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The Florida Portal


Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to the south by the Straits of Florida and Cuba; it is the only state that borders both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Spanning 65,758 square miles (170,310 km2), Florida ranks 22nd in area among the 50 states, and with a population of over 21 million, is the third-most populous. The state capital is Tallahassee and the most populous city is Jacksonville. The Miami metropolitan area, with a population of almost 6.2 million, is the most populous urban area in Florida and the ninth-most populous in the United States; other urban conurbations with over one million people are Tampa Bay, Orlando, and Jacksonville.

Various Native American groups have inhabited Florida for at least 14,000 years. In 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León became the first known European to make landfall, calling the region La Florida ([la floˈɾiða] for its lush greenery and the Easter season (Pascua Florida in Spanish). Florida subsequently became the first area in the continental U.S. to be permanently settled by Europeans, with the Spanish colony of St. Augustine, founded in 1565, being the oldest continuously inhabited city. Florida was repeatedly contested by Spain and Great Britain, before being ceded to the U.S. in 1819; it was admitted as the 27th state on March 3, 1845. Florida was the principal location of the Seminole Wars (1816–1858), the longest and most extensive of the Indian Wars in U.S. history. The state seceded from the Union on January 10, 1861, becoming one of the seven original Confederate States, though rejoined the union after the Civil War on June 25, 1868.

Since the mid-20th century, Florida has experienced rapid demographic and economic growth. Its economy, with a gross state product (GSP) of $1.0 trillion, is the fourth-largest of any U.S. state and the 16th-largest in the world; the main sectors are tourism, hospitality, agriculture, real estate, and transportation. Florida is world-renowned for its beach resorts, amusement parks, warm and sunny climate, and nautical recreation; attractions such as Walt Disney World, the Kennedy Space Center, and Miami Beach draw tens of millions of visitors annually. Florida is a popular destination for retirees, seasonal vacationers, and both domestic and international migrants; it hosts nine out of the ten fastest-growing communities in the U.S. The state's close proximity to the ocean has shaped its culture, identity, and daily life; its colonial history and successive waves of migration are reflected in African, European, Indigenous, Latino, and Asian influences. Florida has attracted or inspired writers such as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams, and continues to attract celebrities and athletes, particularly in golf, tennis, auto racing, and water sports. Florida was also heavily noted for being a battleground state in American presidential elections, particularly those in 2000, 2016, and 2020. (Full article...)

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Georges September 19 1998 1745Z.png

Hurricane Georges (/ʒɔːrʒ/) was a powerful and long-lived Cape Verde Category 4 hurricane which caused severe destruction as it traversed the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico in September 1998, making eight landfalls along its path. Georges was the seventh tropical storm, fourth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season. It became the most destructive storm of the season, the costliest Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and remained the costliest until Hurricane Charley in 2004, and the deadliest since Hurricane Gordon in 1994. Georges killed 604 people, mainly on the island of Hispaniola, caused extensive damage resulting at just under $10 billion (1998 US dollars) in damages and leaving nearly neatly 500,000 homeless in St. Kitts and Nevis, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and Cuba.

The hurricane made landfall in at least six countries (Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and the United States), more than any other hurricane since Hurricane Inez of the 1966 season. Throughout its path of destruction, it caused extreme flooding and mudslides, as well as heavy crop damage. Thousands were left homeless as a result of the storm in the Lesser Antilles, and damage totals totaled up to about US$880 million. In the Greater Antilles, hundreds of deaths were confirmed, along with over $2.4 billion in damages. Hundreds of thousands were left homeless, along with catastrophic flooding amounts, torrential rain, and high storm surge. Flooding was exacerbated heavily by coastal defenses being broken from high waves. Crops were heavily damaged, and thousands of houses were destroyed due to mudslides. (Full article...)
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Did you know...

Did you know?
  • ... that the perpetrator of the 2018 Tallahassee shooting identified with the involuntary celibate community and denounced interracial dating?
  • ... that a jury awarded $225,000 to the prospective owners of Florida radio station WODX because of poor record-keeping and breaches of their lease agreement?
  • ... that Tracy R. Norris, the first female commander of the Texas Military Department, has masters degrees from Florida State University, the University of Texas, and the United States Army War College?
  • ... that when WFAB radio in Miami was forced off the air in 1977, Hispanic-owned shops in Homestead closed for an hour in protest?
  • ... that Homestead, Florida, radio station WOIR was credited with saving the lives of hundreds of farmworkers in a labor camp before the arrival of Hurricane Andrew?
  • ... that after Florida schools banned 54 mathematics books, Chaz Stevens petitioned that they also ban the Bible?

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Florida's number three industry, behind tourism and skin cancer, is voter fraud

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The following are images from various Florida-related articles on Wikipedia.

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Marjory S Douglas Friends photo.jpg

Marjory Stoneman Douglas (April 7, 1890 – May 14, 1998) was an American journalist, author, women's suffrage advocate, and conservationist known for her staunch defense of the Everglades against efforts to drain it and reclaim land for development. Moving to Miami as a young woman to work for The Miami Herald, she became a freelance writer, producing over one hundred short stories that were published in popular magazines. Her most influential work was the book The Everglades: River of Grass (1947), which redefined the popular conception of the Everglades as a treasured river instead of a worthless swamp. Its impact has been compared to that of Rachel Carson's influential book Silent Spring (1962). Her books, stories, and journalism career brought her influence in Miami, enabling her to advance her causes.

As a young woman, Douglas was outspoken and politically conscious of the women's suffrage and civil rights movements. She was called upon to take a central role in the protection of the Everglades when she was 79 years old. For the remaining 29 years of her life she was "a relentless reporter and fearless crusader" for the natural preservation and restoration of South Florida. Her tireless efforts earned her several variations of the nickname "Grande Dame of the Everglades" as well as the hostility of agricultural and business interests looking to benefit from land development in Florida. She received numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and was inducted into several halls of fame. (Full article...)

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Current events

November 10, 2022 – 2022 Atlantic hurricane season
Two people are killed after Hurricane Nicole makes landfall in Florida, United States, thereby bringing the death toll from the hurricane to eight. (The Wall Street Journal)
November 9, 2022 – 2022 Atlantic hurricane season
Tropical Storm Nicole makes landfall in the Bahamas, with flooding and power outages reported in the Abaco Islands. In the United States, Walt Disney World and other resorts in Florida close because of the storm. (AP)
November 2, 2022 – Stoneman Douglas High School shooting
Nikolas Cruz receives 34 life sentences for the 2018 mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, United States. (CBS News)
October 5, 2022 – 2022 Atlantic hurricane season
The bridge connecting Pine Island in Lee County, Florida, reopens to the public after undergoing repairs from damage caused by Hurricane Ian. (Wink News)

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  • WikiProject Florida
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  • Manatee-Sarasota History
  • Miami
  • Navarre
  • Tampa Bay
  • Florida International University
  • Florida State University
  • State University System of Florida
  • University of Central Florida
  • University of Florida
  • U.S. Roads/Florida

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A panoramic view of the Downtown Miami skyline
Credit: Averette

Downtown Miami is the central business district of South Florida, Miami-Dade County and Miami, Florida. Brickell Avenue/Biscayne Boulevard is the main north-south road in downtown, and Flagler Street is the main east-west road in the Central Business District.

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Featured articles

1910 Cuba hurricane1928 Okeechobee hurricane2012 Budweiser ShootoutAmerican white ibisAndrew SleddBiscayne National ParkDerek JeterDraining and development of the EvergladesErnest HemingwayEverglades National ParkFalcon's FuryGeography and ecology of the EvergladesGregor MacGregorGuy BradleyHogwarts Express (Universal Orlando Resort)Hurricane AndrewIndigenous people of the Everglades regionJohn F. BoltMarjory Stoneman DouglasRestoration of the EvergladesRosewood massacreSci-Fi Dine-In Theater RestaurantSheiKraSpace Shuttle Challenger disasterSt. Johns RiverStephen CraneTurning Point (2008 wrestling)USS Massachusetts (BB-2)Walt Disney World RailroadWilliam Cooley

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List of Florida hurricanesList of Florida hurricanes (pre-1900)List of Tampa Bay Rays seasonsList of University of Central Florida alumniList of birds of FloridaList of counties in FloridaList of governors of FloridaList of invasive species in the EvergladesList of mammals of FloridaList of municipalities in FloridaList of sister cities in FloridaSnow in Florida

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1898 Georgia hurricane1928 Florida Gators football team1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season1986 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season1987 Gulf Coast tropical storm1987 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season1989 Florida's 18th congressional district special election1998 Pepsi 4002003 Budweiser Shootout2005 TNA Super X Cup Tournament2006 Daytona 5002006 Ford 4002008 TNA World X Cup Tournament2009 Budweiser Shootout2009 Ford 4002010 Cafés do Brasil Indy 3002010 Daytona 5002010 Ford 4002011 Budweiser Shootout2011 Daytona 5002011 Gatorade Duels2012 Daytona 5002012 Gatorade Duels2016 24 Hours of Daytona2018 24 Hours of DaytonaAgainst All Odds (2005)Albert A. MurphreeAndy HansenApalachee massacreApollo 1Ashlyn HarrisBattle of Flint RiverBob TurleyBomisBound for Glory (2005)Brad Miller (baseball)Burger KingBurger King franchisesBurger King legal issuesBurger King productsCarlos (Calusa)Caroline Street (Key West)Casey Donovan (actor)Catie BallChad MottolaCheetah HuntChicago Options AssociatesChuck Baldwin 2008 presidential campaignClimate of Florida

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Pipeline: The Surf Coaster (2022-11-03)Jamie Keeton (2022-10-06)Skeeter Reece (2022-10-04)2022 U.S. Open Cup Final (2022-10-04)Cauley Square (2022-09-12)Dania Beach Hurricane (2022-09-11)Cheetah Hunt (2022-09-05)Sean Barber (2022-09-01)Lee Wachtstetter (2022-08-31)Tigris (roller coaster) (2022-08-28)Ken Russell (politician) (2022-08-25)Chaz Stevens (2022-08-22)Hank Goldberg (2022-08-16)Dwight Smith (baseball) (2022-08-07)Mario Salcedo (2022-08-06)WPST-TV (2022-07-24)Lance McCullers (2022-07-23)WAQI (2022-07-18)Iron Gwazi (2022-07-11)The Mutiny Hotel (2022-06-09)NetPark Tampa Bay (2022-06-08)Dave Thomas (politician) (2022-06-04)Royal Theater (St. Petersburg, Florida) (2022-05-05)Disney and Florida's Parental Rights in Education Act (2022-04-21)Mary Hayes Davis (2022-04-17)Jovani Furlan (2022-03-24)Peter Walker (dancer) (2022-03-21)Jack Sweeney (2022-03-15)WGBS-TV (2022-03-03)WITV (Florida) (2022-03-02)Milam Residence (2022-02-25)Lake Worth Beach, Florida (2022-02-10)Zigzag House (2022-02-07)Comedian (artwork) (2022-01-28)WTNT-FM (2022-01-27)Surfing Santas (2021-12-24)Moms for Liberty (2021-12-19)Dinosaur Wildlife (2021-09-03)Flora Mae Hunter (2021-08-18)Potential Tropical Cyclone Ten (2021-08-15)Florida death metal (2021-08-07)George Floyd (American football) (2021-08-03)Josh Phillips (murderer) (2021-07-10)WOIR (2021-07-09)Nikki Fried (2021-07-09)Three Notch Road (2021-06-24)WVOI (2021-06-16)Matt Moore (baseball) (2021-06-14)EliteXC: Heat (2021-05-25)Annamary Dickey (2021-05-23)

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Sources

  1. ^ "Cuba's most famous food isn't even from Cuba — or Miami". Matador Network.
  2. ^ "Viva La Cuban Sandwich!". Farmers’ Almanac. March 20, 2015.
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This page was last updated at 2022-11-22 08:27 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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