Portal:Florida

The Florida Portal

Downtown Tampa, Florida in 1913

Florida (/ˈflɒrɪdə/ (listen)) is the southernmost contiguous state in the United States. The state 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 Atlantic Ocean, and to the south by the Straits of Florida. Florida is the 22nd-most extensive (65,755 sq mi or 170,300 km²), the 3rd-most populous (21,312,211 inhabitants), and the 8th-most densely populated (384.3/sq mi or 148.4/km²) of the U.S. states. Jacksonville is the most populous municipality in the state and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. The Miami metropolitan area is Florida's most populous urban area. Tallahassee is the state's capital.

Florida's $1.0 trillion economy is the fourth largest in the United States. If it were a country, Florida would be the 16th largest economy in the world, and the 58th most populous . In 2017, Florida's per capita personal income was $47,684, ranking 26th in the nation. The unemployment rate in September 2018 was 3.5% and ranked as the 18th in the United States. Florida exports nearly $55 billion in goods made in the state, the 8th highest among all states. The Miami Metropolitan Area is by far the largest urban economy in Florida and the 12th largest in the United States with a GDP of $345 billion . This is more than twice the number of the next metro area, the Tampa Bay Area, which has a GDP of $145 billion. Florida is home to 51 of the world's billionaires with most of them residing in South Florida.

The first European contact was made in 1513 by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León, who called it la Florida ([la floˈɾiða] "the land of flowers") upon landing there in the Easter season, known in Spanish as Pascua Florida. Florida was a challenge for the European colonial powers before it gained statehood in the United States in 1845. It was a principal location of the Seminole Wars against the Native Americans, and racial segregation after the American Civil War.

Today, Florida is distinctive for its large Cuban expatriate community and high population growth, as well as for its increasing environmental issues. The state's economy relies mainly on tourism, agriculture, and transportation, which developed in the late 19th century. Florida is also renowned for amusement parks, orange crops, winter vegetables, the Kennedy Space Center, and as a popular destination for retirees. Florida is the flattest state in the United States. Lake Okeechobee is the largest freshwater lake in the U.S. state of Florida.

Selected article -

Hurricane Wilma was the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Atlantic basin, and the second-most intense tropical cyclone recorded in the Western Hemisphere, after Hurricane Patricia in 2015. Part of the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, which included three of the ten most intense Atlantic hurricanes ever (along with #4 Rita and #7 Katrina), Wilma was the twenty-second storm, thirteenth hurricane, sixth major hurricane, fourth Category 5 hurricane, and the second-most destructive hurricane of the 2005 season. A tropical depression formed in the Caribbean Sea near Jamaica on October 15, headed westward, and intensified into a tropical storm two days later, which abruptly turned southward and was named Wilma. Wilma continued to strengthen, and eventually became a hurricane on October 18. Shortly thereafter, explosive intensification occurred, and in only 24 hours, Wilma became a Category 5 hurricane with wind speeds of 185 mph (298 km/h).

Wilma's intensity slowly leveled off after becoming a Category 5 hurricane, and winds had decreased to 150 mph (240 km/h) before it reached the Yucatán Peninsula on October 20 and 21. After crossing the Yucatán, Wilma emerged into the Gulf of Mexico as a Category 2 hurricane. As it began accelerating to the northeast, gradual re-intensification occurred, and the hurricane was upgraded to Category 3 status on October 24. Shortly thereafter, Wilma made landfall in Cape Romano, Florida with winds of 120 mph (190 km/h). As Wilma was crossing Florida, it briefly weakened back to a Category 2 hurricane, but again re-intensified as it reached the Atlantic Ocean. The hurricane intensified into a Category 3 hurricane for the last time, before weakening while accelerating northeastward. By October 26, Wilma transitioned into an extratropical cyclone southeast of Nova Scotia. Read more...

Did you know...

Main project

Sub-projects

Featured articles

1910 Cuba hurricane • 1928 Okeechobee hurricane • 2012 Budweiser Shootout • American white ibis • Andrew Sledd • Biscayne National Park • Draining and development of the Everglades • Everglades National Park • Florida Atlantic University • Geography and ecology of the Everglades • Gregor MacGregor • Guy Bradley • Hogwarts Express (Universal Orlando Resort) • Hurricane Andrew • Indigenous people of the Everglades region • John F. Bolt • Marjory Stoneman Douglas • Restoration of the Everglades • Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami • Rosewood massacre • Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant • St. Johns River • Stephen Crane • Turning Point (2008 wrestling) • USS Massachusetts (BB-2) • Walt Disney World Railroad • William Cooley

Featured lists

List of Florida hurricanes • List of Tampa Bay Rays seasons • List of University of Central Florida alumni • List of birds of Florida • List of counties in Florida • List of governors of Florida • List of invasive species in the Everglades • List of mammals of Florida • List of municipalities in Florida • List of sister cities in Florida • Snow in Florida

Good articles

1898 Georgia hurricane • 1928 Florida Gators football team • 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season • 1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season • 1986 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season • 1987 Gulf Coast tropical storm • 1987 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season • 1989 Florida's 18th congressional district special election • 1998 Pepsi 400 • 2003 Budweiser Shootout • 2005 TNA Super X Cup Tournament • 2006 Ford 400 • 2008 TNA World X Cup Tournament • 2009 Budweiser Shootout • 2009 Ford 400 • 2010 Ford 400 • 2011 Budweiser Shootout • 2011 Daytona 500 • 2011 Gatorade Duels • 2012 Daytona 500 • 2012 Gatorade Duels • Against All Odds (2005) • Albert A. Murphree • Andy Hansen • Apalachee massacre • Apollo 1 • Ashlyn Harris • Battle of Flint River • Bob Turley • Bomis • Bound for Glory (2005) • Burger King • Burger King franchises • Burger King legal issues • Burger King products • Caroline Street (Key West) • Casey Donovan (actor) • Catie Ball • Chad Mottola • Chicago Options Associates • Chuck Baldwin 2008 presidential campaign • Climate of Florida • Climate of the Tampa Bay area • Cobra's Curse • Colonial Plaza • Cool Hand Luke • Coral Springs, Florida • Danny Valencia • Dara Torres • Dave Martinez

Reached maximum of 50 out of 160

Did you know? articles

History of West Palm Beach, Florida (2019-08-24) • Stony coral tissue loss disease (2019-07-27) • Mike Gioulakis (2019-04-20) • Florida shuffle (2019-04-09) • Marjorie Paxson (2019-04-05) • Wayne Messam (2019-03-15) • 2003 Budweiser Shootout (2019-03-05) • Gaspar Jiménez (2019-02-24) • Emilio Milián (2019-02-24) • Steve Swindal (2019-02-15) • 2018 Florida Amendment 4 (2019-02-09) • Steinbrenner family (2019-02-02) • Reticulated siren (2018-12-24) • Agnes Ballard (2018-12-15) • Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (2018-12-12) • Tallahassee shooting (2018-12-09) • Mako (SeaWorld Orlando) (2018-10-04) • Colonial Plaza (2018-10-03) • Ybor Stadium (2018-09-06) • Loxahatchee Groves, Florida (2018-08-02) • Bradenton Riverwalk (2018-05-10) • Tyler Kinley (2018-04-29) • 1989 Florida's 18th congressional district special election (2018-04-21) • Murder of Harry and Harriette Moore (2018-04-02) • Nancy Marcus (2018-03-18) • Savannah Jordan (2018-02-03) • Ochlockonee River State Park (2018-01-19) • Marvin Pipkin (2018-01-19) • Orchard Pond Parkway (2018-01-15) • Loggerhead Key (2017-10-18) • Reid Moore Jr. (2017-09-12) • John W. Martin (2017-08-22) • Disappearance of Tiffany Daniels (2017-08-12) • Frank J. Canova (2017-07-20) • Tomahawk chop (2017-06-04) • The Visionary (2017-05-30) • 1966 Miami Dolphins season (2017-05-28) • Maurice S. Osser (2017-05-15) • Monument of States (2017-04-10) • Detachment Hotel (2017-03-07) • Henry L. Reaves (2017-02-16) • 2000 Miami Dolphins season (2017-02-15) • Walt Disney World Railroad (2017-01-27) • Merian C. Cooper (2016-12-08) • Stephanie Murphy (2016-12-06) • Wink Groover (2016-11-29) • Ecology Party of Florida (2016-11-10) • 1970 United States Senate election in Florida (2016-11-04) • 1970 Florida gubernatorial election (2016-10-03) • 1928 Florida Gators football team (2016-09-28)

Reached maximum of 50 out of 456

• Tag all talk pages of Florida articles and categories with {{WPFlorida|class=|importance=}}
• Ensure all Florida categories have a brief text description (e.g. Stuff in the U.S. state of Florida.)
• Find images for articles (see Category:Wikipedia requested photographs in Florida)
• Provide sources for unreferenced articles (see lists at Cite sources and Unreferenced BLPs)
• Add county templates ({{Hamilton County, Florida}}, {{Jackson County, Florida}}, etc.) to appropriate cities.
• Expand many, many articles and locate other articles that require expansion.

Open tasks:

• Requests: James Speer, Leigh Reed, Rubin Stacy, Fellsmere Frogleg Festival, El Sentinel Orlando, Larry D. Simpson, Ruth Eckerd, Florida Public Housing Projects, Bay District Schools (Florida), Orlando Ballet
• Expand: Nathan Mayo, Lake Weir, Dorcas Drake, Cheeburger Cheeburger, Cape Romano, Ten Thousand Islands, Great Florida Birding Trail, more...
• Copyedit, Cleanup or Wikify: Orlando Health, Withlacoochee, Plant City and Boca Grande Railroad, Tampa International Airport, USF Soccer Stadium, Scott Camil, WDAE (AM), U.S. Route 92, Central Florida Research Park, Lawton Chiles High School, Rutherford High School
• Cite sources: Central Florida Krush, WVEN-TV, more...
• Images wanted: Heathrow, Florida, ALLTEL Stadium, Fantasy Fest more...
• SVGs to make Boca Raton and Deerfield Beach City Seals, Maps of Lake Okeechobee and Everglades National Park, more...

Portals