Long time ago, a paradise of land, carving into the aquatic realm, became the continental cradle for the budding United States of America, as it was from here that the colonization of the New World began. This region has many unofficial nicknames: it is called both sunny, flowery, and orange… But none of them fully reflects the unique character of the warm state of Florida.
Brief information about the state:
- Abbreviation: FL
- Capital: Tallahassee (197,974 people)
- State Population: 21.6 million people (data as of 2021, 3rd in population, surpassed only by California and Texas).
- State Area: 170,304 km² (ranks 22nd in the USA)
- Largest City: Jacksonville (twentieth-largest city in America, 929,647 people)
- Starting September 30, 2021, it will increase to $10 per hour, with an additional $1 per hour each September. By September 30, 2026, the minimum wage in the Sunshine State will be $15 per hour.
- Official website: myflorida.com
Florida Attractions
When it comes to paradise on Earth, the “flowering land” and its heart, the dream city of Miami, immediately come to mind. There is everything here for the perfect vacation, no matter how travelers imagine it: the coastline, nightclubs, a huge sports arena, farmers’ markets, designer boutiques, architectural landmarks, museums, and galleries.
There are even entire neighborhoods covered in graffiti, as well as numerous zoos and water parks, aquariums, and much more.
St. Augustine
The oldest city in America is also located in Florida. It is impossible not to succumb to its charm: walking the streets of St. Augustine, one gets the impression that the visitor has been transported to another historical epoch. Ancient churches, powerful medieval fortresses, stone houses, and coquina remain just as they were in the 18th century.
Cape Canaveral
For those whom antiquity invokes boredom, Cape Canaveral and the ultra-modern NASA Kennedy Space Center, located near the city of Orlando, welcome visitors. There, tourists will not only be offered an entertaining tour but also shown an educational film and allowed to stroll through the art gallery.
Amusement Parks
Florida has something special to offer even to its youngest guests. The city of Orlando has been honored with the title of “Children’s Capital”. It is here that the world-famous parks are located: Disneyland, Sea World, Wet and Wild, “Islands of Adventure”, “Harry Potter’s Wizarding World”, and the Universal Studios theme park.
State History
By order of the Spanish monarch, conquistador Juan Ponce de León set out in 1513 to search for new lands for the Crown. His expedition landed on the east coast of the territory, which the discoverer marked on his map as La Florida – “the flowering land” and declared it the property of Spain.
The natives – indigenous peoples such as the Apalachee, Timucua, Mayaimi, Tocobaga, Ais, and others, met the colonists with considerable hostility. There were several reasons for this:
– Firstly, they had lived on these lands for over 14,000 years, engaging in agriculture, and did not want to give up their ancestral territories.
– Secondly, the tribes had previously seen Europeans arriving with the sole purpose of capturing slaves.
– Thirdly, the indigenous people feared the mysterious diseases brought by the white occupiers. The representatives of the small nations had no immunity to the minor illnesses of the Spaniards, so mortality among them sharply increased.
De León, overcoming local resistance, gradually explored Florida. In 1521, he even tried to found a city, but his plan failed. Later, another attempt was made to build a Spanish colony. Tristán de Luna y Arellano brought not only civilian settlers but also 500 soldiers with him. The soldiers easily withstood the attacks of the Indians, but then Mother Nature intervened: a hurricane deprived the newcomers of almost all their food supplies. After two years of famine, the Spaniards left the coast.
In 1562, the French arrived in Florida. In the mouth of the St. Johns River, René Goulaine de Laudonnière founded Fort Caroline, which was later captured by a Spanish admiral. In the following years, power passed from hand to hand: from the Spaniards to the English, from the English to the French, and then back to the Spaniards. Indians and U.S. military forces also did not stand aside. Conflicts escalated until the Adams-OnÃs Treaty was concluded, under which the coast was ceded to the United States.
On March 30, 1822, the territory of Florida was created. And in 1845, the 27th “sunshine” state appeared.
Interesting Facts about Florida
1. Florida is one of the cheapest places to live, despite being a resort. This happens because locals pay low taxes, not exceeding 5% of their budget.
2. Citrus cultivation is highly developed in Florida. Every year, the state supplies 2/3 of the country’s annual orange and tangerine crop to store shelves.
3. Florida has toll roads, the cost of which depends on the distance: 1 mile costs 6 cents. Along the highways and roads, there are free rest areas for travelers, where you can relax, drink chilled citrus juice, and receive a guide as a gift.
4. Due to its proximity to the ocean and the Caribbean Sea, where tropical cyclones often form, Florida is often hit by storms and tornadoes. The state is also the lightning capital. In the summer and fall, the real “hurricane season” begins here.
5. Twenty-five kilometers from Miami lies the chain of reefs and coral islands called the Florida Keys. The archipelago consists of about 1,700 islands with a total area of 355 square kilometers. It is also home to the southernmost point of the USA – Key West (excluding Hawaii, which is further south). In Key West, temperatures below 0 Celsius have never been recorded.
6. In Florida, there are Red Tides, which refer to the blooming of brown-colored water. This phenomenon is caused by excessive growth of dinoflagellates algae. Red Tides are dangerous to the environment, especially to fish, birds, and other mammals, due to the high levels of brevetoxin, which these algae produce. Some scientists see similarities between Red Tides and the plagues listed in the Bible, including the First of the Ten Plagues of Egypt.
7. In the state, there are sometimes showers of iguanas, when the ambient temperature drops below zero, iguanas, which inhabit trees, slow down their metabolism to critical levels and become immobilized, falling from trees. The last such “shower” occurred there in 2018.
Celebrities from Florida
- Ariana Grande – singer
- Faye Dunaway – actress, Academy Award winner
- Eva Mendes – actress, best known for her roles in “Hitch” and “Fast Five”. She is married to actor Ryan Gosling.
- Wesley Snipes – charismatic actor, starred in numerous films, including the “Blade” trilogy. But his most prominent role was in the movie “Demolition Man” with Stallone and Sandra Bullock.
Major Cities
The southern part of the state is practically uninhabited, as almost all the space is occupied by the Everglades National Park. The central part of Florida is occupied by agricultural land, and farmers predominantly live there. However, the majority of the population (about 85%) is concentrated in resorts along the coast or in megacities on the east side:
– Jacksonville (929,647 people)
– Miami (478,251 people)
– Tampa (404,636 people)
– Orlando (290,520 people)
– St. Petersburg (267,121 people)
– Hialeah (230,135 people)
– Fort Lauderdale (183,109 people)
Sunny Florida is one of the four most populated and fastest-growing states, although its lands are settled so unevenly.