Florida
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2008-07-16T17:58:33Z
DuncanHill
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[[Wikipedia:Disambiguation pages with links|Dablink repair improves your articles]] dab [[Georgia]] to [[Georgia (U.S. state)]]
{{pp-semi-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Otheruses1|the U.S. State of Florida}}
{{US state
| Name = Florida
| Fullname = State of Florida
| Flag = Flag of Florida.svg
| Flaglink = [[Flag of Florida]]
| Seal = Florida state seal.svg
| Map = Map of USA FL.svg
| Nickname = The Sunshine State
| Demonym = Floridian
| Motto = [[In God We Trust]]
| State Song = [[Old Folks At Home]]
| Capital = [[Tallahassee, Florida|Tallahassee]]
| Senators = [[Bill Nelson (politician)|Bill Nelson]] (D)<br/>[[Mel Martinez]] (R)
| LargestCity = [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]]
| LargestMetro= [[South Florida metropolitan area|Miami]]
| UnincorporatedPlace = [[Brandon, Florida|Brandon]]
| Governor = [[Charlie Crist]] (R)
| Lieutenant Governor = [[Jeff Kottkamp]] (R)
| PostalAbbreviation = FL
| TradAbbreviation = Fla.
| BorderingStates = [[Alabama]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]
| OfficialLang = [[English language|English]]
| AreaRank = 22<sup>nd</sup>
| TotalArea = 170,304<ref name=census>{{cite web |title=2000 Census |url=ftp://ftp.census.gov/census_2000/datasets/Summary_File_4/Florida/flgeo_uf4.zip |publisher=US Census Bureau |accessdate=2007-07-18 |format=ZIP}}</ref>
| TotalAreaUS=65,795<ref name=census/>
| LandArea = 139,670<ref name=census/>
| LandAreaUS = 53,927<ref name=census/>
| WaterArea = 30,634<ref name=census/>
| WaterAreaUS = 11,828<ref name=census/>
| PCWater = 17.9
| PopRank = 4<sup>th</sup>
| 2000Pop = 15,982,378 (18.25 million as of 2007)
| DensityRank = 8<sup>th</sup>
| 2000DensityUS =309
| 2000Density = 117.3 <!--15,982,378 div by 137,374 = 116.3 not 114.43-->
| MedianHouseholdIncome = $41,171
| IncomeRank = 36<sup>th</sup>
| AdmittanceOrder = 27<sup>th</sup>
| AdmittanceDate = [[March 3]], [[1845]]
| TimeZone = [[Eastern Time Zone (North America)|Eastern]]: [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]]-5/[[Daylight saving time|DST]]-4
| TZ1Where = peninsula
| TimeZone2 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central]]: UTC-6/DST-5
| TZ2Where = [[Florida Panhandle|panhandle]]
| Latitude = 24°27′ N to 31° N
| Longitude = 80°02′ W to 87°38′ W
| Width = 582
| WidthUS= 361
| Length = 721
| LengthUS= 447
| HighestPoint = [[Britton Hill]]<ref name=usgs>{{cite web| date =[[29 April]] [[2005]] | url =http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html#Highest| title =Elevations and Distances in the United States| publisher =U.S Geological Survey| accessmonthday = November 3 | accessyear = 2006}}</ref>
| HighestElev = 105
| HighestElevUS = 345
| MeanElev = 30
| MeanElevUS = 98
| LowestPoint = [[Atlantic Ocean]]<ref name=usgs/>
| LowestElev = 0
| LowestElevUS = 0
| ISOCode = US-FL
| Website = www.myflorida.com
}}
{{Infobox U.S. state symbols
|Name = Florida
|Bird = [[Mockingbird]]
|Butterfly = [[Heliconius charithonia|Zebra Longwing]]
|Fish = [[Largemouth bass|Florida largemouth bass]], [[Sailfish|Atlantic sailfish]]
|Flower = [[Orange (fruit)|Orange blossom]]
|Insect = [[Heliconius charithonia|Zebra Longwing]]
|Mammal = [[Florida panther]], [[Manatee]], [[Bottle-nosed dolphin]]
|Reptile = [[American Alligator]]
|Tree = [[Sabal palmetto|Sabal Palmetto]]
|Beverage = [[Orange juice]]
|Food = [[Key lime pie]], [[Orange (fruit)|Orange]]
|Fossil = [[Agate|agatized]] [[Coral]]
|Gemstone = [[Moonstone (gemstone)|Moonstone]]
|StateRock = [[Agate|agatized]] [[Coral]]
|Shell = [[Pleuroploca gigantea|Horse conch]]
|Slogan = ''Visit Florida''
|Soil = [[Myakka (soil)|Myakka]]
|Song = ''[[Old Folks at Home]] (Way Down Upon The Swanee River)''
|Route Marker = Florida 13.svg
|Quarter = 2004 FL Proof.png
|QuarterReleaseDate = 2004
}}
'''Florida''' ({{IPAEng|ˈflɒrɪdə}}) is a [[U.S. state|state]] located in the [[Southeastern United States|southeastern region]] of the [[United States]]. Much of the land mass of the state is a large [[peninsula]] with the [[Gulf of Mexico]] to the west and the [[Atlantic Ocean]] to the east. Most of Florida has a [[humid subtropical climate]]; southern Florida has a [[tropical climate]].<ref name=abbott>{{cite web|url=http://www2.johnabbott.qc.ca/webpages/departments/geoscience/intro/Koppen/KoppenMap.htm |title=Köppen Climate Classification Map |publisher=John Abbott College, Geosciences Department |accessdate=2007-07-18}}</ref> Florida was named by [[Juan Ponce de León]], who landed on the peninsula on [[2 April]], [[1513]], during [[Pascua Florida]] ([[Spanish language|Spanish]] for "Flowery Easter," referring to the [[Easter season]]). Florida is the fourth most populous state in the U.S.<ref> behind [[California]], [[Texas]], and [[New York]]</ref><ref>[http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=n&_lang=en&mt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_GCTPH1R_US9S&format=US-9S&_box_head_nbr=GCT-PH1-R&ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&geo_id=01000US United States population by states], United States Census Bureau.</ref>
==History==
{{main|History of Florida}}
{{see also|Seminole Wars|Florida in the American Civil War}}
Archaeological research indicates that Florida had been inhabited for thousands of years before any European settlements. Of the many indigenous peoples, the largest known were the [[Ais (tribe)|Ais]], the [[Apalachee]], the [[Calusa]], the [[Timucua]] and the [[Tocobago]] tribes. Juan Ponce de León, a Spanish [[conquistador]], named Florida in honor of his discovery of the land on [[April 2]], [[1513]], during Pascua Florida, a Spanish term for the Easter season (Juan Ponce de León may not have been the first European to reach Florida; according to one report, at least one indigenous tribesman who he encountered in Florida in 1513 spoke Spanish.<ref>Smith, Hale G., and Marc Gottlob. 1978. "Spanish-Indian Relationships: Synoptic History and Archaeological Evidence, 1500-1763." In ''Tacachale: Essays on the Indians of Florida and Southeastern Georgia during the Historic Period.'' Edited by Jerald Milanich and Samuel Proctor. Gainesville, Florida: University Presses of Florida. ISBN 0-8130-0535-3</ref>). From that date forward, the land became known as "La Florida" , although from 1630 until the 19th century '''Tegesta''' (after the [[Tequesta]] tribe) was the name of choice for the Florida peninsula following publication of a [http://www.georgeglazer.com/maps/florida/delaetflorida.html map] by the Dutch cartographer [[Hessel Gerritsz]] in [[Joannes de Laet]]'s ''History of the New World''.<ref>Ehrenberg, Ralph E. [http://www.broward.org/library/bienes/lii14003.htm "Marvellous countries and lands" Notable Maps of Florida, 1507-1846]</ref>
Over the following century, both the Spanish and [[France|French]] established settlements in Florida, with varying degrees of success. In 1559, Spanish [[Pensacola, Florida|Pensacola]] was established by Don [[Tristán de Luna y Arellano]] as the first European settlement in the continental United States, but it had become abandoned by 1561 and would not be reinhabited until the 1690s. French [[Huguenots]] founded [[Fort Caroline]] in modern-day Jacksonville in 1564, but the fort was conquered by forces from the new Spanish colony of St. Augustine the following year. After Huguenot leader [[Jean Ribault]] had learned of the new Spanish threat, he launched an expedition to sack the Spanish settlement; en route, however, severe storms at sea waylaid the expedition, which consisted of most of the colony's men, allowing St. Augustine founder [[Pedro Menéndez de Avilés]] time to march his men over land and conquer Fort Caroline. Most of the Huguenots were slaughtered, and Menéndez de Avilés marched south and captured the survivors of the wrecked French fleet, ordering all but a few [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholics]] executed beside a river subsequently called ''[[Matanzas River|Matanzas]]'' (Spanish for 'killings').
The Spanish never had a firm hold on Florida, and maintained tenuous control over the region by converting the local tribes, briefly with [[Society of Jesus|Jesuits]] and later with [[Franciscan]] friars. The local leaders ([[caciques]]) demonstrated their loyalty to the Spanish by converting to Roman Catholicism and welcoming the Franciscan priests into their villages.
[[Image:Flindians1723.JPG|thumb|[[Bernard Picart]] copper plate engraving of Florida Indians, Circa 1721 "Cérémonies et Coutumes Religieuses de tous les Peuples du Monde"]]
The area of Spanish Florida diminished with the establishment of [[England|English]] colonies to the north and French colonies to the west. The English weakened Spanish power in the area by supplying their [[Creek people|Creek Indian]] allies with firearms and urging them to raid the Timucuan and Apalachee client-tribes of the Spanish. The English attacked St. Augustine, burning the city and its cathedral to the ground several times, while the citizens hid behind the walls of the [[Castillo de San Marcos]].
The Spanish, meanwhile, encouraged slaves to flee the English-held [[Carolinas]] and come to Florida, where they were converted to Roman Catholicism and given freedom. They settled in a buffer community north of St. Augustine, called [[Fort Mose Historic State Park|Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose]], the first completely black settlement in what would become the United States.
Great Britain gained control of Florida diplomatically in 1763 through the [[Treaty of Paris (1763)|Peace of Paris]]. The British divided the colony into [[East Florida]], with its capital at St. Augustine, and [[West Florida]], with its capital at Pensacola. Britain tried to develop the Floridas through the importation of immigrants for labor, including some from [[Minorca]] and [[Greece]], but this project ultimately failed. Spain regained the Floridas after Britain's defeat by the American colonies and the subsequent [[Treaty of Versailles (1783)|Treaty of Versailles]] in 1783, continuing the division into East and West Florida. They offered land grants to anyone who settled in the colonies, and many Americans moved to them.
[[Image:Winter in Florida.jpg|thumb|right|Winter in Florida, 1893]]
After settler attacks on Indian towns, [[Seminole]] Indians based in [[East Florida]] began raiding [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] settlements, purportedly at the behest of the Spanish. 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]]. Following the war, the United States effectively controlled East Florida. In 1819, by terms of the [[Adams-Onís Treaty]], Spain ceded Florida to the United States in exchange for the American renunciation of any claims on [[Texas]] and $5 million.
As settlement increased, pressure grew on the United States government to remove the Indians from their lands in Florida. To the chagrin of Georgia landowners, the Seminoles harbored and integrated [[Black Seminoles|runaway blacks]], and clashes between whites and Indians grew with the influx of new settlers. In 1832, the United States government signed the [[Treaty of Payne's Landing]] with some of the Seminole chiefs, promising them lands west of the Mississippi River if they agreed to leave Florida voluntarily. Many of the Seminoles left at this time, while those who remained prepared to defend their claims to the land. White settlers pressured the government to remove all of the Indians, by force if necessary, and in 1835, the U.S. Army arrived to enforce the treaty.
The [[Second Seminole War]] began at the end of 1835 with the [[Dade Massacre]], when Seminoles ambushed Army troops marching from [[Fort Brooke]] (Tampa) to reinforce [[Fort King]] (Ocala), killing or mortally wounding all but one of the 108 troops. Between 900 and 1,500 Seminole Indian warriors effectively employed hit and run guerrilla tactics against United States Army troops for seven years. [[Osceola]], a charismatic young war leader, came to symbolize the war and the Seminoles after he was arrested at truce negotiations in 1837 and died in prison less than a year later. The war dragged on until 1842. The U.S. government is estimated to have spent between US$20 million and US$40 million on the war, at the time an astronomical sum. Even after three bloody wars, the U.S. failed to force all of the Seminole Indians in Florida to the West.<ref>Tindall, George Brown, and David Emory Shi. (edition unknown) '''America: A Narrative History.''' W. W. Norton & Company. 412. ISBN 039396874X </ref> Though most of the Seminoles were [[Trail of Tears|forcibly exiled to Creek lands]] west of the Mississippi, hundreds, including Seminole leader Aripeka (Sam Jones), remained in the [[Everglades]] and refused to leave the native homeland of their ancestors. Their descendants remain there to this day.
On [[March 3]], [[1845]], Florida became the 27th state of the United States of America. Its population grew slowly. White settlers continued to encroach on lands used by the Seminoles, and the United States government resolved to make another effort to move the remaining Seminoles to the West. The [[Seminole Wars#Third Seminole War|Third Seminole War]] lasted from 1855 to 1858, and resulted in the removal of most of the remaining Seminoles. White settlers began to establish cotton plantations in Florida, which required numerous laborers. By 1860 Florida had only 140,424 people, of whom 44% were enslaved. There were fewer than 1000 [[free black|free people of color]] before the Civil War.<ref>[http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/stats/histcensus/php/state.php Historical Census Browser, accessed 10/31/2007]</ref>
On [[January 10]], [[1861]], before the formal outbreak of the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], Florida seceded from the [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]]; ten days later, the state became a founding member of the [[Confederate States of America]]. The war ended in 1865. On [[June 25]], [[1868]], Florida's [[United States Congress|congressional]] representation was restored. After Reconstruction, white Democrats succeeded in regaining power in the state legislature. In 1885 they created a new constitution, followed by statutes through 1889 that effectively disfranchised most blacks and many poor whites over the next several years. Provisions included [[poll taxes]], [[literacy tests]], and residency requirements. Disfranchisement for most African Americans in the state persisted until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s gained federal legislation to protect their suffrage.
Until the mid-twentieth century, Florida was the least populous Southern state. In 1900 its population was only 528,542, of whom nearly 44 percent were African American.<ref>Historical Census Browser, 1900 Federal Census, University of Virginia [http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/stats/histcensus/php/state/php], accessed 15 Mar 2008</ref> The [[boll weevil]] devastated cotton crops, and early 20th century lynchings and racial violence caused a record number of African Americans to leave the state in the [[Great Migration]] to northern and midwestern industrial cities. Forty thousand blacks, roughly one-fifth of their 1900 population, left for better opportunities.<ref>Maxine D. Rogers, Larry E. Rivers, David R. Colburn, R. Tom Dye, and William W. Rogers, "Documented History of the Incident Which Occurred at Rosewood, Florida in January 1923", December 1993, p.5 [http://mailer.fsu.edu/~mjones/rosewood/rosewood.html], accessed 28 Mar 2008</ref> National economic prosperity in the 1920s stimulated tourism to Florida. Combined with its sudden elevation in profile was the [[Florida land boom of the 1920s]], which brought a brief period of intenseland development. The stock market crash and [[Great Depression]] brought that period to a halt.
Florida's economy did not fully recover until the buildup for [[World War II]]. The climate, tempered by the growing availability of air conditioning, and low cost of living made the state a haven. Migration from the [[Rust Belt]] and the Northeast sharply increased the population after the war. In recent decades, more migrants have come for the jobs in a developing economy. Today, with an estimated population of more than 18 million, Florida is the most populous state in the Southeastern United States, the second most populous state in the South behind Texas, and the fourth most populous in the United States. The [[United States Census Bureau|Census Bureau]] estimates that "Florida, now the fourth most populous state, would edge past New York into third place in total population by 2011".<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/004704.html |title="Florida, California and Texas to Dominate Future Population Growth, Census Bureau Reports" |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |date=[[21 April]] [[2005]] |accessdate=2008-01-23}}</ref>
==Geography==
[[Image:Florida counties map.png|thumb|right|A map of Florida showing county names and boundaries.]]
{{further|[[List of counties in Florida]]}}
{{see also|List of Florida state parks}}
Much of the state of Florida is situated on a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, and the [[Straits of Florida]]. It extends to the northwest into a panhandle, extending along the northern Gulf of Mexico. It is bordered on the north by the states of [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] and [[Alabama]], and on the west, at the end of the panhandle, by Alabama. It is near several [[Caribbean]] countries, particularly the [[Bahamas]] and [[Cuba]]. Florida's extensive coastline made it a perceived target during World War II, so the government built airstrips throughout the state; today, approximately 400 airports are still in service. According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, Florida has 131 public airports, and more than 700 private airports, airstrips, heliports, and seaplane bases.<ref name=NDIC>{{cite web |url=http://www.usdoj.gov/ndic/pubs5/5169/overview.htm |title=Florida Drug Threat Assessment-Overview |publisher=National Drug Intelligence Center |accessdate=2007-07-18}}</ref> Florida is one of the largest states east of the [[Mississippi River]], and only [[Alaska]] and [[Michigan]] are larger in water area.
The Florida peninsula is a porous plateau of [[karst]] [[limestone]] sitting atop bedrock. Extended systems of underwater caves, [[sinkholes]] and springs are found throughout the state and supply most of the water used by residents. The limestone is topped with sandy soils deposited as ancient [[beaches]] over millions of years as global sea levels rose and fell. During the last [[Ice Age]], lower sea levels and a drier climate revealed a much wider peninsula, largely [[desert]]. The [[Everglades]], an enormously wide, very slow-flowing river encompasses the southern tip of the peninsula.
[[Image:Everglades National Park cypress.jpg|thumb|left|[[Everglades National Park]] in [[Southern Florida]]]]
Because Florida is not located near any [[Plate tectonics|tectonic plate]] boundaries, earthquakes are very rare, but not totally unknown. In January, 1879, a shock occurred near [[St. Augustine, Florida]]. There were reports of heavy shaking that knocked plaster from walls and articles from shelves. Similar effects were noted at [[Daytona Beach, Florida]] {{convert|50|mi|km}} south. The tremor was felt as far south as Tampa and as far north as [[Savannah, Georgia]]. In January 1880, Cuba was the center of two strong earthquakes that sent severe shock waves through the city of [[Key West, Florida]]. Another earthquake centered outside Florida was the great Charleston, South Carolina earthquake of 1886. The shock was felt throughout northern Florida, ringing church bells at St. Augustine and severely jolting other towns along that section of Florida's east coast. Jacksonville residents felt many of the strong aftershocks that occurred in September, October, and November 1886.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/states/florida/history.php |title=Florida:Earthquake History |publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]] |accessdate=2007-12-03}}</ref> As recently as 2006, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake centered about {{convert|260|mi|km}} southwest of Tampa in the Gulf of Mexico sent shock waves through southwest and central Florida. The earthquake was too small to trigger a tsunami and no damage was reported.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/09/10/gulf.quake/index.html |title= 6.0 quake in Gulf shakes Southeast |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=[[11 September]] [[2006]] |accessdate=2007-12-03}}</ref>
[[Image:Crandon Park Modified.jpg|thumb|[[Crandon Park]] in [[Key Biscayne, Florida]]]]
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.<ref name=Britton>{{cite web |url=http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/UW268 |title=The Florida Environment: An Overview |date=July 2007 |last=Main |first=Martin B. |last2=Allen |first2=Ginger M.|publisher=[[University of Florida]], [[Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences]] |accessdate=2008-01-23}}</ref> Much of the state south of [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]] is low-lying and fairly level; however, some places, such as [[Clearwater, Florida|Clearwater]], feature vistas that rise 50 to 100 feet (15 – 30 m) above the water. Much of Central and North Florida, typically 25 miles (40 km) or more away from the coastline, features rolling hills with elevations ranging from 100 to 250 feet (30 – 76 m). The highest point in peninsular Florida, [[Sugarloaf Mountain (Florida)|Sugarloaf Mountain]], is a {{convert|312|ft|m|0|sing=on}} peak in [[Lake County, Florida|Lake County]].<ref name=Sugarloaf>{{cite web |url=http://www.dot.state.fl.us/EMO/ScenicHWY/designated/greenmountain.htm |title=Green Mountain Scenic Byway |publisher=[[Florida Department of Transportation]] |accessdate=2008-01-23}}</ref>
Areas under control of the [[National Park Service]] include:<ref>{{cite web | title = Florida | publisher = National Park Service | accessdate = 2008-07-15 | url = http://www.nps.gov/state/fl}}</ref>
[[Image:BahiaHonda.jpg|thumb|The beach at [[Bahia Honda Key|Bahia Honda]] in the [[Florida Keys]]]]
* [[Big Cypress National Preserve]], near [[Lake Okeechobee]]
* [[Biscayne National Park]], in [[Miami-Dade County]] south of [[Miami]]
* [[Canaveral National Seashore]], near [[Titusville, Florida|Titusville]]
* [[Castillo de San Marcos|Castillo de San Marcos National Monument]], in [[St. Augustine, Florida|St. Augustine]]
* [[De Soto National Memorial]], in [[Bradenton, Florida|Bradenton]]
* [[Dry Tortugas National Park]], at [[Key West, Florida|Key West]]
* [[Everglades National Park]] in [[South Florida|Southern Florida]]
* [[Fort Caroline National Memorial]], at Jacksonville
* [[Fort Matanzas National Monument]], in St. Augustine
* [[Gulf Islands National Seashore]], near [[Gulf Breeze, Florida|Gulf Breeze]]
* [[Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve]], in Jacksonville
Areas under the control of the USDA [[United States Forest Service]] include:
* [[Apalachicola National Forest]] along the east bank of the [[Apalachicola River]],
* [[Choctawhatchee National Forest]] near [[Niceville]],
* [[Ocala National Forest]] in [[Central Florida]], and
* [[Osceola National Forest]] in [[First Coast|Northeast Florida]].
===Boundaries===
The state line begins in the Atlantic Ocean, traveling west, south, and north up the [[thalweg]] of the [[Saint Mary's River (Florida/Georgia)|Saint Mary's River]]. At the origin of that river, it then follows a straight line nearly due west and slightly north, to the point where the [[Confluence (geography)|confluence]] of the [[Flint River (Georgia)|Flint River]] (from Georgia) and the [[Chattahoochee River]] (down the Alabama/Georgia line) used to form Florida's Apalachicola River. (Since Woodruff Dam was built, this point has been under Lake Seminole.) The border with Georgia continues north through the lake for a short distance up the former thalweg of the Chattahoochee, then with Alabama runs due west along [[latitude]] 31°N to the [[Perdido River]], then south along its thalweg to the Gulf via Perdido Bay. Much of the state is at or near [[sea level]].
===Climate===
[[Image:Royal Poinciana.jpg|thumb|right|[[Royal Poinciana]] tree in full bloom in the [[Florida Keys]], an indication of [[South Florida]]'s [[tropical climate]].]]
{{main|Climate of Florida|Climate change}}
{{see also|List of Florida hurricanes|List of all-time high and low temperatures by state}}
The climate of Florida is tempered somewhat by its proximity to water. The state has a humid subtropical climate, except for the southern part below Lake Okeechobee, which has a true tropical climate.<ref name=Ritter>{{cite web |url=http://www.uwsp.edu/geO/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/climate_systems/climate_classification.html |title=Wet/Dry Tropical Climate |author=Ritter, Michael |publisher=University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point |accessdate=2007-07-18}}</ref> Cold fronts can occasionally bring high winds and cool to cold temperatures to the entire state during late fall and winter. One such front swept through the peninsula on [[November 25]], [[1996]], bringing cold temperatures and winds up to 95 miles per hour (150 km/h), knocking out power to thousands and damaging mobile homes. The seasons in Florida are actually determined more by [[precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]] than by temperature with mild to cool, relatively dry winters and autumns (the dry season) and hot, wet [[spring (season)|springs]] and summers (the wet season). The [[Gulf Stream]] has a moderating effect on the climate, and although much of Florida commonly sees a high summer temperature over 90 degrees [[Fahrenheit]] (32 °C), the mercury seldom exceeds 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 °C). The hottest temperature ever recorded in the state was 109 °F (43 °C), set on [[June 29]], [[1931]] in [[Monticello, Florida|Monticello]]. The coldest was – 2 °F (−19 °C), on [[February 13]], [[1899]], just 25 miles (40 km) away, in Tallahassee. Mean high temperatures for late July are primarily in the low 90s Fahrenheit (32 – 35 °C). Mean low temperatures for late January range from the low 40s Fahrenheit (4 – 7 °C) in northern Florida to the mid-50s (≈13 °C) in southern Florida.
[[Image:Florida.A2003044.1605.250m.jpg|left|thumb|Florida as imaged by [[NASA]]'s [[Terra (satellite)|Terra]] [[satellite]]]]
The Florida Keys, surrounded by water, have a tropical climate with lesser variability in temperatures. At [[Key West, Florida|Key West]], temperatures rarely exceed {{convert|90|°F|°C|abbr=on}} in the summer or fall below {{convert|60|°F|°C|abbr=on}} in the winter, and frost has never been reported in the Keys.
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.<ref name=lightning>{{cite web |url=http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mlb/ltgcenter/ltgmain.html |title=Lightning Information Center |publisher=[[National Weather Service]] |accessdate=2008-01-23}}</ref> Florida has the highest average precipitation of any state, in large part because afternoon [[thunderstorm]]s are common in most of the state from late spring until early autumn. A fair day may be interrupted with a storm, only to return to sunshine. These thunderstorms, caused by collisions between airflow from the Gulf of Mexico and airflow from the Atlantic Ocean, pop up in the early afternoon and can bring heavy downpours, high winds, and sometimes [[tornado]]es. Florida leads the United States in tornadoes per square mile (when including [[waterspouts]])<ref name=waterspout>{{cite news |url=http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2007/jul/01/waterspouts_common_coastal_florida_summer/?breaking_news |title=Waterspouts common off coastal Florida in summer |last=Aten |first=Tim |date=[[1 July]] [[2007]] |publisher=''[[Naples Daily News]]'' |accessdate=2008-01-23}}</ref> but these tornadoes do not typically reach the intensity of those in the [[Midwest]] and [[Great Plains]]. [[Hail]] often accompanies the most severe thunderstorms.
[[List of snow events in Florida|Snow in Florida]] is a rare occurrence. During the [[Great Blizzard of 1899]], Florida experienced [[blizzard]] conditions; the [[Tampa Bay|Tampa Bay area]] had "gulf-effect" [[snow]], similar to [[lake-effect snow]].<ref>James A. Henry, Kenneth Michael Portier, Jan Coyne, ''The Climate and Weather of Florida'', Pineapple Press, 1994, p. 60. ISBN 1561640360.</ref> The Great Blizzard of 1899 is the only time the temperature in the state is known to have fallen below 0 degrees Fahrenheit (−18 °C). The most widespread snowfall in Florida history happened on [[19 January]] [[1977]], when snow fell over much of the state, as far south as [[Homestead, Florida|Homestead]]. Snow [[flurries]] fell on [[Miami Beach, Florida|Miami Beach]] for the only time in recorded history. A hard freeze in 2003 brought "ocean-effect" snow flurries to the Atlantic coast as far south as [[Cape Canaveral]].<ref name=oceaneffect>{{cite web |url=http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mlb/surveys/012403/flurries.html |title=Cold Temperatures and Snow Flurries in East-Central Florida |publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]|accessdate=2007-07-18}}</ref>
The [[Storm of the Century (1993)|1993 Superstorm]] brought blizzard conditions to the panhandle, while heavy rain and tornadoes beset the peninsula. The storm is believed to have been similar in composition to a [[tropical cyclone|hurricane]], and even brought [[storm surge]]s of six feet or more to regions of the Gulf coast.
Although some storms have formed out of season, [[tropical cyclone]]s pose a severe threat during hurricane season, which lasts from [[June 1]] to [[November 30]]. Florida is the most hurricane-prone US state, with subtropical or tropical water on three sides and a lengthy coastline. It is rare for a hurricane season to pass without any impact in the state by at least a tropical storm. August to October is the most likely period for a hurricane in Florida.
[[Image:Hurricane Frances, September 2nd.jpg|right|thumb|Hurricane Frances near peak strength.]]
In 2004, Florida was hit by a record four hurricanes. Hurricanes [[Hurricane Charley|Charley]] ([[August 13]]), [[Hurricane Frances|Frances]] ([[September 4]] – 5), [[Hurricane Ivan|Ivan]] ([[September 16]]), and [[Hurricane Jeanne|Jeanne]] ([[September 25]] – 26) cumulatively cost the state's economy US$42 billion. In 2005, [[Hurricane Dennis]] ([[July 10]]) became the fifth storm to strike Florida within eleven months. Later, [[Hurricane Katrina]] ([[August 25]]) passed through [[South Florida metropolitan area|South Florida]] and [[Hurricane Rita]] ([[September 20]]) swept through the [[Florida Keys]]. [[Hurricane Wilma]] made landfall in Florida in the early morning of [[October 24]] as a [[Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale|Category 3]] hurricane, with the storm's eye hitting near [[Cape Romano]], just south of [[Marco Island, Florida|Marco Island]], according to the [[National Hurricane Center]].
Florida was the site of the second costliest weather disaster in U.S. history, [[Hurricane Andrew]], which caused more than US$25 [[1000000000 (number)|billion]] in damage when it struck on [[August 24]], [[1992]]. In a long list of other infamous hurricane strikes are the [[1926 Miami Hurricane|1926 Great Miami Hurricane]], the [[1928 Okeechobee Hurricane]], the [[Labor Day Hurricane of 1935]], [[Hurricane Donna]] in 1960, and [[Hurricane Opal]] in 1995. Recent research suggests the storms are part of a natural cycle and not a result of [[Global Warming]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.livescience.com/environment/050831_hurricane_freq.html |title=Many More Hurricanes To Come |last=Than |first=Ker |date=[[31 August]] [[2005]] |publisher=[[Imaginova|Live Science]] |accessdate=2007-12-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.magazine.noaa.gov/stories/mag184.htm |title=NOAA Attributes Recent Increase In Hurricane Activity To Naturally Occurring Multi-Decadal Climate Variability |publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |accessdate=2007-12-03}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" "text-align:left;font-size:90%;"|
| colspan="13" style="text-align:center;font-size:120%;background:#E8EAFA;"|Monthly Normal High and Low Temperatures For Various Florida Cities
|-
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color: #000000" height="17" | City
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Jan
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Feb
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Mar
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Apr
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | May
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Jun
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Jul
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Aug
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Sep
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Oct
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Nov
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Dec
|-
! style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="16;" | [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]]<ref name=jaxweather>{{cite web |url=http://www.sercc.com/cgi-bin/sercc/cliMAIN.pl?fl4358 |title= JACKSONVILLE WSO AP, FLORIDA—Climate Summary |publisher=Southeast Regional Climate Center |accessdate=2008-01-26}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 65/43
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 68/45
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 74/50
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 80/56
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 86/64
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 90/70
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 92/73
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 91/73
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 87/70
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 80/61
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 73/51
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 66/44
|-
! style="background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" height="16;" | [[Key West, Florida|Key West]]<ref name=eywweather>{{cite web |url=http://www.sercc.com/cgi-bin/sercc/cliMAIN.pl?fl4570 |title= KEY WEST WSO AIRPORT, FLORIDA—Climate Summary |publisher=Southeast Regional Climate Center |accessdate=2008-01-26}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 75/65
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 76/66
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 79/69
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 82/72
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 85/76
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 88/78
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 89/80
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 90/80
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 88/78
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 85/76
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 80/71
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 76/67
|-
! style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="16;" | [[Melbourne, Florida|Melbourne]]<ref name=mlbweather>{{cite web |url=http://www.sercc.com/cgi-bin/sercc/cliMAIN.pl?fl5612 |title= MELBOURNE WSO, FLORIDA—Climate Summary |publisher=Southeast Regional Climate Center |accessdate=2008-01-26}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 72/51
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 73/53
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 77/57
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 81/61
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 85/67
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 88/71
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 90/73
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 90/73
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 88/72
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 83/67
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 78/60
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 73/53
|-
! style="background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" height="16;" | [[Miami, Florida|Miami]]<ref name=miaweather>{{cite web |url=http://www.sercc.com/cgi-bin/sercc/cliMAIN.pl?fl5663 |title= MIAMI WSCMO AIRPORT, FLORIDA—Climate Summary |publisher=Southeast Regional Climate Center |accessdate=2008-01-26}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 76/60
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 77/61
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 80/64
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 83/68
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 86/72
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 88/75
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 90/77
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 90/77
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 88/76
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 85/72
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 81/67
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 77/62
|-
! style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="16;" | [[Pensacola, Florida|Pensacola]]<ref name=pnsweather>{{cite web |url=http://www.sercc.com/cgi-bin/sercc/cliMAIN.pl?fl6997 |title= PENSACOLA FAA ARPT, FLORIDA—Climate Summary |publisher=Southeast Regional Climate Center |accessdate=2008-01-26}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 61/43
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 64/46
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 70/51
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 76/58
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 84/66
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 89/72
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 90/74
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 90/74
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 87/70
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 80/60
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 70/50
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 63/45
|-
! style="background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" height="16;" | [[Tallahassee, Florida|Tallahassee]]<ref name=tlhweather>{{cite web |url=http://www.sercc.com/cgi-bin/sercc/cliMAIN.pl?fl8758 |title= TALLAHASSEE WSO AP, FLORIDA—Climate Summary |publisher=Southeast Regional Climate Center |accessdate=2008-01-26}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 64/40
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 67/42
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 73/48
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 80/53
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 87/62
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 91/69
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 91/72
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 91/72
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 88/68
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 81/57
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 72/47
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 66/41
|-
! style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="16;" | [[Tampa, Florida|Tampa]]<ref name=tpaweather>{{cite web |url=http://www.sercc.com/cgi-bin/sercc/cliMAIN.pl?fl8788 |title= TAMPA WSCMO ARPT, FLORIDA—Climate Summary |publisher=Southeast Regional Climate Center |accessdate=2008-01-26}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 71/51
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 72/52
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 77/57
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 82/62
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 88/68
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 90/73
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 90/75
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 90/75
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 89/73
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 84/66
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 77/58
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 72/52
|-
|}
=== Fauna ===
[[Image:Anhingatrailalligator.png|thumb|right|Alligator in the Florida Everglades]]
Florida is host to many types of wildlife including:
* Marine Mammals: Bottlenose Dolphin, Pilot Whale, Northern Right Whale, Manatee
* Reptiles: Alligator, Crocodile, Eastern Diamondback and Pygmy Rattlesnakes, Gopher Tortoise, Green & Leatherback Sea Turtles, Indigo Snake
* Mammals: Panther, Whitetail Deer, Key Deer, Bobcats, Southern Black Bear, Armadillos
* Birds: Bald Eagle, Crested Caracara, Snail Kite, Osprey, Pelicans, Sea Gulls, Whooping & Sandhill Cranes, [[Roseate Spoonbill]], Florida Scrub Jay (State [[Endemism|endemic]]), and many more. '''Note''' : Florida is a winter home for most species of eastern North American birds.
Since their accidental importation from South America into North America in the 1930s, the [[Red imported fire ant]] population has increased its territorial range to include most of the [[Southern United States]], including Florida. They are more aggressive than most native ant species and have a painful sting.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/pubs/invasive/4fireant.html |title=Not all alien invaders are from outer space |publisher=[[United States Department of Agriculture]] |accessdate=2007-12-03}}</ref>
===Environmental issues===
[[Image:Florida Scrub Jay.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Florida Scrub Jay]] is found only in Florida.]]
{{Main|Environment of Florida}}
Florida ranks forty-fifth in total energy consumption per capita, despite the heavy reliance on air conditioners and pool pumps. This includes coal, natural gas, petroleum, and retail electricity sales.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/states/sep_sum/html/pdf/rank_use_per_cap.pdf |title=Energy Consumption by Source and Total Consumption per Capita, Ranked by State, 2004 |publisher=[[US Department of Energy]] |accessdate=2008-01-27 |format=PDF}}</ref> It is estimated that approximately 4% of energy in the state is generated through renewable resources.<ref name=DoE-profile>{{cite web |url=http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=FL |title=State Energy Profiles: Florida |publisher=US Department of Energy |accessdate=2008-01-27}}</ref> Florida's energy production is 6 percent of the nation's total energy output, while total production of pollutants is lower, with figures of 5.6 percent for [[nitrogen oxide]], 5.1 percent for [[carbon dioxide]], and 3.5 percent for [[sulfur dioxide]].<ref name=DoE-profile />
It is believed that significant energy resources are located off of Florida's western coast in the [[Gulf of Mexico]], but that region has been closed to exploration since 1981.<ref name=iht>{{cite news |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/13/business/oil.php?page=1 |title=Gulf of Mexico's depths beckon |author=Mouawad, Jad |date=[[13 October]] [[2005]] |publisher=''[[International Herald-Tribune]] |accessdate=2008-02-02}}</ref> Governor [[Charlie Crist]] and both of Florida's [[United States Senate|U.S. Senators]], [[Bill Nelson]] and [[Mel Martinez]], oppose offshore drilling and exploration. Former governor [[Jeb Bush]], originally opposed to all drilling,<ref name=sr>{{cite news |url=http://www.spokesmanreview.com/news-story.asp?date=053002&ID=s1156519 |title=Bush prevents oil, gas drilling off Florida coast |date=[[30 May]] [[2002]] |publisher=''Spokesman-Review]]'' |accessdate=2008-02-02}}</ref> changed his position on a bill introduced into the House of Representatives in 2005, which would allow unrestricted drilling {{convert|125|mi|km}} or more from the coast.<ref name=spt-od>{{cite news |url=http://www.sptimes.com/2005/11/07/State/Offshore_drilling_sep.shtml |title=Offshore drilling separates hopefuls |author=Bousquet, Steve |date=[[7 November]] [[2005]] |publisher=''[[St. Petersburg Times]]'' |accessdate=2008-02-02}}</ref> Martinez, Nelson, and Crist opposed that bill, but Martinez and Nelson voted for a Senate alternative which prohibited drilling within {{convert|125|mi|km}} of the Panhandle coast, and {{convert|235|mi|km}} of the peninsular coast.<ref name=Nelson>{{cite press release |url=http://billnelson.senate.gov/news/details.cfm?id=259767& |title=Senate leaders pledge Florida will be protected from oil, gas rigs |publisher=Senator Bill Nelson |date=[[27 July]] [[2006]] |accessdate=2008-02-02}}</ref>
In July 2007, Florida Governor Charlie Crist announced plans to sign executive orders that would impose strict new air-pollution standards in the state, with aims to reduce so called [[greenhouse gas]] emissions by 80 percent of 1990 levels by 2050. Crist's orders would set new emissions targets for power companies, automobiles and trucks, and toughen conservation goals for state agencies and require state-owned vehicles to use alternative fuels.<ref name=enn>{{cite news |url=http://www.enn.com/climate/article/6914 |title=Florida To Introduce Tough Greenhouse Gas Targets |last=Loney |first=Jim |publisher=[[Reuters]] |date=[[12 July]] [[2007]] |accessdate=2007-12-03}}</ref>
[[Red tide]] has also been an issue on the Southwest coast of Florida. While there has been a great deal of conjecture over the cause of the toxic algae bloom, there is no evidence that it is being caused by pollution or that there has been an increase in the duration or frequency of red tides.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/03/28/tides_toxins_trouble_lungs_ashore/ |title=Tide's toxins trouble lungs ashore |last=Daley |first=Beth |publisher=''[[Boston Globe]]'' |date=[[28 March]] [[2005]] |accessdate=2007-12-03}}</ref>
==Demographics==
===Population===
{{USCensusPop
|1830 = 34730
|1840 = 54477
|1850 = 87445
|1860 = 140424
|1870 = 187748
|1880 = 269493
|1890 = 391422
|1900 = 528542
|1910 = 752619
|1920 = 968470
|1930 = 1468211
|1940 = 1897414
|1950 = 2771305
|1960 = 4951560
|1970 = 6789443
|1980 = 9746324
|1990 = 12937926
|2000 = 15982378
|estyear = 2007
|estimate = 18251243}}
Florida has the 4th highest state population in the United States. The [[center of population]] of Florida is located in [[Polk County, Florida|Polk County]], in the town of [[Lake Wales, Florida|Lake Wales]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/statecenters.txt |title=Population and Population Centers by State: 2000 |publisher=US Census Bureau |accessdate=2007-11-17}}</ref> As of 2007, Florida's population was 18,251,243.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFPopulation?_event=Search&_name=&_state=04000US12&_county=&_cityTown=&_zip=&_sse=on&_lang=en&pctxt=fph |title=Population Finder: Florida |publisher=US Census Bureau |accessdate=2008-02-01}}</ref> The state grew 321,647, or 1.8% from 2005. Florida grows an average of 26,803 every month, 6700 every week, and 957 daily. Florida is the nation's third-fastest-growing state.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bcnys.org/whatsnew/2005/0420censuspoptable.htm |title=Projected Population Growth Through 2015 - April 2005 |publisher=Business Council of New York State |accessdate=2007-11-17}}</ref>
===Ancestry Groups===
{{US Demographics|state=Florida}}
==Racial and ancestral makeup==
According to the 2006 ACS Estimates, Florida's population is:
* 76.1% [[White American]] - includes 15% [[White Hispanic]],
* 15.4% [[African American]]
* 0.3% [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian]] and [[Alaska Native]]
* 2.2% [[Asian American]]
* 0.1% [[Native Hawaiian]] and Other [[Pacific Islander]]
* 4.3% Some other race
* 1.8% Two or more races
* 20.1% [[Hispanic]] or [[Latino]] (of any race)<ref>[http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=04000US48&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US48&_street=&_county=&_cityTown=&_state=04000US12&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=040&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=ACS_2006_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null®=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry= US Censuus Beaureu]</ref>
The largest reported ancestries in the 2000 Census were [[German people|German]] (11.8%), [[Irish people|Irish]] (10.3%), [[English people|English]] (9.2%), [[American ancestry|American]] (8%), [[Italian people|Italian]] (6.3%), [[French people|French]] (2.8%), [[Polish people|Polish]] (2.7%) and [[Scottish people|Scottish]] (1.8%).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=&_geoContext=&_street=&_county=&_cityTown=&_state=04000US12&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010 |title=Florida Factstreet |publisher=US Census Bureau |accessdate=2007-12-03}}</ref>
[[Image:Florida population map.png|thumb|right|200px|Florida Population Density Map]]
Before the [[American Civil War]], when [[History of slavery in the United States|slavery]] was legal, and during the [[Reconstruction era (United States)|Reconstruction]] era that followed, [[African Americans]] made up nearly half of the state's population.<ref name=1870census>{{cite web |url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1870e-02.pdf |title=Compendium of the Ninth Census:Population, with race. |publisher=US Census Bureau |page=14 |accessdate=2007-12-03 |format=.PDF}}</ref> Their proportion declined over the next century, as many moved north in the [[Great Migration (African American)|Great Migration]] while large numbers of northern [[European American|whites]] moved to the state. Recently, the state's proportion of black residents has begun to grow again. Today, large concentrations of black residents can be found in northern Florida (notably in Jacksonville, [[Gainesville, Florida|Gainesville]] and Pensacola), the [[Tampa Bay]] area, the Orlando area (especially in the city of Orlando and [[Sanford, Florida|Sanford]]), and South Florida (where their numbers have been bolstered by significant [[immigration to the United States|immigration]] from [[Haiti]] and [[Jamaican American|Jamaica]]).
Florida's [[Hispanics in the United States|Hispanic]] population includes large communities of [[Cuban Americans]] in Miami and Tampa, [[Puerto Ricans in the United States|Puerto Ricans]] in Tampa and Orlando, and [[Central America]]n migrant workers in inland West-Central and South Florida. The Hispanic community continues to grow more affluent and mobile: between the years of 2000 and 2004, [[Lee County, Florida|Lee County]] in [[Southwest Florida]], which is largely suburban in character, had the fastest Hispanic population growth rate of any county in the United States.<!--This reference is broken, and because it is just a bare URL, there is no way to verify it. This is why it is important to use proper citation formats. Commenting out citation.<ref>[http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060309/NEWS01/603090396/1075 News-Press]</ref> -->
[[White (people)|Whites]] of all ethnicities are present in all areas of the state. Those of [[British American|British]] and [[Irish American|Irish]] ancestry are present in large numbers in all the urban/suburban areas across the state. There is a large [[German American|German]] population in Southwest Florida, a large [[Greek American|Greek]] population in the [[Tarpon Springs, Florida|Tarpon Springs]] area, a sizable and historic [[Italian American|Italian]] community in the Miami area, and white Floridians of longer-present generations in the culturally southern areas of inland and northern Florida. Native white Floridians, especially those who have descended from long-time Florida families, affectionately refer to themselves as "[[Florida cracker]]s." Like all the other southern states, they descend mainly from [[Scots-Irish American|Scots-Irish]] as well as some other British settlers.
===Metropolitan areas===
{{seealso|List of urbanized areas in Florida (by population)|Florida census statistical areas}}
[[Image:FLMap-MSA.PNG|right|thumb|Distribution of Metropolitan Statistical Areas in Florida]]
Florida has twenty [[Metropolitan Statistical Area]]s (MSAs) defined by the [[United States Office of Management and Budget]] (OMB). Thirty-nine of Florida's sixty-seven counties are in an MSA. Reflecting the distribution of population in Florida, Metropolitan areas in the state are concentrated around the coast of the peninsula. They form a continuous band on the east coast of Florida, stretching from the Jacksonville MSA to the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach MSA, including every county on the east coast, with the exceptions of [[Monroe County, Florida|Monroe County]]. There is also a continuous band of MSAs on the west coast of the peninsula from the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater MSA to the Naples-Marco Island MSA, including all of the coastal counties from [[Hernando County, Florida|Hernando County]] to [[Collier County, Florida|Collier County]]. The interior of the northern half of the peninsula also has several MSAs, connecting the east and west coast MSAs. A few MSAs are scattered across the Florida panhandle. The largest [[metropolitan area]] in the state as well as the entire southeastern United States is the [[South Florida metropolitan area|Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area]], with over five million people.
<br style="clear:both;"/>
===Largest cities and towns===
[[Image:Miami skyline 20080516.png|left|thumb|[[Miami, Florida|Miami]]]]
[[Image:Sunset 408 zoom.jpg|thumb|right|[[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]]]]
[[Image:Fort Lauderdale Skyline.jpeg|left|thumb|[[Fort Lauderdale, Florida|Fort Lauderdale]]]]
[[Image:Tampadowntown cropped.jpg|thumb|right|[[Tampa, Florida|Tampa]]]]
[[Image:West Palm Beach Skyline.jpg|left|thumb|[[West Palm Beach, Florida|West Palm Beach]]]]
[[Image:Skyline StPetersburgFL.jpg|thumb|right|[[St. Petersburg, Florida|St. Petersburg]]]]
[[Image:Jacksonville Skyline Panorama 2.jpg|left|thumb|[[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]]]]
{{main|List of cities in Florida|Florida locations by per capita income}}
<table>
<tr>
<td style = "vertical-align:top;width:65%">
'''City Population > 700,000'''
* [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]] 794,555
'''City Population > 400,000'''
* [[Miami, Florida|Miami]] 409,719
'''City Population > 300,000'''
* [[Tampa, Florida|Tampa]] 332,888
'''City Population > 200,000'''
* [[St. Petersburg, Florida|St. Petersburg]] 248,098
* [[Hialeah, Florida|Hialeah]] 224,522
* [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]] 220,186
'''City Population > 150,000'''
* [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida|Fort Lauderdale]] 185,804
* [[Cape Coral, Florida|Cape Coral]] 151,389
*[[Pembroke Pines, Florida|Pembroke Pines]] 150,064
<td style = "vertical-align:top;width:35%">
'''City Population > 100,000'''
* [[Tallahassee, Florida|Tallahassee]] 159,012
* [[Hollywood, Florida|Hollywood]] 145,879
* [[Port Saint Lucie, Florida|Port Saint Lucie]] 144,159
* [[Coral Springs, Florida|Coral Springs]] 129,805
* [[Clearwater, Florida|Clearwater]] 108,787
* [[Gainesville, Florida|Gainesville]] 108,143
* [[West Palm Beach, Florida|West Palm Beach]] 107,617
* [[Miramar, Florida|Miramar]] 106,590
* [[Miami Gardens, Florida|Miami Gardens]] 106,566
* [[Pompano Beach, Florida|Pompano Beach]] 104,355
<td style = "vertical-align:top;width:200px">
</td></tr></table>
<br style="clear:both;"/>
===Languages===
As of 2000, 76.91 percent of Florida residents age 5 and older spoke only [[English language|English]] at home as a [[first language]], while 16.46 percent spoke [[Spanish language|Spanish]], and [[French-based creole languages]] (predominantly [[Haitian Creole language|Haitian Creole]]) was spoken by 1.38 percent of the population. [[French language|French]] was spoken by 0.83 percent, followed by [[German language|German]] at 0.59 percent, and [[Italian language|Italian]] at 0.44 percent of all residents.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=12&mode=state_tops&order=r |title=Most spoken languages in Florida |publisher=[[Modern Language Association]] |accessdate=2007-12-03}}</ref> Florida's climate makes it a popular state for immigrants. Florida's public education system identifies over 200 first languages other than English spoken in the homes of students. In 1990, the [[League of United Latin American Citizens|League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)]] won a class action lawsuit against the state Department of Education that required educators to be trained in teaching [[English language learning and teaching|English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)]].<!--removed non-specific link. -->
Article II, Section 9, of the Florida Constitution provides that "English is the [[official language]] of the State of Florida." This provision was adopted in 1988 by a vote following an Initiative Petition.
===Religion===
Florida is mostly [[Protestant]], but [[Roman Catholicism]] is the single largest denomination in the state. There is also a sizable [[American Jews|Jewish]] community, located mainly in [[South Florida]]; no other Southern state has such a large [[Jewish]] population. Florida's current [[religious]] affiliations are shown in the table below:<ref>[http://religions.pewforum.org/maps U.S. Religion Map and Religious Populations - U.S. Religious Landscape Study - Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
* [[Roman Catholic]], 26%
* [[Protestant]], 40%
** [[Baptist]], 9%
** [[Methodist]], 6%
** [[Pentecostal]], 3%
* [[Jewish]], 3%
* other religions, 3%
* non-religious, 16%
==Government==
{{main|Government of Florida}}
{{seealso|List of Florida Governors|United States Congressional Delegations from Florida}}
[[Image:Old Florida Capitol.jpg|thumb|left|Florida Capitol buildings (Old Capitol in foreground)]]
{| align="right" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 83%;"
|+ '''Presidential elections results'''
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
! Year
! [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
! [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 2004|2004]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''52.10%''' ''3,964,522
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|47.09% ''3,583,544
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 2000|2000]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''48.85%''' ''2,912,790
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|48.84% ''2,912,253
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1996|1996]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|42.32% ''2,244,536
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''48.02%''' ''2,546,870
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1992|1992]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''40.89%''' ''2,173,310
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|39.00% '' ''2,072,698
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1988|1988]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''60.87%''' ''2,618,885
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|38.51% ''1,656,701
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1984|1984]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''65.32%''' ''2,730,350
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|34.66% ''1,448,816
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1980|1980]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''55.52%''' ''2,046,951
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|38.50% ''1,419,475
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1976|1976]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|46.64% ''1,469,531
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''51.93%''' ''1,636,000
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1972|1972]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''71.91%''' ''1,857,759
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|27.80% ''718,117
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1968|1968]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''40.53%''' ''886,804
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|30.93% ''676,794
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1964|1964]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|48.85% ''905,941
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''51.15%''' ''948,540
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1960|1960]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''51.51%''' ''795,476
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|48.49% ''748,700
|}
The 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 of Florida|governor]], become [[Florida Statutes]].
The [[Florida Legislature]] comprises the [[Florida Senate]], which has 40 members, and the [[Florida House of Representatives]], which has 120 members. The current Governor of Florida is [[United States Republican Party|Republican]] [[Charlie Crist]].
The [[Florida Supreme Court]] consists of a Chief Justice and six Justices.
There are 67 Counties in Florida, but some reports show only 66 because of Duval County, which is consolidated with the City of Jacksonville. There are 379 cities in Florida that report regularly to the Florida Department of Revenue, but there are other incorporated municipalities that do not. The primary source of revenue for the State government is sales tax, but the primary revenue source for cities and counties is property tax.
===Politics===
After [[Reconstruction era of the United States|Reconstruction]], white-elite Democrats wrestled for power until they regained it in 1877, partly through violent paramilitary tactics targeting freedmen and allies to reduce their voting. From 1885 to 1889, the state legislature passed statutes with provisions to reduce voting by blacks and poor whites, which had threatened white Democratic power with a populist coalition. As these groups were stripped from voter rolls, white Democrats established power in a one-party state, as happened across the South. In 1900 African Americans comprised 44% of the state's population, the same proportion as before the Civil War, but they were effectively disfranchised.<ref>[fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/stats/histcensus/php/state/php Historical Census Browser, 1900 US Census, University of Virginia], accessed 15 Mar 2008</ref> From 1877 to 1948, Florida voted for the Democratic candidate for president in every election except for the [[United States presidential election, 1928|1928 election]].
In response to segregation, disfranchisement and agricultural depression, many African Americans migrated from Florida to northern cities in the [[Great Migration]], in waves from 1910-1940, 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. Given migration of other groups into Florida (as noted in other sections of this article), by 1960 the proportion of African Americans in the state had declined to 18%.<ref>[fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/stats/histcensus/php/state/php Historical Census Browser, 1960 US Census, University of Virginia], accessed 15 Mar 2008</ref>
From 1952 through 2004, despite having a majority of registered Democrats, the state voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election except for the [[United States presidential election, 1964|1964]], [[United States presidential election, 1976|1976]], and [[United States presidential election, 1996|1996]] elections. The first post-reconstruction Republican [[William C. Cramer|congressional representative]] was elected in 1954.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E03EFDF1131F934A15753C1A9659C8B63 |title= William C. Cramer, 81, a Leader Of G.O.P. Resurgence in South |last=Saxon |first=Wolfgang |date=[[27 October]] [[2003]] |publisher=''[[The New York Times]]'' |accessdate=2008-02-26}}</ref> The state's first post-reconstruction Republican [[Edward J. Gurney|senator]] was elected in 1968,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D01E4DD1E39F930A15756C0A960958260 |title= E. J. Gurney, 82, Senator Who Backed Nixon |last=Thomas, Jr |first=Robert McG |date=[[23 May]] [[1996]] |publisher=''[[The New York Times]]'' |accessdate=2008-02-26}}</ref> two years after the first post-reconstruction Republican [[Claude R. Kirk, Jr.|governor]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/museum/collections/governors/about.cfm?id=43 |title=Claude Roy Kirk, Jr. |publisher=Office of Cultural and Historic Programs, State of Florida |accessdate=2008-02-26}}</ref>
In 1998, Democrats were described as most dominant in areas of the state with high percentages of racial minorities, as well as transplanted white liberals coming primarily from the [[Northeastern United States]].<ref name="The New York Times">{{cite web | title=Florida's Split: Will It Play in the Panhandle?| last=Navarro | first=Mireya | work=[[The New York Times]] | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01E1D81330F932A1575AC0A96E958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all}}</ref> The [[South Florida metropolitan area]] was a good example of this as it had a particularly high level of both racial minorities and white liberals. Because of this, the area has been one of the most Democratic areas of the state. The Daytona metropolitan area has been, to a lesser extent, somewhat similar to South Florida demographically and the city of Orlando had a large Hispanic population, which often favored Democrats. Republicans remain dominant through out much of the rest of Florida particularly in the more rural and suburban areas.<ref name="The New York Times" />
The fast growing [[I-4 corridor]] area, which runs through [[Central Florida]] and connects the cities of [[Daytona Beach, Florida|Daytona Beach]], [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]], and [[Tampa, Florida|Tampa]]/[[St. Petersburg, Florida|St. Petersburg]], had a fairly similar number of both 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. In recent times, whichever way the I-4 corridor area, containing 40% of Florida voters, votes has often determined who will win the state of Florida in presidential elections.<ref name="The Washington Times">{{cite web | title=As I-4 corridor goes, so goes Florida| last=Lengell | first=Sean | work=[[The Washington Times]] | url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080128/NATION/3421225/1001}}</ref>
The Democratic Party has maintained an edge in voter registration, both statewide and in 40 of the 67 counties, including [[Miami-Dade County, Florida|Miami-Dade County]], [[Broward County, Florida|Broward County]], and [[Palm Beach County, Florida|Palm Beach County]], the state's three most populous counties.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://election.dos.state.fl.us/voterreg/registration.asp |title=Voter Registration by Party Affiliation and County |date=January 2008 |publisher=Florida Department of State |accessdate=2008-02-26}}</ref> Despite the Democratic advantage in registration, as of 2008, Republicans controlled the governorship and most other statewide elective offices; both houses of the state legislature; and 16 of the state's 25 seats in the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]. Florida is consistently listed as a [[swing state]] in Presidential elections. In the closely contested [[U.S. presidential election, 2000, in Florida|2000 election]] the state played a pivotal role.
In 2008, delegates of both the [[Republican Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008#GOP February 5 rule|Republican Florida primary election]] and [[Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008#Nullified primaries|Democratic Florida primary election]] were stripped of half of their votes when the conventions meet in August due to violation of both parties' national rules.
==Economy==
[[Image:Florida quarter, reverse side, 2004.jpg|left|thumb|130px|Florida's state quarter.]]
[[Image:Space Shuttle Columbia launching.jpg|thumb|right|Launch of [[Space Shuttle Columbia]] from [[Kennedy Space Center]].]]
[[Image:Florida Trip 197.jpg|thumb|right|[[Walt Disney World]], a major tourist attraction in Central Florida.]]
[[Image:Sugar cane madeira hg.jpg|thumb|South Florida's climate is ideal for growing sugarcane.]]
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Florida in 2006 was $713.5 billion. Its GDP is the fourth largest economy in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bea.gov/scb/pdf/2007/07%20July/0707_gdp_state.pdf |title=Gross Domestic Product by state Table 8:Gross Domestic Product by State in Current Dollars, 2003-2006 |publisher=[[Bureau of Economic Analysis]], [[United States Department of Commerce]] |date=July 2007 |accessdate=2008-03-02 |format=PDF}}</ref> Personal income was $36,665 per capita, ranking 20th in the nation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bea.gov/regional/bearfacts/stateaction.cfm?fips=12000&yearin=2006 |title=State BEARFACTS 1996 – 2006 |publisher=Bureau of Economic Analysis, United States Department of Commerce |date=[[30 September]] [[2007]] |accessdate=2008-03-02}}</ref>
[[Tourism]] makes up the largest sector of the state economy. Warm weather and hundreds of miles of beaches attract about 60 million visitors to the state every year. [[Amusement park]]s, especially in the [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]] area, make up a significant portion of tourism. The [[Walt Disney World Resort]] is the largest vacation resort in the world, consisting of four [[theme park]]s and more than 20 hotels in [[Lake Buena Vista, Florida]]; it, and [[Universal Orlando Resort]], [[Busch Gardens]], [[SeaWorld]], and other major parks drive state tourism. Many beach towns are also popular tourist destinations, particularly in the winter months.
The second largest industry is [[agriculture]]. [[Citrus]] [[fruit]], especially [[orange (fruit)|orange]]s, are a major part of the economy, and Florida produces the majority of citrus fruit grown in the U.S. – in 2006 67 percent of all citrus, 74 percent of oranges, 58 percent of [[tangerine]]s, and 54 percent of [[grapefruit]]. About 95 percent of commercial orange production in the state is destined for processing (mostly as [[orange juice]], the official [[state beverage]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://aic.ucdavis.edu/profiles/Citrus-2006.pdf |title=Commodity Profile: Citrus |publisher=Agricultural Issues Center, [[University of California]] |accessdate=2007-11-17|format=PDF}}</ref> [[Citrus canker]] continues to be an issue of concern. Other products include [[sugarcane]] and [[celery]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ipmcenters.org/cropprofiles/docs/FLCelery.html |title= Crop Profile for Celery in Florida |publisher=NSF Center for Integrated Pest Management, [[North Carolina State University]] |accessdate=2007-11-17}}</ref> The Everglades Agricultural Area is a major center for agriculture. The environmental impact of agriculture — especially [[water pollution]]— is a major issue in Florida today.
[[Image:DSC 0116sml.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Port of Miami-Dade|Port of Miami]], the largest container port in Florida, as well as the "Cruise Capital of the World" and "Cargo Gateway of the Americas".]]
[[Phosphate#Occurrence|Phosphate mining]], concentrated in the [[Bone Valley]], is the state's third-largest industry. The state produces about 75 percent of the phosphate required by farmers in the United States and 25 percent of the world supply, with about 95 percent used for agriculture (90 percent for [[fertilizer]] and 5 percent for [[livestock]] feed supplements) and 5 percent used for other products.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.phosphateflorida.com/mosaic.asp?page=about_phosphate |title=About Phosphate |publisher=[[The Mosaic Company]] |accessdate=2007-11-17}}</ref>
Since the arrival of the NASA [[List of Merritt Island launch sites|Merritt Island launch sites]] on Cape Canaveral (most notably Kennedy Space Center) in 1962, Florida has developed a sizable [[Aerospace|aerospace industry]].
In addition, the state has seen a recent boom in medical and bio-tech industries throughout its major metropolitan areas. Orlando was recently chosen as the official site for the new headquarters of the Burnham Institute, a major bio-tech and medical research company.
The state was one of the few states to not have a state [[minimum wage]] law until 2004, when voters passed a constitutional amendment establishing a state minimum wage and (unique among minimum wage laws) mandating that it be adjusted for inflation every six months. Currently, the minimum wage in the state of Florida is $6.79 as of [[January 1]], [[2008]].
Historically, Florida's economy was based upon cattle farming and agriculture (especially [[sugarcane]], [[citrus]], [[tomato]]es, and [[strawberry|strawberries]]). In the early 1900, land speculators discovered Florida, and businessmen such as [[Henry Plant]] and [[Henry Flagler]] developed [[railroad]] systems, which led people to move in, drawn by the weather and local economies. From then on, tourism boomed, fueling a cycle of development that overwhelmed a great deal of farmland.
In 2004 and 2005, key industries along the west coast — commercial fishing and water-based tourist activities (sports fishing and diving) — were threatened by outbreaks of red tide, a discoloration of seawater caused by an efflorescence of toxin-producing dinoflagellates.
Florida is one of the nine states that do not impose a personal [[income tax]] ''([[State income tax|list of others]])''. The state had imposed a tax on "intangible personal property" (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, money market funds, etc.), but this tax was abolished after 2006. The state [[sales tax]] rate is 6%.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.myflorida.com/dor/taxes/sales_tax.html |title=Florida Sales and Use Tax |publisher=State of Florida |accessdate=2007-11-17}}</ref> Local governments may levy an additional local option sales tax of up to 1.5%. A locale's [[use tax]] rate is the same as its sales tax rate, including local options, if any. Use taxes are payable for purchases made out of state and brought into Florida within six months of the purchase date. [[Revenue stamp|Documentary stamps]] are required on deed transfers and mortgages. Other taxes include corporate income, communication services, unemployment, solid waste, insurance premium, pollutants, and various fuel taxes.
<br style="clear:both;"/>
==Education==
[[Image:Westcott 8445.jpg|thumb|right|Westcott Building at [[Florida State University]].]]
[[Image:CenturyTower.jpg|thumb|right|Century Tower, [[University of Florida]].]]
[[Image:UofMiamiLakeOsceola.jpg|thumb|right|Lake Osceola at the [[University of Miami]].]]
[[Image:FAU Baldwin House.jpg|thumb|right|The Baldwin House at [[Florida Atlantic University]].]]
{{seealso|Education in Florida}}
Florida's public primary and secondary schools are administered by the [[Florida Department of Education]].
===State University System of Florida===
The '''[[State University System of Florida]]''' manages and funds Florida's eleven public universities:
{|
|valign="top" width=65%|
* [[Florida A&M University]]
* [[Florida Atlantic University]]
* [[Florida Gulf Coast University]]
* [[Florida International University]]
* [[Florida State University]]
* [[New College of Florida]]
|valign="top" width=35%|
* [[University of Central Florida]]
* [[University of North Florida]]
* [[University of Florida]]
* [[University of South Florida]]
* [[University of West Florida]]
|}
===Community College System of Florida===
The '''[[Florida Community Colleges System]]''' manages and funds Florida's 28 [[community colleges]].
{|
|valign="top" width=35%|
* [[Brevard Community College]]
* [[Broward College]]
* [[Central Florida Community College]]
* [[Chipola College]]
* [[Daytona Beach College]]
* [[Edison College]]
* [[Florida Community College at Jacksonville]]
* [[Florida Keys Community College]]
* [[Gulf Coast Community College]]
* [[Hillsborough Community College]]
* [[Indian River State College]]
* [[Lake City Community College]]
* [[Lake-Sumter Community College]]
|valign="top" width=35%|
* [[Manatee Community College]]
* [[Miami Dade College]]
* [[North Florida Community College]]
* [[Palm Beach Community College]]
* [[Pasco-Hernando Community College]]
* [[Pensacola Junior College]]
* [[Polk Community College]]
* [[St. Johns River Community College]]
* [[St. Petersburg College]]
* [[Santa Fe College]]
* [[Seminole Community College]]
* [[South Florida Community College]]
* [[Tallahassee Community College]]
* [[Valencia Community College]]
|}
===Private Universities in Florida===
The '''[[Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida]]''' is an association of 28 private, educational institutions in the state of Florida.<ref>[http://www.icuf.org/ Official website of ICUF]</ref>
Florida has many large and small private institutions. The "Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida", serves the interests of the private universities in Florida. This Association reported that their member institutions served over 121,000 students in the fall of 2006.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.icuf.org/_docs/2005-2006_Acct_Report.pdf |title=2005-2006 Accountability Report: Quality, Productivity, Diversity, and Access |last=Atherton |first=Blair |date=August 2006 |accessdate=2007-09-14 |format=PDF}}</ref>
==Transportation==
{{seealso|Transportation in Florida}}
[[Image:National-Atlas-Florida-major-road-map.gif|300px|thumb| '''Florida''' map, with major roads/cities.]]
===Highways===
[[Image:Palmetto Expressway northbound.jpg|thumb|right|[[Palmetto Expressway]] is one of Florida's busiest expressway]]
Florida's [[Interstate highway|interstates]], [[Florida State Roads|state highways]] and [[U.S. Highways]] are maintained by the [[Florida Department of Transportation]].
Florida's [[interstate highway system]] contains 1,473 miles (2,371 km) of highway, and there are 9,934 miles (15,987 km) of non-interstate highway in the state, such as [[Florida state highways]] and [[U.S. Highways]].
Florida's primary interstate routes include:
* [[Image:I-4.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 4|I-4]], which bisects the state, connecting [[Tampa, Florida|Tampa]], [[Lakeland, Florida|Lakeland]], [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]], and [[Daytona Beach, Florida|Daytona Beach]], connecting with [[I-95]] in [[Daytona Beach, Florida|Daytona Beach]] and [[I-75]] in [[Tampa, Florida|Tampa]].
* [[Image:I-10.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 10|I-10]], which traverses the panhandle, connecting [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]], [[Lake City, Florida|Lake City]], [[Tallahassee, Florida|Tallahassee]] and [[Pensacola, Florida|Pensacola]], with junctions with [[I-95]] in [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]] and [[I-75]] in [[Lake City, Florida|Lake City]].
* [[Image:I-75.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 75|I-75]], which enters the state near [[Lake City, Florida|Lake City]] (45 miles west of [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]]) and continues southward through [[Gainesville, Florida|Gainesville]], [[Ocala, Florida|Ocala]], [[Tampa]]'s eastern suburbs, [[Bradenton, Florida|Bradenton]], [[Sarasota, Florida|Sarasota]], [[Fort Myers, Florida|Fort Myers]] and [[Naples, Florida|Naples]], where it crosses the "[[Alligator Alley]]" as a [[toll road]] to [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida|Fort Lauderdale]] before turning southward and terminating in [[Hialeah, Florida|Hialeah]]/[[Miami Lakes]] having junctions with [[I-10]] in [[Lake City, Florida|Lake City]] and [[I-4]] in [[Tampa]].
* [[Image:I-95.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 95 in Florida|I-95]], which enters the state near [[Jacksonville]] and continues along the Atlantic Coast through [[Daytona Beach, Florida|Daytona Beach]] [[Space Coast|Melbourne/Titusville]], [[Palm Bay, Florida|Palm Bay]], [[Vero Beach, Florida|Vero Beach]], [[Fort Pierce, Florida|Fort Pierce]], [[Port Saint Lucie, Florida|Port Saint Lucie]], [[Stuart, Florida|Stuart]], [[West Palm Beach, Florida|West Palm Beach]], and [[Fort Lauderdale]] before terminating in [[Downtown Miami]], with junctions with [[I-10]] in [[Jacksonville]] and [[I-4]] in [[Daytona Beach]].
Prior to the construction of routes under the [[Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956]], [[Florida]] began construction of a long cross-state [[toll road]], [[Florida's Turnpike]]. The first section, from [[Fort Pierce, Florida|Fort Pierce]] south to the [[Golden Glades Interchange]] was completed in 1957. After a second section north through Orlando to [[Wildwood, Florida|Wildwood]] (near present-day [[The Villages, Florida|The Villages]]), and a [[Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike|southward extension]] around [[Miami]] to [[Homestead, Florida|Homestead]], it was finished in 1974.
North-south state highways are all odd numbered, two-digit, with low numbers on the east coast and higher numbers on its west coast and in the panhandle. East-west state highways have three digits. They are low numbered in the north, high numbered in the south.<ref>[http://www.us-highways.com/flausa.htm Florida in Kodachrome] accessed December 29, 2007</ref> County roads often follow this same system.
===Intercity rail===
Florida is served by [[Amtrak]]: [[Sanford, Florida|Sanford]], in [[Orlando-Kissimmee, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area|Greater Orlando]], is the southern terminus of the [[Auto Train (Amtrak)|Amtrak Auto Train]], which originates at [[Lorton, Virginia]], south of [[Washington, DC]]. Orlando is also the eastern terminus of the [[Sunset Limited]], which travels across the southern [[United States]] via [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]], [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], and [[San Antonio, Texas|San Antonio]] to its western terminus of [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]]. [[Florida]] is served by two additional Amtrak trains (the [[Silver Star (Amtrak)|Silver Star]] and the [[Silver Meteor]]), which operate between [[New York, New York|New York City]] and [[Miami]].
===Airports===
{{seealso|List of airports in Florida}}
[[Image:Miami International FH020002.jpg|200px|thumb|right|[[Miami International Airport]] is the world's 10th-largest cargo airport]]
Major [[international airports]] in Florida which processed more than 15 million passengers each in 2006 are [[Orlando International Airport]] (34,128,048), [[Miami International Airport]] (32,533,974), [[Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport]](21,369,577) and [[Tampa International Airport]] (18,867,541).
Secondary airports, with annual passenger traffic exceeding 5 million each in 2006, include [[Southwest Florida International Airport]] (Fort Myers) (7,643,217), [[Palm Beach International Airport]] (West Palm Beach) (7,014,237),<ref>2005 figure; 2006 data not available.</ref> and [[Jacksonville International Airport]] (5,946,188).
[[Regional Airports]] which processed over one million passengers each in 2006 are [[Pensacola Regional Airport|Pensacola]] (1,620,198) and [[Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport|Sarasota-Bradenton]] (1,423,113). [[Orlando Sanford International Airport|Sanford]], which is primarily served by international charter airlines processed 1,649,565 passengers in 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aci-na.org/asp/traffic.asp?art=215 |title=2006 North America Airports Traffic Statistics |publisher=[[Airports Council International]] |accessdate=2007-10-18}}</ref>
==Sports==
{{seealso|List of sports teams in Florida}}
[[Image:AAAMiami.jpg|thumb|right|The American Airlines Arena in Miami, home of the [[Miami Heat]].]]
[[Image:Dolphinstadiumvikes.jpg|thumb|right|Dolphin Stadium in [[Miami Gardens]], home of the [[Florida Marlins]] and the [[Miami Dolphins]].]]
Although Florida is the traditional home to [[Major League Baseball]]'s [[spring training]], and nearly 2/3 of all [[MLB]] teams still have a spring training presence in the state, Florida did not have a permanent major-league-level professional sports team until the [[American Football League]] added the [[Miami Dolphins]] in 1966. The state now has three [[National Football League|NFL]] teams, two [[MLB]] teams, two [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] teams, and two [[National Hockey League|NHL]] teams. With two of its most historically-important teams, Florida is one of the most important markets for the [[Arena Football League]]. [[Golf]], [[tennis]] and [[auto racing]] are also popular. Florida also hosts a variety of minor league [[baseball]], [[American football|football]], [[basketball]], [[ice hockey]], [[football (soccer)|soccer]] and [[indoor football]] teams.
{| class="wikitable"
!Club
!Sport
!League
!Venue
|-
|[[Jacksonville Jaguars]]
|[[Football (American)|Football]]
|National Football League
|[[Jacksonville Municipal Stadium]]
|-
|[[Miami Dolphins]]
|Football
|National Football League
|[[Dolphin Stadium]]
|-
|[[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]]
|Football
|National Football League
|[[Raymond James Stadium]]
|-
|[[Miami Heat]]
|[[Basketball]]
|National Basketball Association
|[[American Airlines Arena]]
|-
|[[Orlando Magic]]
|Basketball
|National Basketball Association
|[[Amway Arena]]
|-
|[[Florida Panthers]]
|[[Ice hockey]]
|National Hockey League
|[[BankAtlantic Center]]
|-
|[[Tampa Bay Lightning]]
|Ice hockey
|National Hockey League
|[[St. Pete Times Forum]]
|-
|[[Florida Marlins]]
|[[Baseball]]
|Major League Baseball
|Dolphin Stadium
|-
|[[Tampa Bay Rays]]
|Baseball
|Major League Baseball
|[[Tropicana Field]]
|-
|[[Orlando Predators]]
|[[Arena football]]
|Arena Football League
|Amway Arena
|-
|[[Tampa Bay Storm]]
|Arena football
|Arena Football League
|St. Pete Times Forum
|-
|}
===Spring training===
Florida is the traditional home for [[Major League Baseball]] spring training, with teams informally organized into the "[[Grapefruit League]]." As of 2004, Florida hosts the following major league teams for spring training:
{| class="wikitable"
!Club
!Location
|-
|[[Atlanta Braves]]
|[[Walt Disney World]]
|-
|[[Baltimore Orioles]]
|[[Fort Lauderdale, Florida|Fort Lauderdale]]
|-
|[[Boston Red Sox]]
|[[Fort Myers, Florida|Fort Myers]]
|-
|[[Cincinnati Reds]]
|[[Sarasota, Florida|Sarasota]]
|-
|[[Cleveland Indians]]
|[[Winter Haven, Florida|Winter Haven]]
|-
|[[Detroit Tigers]]
|[[Lakeland, Florida|Lakeland]]
|-
|'''[[Florida Marlins]]'''
|[[Jupiter, Florida|Jupiter]]
|-
|[[Houston Astros]]
|[[Kissimmee, Florida|Kissimmee]]
|-
|[[Minnesota Twins]]
|[[Fort Myers, Florida|Fort Myers]]
|-
|[[New York Mets]]
|[[Port St. Lucie, Florida|Port St. Lucie]]
|-
|[[New York Yankees]]
|[[Tampa, Florida|Tampa]]
|-
|[[Philadelphia Phillies]]
|[[Clearwater, Florida|Clearwater]]
|-
|[[Pittsburgh Pirates]]
|[[Bradenton, Florida|Bradenton]]
|-
|[[Saint Louis Cardinals]]
|[[Jupiter, Florida|Jupiter]]
|-
|'''[[Tampa Bay Rays]]'''
|[[St. Petersburg, Florida|St. Petersburg]]
|-
|[[Toronto Blue Jays]]
|[[Dunedin, Florida|Dunedin]]
|-
|[[Washington Nationals]]
|[[Viera, Florida|Viera]]
|}
[[Image:DaytonaSpeedway1.jpg|right|thumb|Daytona International Speedway]]
===Auto-racing tracks===
* [[Daytona International Speedway]]
* [[Homestead-Miami Speedway]]
* [[Sebring International Raceway]]
* [[Streets of St. Petersburg]]
* [[Walt Disney World Speedway]]
==Sister states==
*{{flagicon|South Korea}} [[Gyeonggi-do]], [[South Korea]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Languedoc-Roussillon]], [[France]]
*{{flagicon|Venezuela}} [[Nueva Esparta]], [[Venezuela]]
*{{flagicon|Taiwan}} [[Taiwan Province]], [[Taiwan]]
*{{flagicon|Japan}} [[Wakayama Prefecture]], [[Japan]]
*{{flagicon|South Africa}} [[Western Cape]], [[South Africa]]
==See also==
*[[List of Florida-related topics]]
{{portal|Florida|Flag of Florida.svg|left=yes}}
{{clear}}
<!-- Please place links to all topics directly related to the State of Florida in the [[List of Florida-related topics]] -->
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
==External links==
{{sisterlinks|Florida}}
*[http://www.myflorida.com/ State website]
* {{wikitravel}}
*[http://www.floridamemory.com/ Florida Memory Project] Over 300,000 photographs and documents from the State Library & Archives of Florida
* [http://www.floridamemory.com/Collections/SpanishLandGrants/ Online collection of the Spanish Land Grants.]
*[http://www.usastatesdates.com/florida.htm History topics timeline of Florida 1795-1895]
* [http://www.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=FL USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Florida]
* [http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/UFDC/ University of Florida Digital Collections] Digital collections of texts and images, including Florida aerial photography, ephemeral photographs and postcards, letters, and more
* [http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/12000.html U.S. Census Bureau]
* [http://www.ers.usda.gov/StateFacts/FL.htm Economic and farm demographics fact sheet from the USDA]
*[http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=FL Energy & Environmental Data For Florida]
*[http://wikis.ala.org/godort/index.php/Florida List of searchable databases produced by Florida state agencies] hosted by the [http://wikis.ala.org/godort/index.php/Main_Page American Library Association Government Documents Roundtable].
{{-}}
{{Florida|expand}}
{{United States}}
{{US South}}
{{Confederate2}}
{{coor title d|28|N|81.5|W|region:US-FL_type:state}}
[[Category:Florida| ]]
[[Category:States of the United States]]
[[Category:Southern United States]]
[[Category:Confederate states (1861-1865)]]
[[Category:1845 establishments]]
[[Category:Former British colonies]]
[[Category:Former Spanish colonies]]
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