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Florida Facts

Florida Facts
The State of Florida is located in the southeastern U.S. It shares the border with Alabama and Georgia. Florida is the fourth most populated of the 50 United States. Florida is mostly a peninsula with the Atlantic Ocean to its east and the Gulf of Mexico to its west. Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon was the first European to land in Florida and he named the peninsula La Florida, which means flowery land. Following many years of struggle between European rule, Florida joined the Union in 1845. Florida has diverse cultural influences including Native American, European American, African American and Hispanic heritage.
Interesting Florida Facts:
It is believed that people first inhabited Florida approximately 12,000 years ago when they lived as hunters and gatherers.
Juan Ponce de Leon is the first to have recorded evidence of discovering Florida. Some believe there may have been other Europeans before him but there is no proof.
Florida was the 27th state to join the Union.
Florida is known as the Sunshine State.
Florida's capital is Tallahassee.
Florida's population is approximately 19.1 million.
Florida encompasses 58,560 square miles, 54,136 of which are land and 4,424 of which are water.
The largest city in Florida is Jacksonville and the largest metro is Miami.
There are 67 counties in the State of Florida.
Today Florida is the world's top travel destination. Tourism alone brings in approximately $67 billion per year.
Florida produces approximately 40% of the world's orange juice.
Florida accounts for approximately 67% of the oranges grown in the United States.
The oldest North American European settlement is Saint Augustine and is located in Florida.
Orlando, Florida is the United States' most popular amusement park destination.
Many people believe Florida is the most southern U.S. state, but in fact Hawaii is more south.
Florida has 663 miles of beaches.
The average summer temperature in southern Florida is 82.7 Fahrenheit and the average winter temperature in south Florida is 68.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
It is estimated that approximately 1000 people move to Florida every day.
Florida has 1,250 golf courses, which is more than any other U.S. state.
Cape Canaveral is located in Florida. This is the launching pad for many space flights.
Space City, USA (Titusville) is located directly across the Indian River from the John F. Kennedy Space Center.
Florida's largest lake is Lake Okeechobee.
Fort Lauderdale has 185 miles of waterways and is often referred to as the Venice of America.
The sport fishing capital of the world is Islamorada, Florida.
The dive capital of the world is Key Largo, Florida.
Severe weather is common in Florida. Central Florida experiences more lightning than anywhere else in the U.S.
Florida experiences more tornadoes than the Midwest and Great Plains but they are usually not as intense.
Hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th, and Florida is the most hurricane-prone state.
Florida is home to a wide variety of marine mammals including the West Indian Manatee, the bottlenose dolphin and North Atlantic Right Whale.
It is estimated that there are approximately half a million feral pigs in Florida today.


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