Florida is their capital of the world. population and religion. State of Florida. Interesting Facts

State of Florida, USA (Florida, FL, USA) - Photo

Anyone who has ever heard of America knows State of Florida (Florida, FL). For it means Miami, Disneyland, gorgeous beaches and much more that most of us associate with dreams of an unforgettable vacation.

In the "sunny state", even in winter, the temperature does not drop to 15 degrees Celsius. Thus, whenever you come to this paradise, is always relevant here leisure. It is not for nothing that Florida is called a place of pilgrimage for surfers, as it is washed by 1000 km Gulf of Mexico, and more than 600 km - Atlantic Ocean. The western beaches of this state are chosen by families with small children, because the bottom is flat here, and the water is even warmer. Because cities like Daytona, Fort Lauderdale and, of course, Miami, have an exceptional tourist focus.

It's worth going here, if only because of amusement park Walt Disney. Millions of tourists come to visit this wonderful place every year. To a large extent, this is facilitated by large plantations of oranges and other various fruits and vegetables in the center of the state.

The nature of Florida is extremely diverse. After all, the climate here is mostly subtropical, but in the south, in a tropical climate, it is even hotter. South part peninsula is occupied mainly by the jungle, here is Everglades National Park. South of Miami there is even an island chain about 240 kilometers long, although the islands in it are often reefs.

City of Miami will give you an unforgettable experience. Here and unique Museum the police, and large complex The Siquarium, famous for its water performances, and the Metro Zoo with white tigers, koalas, rhinos and other exotic inhabitants, and E. Hemingway's house, turned into a museum.

Orlando except Disney parks, will offer you Universal Studios Escape, where everyone can feel like a hero of their favorite movie, as well as have a great rest with the whole family.

If you crave a relaxing holiday and spiritual food, welcome to the west of Florida, to St. Petersburg, with its calm beaches and the Salvador Dali Museum, which contains the most significant collection of this artist.

State of Florida contains everything that a tourist needs, regardless of your tastes and preferences in recreation, entertainment or art - it will not leave you indifferent.

Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon discovered east coast Florida in 1513, when he went in search of wonderful island Bimini, allegedly lying north of Puerto Rico.
According to Indian legends, this island was the source of eternal youth. bimini and eternal youth Ponce de Leon did not find, but, admiring the beauty of the new lands, he came up with the name Terra Florida - "the land of flowers".
In the XVI-XVIII centuries. France and England are fighting fiercely with Spain for possession of the "land of flowers". Even the famous English captain Francis Drake appeared here, who plundered and burned the town of St. Augustine. However, Spain continued to retain control of Florida until 1819, when it sold these territories to the United States of America. But lovely peninsula becomes the twenty-seventh state of the United States only in 1845. During civil war Between the North and South of the USA (1861-65) Florida acted on the side of the South, which lost this war.
From the end of the 19th century The sunny state, as Florida is called, is attracting more and more tourists. Today, more than forty million people a year visit Florida, spending between $30 billion and $40 billion. Tourism revenues provide a quarter of the state's income.
The abundance of beaches makes Florida the largest resort America. Duration tourist season 365 days a year, thanks to constant summer weather and many attractions, entertainment programs and sports opportunities.
The John F. Kennedy National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at Cape Canaveral (Kennedy Space Center), where replicas of all American spacecraft are on display and from which spacecraft are launched, is very popular place at tourists. In the world's first oceanarium, Marineland, located on the coast between the cities of St. Augustine and Daytona Beach, you can meet the inhabitants ocean depths that swim in giant glass-enclosed pool chambers. Opened in 1971 to the south of Orlando, the Disneyland amusement park, where visitors are expected to meet the heroes of famous cartoons, has long become a favorite place for children to relax.
Many Americans, after retiring, move here for permanent place residence.

The southernmost state in the US

southernmost american state lies in the tropical climate zone. It Provides Florida Abundance sunny beaches, amazing tropical plants and fruits. Even powerful hurricanes that destroy everything in their path cannot intimidate local residents and tourists.
Florida is at the same latitude as North Africa. From the east, the peninsula is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, from the west - by the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. It is separated from the island of Cuba in the south by the Strait of Florida.

The state of Florida occupies the territory of the peninsula of the same name, which is located in the southeastern part of the United States.
Florida is generally flat except for a few wooded hills. In the north are karst formations with numerous lakes and hills, maximum height which is 100 m.
The coast of the Atlantic Ocean is almost a straight line, while the coast of the Gulf of Mexico is indented by numerous bays and lagoons.
The swampy plain to the south is all that remains of a huge swamp that occupied almost a third of Florida's territory. Here prevails tropical climate, which favors impenetrable mangrove forests and diverse tropical plants.
The southern edge of the peninsula, where the islands of the Florida Keys archipelago, created coral reefs bathed in the warm currents of the bay. These reefs are interconnected by a road.

The last island, Key West, is the most south point USA. Temperatures below 0 degrees have never been recorded here.
Hurricanes often sweep over Florida with heavy rains that overwhelm rivers and lakes. Floods cause especially large damage to the south of Florida, the lands of which lie almost at sea level.
In the 19th century Florida's forests have been heavily deforested, but now two-fifths of the state is covered in forest, mostly new plantings.
The warm subtropical climate of the Sunshine State and the ability to harvest 3 times a year have made Florida one of the main producers of agricultural products in the United States. Here they harvest 70% of the total citrus crop (which are successfully exported to Europe and Canada), as well as grow more exotic fruits, such as mangoes, pineapples or figs. Sugar cane is cultivated, and in the north of the state, tobacco.
The Sunshine State is an active fisherman, being one of the largest suppliers of fish to the US market. Florida fishermen catch different types fish, including Spanish mackerel, black mullet, as well as pink shrimp, shellfish, lobster and crabs. Oysters are grown in Apalachian Bay.

general information

Largest lake: Okeechobee.

Seaports: Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Miami, Jacksonville.

Airports: international Airport Orlando, Miami International Airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Tampa International Airport, Jacksonville International Airport. There are 20 major airports in Florida.

Numbers

Population: 18,251,243 (2007); 61.5% white; 20.5% Hispanic; 15.2% African American; 2.5% Asian; 0.3% American Indian (2007).

Population density: 107 people/km2.

Urban population: 84%.

highest point: Britton Hill (106 m) in Walton County.
Water surface area: 11,600 km2.

Coastline length: 2173 km, including all coastal depressions and islands - 13 560 km.

Climate and weather

average temperature in Miami it reaches +19ºС in January and +30ºС in July. In summer, the air humidity is high. Typically, the rainy season in Florida lasts from late July to early November. The most frequent hurricanes occur in September.

Attractions

Curious facts

The state of Florida is located on the peninsula of the same name, and it is the most southeastern state of the United States. Another name for Florida is the "Sunshine State". This is the most popular winter direction, land of oranges, beaches and world-famous theme parks such as Disney World and Universal Studios.

The west coast of Florida, washed by the Gulf of Mexico, stretches for 1000 km. The east coast, 660 km long, is washed by the Atlantic Ocean. Each coast has its own specifics: the east is a paradise for surfers, the west is perfect for family vacation, including those with small children.

Florida is divided into four regions. The first is the Florida panhandle, where the state capital and Pensacola, the famous base of military pilots, are located. North Florida is dominated by cosmopolitan and vibrant Jacksonville; the college town of Gainesville and historic St. Augustine are also of interest here. Central Florida - world capital theme parks, where, in addition to the aforementioned, Kennedy Space Center, Cyprus Gardens, Daytona International Speedway and SeaWorld are located. And finally, South Florida is Miami and Palm Beach, the Everglades swamps and the beautiful Florida Keys.

The largest cities are Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville.

How to get there

Most travelers arrive in Florida by plane or car. The main airports are in Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Miami, Orlando and Tampa. And the main operator operating bus services on distant destinations, is a Greyhound.

Rail service is provided by Amtrak's Silver Meteor and Silver Star trains, which run from New York to Miami, passing Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale.

And since Florida is almost completely surrounded by the ocean, it is also major port cruise ships. Fort Lauderdale is considered the largest transatlantic harbor in the United States.

Search for flights to Miami (nearest airport to Florida)

Weather in Florida

The local climate is considered one of the warmest and most favorable in the country, so it is comfortable to relax in Florida at any time of the year. The average temperature in winter is +18...+20 °C.

Surfing in South Florida

Florida beaches

The best beaches in Florida are Panama City Beach, Daytona Beach and West Palm Beach.

Panama City Beach with numerous hotels and white sand offers beach activities for everyone: swimming pools, parasailing, boating water skiing and boats sailing, In 1995, the beach grabbed the fifth place among all the beaches in the world, and in 2000 - the fourth among the beaches of America.

Daytona Beach on east coast Central Florida is best known for hosting motorsport events, including The Great American Race.

West Palm Beach is 27 km of the Atlantic coast with white sand.

Popular hotels in Florida

Entertainment and attractions in Florida

most popular beach resort state, of course, is Miami. In addition, many tourists, especially families with children, come to Florida to visit Orlando with Disney World park complexes, marine park sea ​​world, a park water attractions Wet and Wild, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Discovery Cove and Busch Gardens.

Also of interest is the Space Exposition at the Center. Kennedy, Gatorland in Orlando, the Salvador Dali Museum in downtown St. Petersburg (considered the largest collection of Dali's work outside of Europe), the Sunshine Skyway Bridge is the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world, the Seminole and Miccosukee Indian Reservations.

On the island of Key Largo, which is 90 minutes from Miami in the Florida Keys archipelago, is the first underwater park USA - John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. In December 2010, he celebrates his 50th birthday. Here you can see a 3-meter bronze sculpture of Christ weighing 1.8 tons, at a depth of 6 meters under water (a copy of the statue of the same name, which is located in the Mediterranean Sea near Italian Genoa).

"Species" railway track Florida National Scenic Trail stretches through the entire territory of Florida. Most interesting route runs around Lake Okeechobee.

Florida state map:

Florida (English Florida (inf.), MPA [ˈflɒrɪdə], from Spanish florida - “blooming”) is a state in the southeastern United States with its capital in Tallahassee, located on a long peninsula of the same name between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, from the south washed by the Florida Strait. It borders the states of Alabama and Georgia. It is the fourth most populous US state (after California, Texas and New York), and the twenty-second largest. The borders run along the entire peninsula, capturing some territory to the north of it and the Florida Keys to the south.

Official name: State of Florida

State capital: Tallahassee

Largest city: Miami

Other major cities: Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Hialeah, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, Hollywood, Coral Springs, Cape Coral, Port St. Lucie, Gainesville, Clearwater, Mairamar, Miami Gardens, West Palm Beach, Sunrise, Miami Beach, Pompano Beach, Palm Bay, Lakeland, Spring Hill, Plantation, Brandon, Davey.

State Nicknames: Sunshine State, Alligator State, Evergreen State.

State motto: God with us

Florida zip code: FL

State Formation Date: 1845 (27th in order)

Area: 170.5 thousand sq. km. (22nd in the country.)

Population: more than 16 million people (4th place in the country).

History of the State of Florida

Before the arrival of Europeans in America, the peninsula was inhabited for thousands of years by the Timucua Indians (disappeared in the 18th century), Calusa and Seminoles [source not specified 950 days]. The Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon, who landed here in 1513, declared the region Spanish crown and called it la tierra florida ("blooming land"). The first city on the territory of the peninsula was founded in 1564, San Augustine (now St. Augustine). Under the Paris Peace Treaty, Britain traded Florida from the Spanish king for Havana, but ceded the peninsula to the Spaniards as a result of the American Liberation War.

In the XVIII century. Muscogee and Yemassi made devastating raids on Florida, the victims of which were mainly local Indian tribes, who completely disappeared (the remnants were resettled by the Spaniards in Cuba).

In 1819, Spain sold Florida to the United States. The agreement entered into force on 22 February. In 1845 Florida became the 27th state of the USA.

Geography of Florida

Florida borders the states of Alabama and Georgia to the north. Within the peninsula, the border runs along the coastline, in the south also capturing the Florida Keys. From the west it is washed by the Gulf of Mexico, in the south by the Strait of Florida and in the east by the Atlantic Ocean.

Most of the state of Florida is located on the peninsula of the same name between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean and the Strait of Florida. In summer, the time zone is GMT-4, in winter GMT-5.

The highest natural point in the state - Britton Hill, 106 m high (while the lowest of the highest points of all states), is located in the northern part of the state and does not belong to the Florida peninsula. The most high point on the peninsula - mountain sugar loaf Most of the state is lowland, only in the northern part is hilly.

State of Florida. The name of the state of Florida, like many others, has Spanish roots. One famous navigator Juan Ponce de Leon, seeing these lands for the first time, said - "Flower Easter" (Pascua Florida). Later, a Spanish traveler named this place as La Florida. The territory occupies a little more than 170 thousand km². Near Florida USA are Alabama and Georgia. The total number of inhabitants is about 19 million people, most of whom live in major cities. The capital is Tallahassee. Others no less important cities Orlando, Miami, Tampa and Jacksonville are considered. Florida received statehood in 1845, ranking 27th.

Florida state symbols

State of Florida. Geography and climate

The state of Florida is a state of America, which is washed from three sides at once. At its core, it is a peninsula, which is reflected in the humid subtropical climate. The main part is represented by flat terrain, with the exception of Britton Hill and some other hills. This includes not only mainland, but also multiple islands. The latter attract crowds of tourists, most of of which are US citizens. High humidity has led to the emergence of a huge number of natural reservoirs. Various rivers, lakes and swamps can be found in almost any part. The average summer temperature is 28°C, in winter - 12°C (in the south this figure can rise to 20°C). It is worth noting that Florida USA is the wettest state. Here comes the most a large number of rainfall, tornadoes and thunderstorms regularly pass.

State of Florida. Economy

Favorable proximity to the sea has become the reason for the development of the main economic direction - tourism. All the islands that make up the state, along with the coastline of the mainland, are never empty. Much attention is paid to agriculture. Strawberries, corn, tomatoes, oranges, grapefruits, cane, tangerines, tobacco and much more are grown on local plantations. Fisheries stock and sell seafood throughout the United States. Another the most important direction is production. It produces food, all kinds of electronics and furniture. The Kennedy Space Center is responsible for aerospace achievements, and 20 military bases are responsible for local security and the defense of the country as a whole.

State of Florida. Population and religion

The territory is characterized by a wide national diversity. The state of Florida, on the map of which you can see both "white" and "dark" quarters, in the recent past was considered a fairly criminal area. Today, the coast is filled with wealthy pensioners who have no reason to quarrel with each other. There are not as many representatives of European culture here as in other parts of the United States (the white population is slightly more than 50%). About 22% of the locals have Latin American roots, 17% are African American, about the same number of English and Germans. 75% of residents identify themselves as Christians, preferring to attend Orthodox or Baptist churches. The number of atheists, as in many other parts of America, does not exceed 15%.

State of Florida. Interesting Facts

• The southeastern part is considered the most dangerous. Tsunamis, all kinds of hurricanes and tornadoes regularly rage here.
• One of the locals is named Harry Potter. Contrary to the wishes of the audience of thousands of fantasy novels, this man has nothing to do with magic.
• The length of well-maintained, suitable for recreation beaches is about 700 miles.
• Lake Okeechobee is the second largest lake in America.
• Florida is the only place on earth where alligators are friends with crocodiles. Animals are not just neighbors, they can live in the same reservoir.
• The city of Clearwater ranks first in the number of lightning strikes per year.
• This region of the United States is known for its strange names given by the Indians. Thanks to the ancestors, modern tourists can visit the "Mouth of the Rat" or "Crooked Mouth" and other attractions.

State of Florida. Attractions

State of Florida. Anna Beach

Anna beach. Hundreds of residents from neighboring states come here, as well as Foreign tourists who know a lot about fishing. You can do this business anytime, anywhere. Bridges and even marinas are no exception. The most exciting activity is shark hunting.

State of Florida. St. Augustine alligator farm

An alligator farm is located in St. Augustine. To the delight of tourists, there are more than 20 species of reptiles. Visitors can feed the animals, take commemorative photographs, and take part in adventure trips through real swamps.

State of Florida. Saint Augustine. Lighthouse

St. Augustine is famous for its lighthouse, which is 50 meters high. The building was built in 1870 to replace an outdated analogue. Today it houses a museum and Observation deck, opening a view of the city streets from one side, sea ​​beauty- with another.

State of Florida. Navarra beach

Navarra Beach will appeal to lovers of a relaxing holiday. This perfect place for family pastime in the neighborhood with dolphins, giant tortoises and stingrays. It is known for its cleanliness and snow-white fine sand. It is worth noting that the state has dozens of excellent beaches for every taste.

State of Florida. Miami. Lincoln Road

Lincoln Road is one of the main streets of Miami, where a huge number of inexpensive shops and retail shops are located. Everyone should know this prospectus, especially those who love cheap shopping. In between shopping, you can have a delicious lunch at one of the American restaurants.

State of Florida. The house where Gianni Versace lived

The house where Gianni Versace lived was built in the early 1930s. The multi-storey mansion, with an area of ​​almost 2.5 thousand square meters, impresses with its luxury and grandeur. The facades were decorated mainly with natural materials. Inside you can see frescoes made of gold, silver and precious metals.

State of Florida. Monkey Jungle Kennel

Monkey Jungle Nursery, located 35 km from Miami, will allow you to feel the spirit of the real jungle. More than 400 monkeys live here in conditions as close as possible to natural environment. In Monkey Jungle, people walk alongside animals in complete harmony with the world around them.