Florida: The Sunshine State

Florida: The Sunshine State — page 1 — INTRODUCTION Millions of people know Florida as a great place to vacation but it is much more than that The long peninsula with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other stretches hundreds of miles from Pensacola to Key West This southeastern state produces the most citrus crops of any state in the United States It also produces dairy and beef products and manufactures forest products Throughout the winter months Florida produces fruit and vegetable crops These foods along with Florida’s famous orange juice end up in homes across the United States and in other countries Florida’s warm climate is ideal for growing fruit Florida is well known for its delicious orange juice 4 FLORIDA Florida’s waters are used for business and recreation QUICK FACTS Key West is the southernmost city in the mainland United States Spain sold the land that is now Florida to the United States in 1819 Florida’s first state flag had five horizontal stripes blue orange red white and green and a ribbon with the inscription Let us alone It flew from 1845 to 1861 Florida’s state song The Swanee River Old Folks at Home was written in 1851 The Suwannee River flows from Georgia through Florida to the Gulf of Mexico The gemstone known as the moonstone was adopted as Florida’s state gem after American astronauts landed on the moon in 1969 The stone is not found in Florida and astronauts did not find it on the moon

Florida: The Sunshine State — page 2 — INTRODUCTION5 For most Americans a trip to Florida means heading south perhaps for thousands of miles Except for Hawaii Florida is the southernmost state in the country It is the closest state to South America Georgia and Alabama border Florida to the north and water surrounds most of the rest of the state Florida is 447 miles long from the St Marys River in the north to the tip of the Florida Keys It is 361 miles wide across the northern panhandle from the Atlantic Ocean on the east to the Perdido River on the west The greatest width of the peninsula is 150 miles ALABAMA 65 Florida Location Map ALABAMA 10 Pensacola L Seminole Dead L L Talquin a l o c i h c a l a p A Flint 75 GEORGIA L Iamonia Tallahassee nee n a w u S S a t i l l a 95 St Marys Atlantic Ocean Jacksonville 10 95 Gainesville Orange L L George Daytona Beach 75 L Harris Orlando Gulf of Mexico Clearwater Largo St Petersburg 4 Tampa St Johns L Kissimmee 95 75 L Istokpoga L Okeechobee 75 BIG CYPRESS NATʼL PRES West Palm Beach Pompano Beach Fort Lauderdale Hollywood Miami Beach Miami Kendall BISCAYNE NATʼL PARK Hialeah EVERGLADES NATʼL PARK A K RID O L F S Y E Key West Population 15,982,378 Size 58,680 square miles Highest point Walton County 345 feet Capital Tallahassee Interstate highways Mi 10 20 0 Scale 0 16 1 32 2 Km Florida’s beaches are one of its many attractions QUICK FACTS Tallahassee the capital city was chosen in 1824 because it was halfway between St Augustine and Pensacola The new location meant the government no longer had to make the 20-day trip by horse between St Augustine and Pensacola for alternating sessions Florida’s state flag includes a red diagonal cross with the state seal in the middle The native Seminole Indians of Florida are represented on the seal as are flowers palm trees rivers lakes and the motto In God We Trust

Florida: The Sunshine State — page 3 — The great climate attracts many tourists It also attracts people who want to stay year-round Florida is one of the fastest-growing states in the United States and the fourth most populous in the country Dade County which includes the cities of Miami Hialeah and Miami Beach is the largest of the 67 counties in Florida Along with the climate water plays a huge role in drawing people to Florida Natural springs gush with freshwater There are more than 7,700 lakes in the state and wetlands such as the Everglades and the Big Cypress Swamp cover large areas Some Florida Seminole Indians live on the Big Cypress Reservation in the Everglades 6 FLORIDA Ichetucknee Springs is one of many freshwater springs in Florida QUICK FACTS Florida became a popular resort area more than 100 years ago People from the northern states discovered Florida’s natural beauty and mild climate The state was prosperous until the Great Depression hit in the 1930s The economy improved after World War II

Florida: The Sunshine State — page 4 — INTRODUCTION7 Florida students voted for the panther as the state animal in 1982 Panthers have been an endangered species since 1973 and are rarely seen anymore Florida’s state marine mammal is the manatee It is a gentle walruslike animal that can grow to more than 12 feet long and weigh up to 1,200 pounds From a distance the manatee’s two front flippers look like hands Manatees use their flippers to hold their food and to steer when they are swimming After declining for many years the number of alligators in Florida began to grow in the late 20th century The manatee is known for its gentle nature and whiskered face The Florida panther is smaller than most Western cougars and has a shorter coat longer legs and smaller feet QUICK FACTS The panther is a large long-tailed cat It lives in forests and the Everglades much the same as white tailed deer Deer are one of the cat’s main foods Humans are responsible for much of the manatee’s destruction This endangered species frequently dies as a result of collisions with boats pollution and getting caught in fishing lines Florida’s state reptile is the alligator state fish is the largemouth bass and state shell is the conch

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