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Florida General Facts
Florida was admitted to United States as a State on March 3, 1845 (the 27th
State). Its current Governor is Mr Jeb Bush. The capital is Tallahassee and its
nickname is the Sunshine State
State Flower - Orange Blossom Number of Counties in Florida - 67
Government - Governor and independent cabinet consisting of Attorney General,
Chief Financial Officer, Commissioner of Agriculture. Legislature - 120 House
Districts, 40 Senate Districts, 23 Congressional Districts
Gross State Product: $472.1 Billion (2000)
Agriculture – Florida has the largest farm income in the southeast USA.
Florida produces about 75% of the U.S. oranges and accounts for about 40% of the
world's orange juice supply.
University Research - more than $500 million per year in sponsored research at
Florida universities
Florida Taxes - Florida has one of the lowest in terms of the tax burden placed
on residents. Based on income, property and other state and local tax
collections, the Tax Foundation research organization ranks Florida among the
lowest tax states (Florida ranks #45 among the 50 states in 2004; only five
states have a lower tax burden).
State Sales Tax - 6% Corporate Tax - 5.5%
Geography Facts
Total Area - 58,560 Square Miles Land Area - 54,252 Square Miles Total Water
Area - 4,308 Square Miles Length North to South - 447 Miles Width East to West -
361 Miles
Coastline - 1,197 Statute Miles Tidal Shoreline - 2,276 Statute Miles Beaches -
663 Miles
Florida has more than 11,000 miles of rivers, streams & waterways, the longest
river is St. Johns at 273 miles. The Largest Lake is Lake Okeechobee at 700
square miles
Largest County - Palm Beach at 2,578 square miles
Smallest County - Union at 245 square miles
Lakes greater than 10 acres - Aprox. 7,700, Islands Greater than 10 Acres -
Aprox. 4,500
(Florida ranks 2nd in the nation by this measure and only Alaska ranks higher.)
Florida History
Juan Ponce de Leon discovers Florida in 1513 when he lands in NE Florida,
possibly near present-day St. Augustine, to claim Florida for Spain. First
permanent European settlement is established in 1565 in St. Augustine by Spain.
Florida becomes a U.S. Territory in 1821.
William P. Duval, Florida's first civil governor, calls the first Legislative
Council into session in Pensacola on June 19, 1823. Florida was admitted to U.S.
as a State on March 3, 1845 (27th State)
Florida's Population (2003) - 17,019,068
Florida's Population (2002) - 16,713,149
Florida's Population (2001) - 16,396,515
Population (2000) - 15,982,378
Population (1990) - 12,937,926
Population (1980) - 9,746,961
Population Growth Rate (1990-2000) - 23.5%
City Population Rank (2000):
Jacksonville - 736,000
Miami - 362,000
Tampa - 303,000
St. Petersburg - 248,000
Hialeah - 226,000
Orlando - 186,000
Ft. Lauderdale - 152,000
Tallahassee - 151,000
Hollywood - 139,000
Pembroke Pines - 137,000
Coral Springs - 118,000
Clearwater - 109,000
Cape Coral - 102,000
Gainesville - 95,000
Port St. Lucie - 89,000
Miami Beach - 88,000
Sunrise - 86,000
Plantation - 83,000
West Palm Beach - 82,000
Palm Bay - 79,000
Lakeland - 78,000
Pompano Beach - 78,000
Davie - 76,000
Boca Raton - 75,000
Miramar - 73,000
Most Populous Metro Areas (2000):
(Rounded to the Nearest Thousand)
Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater - 2,396,000
Miami - 2,253,000
Orlando - 1,645,000
Ft. Lauderdale - 1,623,000
Jacksonville - 1,100,000
West Palm Beach/Boca Raton - 1,131,000
Sarasota/Bradenton - 590,000
Daytona Beach - 493,000
Lakeland/Winter Haven - 484,000
Melbourne/Titusville/Palm Bay - 476,000
Fort Myers/Cape Coral - 441,000
Pensacola - 412,000
Fort Pierce/Port St. Lucie - 319,000
Tallahassee - 285,000
Ocala - 259,000
Naples - 251,000
Gainesville - 218,000
Fort Walton Beach - 170,000
Panama City - 148,000
Punta Gorda - 142,000
Total State Population: 15,982,378 (2000)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census |
List of counties:
Alachua County - 217,955
Baker County - 22,259
Bay County - 148,217
Bradford County - 26,088
Brevard County - 476,230
Broward County - 1,623,018
Calhoun County - 13,017
Charlotte County - 141,627
Citrus County - 118,085
Clay County - 140,814
Collier County - 251,377
Columbia County - 56,513
DeSoto County - 32,209
Dixie County - 13,827
Duval County - 778,879
Escambia County - 294,410
Flagler County - 49,832
Franklin County - 11,057
Gadsden County - 45,087
Gilchrist County - 14,437
Glades County - 10,576
Gulf County - 13,332
Hamilton County - 13,327
Hardee County - 26,938
Hendry County - 36,210
Hernando County - 130,802
Highlands County - 87,366
Hillsborough County - 998,948
Holmes County - 18,564
Indian River County - 112,947
Jackson County - 46,755
Jefferson County - 12,902
Lafayette County - 7,022
Lake County - 210,528
Lee County - 440,888
Leon County - 239,452
Levy County - 34,450
Liberty County - 7,021
Madison County - 18,733
Manatee County - 264,002
Marion County - 258,916
Martin County - 126,731
Miami-Dade County - 2,253,362
Monroe County - 79,589
Nassau County - 57,663
Okaloosa County - 170,498
Okeechobee County - 35,910
Orange County - 896,344
Osceola County - 172,493
Palm Beach County - 1,131,184
Pasco County - 344,765
Pinellas County - 921,482
Polk County - 483,924
Putnam County - 70,423
St. Johns County - 123,135
St. Lucie County - 192,695
Santa Rosa County - 117,743
Sarasota County - 325,957
Seminole County - 365,196
Sumter County - 53,345
Suwannee County - 34,844
Taylor County - 19,256
Union County - 13,442
Volusia County - 443,343
Wakulla County - 22,863
Walton County - 40,601
Washington County - 20,973 |
Florida Weather
Florida has great weather all year round. The state's mild winters have made it
a haven for retirees. Summers can be long and hot with showers providing much
relief during the rainy season. Coastal areas also experience gentle breezes
during the summer.
Average Annual Temperatures:
Summer:
80.5 (F) degrees (26.9 C) (North Florida)
82.7 (F) degrees (28.2 C) (South Florida)
Winter:
53.0 (F) degrees (11.7 C) (North Florida)
68.5 (F) degrees (20.3 C) (South Florida)
The six-month hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30 and
Floridians have learned to be ready when a storm threatens the area. More
Information: National Hurricane Center
Tree planting season in Florida (December - February)
Interesting Florida Facts
Number of people who move to Florida each day - 1,000
Number of major commercial airports - 20
Number of international airports - 12
Number of deepwater ports - 14
Miles of sand beaches - 1,200
Miles of coastline - 1,800
Number of golf courses - more than 1,250
-Florida has more golf courses than any other state
-Palm Beach County has more golf courses than any other county in the country
Number of hotel rooms in Florida - more than 370,000
Number of campgrounds - 700 (100,000 campsites)
Number of people who camp in Florida each year - 6 million
Sources: Florida Dept. of State; Visit Florida; U.S. Census Bureau; Bureau of
Economic & Business Research (University of Florida); State of Florida.com
research.
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