Portal:Florida

The Florida Portal

Florida (/ˈflɔːrɪdə/ (listen), Spanish pronunciation: [floˈɾi.ða]) 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 Florida.

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Surface weather analysis of the storm nearing Puerto Rico

The Okeechobee hurricane of 1928, also known as the San Felipe Segundo hurricane, was one of the deadliest hurricanes in the recorded history of the North Atlantic basin; it was the fourth tropical cyclone, third hurricane, and only major hurricane of that year's hurricane season. It developed off the west coast of Africa on September 6 as a tropical depression, but it strengthened into a tropical storm later that day, shortly before passing south of the Cape Verde islands. Further intensification was slow and halted late on September 7. About 48 hours later, the storm strengthened and became a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. Still moving westward, the system reached Category 4 intensity before striking Guadeloupe on September 12, where it brought great destruction and resulted in 1,200 deaths. The islands of Martinique, Montserrat, and Nevis also reported damage and fatalities, but not nearly as severe as in Guadeloupe.

Around midday on September 13, the storm strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane and peaked with sustained winds of 160 mph (260 km/h). About six hours later, the system made landfall in Puerto Rico; it remains the only tropical cyclone on record to strike the island at Category 5 intensity, as of 2019. Very strong winds resulted in severe damage in Puerto Rico; 24,728 homes were destroyed and 192,444 were damaged throughout the island, leaving over 500,000 people homeless. Heavy rainfall also led to extreme damage to vegetation and agriculture. On Puerto Rico alone, there were 312 deaths and about $50 million USD ($730 million today) in damage. While crossing the island and emerging into the Atlantic, the storm weakened slightly, falling to Category 4 intensity. It began crossing through the Bahamas on September 16, where it resulted in 18 fatalities. Read more...

Did you know...

• ... that Tropical Depression Six of the 1975 Atlantic hurricane season caused the Florida Panhandle to have its rainiest July since 1923?
• ... that Rabbi Michael Robinson and 15 other Reform rabbis were arrested and jailed after answering Martin Luther King's call to stand with him for civil rights in St. Augustine, Florida?
• ... that a hotel shaped like a starship, based on the Star Wars franchise, is planned for Walt Disney World?
• ... that the setting of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is heavily based on the city of Miami?
• ... that Icebar Orlando is claimed to be the world's largest permanent ice bar?
• ... that when the Colonial Plaza shopping center opened in 1956 in Orlando, Florida, its sidewalks were tinted green to reduce glare?

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WikiProjects

Main project

• WikiProject Florida

Sub-projects

• Jacksonville
• Miami
• Navarre
• Tampa Bay
• State University System
• FIU
• FSU
• UCF
• UF
• State Roads

Related portals

• 
  North America
• 
  United States
• 
  Georgia (U.S. state)

Selected biography -

Bowden pictured in 2007

Robert Cleckler Bowden (born November 8, 1929) is a retired American football coach. Bowden is best known for coaching the Florida State Seminoles football team from the 1976 to 2009 seasons.

During his time at Florida State, Bowden led FSU to an Associated Press and Coaches Poll National Title in 1993 and a BCS National Championship in 1999, as well as twelve Atlantic Coast Conference championships since FSU joined the conference in 1991. After a difficult 2009 season and amid questioning fans, Bowden was fired by President T.K. Wetherell, just weeks after his 80th birthday. He was allowed to make his final coaching appearance in the 2010 Gator Bowl game on January 1, 2010, with a 33–21 victory over his former program, West Virginia. Read more...

Selected images -

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  Downtown Miami, viewed from Virginia Key

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  A Cuban sandwich is a variation of a ham and cheese sandwich that originated among the Cuban workers in the cigar factories in Key West, Florida

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  Florida from space, taken by Shuttle Mission STS-95 on October 31, 1998

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  Fort Brooke was a historical military post situated on the east bank (at the mouth) of the Hillsborough River in present-day Tampa, Florida

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  Farles Prairie in Ocala National Forest

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  Fountains at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park in Tampa, Florida

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  A Great blue heron at Alafia River State Park

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  Fort Jefferson at the Dry Tortugas

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  The main street in Alachua downtown historic district

Current events

November 1, 2019 –

A Grumman OV-1 Mohawk crashes at an air show in Stuart, Florida, killing the pilot. (WPTV-TV)

October 23, 2019 – Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, Fort Lauderdale airport shooting

In a special session of the Florida Senate, the chamber voted 25–15 to uphold the suspension of former Broward Sheriff Scott Israel for his agency's response to the mass shootings at both Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Parkland. (WPLG)

October 22, 2019 – Florida International University pedestrian bridge collapse

The National Transportation Safety Board of the United States concludes its investigation into the accident, which killed six and injured ten. It states design errors were the immediate cause, exacerbated by failures to take appropriate remedial action when cracks were discovered. (USA Today)

October 10, 2019 –

Michael Drejka, a 47-year-old white Florida man who shot and killed Markeis McGlockton, an unarmed 28-year-old African American man, in a parking space dispute, is sentenced to 20 years in prison. Drejka had cited Florida's stand-your-ground law in his defense and was not initially charged until the case was handed over to State Attorney Bernie McCabe, who charged Drejka with one count of manslaughter. (ABC News)

October 4, 2019 –

A woman in Florida is arrested and charged with explosives offences after a police raid on her home finds 24 pipe bombs and bomb-making material and several other weapons. She admits constructing the devices to harm people. Police were notified of the problem by the 27-year-old's parents. (CNN)

August 28, 2019 – Hurricane Dorian

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declares a state of emergency in anticipation of Hurricane Dorian, which is expected to make landfall in the state within days. (WOFL) (The New York Times)

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

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  The Battle of Olustee was the only major Civil War battle fought in Florida.

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  A 1591 map of Florida by Jacques le Moyne de Morgues.

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  Five flags of Florida, not including the current State Flag or France.

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  A depiction of what might be Florida from the 1502 Cantino map

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  A shell midden at Enterprise in 1875.

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  Juan Ponce de León (Santervás de Campos, Valladolid, Spain). He was one of the first Europeans to set foot in the current U.S.; he led the first European expedition to Florida, which he named.

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  A 1527 map by Vesconte Maggiolo showing the east coast of North America with "Tera Florida" at the top and "Lavoradore" at the bottom.

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  "Butterfly ballot"

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  Destruction in Lakes by the Bay near Miami following Hurricane Andrew

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  Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort

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  Seminole leader Osceola.

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  Timucua Indians at a column erected by the French in 1562

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  Soldiers and crowds in Downtown Miami 20 minutes after Japan's surrender ending World War II (1945).

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  Andrew Jackson served as the first military Governor of Florida.

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  Bernard Picart Copper Plate Engraving of Florida Indians, Circa 1721

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  Tourists hunting in 1893

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  Kennedy Space Center.

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  The brick Capitol as built in 1845.

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  The expanded West Florida territory in 1767.

Quality content

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 Daytona 500 • 2006 Ford 400 • 2008 TNA World X Cup Tournament • 2009 Budweiser Shootout • 2009 Ford 400 • 2010 Cafés do Brasil Indy 300 • 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

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Did you know? articles

WGAG-FM (2019-09-29) • Maggy Hurchalla (2019-09-22) • 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)

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Selected panorama -

West Palm Beach, also known as West Palm, is the most populous city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida. According to the University of Florida's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 107,617. West Palm has a much larger unincorporated population estimated at upwards of 250,000.

Topics

Associated Wikimedia

Things you can do

• 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...

Sources

Portals

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