 Florida
Information
Capital
City: Tallahassee
Economy: Tourism,
agriculture, industry.
Language Description: English,
Spanish.
Passport/Visa U.S.:
Canadians need to show proof of citizenship (including a photo ID)
to enter the U.S. and re-enter Canada. (We recommend a passport.)
Reconfirm your travel document requirements with your carrier prior
to departure.
Population: 15,111,245
Religion: Christian
(Roman Catholic, Protestant), but most major religions are represented.
Time Zone: 5-6 hours
behind Greenwich Mean Time (-5 and -6 GMT). Daylight Saving Time
is observed from the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in
October
Voltage Requirements:
110 volts
Florida's Flag:
On a white field emblazoned with a Confederacy red X and the state
seal, Florida's flag represents the land of sunshine, flowers, palm
trees, rivers and lakes. The seal features a brilliant sun, a cabbage
palmetto tree, a steamboat sailing and a Native American Seminole
woman scattering flowers.
History
of Florida: In 1513, Ponce De Leon, seeking the
mythical “Fountain of Youth,” discovered and named Florida,
claiming it for Spain. Later, Florida would be held at different
times by Spain and England until Spain finally sold it to the United
States in 1819. (Incidentally, France established a colony named
Fort Caroline in 1564 in the state that was to become Florida.)
Florida's early-19th-century history as a U.S. territory was marked
by wars with the Seminole Indians that did not end until 1842, although
a treaty was actually never signed. One of the nation's fastest-growing
states, Florida's population has gone from 2.8 million in 1950 to
more than 12.9 million in 1990. Florida's economy rests on a solid
base of tourism (in 1992 the state entertained more than 40.5 million
visitors from all over the world), manufacturing, agriculture, and
international trade. In recent years, oranges, grapefruit, and tomatoes
led Florida's agricultural-product list, followed by vegetables,
potatoes, melons, strawberries, sugar cane, dairy products, cattle
and calves, and forest products. Major tourist attractions are Miami
Beach, Palm Beach, St. Augustine (founded in 1565, thus the oldest
permanent city in the U.S.), Daytona Beach, and Fort Lauderdale
on the East Coast. West Coast resorts include Sarasota, Tampa, Key
West, and St. Petersburg. The Orlando area, where Disney World is
located on a 27,000-acre site, is Florida's most popular tourist
destination. Also drawing many visitors are the NASA Kennedy Space
Center's Spaceport USA, located in the town of Kennedy Space Center,
Everglades National Park, and the Epcot Center.
Other Florida Links:
Education
in Florida
Florida Chamber of Commerce
Florida City and County Management
Association
Florida League of Cities
Visit Florida Inc. - Florida Division
of Tourism |
