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| Historical Facts
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Oldest Permanent Settlement - St. Augustine, by Spaniards in 1565 (also oldest in the United States)
First Colonization - In 1513 Ponce de Leon made landfall at the present-day St. Augustine. In 1521 he returned to establish a colony.
Acquired by United States - from Spain, by treaty in 1821.
Statehood - March 3, 1845
Rank among States of admission - 27th
Capitol - Tallahassee
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Government
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Legislature - The Florida Senate has a President and a body of 40 Senators; The Florida House of Representatives has a Speaker and a body of 120 members, with 25 Congressional Districts.
Executive Branch - Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Chief Financial Officer, Commissioner of Agriculture
Judicial Branch - Florida Supreme Court, five District Courts of Appeals, 20 Circuit Courts, and one Court for each County.
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Geographical Facts
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Total Area - 58,560 sq. miles
Total Land Area - 54,252 sq. miles
Total Water Area - 4,308 sq. miles
Length north to south (St. Marys River to Key West) - 447 miles
Width east to west (Atlantic Ocean to Perdido River) - 361 miles
Highest Known Natural Point - Britton Hill (345 feet) near Lakewood in Northern Walton County
Geographic Center - 12 miles northwest of Brooksville in Hernando County
Number of Counties - 67
Largest County - Palm Beach, 2,578 sq. miles
Smallest County - Union, 245 sq. miles
Rank among states in total area - 22nd
Coastline - 1,197 statute miles
Beaches - 663 miles
Longest River - St. Johns, 273 miles
Largest Lake - Lake Okeechobee, 700 sq. miles
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| Population
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Population 2000 Federal Census - 15,982,378
Rank Among States In 2000 Population - 4th
Increase of 2000 Population Over 1990 - 19%
Most populous metropolitan area in 2000 - Miami-Ft. Lauderdale: 3,876,380
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Agriculture
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Florida farmers rank eighth nationally in net farm income with $1.8 billion in 2002.
Citrus - Tangelos, Temples, Oranges, Tangerines, and Grapefruit; 79 percent of the annual U.S. production in 2003-2004
Horticulture - Ranks second in the nation with greenhouse/nursery sales of more than $1.6 billion annually.
Livestock - Ranks third in states east of the Mississippi River, and 12th nationally in the production of beef calves.
Timberland - Is an $8.5 billion-a-year industry, planting eighty-two million trees a year.
Vegetables - Snap beans, Bell peppers, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Squash; ranks number 2 nationally in production of fresh vegetables. |
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Industrial
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Number One Industry - Tourism (In 2005, a record 85.8 million tourists visited Florida)
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Higher Education
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| There are 23 State Colleges & Universities; 28 Independent Colleges & Universities; four Medical Schools; eight Law Schools; 26 Community Colleges; and a Florida State Fire College. | ||
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Professional Sports
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Baseball: Florida Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays
Basketball: Miami Heat, Orlando Magic
Football: Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Hockey: Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lighting
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Other Interesting Facts
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Venice has the world’s only professional clown school.
The first game of billiards played in the U.S. took place at St. Augustine in 1565. Wakulla Springs is the deepest fresh water spring in the world, 185 feet. Florida has 27 first magnitude springs, more than any other state. Florida House, Rhea Chiles’ idea for a Floridian’s home away from home in Washington, D.C., was the first State House in the nation’s capital. The first night flight took place at Tampa in 1911. The pilot, Lincoln Beachey, also set a world’s altitude record over Tampa that year. The first artificial ice was made in Apalachicola by Dr. John Gorrie in 1851. The first NASA moon flight was launched from Cape Canaveral in 1969. There are six reservations for Native Americans in two federally recognized tribes. Over 425 species of birds, approximately half of all bird species in the U.S., can be seen in Florida. Orlando attracts more visitors than any other amusement park destination in the U.S. | ||
