Florida information

Florida
State
State of Florida
Flag Seal
Nickname:  Sunshine State[1][2][3]
Motto:  In God We Trust[4]
Anthem: "Florida" (state anthem), "Old Folks at Home" (state song)
Map of the United States with Florida highlighted
Country	United States
Before statehood	Florida Territory
Admitted to the Union	March 3, 1845; 179 years ago (1845-03-03) (27th)
Capital	Tallahassee
Largest city	Jacksonville
Largest county or equivalent	Miami-Dade
Largest metro and urban areas	South Florida
Government
• Governor	Ron DeSantis (R)
• Lieutenant Governor	Jeanette Nuñez (R)
Legislature	Florida Legislature
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	House of Representatives
Judiciary	Supreme Court of Florida
U.S. senators	Marco Rubio (R) Rick Scott (R)
U.S. House delegation	20 Republicans 8 Democrats (list)
Area
• Total	65,758[5] sq mi (170,312 km2)
• Land	53,625 sq mi (138,887 km2)
• Water	12,133 sq mi (31,424 km2)  18.5%
• Rank	22nd
Dimensions
• Length	447 mi (721 km)
• Width	361 mi (582 km)
Elevation	100 ft (30 m)
Highest elevation (Britton Hill[6][a])	345 ft (105 m)
Lowest elevation (Atlantic Ocean[6])	0 ft (0 m)
Population  (2023)
• Total	22,610,726[7]
• Rank	3rd
• Density	414.8/sq mi (160/km2)
• Rank	7th
• Median household income	$57,700[8]
• Income rank	34th
Demonym(s)	Floridian, Floridan
Language
• Official language	English[9]
• Spoken language	English only: 67.3% Spanish: 21.2%[10] Other: 11.5%
Time zones
Peninsula and "Big Bend" region	UTC−05:00 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (EDT)
Panhandle west of the Apalachicola River	UTC−06:00 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−05:00 (CDT)
USPS abbreviation	FL
ISO 3166 code	US-FL
Traditional abbreviation	Fla.
Latitude	24° 27' N to 31° 00' N
Longitude	80° 02' W to 87° 38' W
Website	myflorida.com

State symbols of Florida

List of state symbols
Flag of Florida
Seal of Florida
Living insignia
Amphibian	Barking tree frog
Bird	Northern mockingbird
Fish	Florida largemouth bass, Atlantic sailfish
Flower	Orange blossom
Insect	Zebra longwing
Mammal	Florida panther, manatee, bottlenose dolphin, Florida Cracker Horse[11]
Reptile	American alligator, Loggerhead turtle, Gopher tortoise[11]
Tree	Sabal palmetto
Inanimate insignia
Beverage	Orange juice
Food	Key lime pie, Orange
Gemstone	Moonstone
Rock	Agatized coral
Shell	Horse conch
Soil	Myakka
State route marker
State quarter
Released in 2004
Lists of United States state symbols

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. 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, the most populous among the easterly states, and ranks eighth in population density as of 2020. It spans 65,758 square miles (170,310 km²), ranking 22nd in area among the 50 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, and the state's most-populous city is Jacksonville with a population of 949,611. 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]) for its lush greenery and the Easter season (Pascua Florida in Spanish). Florida subsequently became the first area in the continental U.S. to be permanently settled by Europeans, with the 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 Indian Wars in U.S. history. 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.

About two-thirds of Florida occupies a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. It has the longest coastline in the contiguous United States, spanning approximately 1,350 miles (2,170 km), not including its many barrier islands. Florida has 4,510 islands that are ten acres (4.0 hectares) or larger in area, the second-largest of any state after Alaska. Much of Florida is at or near sea level, and is characterized by sedimentary soil. Florida is the flattest state in the country, with the lowest high point of any U.S. state, at just 345 feet (105 meters).

Florida's climate varies from subtropical in the north to tropical in the south. It is the only state besides Hawaii to have a tropical climate, and is the only continental state with both a tropical climate, located at the southern portion of the state, and a coral reef. Florida has several unique ecosystems, including Everglades National Park, the largest tropical wilderness in the U.S. and among the largest in the Americas. Unique wildlife include the American alligator, American crocodile, American flamingo, Roseate spoonbill, Florida panther, bottlenose dolphin, and manatee. The Florida Reef is the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States, and the third-largest coral barrier reef system in the world, after the Great Barrier Reef and the Belize Barrier Reef.

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).