Portal:Florida
The Florida Portal![]()
Florida (/ˈflɒrɪdə/ FLORR-ih-də) is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Straits of Florida and Cuba to the south. About two-thirds of Florida occupies a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. It has the longest coastline in the contiguous United States, spanning approximately 1,350 miles (2,170 km), not including its many barrier islands. It is the only state that borders both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of over 21 million, it is the third-most populous state in the United States and ranks eighth in population density as of 2020. Florida spans 65,758 square miles (170,310 km2), ranking 22nd in area among the states. The Miami metropolitan area, anchored by the cities of Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, is the state's largest metropolitan area, with a population of 6.138 million; the most populous city is Jacksonville. Florida's other major population centers include Tampa Bay, Orlando, Cape Coral, and the state capital of Tallahassee. Various American Indian tribes have inhabited Florida for at least 14,000 years. In 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León became the first known European to make landfall, calling the region La Florida (land of flowers) ([la floˈɾiða]). Florida subsequently became the first area in the continental U.S. to be permanently settled by Europeans, with the settlement of St. Augustine, founded in 1565, being the oldest continuously inhabited city. Florida was a Spanish territory frequently attacked and coveted by Great Britain before Spain ceded it to the U.S. in 1819 in exchange for resolving the border dispute along the Sabine River in Spanish Texas. Florida was admitted as the 27th state on March 3, 1845, and was the principal location of the Seminole Wars (1816–1858), the longest and most extensive of the American Indian Wars. The state seceded from the Union on January 10, 1861, becoming one of the seven original Confederate States, and was readmitted to the Union after the Civil War on June 25, 1868. Since the mid-20th century, Florida has experienced rapid demographic and economic growth. Its economy, with a gross state product (GSP) of $1.4 trillion, is the fourth largest of any U.S. state and the 16th-largest in the world; the main sectors are tourism, hospitality, agriculture, real estate, and transportation. Florida is world-renowned for its beach resorts, amusement parks, warm and sunny climate, and nautical recreation; attractions such as Walt Disney World, the Kennedy Space Center, and Miami Beach draw tens of millions of visitors annually. Florida is a popular destination for retirees, seasonal vacationers, and both domestic and international migrants; it hosts nine out of the ten fastest-growing communities in the U.S. The state's close proximity to the ocean has shaped its culture, identity, and daily life; its colonial history and successive waves of migration are reflected in African, European, Indigenous, Latino, and Asian influences. Florida has attracted or inspired some of the most prominent American writers, including Ernest Hemingway, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, and Tennessee Williams, and continues to attract celebrities and athletes, especially in golf, tennis, auto racing, and water sports. Florida has been considered a battleground state in American presidential elections, particularly those in 2000 and 2016. (Full article...) Selected article -Hurricane Dennis was an early-forming major hurricane in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico during the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. Dennis was the fourth named storm, second hurricane, and first major hurricane of the season. Forming in July, the hurricane became the strongest Atlantic hurricane ever to form before August at the time, a title it held for only six days before being surpassed by Hurricane Emily. It also became the second wettest tropical cyclone in the state of Kentucky only behind the 1960 Texas tropical storm. Dennis made landfall in Cuba twice as a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale and made landfall on the United States' Florida Panhandle as a Category 3 storm, coming less than a year after the devastating Hurricane Ivan. Dennis killed 88 people in total and was responsible for $3.98 billion (2005 USD) in damages, of which $2.5 billion (2005 USD) occurred in the United States. (Full article...)Did you know...
Selected quote -General images -The following are images from various Florida-related articles on Wikipedia.
Related portalsSelected biography -Nancy Helen Marcus (May 17, 1950 – February 12, 2018) was an American biologist and oceanographer. During her graduate studies, Marcus became known as an expert on copepod ecology and evolutionary biology. She began her career as a postdoctoral fellow at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution where she studied copepod dormancy and its implications for marine aquaculture. She continued her field research as a professor of oceanography and later as the director of the Florida State University Marine Laboratory (FSU). During this time, Marcus was elected as a Fellow of the Association for Women in Science and the American Association for the Advancement of Science and served as the president of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography. As the president, she led efforts to increase education activities and increase the endowment fund. In 2005, Marcus transitioned from the sciences to college administration when she was appointed Dean of the FSU Graduate School. During her tenure, FSU nearly doubled the number of doctoral degrees awarded annually. She created several graduate academic programs and the FSU Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards. Marcus served a term as chair of the Board of Directors for the Council of Graduate Schools to address the future of graduate education. Outside of academia, Marcus was a magician and ventriloquist. She served on the Goucher College Board of Trustees from 2009 to 2016 and was previously the chair of the academic affairs committee. Marcus died on February 12, 2018, after two years of treatment for uveal melanoma. (Full article...)Selected images -Current events
WikiProjectsSelected panorama -The Florida Citrus Tower is a 1956-built tower, standing 226 feet tall. The tower is notable as the most famous landmark of the Orlando area; its top is the highest point in Florida, and it is the highest observation point in Florida. TopicsQuality content
1910 Cuba hurricane • 1928 Okeechobee hurricane • 2012 Budweiser Shootout • American white ibis • Andrew Sledd • Biscayne National Park • Derek Jeter • Draining and development of the Everglades • Ernest Hemingway • Everglades National Park • Falcon's Fury • Geography and ecology of the Everglades • George Floyd (American football) • Gregor MacGregor • Guy Bradley • Hogwarts Express (Universal Orlando Resort) • Hurricane Andrew • Indigenous people of the Everglades region • Iron Gwazi • John F. Bolt • Marjory Stoneman Douglas • Restoration of the Everglades • Rosewood massacre • Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant • SheiKra • Space Shuttle Challenger disaster • St. Johns River • Stephen Crane • Turning Point (2008 wrestling) • USS Massachusetts (BB-2) • Walt Disney World Railroad • William Cooley List of Florida hurricanes • List of Florida hurricanes (pre-1900) • List of Tampa Bay Rays seasons • List of University of Central Florida alumni • List of birds of Florida • List of counties in Florida • List of governors of Florida • List of invasive species in the Everglades • List of mammals of Florida • List of municipalities in Florida • List of sister cities in Florida • Snow in Florida • United States presidential elections in Florida
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