Florida profile

The U.S. state of Florida is nicknamed the Sunshine State because it has so many sunny days. Other nicknames include the Orange State, the Peninsula State, the Alligator State, the Southernmost State, and the Everglades State. Its actual name is the Spanish word for “flowery.” The capital is Tallahassee.

Florida is on the southeast coast of the United States. Georgia and Alabama border the state on the north, above the area of Florida known as the Panhandle. The Atlantic Ocean is on the east. On the west are Alabama and the Gulf of Mexico.

The Straits of Florida connect the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. This body of water also separates Florida from Cuba. The Florida Keys are a chain of tiny coral and limestone islands. Key West, on the Florida Keys, is the nation’s southernmost city (outside Hawaii).

Flat plains border the entire coast. In the center of the state broad plains, rolling hills, and thousands of lakes stretch from the Georgia border south through the center of the state. A low plateau rises in the northwest. Forests once covered most of Florida’s land area, but many trees were cut down to build cities. In the south lies Everglades National Park. The park is a vast wilderness area of swamps and forests. The state’s largest rivers are all in the north. The Saint Johns River is the longest, stretching for 285 miles (459 kilometers).

Florida is known for its warm, sunny climate. While cold spells sometimes occur in the winter, they rarely last more than three or four days. The heaviest rainfall occurs between May and October. Hurricanes can also be a problem.

Florida has a diverse population. Many senior citizens move to Florida after their retirement to enjoy the weather. People from nearby island nations such as Cuba and Haiti sometimes migrate to Florida to escape political or economic problems. Hispanic Americans make up more than 15 percent of Florida’s residents. About the same percentage of people are African Americans. Some Seminole Indians live on reservations in southern Florida. The rest of the population is primarily of European descent.

Jacksonville is the largest city in the state. It is an important seaport and business center. Miami, the second largest city, is a winter resort and a manufacturing center. Tampa is an important commercial city and port on the Gulf of Mexico.

Orlando is a popular vacation spot. It has many theme parks, including Walt Disney World and Sea World. Many cities, including Key West, Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Daytona Beach, attract visitors with their beaches. Several professional sports teams and the Daytona International Speedway are other attractions.


Crops grow year-round in Florida. Florida is a leading grower of citrus fruits, including oranges and grapefruits. Farmers also grow other fruits, vegetables, tobacco, cotton, and sugarcane. They raise cattle, poultry, and horses. Fishers catch fish and shellfish in Florida’s many waters.

When the explorer Juan Ponce de León arrived in Florida in 1513, he claimed the land for Spain. In 1528 another Spanish explorer named Pánfilo de Narváez reached Tampa Bay with about 400 men. Most of them died because ships carrying supplies never arrived. Hernando de Soto and his men sailed into Tampa Bay in 1539.

In 1562 French Protestants called Huguenots went to Florida so that they could freely practice their religion. More French colonists followed, but many of them were killed when Spanish explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilés captured their fort. In 1565 Menéndez founded Saint Augustine, the first permanent European settlement in what is now the United States.

Spain and Great Britain frequently fought over land in America. After the American Revolution (1775–83), the United States and Spain disagreed on land boundaries in Florida. In 1819 Spain finally agreed to give up Florida. Meanwhile, the United States began fighting the Seminole Indians of Florida. By 1858 most of the Seminole had been forced to move out of Florida to land in the West.

Florida entered the Union in 1845 as the 27th state. At the beginning of the American Civil War it left the Union to join the Confederacy because many of its citizens supported the right to own enslaved people. After the war, Florida was readmitted to the Union in 1868.

In the 1880s the era of railroad building opened the state to permanent settlers and a new tourist trade. Better transportation made Florida the winter vegetable and citrus center of the East. In the 1900s many more people moved to Florida. The state prospered as the economy grew as well.

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