says PIP program 'has to be fixed'". Orlando Sentinel. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-pip-governor-20120126,0,2175419.story. 
  211. ^ Mitchell, Tia (January 25, 2012). "Scott-backed bill to combat fraud advances in House". Miami Herald. http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/25/2608553/scott-backed-bill-to-combat-fraud.html. 
  212. ^ "House version of PIP reform gets Scott endorsement". Tampa Bay Times. January 25, 2012. http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/content/house-version-pip-reform-gets-scott-endorsement. 
  213. ^ "Facts about capital punishment—the death penalty". http://www.religioustolerance.org/execut3.htm. 
  214. ^ a b The Florida Statutes.
  215. ^ a b "FL sentencing guidelines". FL Senate. http://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2010/775.082. 
  216. ^ Knapp, Andrew (October 16, 2010). "Crime rate decreases 5.5%". Florida Today (Melbourne, Florida): pp. 1B. http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20101016/NEWS01/10160312/1006/Crime+rate+decreases+5.5+percent. 
  217. ^ "The 2010 Florida Statutes". State of Florida. October 16, 2010. http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0900-0999/0921/Sections/0921.002.html. 
  218. ^ Haridopolos, Mike (March 11, 2014). "Legislature aims to rewrite gaming rules. 'Complex' issue affects billions of dollars in state revenue". Florida Today (Melbourne, Florida): pp. 1A. http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20140311/COLUMNISTS0205/303110004/Legislature-aims-rewrite-state-gaming-rules. 
  219. ^ a b "GDP by State". Bureau of Economic Analysis. https://www.bea.gov/data/gdp/gdp-state. https://www.bea.gov/sites/default/files/2021-06/qgdpstate0621.pdf Bureau of Economic Analysis - Full release and tables - Gross Domestic Product by State, 1st Quarter 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  220. ^ "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2021". International Monetary Fund. October 2021. https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2021/October/weo-report?c=512,914,612,171,614,311,213,911,314,193,122,912,313,419,513,316,913,124,339,638,514,218,963,616,223,516,918,748,618,624,522,622,156,626,628,228,924,233,632,636,634,238,662,960,423,935,128,611,321,243,248,469,253,642,643,939,734,644,819,172,132,646,648,915,134,652,174,328,258,656,654,336,263,268,532,944,176,534,536,429,433,178,436,136,343,158,439,916,664,826,542,967,443,917,544,941,446,666,668,672,946,137,546,674,676,548,556,678,181,867,682,684,273,868,921,948,943,686,688,518,728,836,558,138,196,278,692,694,962,142,449,564,565,283,853,288,293,566,964,182,359,453,968,922,714,862,135,716,456,722,942,718,724,576,936,961,813,726,199,733,184,524,361,362,364,732,366,144,146,463,528,923,738,578,537,742,866,369,744,186,925,869,746,926,466,112,111,298,927,846,299,582,487,474,754,698,&s=NGDPD,&sy=2021&ey=2021&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1. 
  221. ^ "GDP (Current US$)". https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD?locations=US&most_recent_value_desc=true. 
  222. ^ Hobson, Will (January 16, 2010). "County Medicaid tab rises, could get worse". The Miami Herald. http://www.newsherald.com/articles/tab-80645-city-worse.html. 
  223. ^ Ryan, MacKenzie (December 26, 2010). "Qualifying for care a minefield". Florida Today (Melbourne, Florida): p. 3A. http://www.fdhc.state.fl.us/Medicaid/deputy_secretary/recent_presentations/florida_medicaid_020410.pdf. 
  224. ^ Marshal, James (December 26, 2010). "Sunday debate: No: Longtime official lost touch with voters". Florida Today (Melbourne, Florida): p. 19A. http://m.floridatoday.com/news.jsp?key=369240&rc=op. 
  225. ^ "Opinion—Uninsured in Texas and Florida". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/05/opinion/uninsured-in-texas-and-florida.html. 
  226. ^ "Miami Beach". Bass Museum of Art. http://www.bassmuseum.org/miami. 
  227. ^ "Tour Miami's Art Deco District—MiamiAndBeaches.com—Miami and The Beaches". September 18, 2018. https://www.miamiandbeaches.com/things-to-do/attractions/tour-miami-modern-buildings-in-south-beach-s-art-d. 
  228. ^ Ennis Davis (March 6, 2008). "A Century of Florida's Tallest Skyscrapers". Metro Jacksonville. http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2008-mar-a-century-of-floridas-tallest-skyscrapers. 
  229. ^ "Wells Fargo Center, Jacksonville". Emporis. http://www.emporis.com/buildings/118945/wells-fargo-center-jacksonville-fl-usa. 
  230. ^ Wayne W. Wood. "Jacksonville's Lost Treasures". Prairie School Traveler. http://www.prairieschooltraveler.com/html/fl/lost/Lost-Treasures.html. 
  231. ^ "When Does Modern Architecture Become Historic?". Jacksonville Historical Society. https://jaxhistory.wordpress.com/tag/mid-century-modern/. 
  232. ^ "Official: Design rules haven't cost Palm Bay new businesses". Florida Today. http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20090423/COLUMNISTS0207/904230319/1086. 
  233. ^ "Florida: St. Augustine Town Plan Historic District". National Park Service. http://www.nps.gov/nr//travel/geo-flor/24.htm. 
  234. ^ "Rankings". https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings/education. 
  235. ^ "SAS® Logon Manager". https://edstats.fldoe.org/SASWebReportStudio/gotoReportSection.do?sectionNumber=0. 
  236. ^ "Education Spending Per Student by State". February 9, 2012. http://www.governing.com/gov-data/education-data/state-education-spending-per-pupil-data.html. 
  237. ^ "League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) et al. vs. State Board of Education et al. Consent Decree". United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. August 14, 1990. http://www.fldoe.org/aala/lulac.asp. 
  238. ^ "Accountability plan". 2020. https://www.flbog.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020_SYSTEM_Accountability_Plan_Final.pdf. 
  239. ^ "Higher education in Britain is still good value compared with America". March 2, 2017. https://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2017/03/daily-chart. 
  240. ^ "Factbook". 2016. http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/15267/urlt/FactBook2016.pdf. 
  241. ^ "Official website of ICUF". Icuf.org. http://www.icuf.org/. 
  242. ^ "ICUF – Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida". https://icuf.org/. 
  243. ^ "Timeline". The Florida Memory Project. State Library and Archives of Florida. 1851. http://www.floridamemory.com/exhibits/timeline/index.cfm. 
  244. ^ Memorial of the Trustees of the University of Florida (R.K. Call, John G. Gamble, Thomas Randall, Louis M. Goldsborough, Thos. Eston Randolph, F. Eppes, E. Loockerman, Benjamin Chaires, Turbutt R. Betton, Fitch W. Taylor, J. Loring Woart, Ashbeel Steele, J. Edwin Stewart), p. cxxiii. United States Congress. December 7, 1835. https://books.google.com/books?id=jpVHAQAAIAAJ&q=university+florida&pg=PR123. 
  245. ^ "Transportation Data and Analytics Office". September 4, 2018. http://www.fdot.gov/statistics/hwysys/. 
  246. ^ Moody, R. Norman (January 30, 2011). "Guidelines tight to drive a fuel tanker". Florida Today (Melbourne, Florida): p. 2A. http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110130/NEWS01/101300318/Beachline-huge-artery-tankers. 
  247. ^ "Recession Marked by Bump in Uninsured Motorists". http://www.ircweb.org/news/ircum2011_042111.pdf. 
  248. ^ Kennerley, Britt (September 18, 2011). "Olde drivers take fewer risks". Florida Today (Melbourne, Florida): p. 11A. http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110918/NEWS01/109180309/Aging-out-driver-s-seat. 
  249. ^ "Orlando International Airport Busiest in Florida with Record Passenger Traffic in 2017". Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. February 6, 2018. https://www.orlandoairports.net/press/2018/02/06/orlando-international-airport-busiest-florida-record-passenger-traffic-2017/. 
  250. ^ "Florida Drug Threat Assessment-Overview". National Drug Intelligence Center. https://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs5/5169/overview.htm. 
  251. ^ "Calendar Year 2017 Enplanements at All Airports (Primary, Non-primary Commercial Service, and General Aviation) by State and Airport, Updated 7 October 2018". https://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_capacity/passenger_allcargo_stats/passenger/media/cy17-all-enplanements.pdf. 
  252. ^ "All Aboard Florida—Miami to Orlando Passenger Rail Service". https://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0672. 
  253. ^ Broadt, Lisa (January 12, 2018). "First ride: Aboard Florida's new Brightline train". King5. http://www.king5.com/article/news/nation-now/first-ride-aboard-floridas-new-brightline-train/465-68db180d-2ac3-4a0e-bb47-3e364b8528c4. 
  254. ^ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2011, State of Florida". Amtrak. http://www.amtrak.com/pdf/factsheets/FLORIDA11.pdf. 
  255. ^ Services, Miami-Dade County Online. "Metrorail—Miami-Dade County". https://www.miamidade.gov/transit/metrorail.asp. 
  256. ^ "SunRail—A Better Way To Go". http://sunrail.com/. 
  257. ^ "Home—Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority". http://www.gohart.org/. 
  258. ^ "Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority—PSTA". https://www.psta.net/. 
  259. ^ "Jacksonville Transportation Authority—Skyway". https://www.jtafla.com/schedules/skyway/. 
  260. ^ Peltier, Michael (November 5, 2011). "Lawmaker's bill would fine teams that black out games". Florida Today (Melbourne, Florida): pp. 4B. http://www.cbs12.com/news/nfl-4736484-fasano-teams.html. 
  261. ^ "Miami MLS expansion team to begin play in 2020", MLSsoccer.com, January 29, 2018.
  262. ^ "State of Florida.com—Florida Professional Sports Teams". https://www.stateofflorida.com/professional-sports.aspx. 
  263. ^ "Florida's 7 FBS head coaches explain college football's most chaotic state". August 22, 2018. https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2018/8/22/17717562/florida-college-football-history-coaches-explain. 
  264. ^ "The 2010 Florida Statutes". Florida Legislature. http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?Mode=View%20Statutes&Submenu=1&Tab=statutes&CFID=33448909&CFTOKEN=67441032. 
  265. ^ "Florida Sister City/Sister State Directory 2001". State of Florida. 2001. http://internationalaffairs.flgov.com/pdf/sister.pdf. 

Bibliography[]

  • Viviana Díaz Balsera and Rachel A. May (eds.), La Florida: Five Hundred Years of Hispanic Presence. Gainesville, Florida: University Press of Florida, 2014.
  • Michael Gannon (ed.), The History of Florida. Gainesville, Florida: University Press of Florida, 2013.

External links[]

Wiktionary-logo-en Definitions from Wiktionary
Wikibooks-logo Textbooks from Wikibooks
Wikiquote-logo Quotations from Wikiquote
Wikisource-logo Source texts from Wikisource
Commons-logo Images and media from Commons
Wikinews-logo News stories from Wikinews
Wikiversity-logo-Snorky Learning resources from Wikiversity


Preceded by
Michigan
List of U.S. states by date of statehood
Admitted on March 3, 1845 (27th)
Succeeded by
Texas

Coordinates: 28°37′50″N 82°26′59″W / 28.6305, -82.4497 (State of Florida)


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Florida. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
Advertisement