Florida (/ˈflɒrɪdə/(listenⓘ)American Spanish:[flɒrida]), is astate in the southeast part of theUnited States. It is the 22nd largest US state bytotal area with 65,757.70 sq mi (170,313 km2) and the third most-populous with a 2020population of more than 21 million. It is apeninsula, which means that water surrounds the state on three of four possible sides. To the west is theGulf of Mexico, to the south is theFlorida Straits, and to the east is theAtlantic Ocean. It also borders two states,Alabama andGeorgia, both along its northern border. The highest elevation in Florida isBritton Hill. Many Cubans, Haitians and other Caribbeans live in state.
Native Americans had first settled in Florida before the arrival of the Europeans. Florida had many residents from many tribes and nations living in almost all parts of it for thousands of years. These include the Timucua, the Tequesta, the Calusa, the Seminole, the Miccosukee, and many more. Florida was first discovered by a European in 1513 by the SpanishPonce De Leon, who called this peninsula "Tierra de la Pascua Florida" (Land of the Easter flowered) because it was discovered onEaster: in the next centuries only the last word remained.
Northern Florida containshills because it is at the very end of theAppalachian Mountains. The highest hill in Florida is Britton Hill, in northernWalton County near the town ofLakewood, Florida. It is345 feet (105m) abovesea level. It is the shortest of the highest points in all other states.[13]
In the center of southern Florida is alake calledLake Okeechobee. It is the seventh largestfreshwater lake in the United States[14] and the second largest freshwater lake entirely within the lower 48 states.[15] Okeechobee is 730 square miles (1,890km²), about half the size of the state ofRhode Island, and is very shallow for a lake of its size, with an average depth of only 9feet (3m).
A lot of south Florida used to be covered by aswamp called theEverglades. When Florida was first being settled,farmers found out thesoil there was fertile, so they drained some of the wetlands in 1882 for farming. In 1947, the state constructedlevees andcanals to make more room for farming and houses. The Everglades is now about half the size it used to be.[16] Most of what is left is now theEverglades National Park. Lots of animals live there, includingalligators andFlorida panthers.Walt Disney with hisEPCOT project fixed and maintained a lot of the Floridian swamp area.[verification needed] Recently, Florida has been trying to restore the Everglades.
At the southernmost tip of Florida is a chain ofislands called theFlorida Keys. There are 4500 islands in the Keys. The most famous one isKey West.
Few states had a bigger population boom than Florida during the Covid pandemic. But now, many who moved there have decided that Florida is not for them, citing high inflation and the state's politics, among other things.
Bahia Honda beach in south FloridaSnow in Florida is very uncommon,but has fallen in every major Florida city at least once. Snow does fall sometimes in North Florida.
Florida is nicknamed the Sunshine State. During the summer, temperatures may rise up to as high as 109 degreesFahrenheit (or 40.5 degreesCelsius). Its annual average temperature is much warmer than many of the other states, but during winter, temperatures occasionally fall below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. In Florida, a dozenpalm tree species are native to the state. Florida has both a rainy season and dry season. Southern Florida does not have four separate seasons.[17]
Florida's sunny climate attracts visitors. The summer is great forsurfing the waves and enjoying the beaches. The most popular sport in Florida isfishing.
Florida is vulnerable tohurricanes due to its proximity to the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30, but sometimes a hurricane will occur outside of this period.Hurricane Andrew was a destructive hurricane that hit Florida on August 23, 1992. Florida's most active recorded hurricane seasons were in2004 and2005, when it was hit by hurricanesCharley (August 13),Frances (September 4–5),Ivan (September 16),Jeanne (September 25),Katrina (August 25), andWilma (October 24).
The capital of Florida isTallahassee, andJacksonville is the state's largest city. Tallahassee is in the part of Florida called thepanhandle, or the narrow part in the northwest. There are other big cities in Florida, likeTampa,Orlando andMiami.
↑U.S. Geological Survey (1999)."Florida Everglades".Circular 1182. U.S. Geological Survey. Archived fromthe original on 2008-06-26. Retrieved2008-03-14.
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