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The 'State of Florida' (IPA: //) is located in the southeastern region of the United States of America. Most of the state is a large peninsula with the Gulf of Mexico on its west and the Atlantic Ocean on its east. Much of the state has a humid subtropical climate, except for southern Florida, where the climate is tropical. Köppen Climate Classification Map Florida was named by Juan Ponce de León, who landed on the peninsula on 2 April, 1513, during Pascua Florida (Spanish for "Flowery Easter," referring to the Easter season).

Contents

History

Geography

Boundaries

Climate

Environmental issues

Demographics

Population

Metropolitan areas

Largest cities and towns

Languages

Religion

Government

Congressional Representatives

Economy

Education

Transportation

Highways

Intercity rail

Public transportation

Airports

Sports

Spring training

Auto-racing tracks

State symbols

Fauna

See also

References

External links

History

Main articles: History of Florida


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, 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. From that date forward, the land became known as "La Florida." (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.^[1] Alternatively, the Spanish-speaking native might have been in contact with areas where Spanish settlements already existed, and Ponce de León was indeed the earliest European arrival to what came to be known as the Florida peninsula.)
Over the following century, both the Spanish and French established settlements in Florida, with varying degrees of success. In 1559, Spanish 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 Catholics executed beside a river subsequently called ''Matanzas'' (Spanish for 'killings'). Later, St. Augustine came to serve as the capitals of the British and Spanish colonies of East and West Florida, respectively.
The Spanish never had a firm hold on Florida, and maintained tenuous control over the region by converting the local tribes, briefly with 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.
The area of Spanish Florida diminished with the establishment of English colonies to the north and French colonies to the west. The English weakened Spanish power in the area by supplying their 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 Gracie 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 Peace of Paris (the Castillo de San Marcos surrendered for the first time, having never been taken militarily). Britain tried to develop Florida through the importation of immigrants for labor, including some from Minorca and Greece, but this project ultimately failed. Spain regained Florida after Britain's defeat by the American colonies and the subsequent Treaty of Versailles in 1783. They offered land grants to anyone who settled the colony, and many Americans moved to the state. This Americanization resulted in 1819, by terms of the Adams-Onís Treaty, of Spain ceding Florida to the United States in exchange for the American renunciation of any claims on Texas and $5 million.

On March 3, 1845, Florida became the 27th state of the United States of America. On January 10, 1861, before the formal outbreak of the Civil War, Florida seceded from the 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 congressional representation was restored.
Until the mid-twentieth century, Florida was the least populous Southern state; however, the local climate, tempered by the growing availability of air conditioning, made the state a haven, and migration from the Rust Belt and the Northeast sharply increased the population. Economic prosperity combined with Florida's sudden elevation in profile led to the Florida land boom of the 1920s, which brought a brief period of intense land development before the Great Depression brought it all to a halt. Florida's economy would not fully recover until World War II. Today, with an estimated population over 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 Census Bureau estimates that "Florida, now the fourth most populous state, would edge past New York into third place in total population by 2011".^{[2] [3]}

Geography

Florida is situated mostly on a large 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 and Alabama, and on the west, at the end of the panhandle, by Alabama. It is near the countries of the Caribbean, particularly the Bahamas and Cuba. Florida's extensive coast line made it a perceived target during World War II, so the government built airstrips all around the state. Today approximately 400 airports are still in service due to the coastal geography of the state. According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, Florida has 131 public airports, and more than over 700 private airports, airstrips, heliports, and seaplane bases. Florida Drug Threat Assessment-Overview Florida is one of the largest states east of the Mississippi. Only Alaska and Michigan are larger in water area.
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. Florida, the Sunshine State Contrary to popular belief, however, Florida is not entirely "flat." Some places, such as Clearwater, feature vistas that rise 50 to 100 feet (15 – 30 m) above the water. Much of the interior of Florida, typically 25 miles (40 km) or more away from the coastline, features hills with elevations ranging from 100 to 250 feet (30 – 76 m) in many locations. Lake County holds the highest point of peninsular Florida, Sugarloaf Mountain, at 312 feet (95 m). Sugarloaf Mountain
Areas under control of the National Park Service include:

★ Big Cypress National Preserve, near Lake Okeechobee

★ Biscayne National Park, in Miami-Dade County south of Miami

★ Canaveral National Seashore, near Titusville

★ Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, in St. Augustine

★ De Soto National Memorial, in Bradenton

★ Dry Tortugas National Park, at Key West

★ Everglades National Park in Southern Florida

★ Fort Caroline National Memorial, at Jacksonville

★ Fort Matanzas National Monument, in St. Augustine

★ Gulf Islands National Seashore, near 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 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. At the origin of that river, it then follows a straight line nearly due west and slightly north, to the point where the confluence of the 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. Florida is mostly at sea level.

Climate

Main articles: Climate of Florida, Climate change


The climate of Florida is tempered somewhat by its proximity to water. Most of the state has a humid subtropical climate, except for the southern part below Lake Okeechobee which has a true tropical climate. Wet/Dry Tropical Climate Ritter, Michael 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 than by temperature with mild to cool, relatively dry winters and autumns (the dry season) and hot, wet 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. 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.

The Florida Keys, being surrounded by water, have a more tropical climate, with lesser variability in temperatures. At Key West, temperatures rarely exceed 90 °F in the summer or fall below 60 °F 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. Florida has the highest average precipitation of any state, in large part because afternoon thunderstorms 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 tornadoes. Florida leads the United States in tornadoes per square mile, but these tornadoes do not typically reach the intensity of those in the Midwest and Great Plains. Hail often accompanies the most severe thunderstorms.
Snow in Florida is a rare occurrence. During the Great Blizzard of 1899, Florida experienced blizzard conditions. During that time, the Tampa Bay area had "gulf-effect" snow, similar to lake-effect snow.^[4] 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 in January 19th 1977, when snow fell over much of the state in different times of the month, as far south as Homestead. Snow flurries fell on Miami Beach for the only time in recorded history. 1982's "Cold Sunday," which saw freezing conditions throughout much of the country, ruined that year's orange crops. In 1989, a severe hard freeze created lots of ice and also caused minor flurries in sections of the state and resulted in rolling blackouts from power failures caused by massive demands on the power grid for heating. A hard freeze in 2003 brought "ocean-effect" snow flurries to the Atlantic coast as far south as Cape Canaveral. Cold Temperatures and Snow Flurries in East-Central Florida

The 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 hurricane, and even brought storm surges of six feet or more to regions of the Gulf coast.
Although some storms have formed out of season, tropical cyclones 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.
Florida saw a slew of destruction in 2004, when it was hit by a record four hurricanes. Hurricanes Charley (August 13), Frances (September 4 – 5), Ivan (September 16), and 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 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 Category 3 hurricane, with the storm's eye hitting near Cape Romano, just south of 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 billion in damage when it struck on August 24, 1992. In a long list of other infamous hurricane strikes are the 1926 Great Miami Hurricane, the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane, the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, Hurricane Donna in 1960, and Hurricane Opal in 1995.

Monthly Normal High and Low Temperatures For Various Florida Cities
City	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Apalachicola	62/43	65/46	70/51	76/58	83/65	88/72	90/74	89/74	87/71	80/60	72/52	65/45
Daytona Beach	70/47	71/49	76/54	80/58	85/64	89/71	91/72	90/73	88/72	83/65	77/57	71/50
Fort Myers	75/54	76/55	80/59	84/63	89/68	91/73	92/74	92/74	90/74	86/69	81/62	77/56
Gainesville	66/42	69/45	75/50	80/55	86/62	90/68	91/71	90/71	87/68	81/59	74/51	68/44
Jacksonville	64/42	67/44	73/50	79/55	84/62	89/69	91/72	89/72	86/69	79/60	72/51	66/44
Key West	75/65	76/66	79/69	82/72	85/76	88/79	89/80	90/79	88/78	85/76	81/72	77/67
Miami	76/60	78/60	81/64	84/68	87/72	90/75	91/76	91/76	89/76	85/72	81/68	78/62
Orlando	72/50	74/51	79/56	83/60	88/66	91/71	92/73	92/73	90/72	85/66	79/59	73/53
Pensacola	61/43	64/45	70/52	76/58	83/66	89/72	91/74	90/74	87/70	79/60	70/51	63/45
Tallahassee	64/40	67/42	74/48	80/53	86/62	91/70	92/73	92/73	88/69	81/57	73/48	66/42
Tampa	70/52	72/54	76/58	81/62	86/69	89/74	90/75	90/75	89/74	84/68	78/61	72/55
Vero Beach	73/53	74/54	78/58	81/62	85/67	89/72	90/73	90/73	89/73	84/68	79/62	75/55
West Palm Beach	75/57	76/58	79/62	82/65	86/70	88/74	90/75	90/75	89/75	85/71	80/66	76/60
'' Florida Weather ''

Environmental issues

Florida ranks forty-sixth 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. It is estimated that only 1% of energy in the state is generated through renewable resources.^[5]
Increasing landfill space is also an issue. St. Lucie County is planning to experiment with burning trash through plasma arc gasification to generate energy and reduce landfill space. The experiment will be the largest of its kind in the world to date, and begin operation no later than 2009. If successful, experts estimate that the entire St. Lucie County landfill, estimated to contain 4.3 million tons of trash, will disappear within 18 years. Materials created in the energy production can also be used in road construction.^[6]
Some are concerned about the effects of climate change and blame it for the major hurricanes of 2004 and 2005; however, recent research suggests the storms are part of a natural cycle and not Global Warming.^[7][8][9]
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.Florida To Introduce Tough Greenhouse Gas Targets
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.^[10]
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.^[11]

Demographics

Population

The center of population of Florida is located in Polk County, in the town of Lake Wales [2]. As of 2006, Florida's population was 18,089,888; an increase of 2,107,510 (over 13%) from 2000. 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^[12] due to its high job growth, mild climate, and relatively low cost of living.
The largest reported ancestries in the 2000 Census were German (11.8%), Irish (10.3%), English (9.2%), American (8%) and Italian (6.3%).^[13]

Before the American Civil War, when slavery was legal, and during the Reconstruction era that followed, African Americans made up nearly half of the state's population.[4]Historical Census Browser at the University of Virginia (URL accessed 26 August 2006). Their proportion declined over the next century, as many moved north in the Great Migration while large numbers of northern 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 and Pensacola), the Tampa Bay area, the Orlando area (especially in the city of Orlando and Sanford), and South Florida (where their numbers have been bolstered by significant immigration from Haiti and Jamaica).
Florida's Hispanic population includes large communities of Cuban Americans in Miami and Tampa, Puerto Ricans in Tampa and Orlando, and Central American 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 in Southwest Florida, which is largely suburban in character, had the fastest Hispanic population growth rate of any county in the United States.^[14]
Whites of all ethnicities are present in all areas of the state. Those of British and Irish ancestry are present in large numbers in all the urban/suburban areas across the state. There is a large German population in Southwest Florida, a large Greek population in the Tarpon Springs area, a sizable and historic 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 crackers." Like all the other southern states, they descend mainly from Scots-Irish as well as some British settlers.

Metropolitan areas

Florida has nineteen Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Thirty-eight 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. 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 to 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 Miami-Ft.Lauderdale-Pompano Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area, with over five million people.

	'Metropolitan Statistical Areas'	'2005 Population'
	Cape Coral-Fort Myers Metropolitan Statistical Area	549,442
	Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area	494,649
	Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin Metropolitan Statistical Area	188,939
	Gainesville Metropolitan Statistical Area	256,985
	Jacksonville Metropolitan Statistical Area	1,277,763
	Lakeland Metropolitan Statistical Area	541,840
	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area	5,422,200
	Naples-Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area	317,788
	Ocala Metropolitan Statistical Area	304,926
	Orlando-Kissimmee, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area	1,861,707
	Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area	531,970
	Palm Coast Metropolitan Statistical Area	76,410
	Panama City-Lynn Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area	161,721
	Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area	439,877
	Port St. Lucie-Fort Pierce Metropolitan Statistical Area	381,033
	Punta Gorda Metropolitan Statistical Area	154,030
	Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice Metropolitan Statistical Area	673,035
	Sebastian-Vero Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area	130,043
	Tallahassee Metropolitan Statistical Area	334,886
	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area	2,589,637

Largest cities and towns

Main articles: List of cities in Florida, Florida locations by per capita income

'City Population > 700,000' ★ Jacksonville 'City Population > 300,000 ★ Miami ★ Tampa 'City Population > 200,000' ★ St. Petersburg ★ Hialeah ★ Orlando 'City Population > 150,000' ★ Fort Lauderdale ★ Pembroke Pines ★ Cape Coral

'City Population > 100,000' ★ Clearwater ★ Coral Springs ★ Gainesville ★ Hollywood ★ Lakeland ★ Miami Gardens ★ Miramar ★ Palm Bay ★ Port Saint Lucie ★ Pompano Beach ★ Tallahassee ★ West Palm Beach

'City Population > 75,000' ★ Boca Raton ★ Brandon ★ Davie ★ Deltona ★ Kendall ★ Melbourne ★ Miami Beach ★ Plantation ★ Sunrise

Languages

As of 2000, 76.91 percent of Florida residents age 5 and older spoke only English at home as a first language, while 16.46 percent spoke Spanish, and French-based creole languages (predominantly Haitian Creole) was spoken by 1.38 percent of the population. French was spoken by 0.83 percent, followed by German at 0.59 percent, and Italian at 0.44 percent of all residents.^[15]. 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 (LULAC) won a class action lawsuit against the state Department of Education that required educators to be trained in teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).^[16]
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, with a Roman Catholic community that is growing because of immigration; it is now the single largest denomination in the state. There is also a sizable 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:

★ Christian, 81%

★
★ Protestant, 54%

★
★
★ Baptist, 19%

★
★
★ Methodist, 6%

★
★
★ Presbyterian, 4%

★
★
★ Episcopal, 3%

★
★
★ Lutheran, 3%

★
★
★ Pentecostal, 3%

★
★
★ Other Protestant, 16%

★
★ Roman Catholic, 26%

★
★ Mormon/LDS – 1%

★ Jewish, 4%

★ other religions, 1%

★ non-religious, 14%

Government

Main articles: Government of Florida

'Presidential elections results'

Year	Republican	Democratic
2004	'52.10%' ''3,964,522	47.09% ''3,583,544
2000	'48.85%' ''2,912,790	48.84% ''2,912,253
1996	42.32% ''2,244,536	'48.02%' ''2,546,870
1992	'40.89%' ''2,173,310	39.00% '' ''2,072,698
1988	'60.87%' ''2,618,885	38.51% ''1,656,701
1984	'65.32%' ''2,730,350	34.66% ''1,448,816
1980	'55.52%' ''2,046,951	38.50% ''1,419,475
1976	46.64% ''1,469,531	'51.93%' ''1,636,000
1972	'71.91%' ''1,857,759	27.80% ''718,117
1968	'40.53%' ''886,804	30.93% ''676,794
1964	48.85% ''905,941	'51.15%' ''948,540
1960	'51.51%' ''795,476	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, 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 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.

Florida was traditionally a Democratic state; at one time,68.5 percent of all Floridians were registered Democrats. In the last decades of the twentieth century, the realignment of the "Solid South" has led many conservative Democrats of Florida to vote with the Republican Party. This tendency, combined with explosive population growth, which has brought many Republicans into the state as well as Cuban immigration has given Florida a Republican edge in practice. For instance, the Tampa area, once a major center of Democratic union support, is now almost evenly split between registered Republicans and Democrats, making it part of the important I-4 Corridor swing region. As a result, Republicans control the governorship and most other statewide elective offices: both houses of the state legislature, 16 of the state's 25 seats in the House of Representatives, and one of the state's two Senate seats. Because of the state's population and number of electoral votes, political analysts consider it to be a key swing state in presidential elections, which became obvious during the 2000 election where Florida played a key role
in the election.

Congressional Representatives

District	Name	Party
1st	Jeff Miller	Republican
2nd	Allen Boyd	Democrat
3rd	Corrine Brown	Democrat
4th	Ander Crenshaw	Republican
5th	Ginny Brown-Waite	Republican
6th	Cliff Stearns	Republican
7th	John L. Mica	Republican
8th	Ric Keller	Republican
9th	Gus M. Bilirakis	Republican
10th	C.W. Bill Young	Republican
11th	Kathy Castor	Democrat
12th	Adam H. Putnam	Republican
13th	Vern Buchanan	Republican
14th	Connie Mack IV	Republican
15th	Dave Weldon	Republican
16th	Tim Mahoney	Democrat
17th	Kendrick B. Meek	Democrat
18th	Ileana Ros-Lehtinen	Republican
19th	Robert Wexler	Democrat
20th	Debbie Wasserman Schultz	Democrat
21st	Lincoln Diaz-Balart	Republican
22nd	Ron Klein	Democrat
23rd	Alcee L. Hastings	Democrat
24th	Tom Feeney	Republican
25th	Mario Diaz-Balart	Republican

Economy

The gross state product of Florida in 2005 was $596 billion. Its GDP is one of the fastest-growing in the nation, with a 7.7% increase from 2004 to 2005.^[17] Personal income was $30,098 per capita, ranking 26th in the nation.
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 parks, especially in the 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 parks 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 oranges, 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, 54 percent of grapefruit, and 58 percent of tangerines. About 95 percent of commercial orange production in the state is destined for processing (mostly as orange juice, the official state beverage).^[18] Citrus canker continues to be an issue of concern. Sugarcane also continues to be a major agricultural crop. Other products include celery.^[19] 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.

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.^[20]
Since the arrival of the NASA Merritt Island launch sites on Cape Canaveral (most notably Kennedy Space Center) in 1962, Florida has developed a sizable 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 $6.67.
Historically, Florida's economy was based upon cattle farming and agriculture (especially sugarcane, citrus, tomatoes, and 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 ''(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%^[21]. 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. 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.

Education

Florida's public primary and secondary schools are administered by the Florida Department of Education.
Florida's public-school revenue per student and spending per $1000 of personal income usually rank in the bottom 25 percent of U.S. states. Average teacher salaries rank near the middle of U.S. states.
Florida public schools have consistently ranked in the bottom 25 percent of many national surveys and average test-score rankings.^[22] Former Governor Jeb Bush has been criticized by many Florida educators for a program that penalizes underperforming schools (as indicated by standardized tests, most prominently the FCAT) with fewer funding dollars. Supporters say the program's tough measures have resulted in vast improvements to the education system. Major testing organizations frequently discount the use of state's average test-score rankings, or any average of scaled scores, as a valid metric (for details on scaled test scores, see psychometrics).
The State University System of Florida manages and funds Florida's eleven public universities:

★ Florida A&M University

★ Florida Atlantic University

★ Florida Gulf Coast University

★ Florida International University

★ Florida State University

★ New College of Florida

★ University of Central Florida

★ University of North Florida

★ University of Florida

★ University of South Florida

★ University of West Florida
Florida has many private universities as well, the largest of which is the University of Miami. In 2000, the governor and the state legislature abolished the Florida Board of Regents, which long had governed the State University System of Florida, and created boards of trustees to govern each university. As is typical of executive-appointed government boards, the appointees so far have overwhelmingly belonged to the governor's party. This effect has not been without controversy.^[23] In 2002, former governor and then U.S. Senator Bob Graham (Dem.) led a constitutional-amendment ballot referendum designed to restore the board-of-regents system. Voters responded by creating the Florida Board of Governors; however, each university still maintains a Board of Trustees which work under the Board of Governors. During Florida's 2007 legislative session, Governor Charlie Crist signed into law SB-1710, which allowed the Board of Governors to allow tuition differential only for the University of Florida, Florida State University, and the University of South Florida (determined by law as the research flagships of the State University System). This legislation ultimately created a tier system for higher education in Florida's State University System.^[24]
In 2007, the state's school population grew by 477 students to 2,641,598, which was far below the projected 48,376 increase. School boards blamed rising insurance and property tax costs and the major 2004 and 2005 hurricane season, which have discouraged migration into Florida. Counties such as Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Hillsborough, Orange, Pinellas, and Duval counties were under state projections. Hillsborough County was the only one of these to have grown; it was 4,537 pupils under the state's projection and grew by 536 to 191,141.^[25]

Transportation

Highways

Florida's interstates, 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:

★ I-4, which bisects the state, connecting Tampa, Lakeland, Orlando, and Daytona Beach, having junctions with I-95 in Daytona Beach and I-75 in Tampa.

★ I-10, which traverses the panhandle, connecting Jacksonville, Lake City, Tallahassee and Pensacola, with junctions with I-95 in Jacksonville and I-75 in Lake City.

★ I-75, which enters the state near Lake City (45 miles west of Jacksonville) and continues southward through Gainesville, Ocala, Tampa's eastern suburbs, Bradenton, Sarasota, Fort Myers and Naples, where it crosses the "Alligator Alley" as a toll road to Fort Lauderdale before turning southward and terminating in Hialeah/Miami Lakes having junctions with I-10 in Lake City and I-4 in Tampa.

★ I-95, which enters the state near Jacksonville and continues along the Atlantic Coast through Daytona Beach Melbourne/Titusville, Palm Bay, Vero Beach, Fort Pierce, Port Saint Lucie, Stuart, West Palm Beach, and Ft. Lauderdale before terminating in Downtown Miami, with junctions with I-10 in Jacksonville and I-4 in Daytona Beach.
Florida's secondary interstate routes include:

★ I-110, a spur from I-10 into downtown Pensacola.

★ I-175, which connects I-275 to southern downtown St. Petersburg.

★ I-195, an extension of Miami's Airport Expressway (S.R. 112); a spur eastward from I-95 to Miami Beach.

★ I-275, a sixty-mile (100 km)^[26] westward half-loop from I-75 north of Ellenton, over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, through St. Petersburg, to Tampa International Airport and downtown Tampa, reconnecting with I-75 in Tampa's northern suburbs.

★ I-295, a partial beltway around Jacksonville that will loop completely around the city by 2007.

★ I-375, which connects I-275 to northern downtown St. Petersburg.

★ I-395, an extension of Miami's Dolphin Expressway (S.R. 836); a spur eastward from I-95 to Miami Beach.

★ I-595, which connects I-75, I-95, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Port Everglades.
Florida has several toll roads, totaling 515 miles (830 km) of the state highway system. Major toll roads include:

★ I-75, as it passes through the Everglades between Naples and Fort Lauderdale has been grandfathered as a toll road from its original construction as S.R. 84

★ Florida's Turnpike, which begins at US 1 in Florida City and continues north through the western suburbs of South Florida turning northwest at Fort Pierce and continuing through central Florida, passing west of Orlando and ending at I-75 near Wildwood, south of Ocala. Florida's Turnpike has the distinction of having the farthest distance between two exits of any limited-access highway in the United States. It is more than between exits 193 and 240; there is a service area with fuel at milepost 229.

★ I-275 Sunshine Skyway Bridge, which connects Pinellas County with Manatee County

Intercity rail

In 2000, voters approved a constitutional amendment to construct a high-speed rail system to interconnect Florida's major cities. A committee was formed by the Florida Legislature to oversee the project; however, in 2004, Governor Jeb Bush and other lawmakers pushed for an amendment to remove the amendment, which succeeded. They stated that the cost would have been too high to construct the system, but proponents of the system said the claims regarding high cost were exaggerated and taken out of context, compared with the cost of building roads, maintaining automobiles, and so forth. The Florida High Speed Rail Authority, originally formed to implement the high-speed-rail amendment, has vowed to find a way to implement the system without the amendment.
Amtrak service exists in Florida: Sanford, in Greater Orlando, is the southern terminus of the 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, Houston, and San Antonio to its western terminus of Los Angeles. Florida is served by two additional Amtrak trains (the Silver Star and the Silver Meteor), which operate between New York City and Miami.

Public transportation

Miami's public transportation is served by Miami-Dade Transit that runs Metrorail, a heavy rail rapid transit system, Metromover, a people mover train system in Downtown Miami, and Metrobus, Miami-Dade's bus system. Metrorail runs throughout Miami-Dade County and has 22 stations on a track connecting to Downtown Miami's Metromover and Tri-Rail. Metromover has three lines and 21 stations on a track connecting Uptown and the Brickell Financial District inside of Downtown Miami. Outside of Miami-Dade County, public transit in the South Florida metropolitan area is served by Broward County Transit and Palm Tran; intercounty heavy rail service is provided by Tri-Rail, with 18 stations including the region's three international airports.
Orlando utilizes the LYNX bus system, and has attempted to plan a local light rail service for years. A commuter rail service, Central Florida Commuter Rail, has been approved by all concerning counties and is in final planning stages.
Tampa and its surrounding area use the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority system, called "HARTLINE" or simply "HART" for short. In addition, downtown Tampa has continuous trolley services. Pinellas County and St. Petersburg provide similar services through the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority or "PSTA". The beaches of Pinellas County also have a continuous trolley bus.
In Volusia County, VoTran provides bus transportation throughout the entire county. Express service to Orlando is also provided. The Citrus Connection provides regional transportation in Polk County in the cities of Lakeland, Bartow, Winter Haven, Auburndale and smaller surrounding municipalities and unincorporated areas.

Airports

Major international airports in Florida which processed more than 15 million passengers each in 2005 are Orlando International Airport (34,128,048 est. 2006), Miami International Airport (32,533,974 est. 2006), Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport(22,390,285 est. 2006) and Tampa International Airport (19,045,390 est. 2006).
Secondary airports, with annual passenger traffic exceeding 5 million each in 2005, include Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers) (7,518,169 est. 2006), Palm Beach International Airport (West Palm Beach) (7,014,237 est. 2006), Jacksonville International Airport (5,741,652).
Regional Airports which processed over one million passengers each in 2005 are Pensacola (1,638,605), Sarasota-Bradenton (1,337,571), and Tallahassee (1,129,947) and Sanford (1,649,237) which is primarily served by international charter airlines.^[27]
Other smaller, regional airports with commercial service (with passengers served in 2005, where available) include those at Daytona Beach (615,841), Fort Walton Beach (520,000), Gainesville (345,788), Key West, Marathon Key, Melbourne (466,367), Naples, Panama City (382,551), and St. Petersburg-Clearwater (596,510).

Sports

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 NFL teams, two MLB teams, two NBA teams, and two 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, football, basketball, ice hockey, soccer and indoor football teams.

Club	Sport	League	Venue
Jacksonville Jaguars	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 Devil 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:

Club	Location
Atlanta Braves	Walt Disney World
Baltimore Orioles	Fort Lauderdale
Boston Red Sox	Fort Myers
Cincinnati Reds	Sarasota
Cleveland Indians	Winter Haven
Detroit Tigers	Lakeland
Florida Marlins	Jupiter
Houston Astros	Kissimmee
Los Angeles Dodgers	Vero Beach
Minnesota Twins	Fort Myers
New York Mets	Port St. Lucie
New York Yankees	Tampa