Florida
Contents
|
|
|
|
|
State flag
|
FLORIDA,
one of the South Atlantic states of the U.S. and the southernmost
of the contiguous states. It is bounded on the N by Alabama and
Georgia, on the E by the Atlantic Ocean, on the S by the Straits of
Florida (separating it from Cuba), and on the W by the Gulf of Mexico
and Alabama.
Florida entered the Union on March 3, 1845, as the 27th
state. It was a member of the Confederacy during the American Civil
War. Florida’s main economic growth began in the early 20th century.
Today the state has a highly diversified economy, driven by tourism,
international trade, health and financial services, high-technology
manufacturing, and the production of citrus fruits and other
agricultural commodities. Millions of tourists visit the state each
year, lured by the warm climate and attractions such as the John F.
Kennedy Space Center, on Cape Canaveral, as well as the Walt Disney
World, a group of four large theme parks, near Orlando. Florida’s
population experienced an increase of more than sixfold between 1950 and 2005, with many of the new inhabitants being retired persons from other parts of the U.S. or immigrants from Cuba and other Caribbean countries. In 1513 the Spanish
explorer Juan Ponce de León named the region Florida (Span.,
"flowery"), either because the vegetation included many flowers or
because his visit was at Easter (Span., "Pascua florida"). Florida is
known as the Sunshine State.
| FLORIDA STATE FACTS |
| DATE OF STATEHOOD: |
March 3, 1845; 27th state |
| CAPITAL: |
Tallahassee |
| MOTTO: |
In God we trust |
| NICKNAME: |
Sunshine State |
| STATE SONG: |
“Swanee River" (words and music by Stephen C. Foster) |
| STATE TREE: |
Sabal palmetto palm |
| STATE FLOWER: |
Orange blossom |
| STATE BIRD: |
Mockingbird |
| POPULATION (2000 census): |
15,982,378; 4th among the states |
| AREA: |
170,304 sq km (65,755 sq mi);
22d largest state; includes 30,634 sq km (11,828 sq mi) of inland water |
| COASTLINE: |
2173 km (1350 mi) |
| HIGHEST POINT: |
105 m (345 ft), in the northwest |
| LOWEST POINT: |
Sea level along the coasts |
| ELECTORAL VOTES: |
27 (as of the 2004 presidential election) |
| U.S. CONGRESS: |
2 senators; 25 representatives |
| GOVERNOR: |
Charlie Crist (Rep.)
Took office January 2007 |
Florida is mainly a large peninsula that extends about
645 km (about 400 mi) between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of
Mexico. Much of the rest of the state forms the narrow Panhandle
between Georgia and Alabama on the N and the Gulf of Mexico on the S.
Florida is the 22d largest state, with an area of 170,304 sq km (65,755
sq mi). The lowest point is sea level, and the highest point, an
unnamed spot in Walton Co., in the Panhandle, is only 105 m (345 ft)
above sea level; the approximate mean elevation of the state is just 30
m (100 ft). The dimensions of Florida, which has a coastline of 2173 km
(1350 mi), are about 725 km (about 450 mi) from N to S and about 580 km
(about 360 mi) from E to W. The federal government owns 8.3% of
Florida’s land area.
All of Florida except the Panhandle is part of the large Atlantic Coastal
Plain, which forms most of the E coast of the U.S. Whereas most
of the coastal plain N of Florida is underlain by unconsolidated
layers of sand, clay, and other materials, much of Florida is underlain
by thick beds of limestone and similar rock. In the NW part of the
peninsula the limestone is exposed at the surface, but elsewhere
it is usually buried beneath layers of sand and sometimes beneath
beds of clay as well. Rainwater trickling downward has dissolved
some of the limestone, creating cavities in the rock. Beds of rock, clay,
or sand above often collapse into them, creating thousands of circular
or irregular holes at the surface. Many of these holes are now filled
with water, forming the sinkholes and lakes that are such an important
part of the Florida landscape.
A central belt of hills extends S on the peninsula almost
as far as Lake Okeechobee, but otherwise the peninsula is flat,
particularly S of the lake. Marshes and swamps are common in the
flat areas; Big Cypress Swamp and the Everglades cover much of the
S part of the state. Islands, coral reefs, and sandbars extend along
almost the entire Atlantic coast and are separated from the mainland
by narrow lagoons, which are known as lakes or rivers in some places.
Three groups of small islands, the Florida Keys (including Key Largo and
Key West), the Marquesas Keys, and the Dry Tortugas, make up the
southernmost portion of the state.
The Panhandle region is a small section of the East Gulf Coastal
Plain, which extends into Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and other
states. The land is low and swampy along the coast, but rises inland,
forming a belt of red clay hills in the E and some sandy hills in
the extreme W.
Florida has only four major rivers, all in the N part
of the state. The largest in flow is the Apalachicola, which carries
the waters of the Flint and Chattahoochee rivers of Georgia across the
Florida Panhandle to the Gulf of Mexico. The river with the second
greatest flow, the Suwannee, also is fed in part by outflow from
Georgia. Two other large rivers are the Saint Johns, in the NE, and the
Escambia, in the far NW; the St. Johns is the longest (about 460 km/285
mi) in the state. The Indian R., which stretches for some 210 km (some
130 mi) along the E coast of Florida, is not a true river, but a long
lagoon of brackish water behind a line of offshore islands.
In addition to many hundred sizable lakes located
mainly in central and N Florida, Lake Okeechobee in the S part of the
peninsula is the third largest freshwater lake entirely within the U.S.
It covers about 1890 sq km (about 730 sq mi), with an average depth of
only 2.7 m (9 ft).
Almost all of Florida has a humid subtropical climate. At
the S end of the state, however, and particularly in the small islands
S of the peninsula, the climate is transitional into a tropical
wet and dry climate. In general, the area with a humid subtropical
climate has long, hot, rainy summers, short and usually mild winters,
and high percentages of total possible sunshine. Winters are rainy
in NW Florida but become increasingly dry as one moves S in the
state. The average annual temperature at Tallahassee, in the NW,
is 20° C (68° F), and at Fort Lauderdale, in the
SE, 25° C (77°7°F). The recorded temperature in
Florida has ranged from –18.9° C (–2° F),
at Tallahassee in 1899, to 42.8° C (109° F), at Monticello
in 1931. The state receives a yearly average of 1346 mm (53 in)
of precipitation, almost entirely in the form of rain. Parts of
Florida, especially in the S, are exposed to the dangers of hurricanes.
| FLORIDA AVERAGE CLIMATE |
| |
Miami |
Pensacola |
| Average January temperature range |
15° to 24.4° C |
59° to 76° F |
6.1° to 21.7° C |
43°to 71° F |
| Average July temperature range |
24.4° to 32.2° C |
76° to 90° F |
23.3° to 32.2°2°C |
74°4°to 90° F |
| Average annual temperature |
23.9° C |
75° F |
20° C |
68°8°F |
| Average annual precipitation |
1524 mm |
60 in |
1626 mm |
64 in |
| Average annual snowfall |
0 mm |
0 in |
2.5 mm |
0.1 in |
| Mean number of days per year with appreciable precipitation |
131 |
116 |
| Average daily relative humidity |
73% |
72% |
| Mean number of clear days per year |
76 |
101 |
The types of plants that grow in Florida often vary
greatly over short distances. Which plants will grow in a particular
place is determined in large measure by how wet or dry the climate is
and by the temperatures on the coldest winter nights. About 42% of the
state’s land area is covered with forest, mostly composed of longleaf,
slash, or pond pine with an intermixture of small hardwood trees and
saw palmetto. Many other types of vegetation cover also exist,
including hardwood forest, prairie, cypress swamp, and tropical
mangrove swamp. A great variety of flowering plants grow in Florida.
Common among them are blue lupines, mimosa, lantana, white calla, blue
iris, clematis, sunflowers, orchids, yellow jasmine, and roses. One of
the most beautiful flowering trees is the royal poinciana. Palms grow
in the S part of the state, and orange trees, mostly cultivated on a
commercial basis, are concentrated in the central section.
Many of the native mammals of Florida are declining in number
as the human population increases; these endangered mammals include the Florida black bear,
Key deer, and Florida panther.
Small animals such as rabbit, opossum, squirrel, and raccoon are
numerous. Because of protective legislation, the alligator is fairly
common, as are turtles, frogs, lizards, spiders, and scorpions.
Birds include egrets, flamingos, herons, and pelicans. The manatee,
a protected water mammal, is found in the waterways of central Florida
and along the W coast in the Gulf of Mexico.
Florida has some 700 species of fish in its rivers, lakes,
and coastal marine waters. Very common are mullet, trout, bass,
red snapper, pompano, and catfish. The great sport fish are sailfish
and tarpon. Shrimp, lobsters, oysters, crabs, clams, and conchs
are numerous.
The principal minerals found in Florida are limestone, throughout much
of the peninsula; phosphate rock, especially E of Tampa Bay; petroleum,
chiefly in Santa Rosa Co., in the NW, and near Fort Myers, in the
SW; and fuller’s earth, mainly in the Panhandle. Other
minerals include natural gas, sand and gravel, sulfur, peat, kaolin,
ilmenite, rutile, and zircon.
According to the 2000 census, Florida had 15,982,378
inhabitants, an increase of 23.5% over 1990. During the 1990s Florida
was the country’s 7th fastest growing state. The average population
density in 2000 was 114.4 people per sq km (296.4 per sq mi) of land
area. Whites made up 78.0% of the population and blacks, 14.6%;
additional population groups included 53,541 American Indians and
Alaska Natives, 266,256 Asians, and 8625 Native Hawaiians and other
Pacific Islanders. (These figures do not include the 2.4% of people who
reported more than one race.) In all, 2,682,715 Floridians, or 16.8% of
the population, reported being of Hispanic origin. The state’s largest
cities were Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Saint Petersburg, and Hialeah;
the most populous metropolitan regions were Miami-Fort Lauderdale,
Tampa-St. Petersburg, Orlando, and Jacksonville.
Important ethnic groups include the Seminole, many of
whom live on five reservations in the state, and Cubans, who are
concentrated in metropolitan areas such as Miami and Tampa. Tarpon
Springs is notable as a center for descendants of Greek immigrants. In the early 2000s Florida had a greater portion of its population over the age of 65 (17.6%) than any other state in the U.S., reflecting the large number of people who moved here after retirement. A 2000 survey indicated that Roman Catholics made up the state’s largest single religious group (an estimated 16.2% of the total population). Southern Baptists (8.1%) and United Methodists (2.9%) were the leading Protestant denominations, and Jews formed a significant minority (3. 9%), especially in SE Florida. In 2000 about 89% of all Floridians lived in areas defined as urban, under the current, broadened government definition.
| POPULATION OF FLORIDA SINCE 1830 |
| Year of Census |
Population |
Classified As Urban |
| 1830 |
35,000 |
0% |
| 1850 |
87,000 |
0% |
| 1870 |
188,000 |
8% |
| 1890 |
391,000 |
20% |
| 1910 |
753,000 |
29% |
| 1930 |
1,468,000 |
52% |
| 1950 |
2,771,000 |
65% |
| 1960 |
4,952,000 |
74% |
| 1980 |
9,746,000 |
84% |
| 1990 |
12,937,926 |
85% |
| 2000 |
15,982,378 |
89% |
| POPULATION OF TEN LARGEST CITIES IN FLORIDA |
| |
2000 Census |
1990 Census |
| Jacksonville |
735,617 |
672,971 |
| Miami |
362,470 |
358,548 |
| Tampa |
303,447 |
280,015 |
| Saint Petersburg |
248,232 |
238,629 |
| Hialeah |
226,419 |
188,004 |
| Orlando |
185,951 |
164,693 |
| Fort Lauderdale |
152,397 |
149,377 |
| Tallahassee |
150,624 |
124,773 |
| Hollywood |
139,357 |
121,697 |
| Pembroke Pines |
137,427 |
65,566 |
Florida has an extensive system of public schools and a broad
range of cultural activities, many of them connected with tourism
and others catering to the demands of increasing numbers of retired
residents.
The first schools in Florida were operated by the
Spanish in the 17th century. After short-lived attempts to establish a
public school system in the 1830s and ’40s, a statewide system of
public education was developed under provisions of the 1868
constitution. The University of Florida, in Gainesville, dates from
1853, and several other institutions of higher learning were founded
before the end of the 19th century.
In the early 2000s Florida public schools enrolled some 1.8 million pupils in kindergarten through 8th grade and more than 700,000 pupils in kindergarten through 8th grade and 656,000 students in grades 9-12. The school system also included the state-supported
Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, at Saint Augustine, and
nearly 50 regional vocational-technical centers.
In the early 2000s annual enrollment in public institutions of higher education was over 600,000, and there were about 175,000 students in private institutions. Besides the University of Florida (1853), the state’s colleges and universities include
Bethune-Cookman College (1904), in Daytona Beach; Florida Atlantic
University (1961), in Boca Raton; Florida Institute of Technology
(1958), in Melbourne; Jacksonville University (1934), in Jacksonville;
Rollins College (1885), in Winter Park; Florida Agricultural and
Mechanical University (1887) and Florida State University (1851), both
in Tallahassee; Stetson University (1883), in De Land; the University
of Miami (1925), in Coral Gables; and the University of South Florida
(1956), with its main campus in Tampa.
Although much of the cultural life in Florida is concentrated
in several cities, notably Miami, Tampa and St. Petersburg, Orlando,
Sarasota, and Jacksonville, important cultural institutions are
found throughout the state. The Florida Museum of Natural History
(1917), located in Gainesville, is a major museum with historical,
archaeological, and biological exhibits. An important collection
of European and American painting is housed in Sarasota’s
John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art (1928), which includes a circus
museum. Other museums in Florida include the Lowe Art Museum (1950),
in Coral Gables; the Pioneer Florida Museum (1961), in Dade City;
the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens (1977), in Delray Beach;
the Museum of Art (1958), in Fort Lauderdale; the Cummer Museum
of Art and Gardens (1958), in Jacksonville; the Miami Museum of Science (1949), which includes a planetarium; the Museum of Art (1924), in Orlando; the National Museum of Naval Aviation (1963), in Pensacola; the Museum of Fine Arts (1965), in St. Petersburg; and the Norton Museum of Art (1941),in West Palm Beach. The Ah-Tha-Thi-Ki Museum (1997), devoted to
the culture of the Seminole Indians, is on the Big Cypress Seminole
Reservation, W of Fort Lauderdale.
The state’s largest librarys ystems are those of the University
of Florida, with more than 4 million volumes, and Miami-Dade County, with about 4 million. More than a dozen cities support symphony orchestras, and fivea half dozen have opera companies; the state also has mnumerous dance ensembles, of which the best known is the Miami City Ballet, founded and directed by Edward Villella (1936– ). Theater has been traditionally very popular in Florida, and more than 100 theater groups, professional as well as amateur, are active. In the 1980s and ‘90s performing arts
centers were built in Clearwater, Tampa, Naples, and West Palm Beach.
The principal U.S. launching site for earth satellites and space
flights—the John F. Kennedy Space Center—at Cape
Canaveral is also a tourist and educational center.
Numerous historical sites recall Florida’s Spanish
period. The oldest masonry fortress of the continental U.S., dating
from the 1670s, is part of Castillo de San Marcos National Monument,
at St. Augustine. Other Spanish landmarks are found at Fort Matanzas National Monument, near St. Augustine; the historic district at Pensacola; and the De Soto National Memorial,
near Bradenton. Fort Caroline National Memorial, at Jacksonville, overlooks the site of a short-lived (1564–65)French Huguenot colony. A large masonry fortification (1856) is
an attraction at Fort Jefferson, now part of Dry Tortugas National Park.
Florida’s climate and attractions bring in millions of tourists each
year. With its numerous lakes and long coastline, the state is known
for its freshwater and deep-sea fishing. In addition, boating, swimming,
waterskiing, diving, golf, and hunting are popular. Everglades National Park and a variety of other state and national parks and recreation areas attract millions of visitors annually. Other major tourist attractions include Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, EPCOT Center, Disney-MGM Studios, and Animal Kingdom, as well as SeaWorld and Universal Studios, all near Orlando, and Busch Gardens in Tampa.
Large stadiums in Miami, Jacksonville, Tampa, and other cities
host collegiate and professional sporting events. The Orange Bowl,
home to the University of Miami’s football team, was noted
as the site of a major postseason college football game until 1996,
when the game was moved to Pro Player Stadium.
Florida’s professional sports teams include the Miami
Dolphins (football), the Miami Heat (basketball), the Florida Marlins
(baseball), and the Florida Panthers (ice hockey), all in
Miami; the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (football), the Tampa Bay Lightning
(ice hockey), and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (baseball); the Orlando
Magic (basketball); and the Jacksonville Jaguars (football). The famed Daytona 500 highlights the professional auto racing season at the Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach. Horse racing, dog racing, and jai alai are also important spectator
sports.
The state’s first radio station, WQAM in Miami, began
operations in 1921. Today, south Florida radio is known for its
eclectic mix of North American, Caribbean, and Latin musical styles.
Tampa-St. Petersburg, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, and Orlando are leading
markets for broadcast and cable television services. In the late 1990s,
Florida had 42 daily newspapers with a total daily circulation of about
3 million copies. Florida’s first newspaper, the
East Florida Gazette
, appeared in St. Augustine in 1783, and the oldest newspaper still published here is the
Florida Times-Union
, founded in Jacksonville in 1864. The
Miami Herald
, a nationally prominent newspaper, is known for its extensive coverage
of the Caribbean and Latin America. Other major newspapers include the
Sun-Sentinel
, published in Fort Lauderdale; the
Orlando Sentinel
; the
St. Petersburg Times
; the
Tampa Tribune
; and the Spanish-language
Diario Las Amécas
, published in Miami.
In the early 2000s an estimated 61% of Florida households had computers, and 56% had Internet access.
The present constitution of Florida became effective in January
1969; previous constitutions had been adopted in 1839, 1861, 1865,
1868, and 1886. Constitutional amendments can be proposed by a three-fifths majority
vote of the legislature, by a specified number of voters, or by
a constitutional convention. To become effective, an amendment must
be approved by a majority of persons voting on the issue in an election.
The chief executive of Florida is a governor, who is
popularly elected for four years and may serve up to two consecutive
terms. In case of the governor’s resignation, death, or removal from
office, he or she is replaced by the lieutenant governor, who is
jointly elected with the governor. Voters in 1998 approved a
constitutional amendment to streamline the Florida cabinet, effective
with the 2002 election; a key provision of the amendment was the
elimination of the secretary of state as an elective position and a
reassignment of the functions of that office to gubernatorial
appointees. Under the revised system, the attorney general, agriculture
commissioner, and chief financial officer are popularly elected to
4-year terms; the commissioner of education is chosen by a state board
of education, which is appointed by the governor.
The legislature of Florida consists of a senate and a house
of representatives. The senate has 40 members, elected to 4-year
terms, and the house has 120 members, elected to 2-year terms. The
president of the senate is elected by all senators, and the speaker
of the house by all representatives. A special session of the legislature
may be convened by the governor.
Florida’s highest court, the supreme court, has seven
members; the chief justice is elected by the court for a two-year term.
Second highest are five district courts of appeal, with a total of 62
judges. Supreme court and district court judges are appointed by the
governor to initial 6-year terms, which can be extended by voters in
general elections every six years. The system of trial courts includes
20 circuit courts, whose 527 judges are elected to 6-year terms on a
nonpartisan basis; county and juvenile courts; and courts of justices
of the peace.
The basic unit of local government in Florida is the county.
Most of the state’s 67 counties are administered by five-member
elected boards of commissioners. Other elected county officials
are the sheriff, tax collector, tax assessor, supervisor of elections,
clerk of the circuit court, auditor, recorder, and custodian of
county funds. Smaller units are municipalities and special districts. In the early 2000s, Florida had 404 municipalities, 95 school districts, and 626 special districts.
Based on the 2000 census and effective with the election of 2002,
Florida elects two senators and 25 representatives to the U.S. Congress.
The state has 27 electoral votes in presidential elections.
Since 1877 most of Florida’s governors have belonged
to the Democratic party. From 1880 to 1948 the state’s
voters favored the Democratic presidential nominee in all elections except
that of 1928; a Republican trend has been evident since the early
1950s, although Democrats retain an edge in voter registration.
Rapid population growth has greatly magnified Florida’s
national political importance in recent decades.
The economy of Florida has greatly expanded and diversified
since the early 20th century, when it was dominated by farming.
Agriculture remained important in the early 2000s, but government, health care, tourism, finance, and other service industries were the dominant sectors, and manufacturing (especially of high-technology items) also contributed
heavily to the economy. Many jobs were associated with U.S. government
facilities, such as the John F. Kennedy Space Center, on Cape Canaveral,
and Eglin Air Force Base, near Pensacola. Miami was a growing international
financial center for the Caribbean region. Florida’s economy
benefited from the many older persons who spent their retirement
income in the state.
| FLORIDA STATE ECONOMY |
| STATE BUDGET (in thousands) |
| General revenue |
$75,176,415 |
| General expenditure |
$58,943,442 |
| Accumulated debt |
$23,194,784 |
 |
| STATE TAXES PER CAPITA |
$1,756 |
|
| PERSONAL INCOME, PER CAPITA |
$33,219 |
|
| POPULATION BELOW POVERTY LEVEL |
13.1% |
|
| EMPLOYMENT DISTRIBUTION |
| Management, business, finance |
1,103,000 |
| Professional and related |
1,461,000 |
| Services |
1,375,000 |
| Sales and related |
1.038,000 |
| Office and administrative support |
1,155,000 |
| Farming, fishing, forestry |
45,000 |
| Construction and extraction |
535,000 |
| Installation, maintenance, repair |
300,00 |
| Production |
323,000 |
| Transportation and moving |
410,000 |
|
| GROSS STATE PRODUCT |
$674.0 billion |
|
| NET FARM INCOME |
$1,831,000 |
| Principal products |
greenhouse products, oranges, cane for sugar |
Florida is a major agricultural producer, ranking 9th
among the U.S. states in value of annual farm marketings. The state
contains some 43,000 farms, which have an average size of about 95 ha (235
acres). About 80% of Florida’s yearly agricultural income derives from
the sale of crops, and the rest is generated by sales of livestock and
livestock products. The principal farm product is citrus fruit,
particularly oranges, which are grown mainly in the central part of the
state; Florida leads the nation in the production of oranges,
grapefruit, and tangerines. The state’s second leading group of farm
commodities consists of greenhouse and nursery products, including
field-grown flowers. Dairy products and beef cattle are produced
chiefly in central and SE Florida.
Florida is second only to California in the production of
vegetables and melons, including including cucumbers, potatoes, watermelons, squash, radishes, and cabbage. Along with Louisiana, it is a leading state in growing sugarcane, produced principally in the Everglades region of the S. Tomatoes are an extremely valuable crop, and sweet corn and tobacco are also important. Large numbers of broiler chickens are raised, and Florida ranks among the national leaders in the production of strawberries and peanuts.
Florida contains about 6 million ha (15 million acres) of
timberland, which supports a substantial forest-products industry. The
annual timber harvest provides not only lumber but also pulpwood for
use in paper mills. About two-thirds of the harvest consists of
softwoods, mainly slash pine. Oak and hickory are among the leading
hardwoods cut. The forestry industry is concentrated in N Florida.
Florida ranks among the top states in the value of its
annual fish catch, with the catch in 2004 valued at nearly $200 million. Both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico are
important sources of fish, with the Gulf catch being nearly three times
as valuable. The principal marine species landed are shrimp, lobsters,
crabs, clams, oysters, swordfish, mackerel, mullet, and red snapper.
Commercial sponge fisheries operate off S Florida. Freshwater fish
formerly were an important commercial commodity, but now they are
caught almost exclusively by sport fishers. Aquaculture is a growing
industry; clams and oysters are cultivated, along with ornamental
tropical fish and plants.
Florida is the leading
U.S. producer of phosphate rock, a large portion of which is used
to manufacture fertilizer. Phosphate rock production, which accounts
for a substantial share of all minerals produced in Florida,
is centered in Polk Co. Florida ranks among the top states in the
yearly production of magnesium compounds, peat, zircon, titanium
concentrate, crushed stone, and masonry cement. Other important
minerals recovered include petroleum, sand and gravel, natural gas,
fuller’s earth, and kaolin.
In the early 2000s Florida manufacturing establishments employed about 350,000 people, and value added by manufactures came to about $40 billion a year. Manufactures account for about 6% of the
annual gross state product. The leading types of products include computers and electronic items, transportation
equipment, fabricated metal goods, processed foods, and machinery.
Leading food products include concentrated orange juice and other
citrus items, canned and frozen vegetables, and prepared seafood. Among
the state’s other important products are fertilizer, plastics, and
chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Electronic equipment is manufactured
partly in association with the U.S. space program and national defense
efforts. Transportation equipment includes aircraft and parts, vehicles
built for the space program, and missiles constructed for the armed
forces. Among the state’s other manufactures are tobacco products
(notably cigars made in Tampa), clothing and textiles, and paper
products. The Miami and Tampa-St. Petersburg metropolitan areas are the
main manufacturing centers.
Florida’s leading economic sector is tourism, and tourism-related enterprises, such as hotels, restaurants, and recreational services, are a major source of employment. Some 60 million people vacation in the state each year, yielding more than $50 billion in revenue. Tourists are attracted by Florida’s warm climate, especially in winter,
and by its many cultural and recreational offerings. Among the most
popular beach resorts are Daytona Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami
Beach, on the Atlantic coast, and Clearwater and Panama City, on the
Gulf coast. Also popular are Canaveral National Seashore, on the
Atlantic near the Kennedy Space Center, and Gulf Islands National
Seashore, near Pensacola.
Several major tourist attractions have been developed
away from the coastal areas. The largest of these is the Walt Disney
World theme park and recreation complex, near Orlando, which attracts
millions of visitors each year. Other inland attractions include
SeaWorld and the Universal Studios theme park, near Orlando. Some 30 million people visit Florida’s national and state parks each year. These include Everglades National Park, encompassing a huge subtropical wilderness, and the adjacent Big Cypress National Preserve, which contains a great variety of plant and animal life. Biscayne National
Park also is in the area.
Florida is served by a dense network of transportation
facilities. The state has about 193,725 km (120,375 mi) of highways, including some 2370 km (1470 mi) of interstate highways. Jacksonville is a major rail hub.
The busiest airfield is Miami International Airport, with many connections to Caribbean islands and Central and South America. Other major airports serve Orlando, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, and Jacksonville. Large numbers of tourists travel to and from Florida by airplane.
Florida has several major seaports, some serving
vessels using the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and the Gulf
Intracoastal Waterway. Leading ports on the Atlantic coast are
Jacksonville, Port Everglades (near Fort Lauderdale), and Miami, and
major ports on the Gulf coast are Tampa, Panama City, and Pensacola.
Florida’s electric power plants have an installed
generating capacity of about 50 million kw and produce over 200 billion kwh of electricity each year. More than 80% of the electricity is generated from fossil fuels, about 15% by nuclear power plants, and a small amount at hydroelectric and
internal-combustion facilities. Nuclear power units are situated at
Florida City, near Miami; at Hutchinson Island, near Fort Pierce; and
at Crystal River.
| HISTORY |
|
| |