Florida, a favorite destination of millions of tourists, is a fast-developing state of the southeastern United States. Mostly a peninsula, Florida is bordered by Alabama and Georgia on the north, the Atlantic Ocean on the east, the Straits of Florida on the south, and the Gulf of Mexico and Alabama on the west. The first European to visit the region was the Spanish explorer Juan \TPonce de Leon\t in 1513, who called it Florida ("feast of flowers"), either because he saw a profusion of flowers on its coast or because it was Easter week (Pascua florida). The first permanent European settlement in the continental United States was at \TSaint Augustine\t in 1565. LAND AND RESOURCES Florida is low-lying and level, with an average elevation of about 30 m (100 ft). The highest point, in Walton County in the northwest, is 105 m (345 ft) above sea level. Florida has 2,172 km (1,350 mi) of coastline, more than any other state except Alaska; 933 km (580 mi) of the coastline border the Atlantic, and 1,239 km (770 mi) border the Gulf of Mexico. The uneven coastline is indented with estuaries, bays, inlets, lagoons, and rivers. The \TFlorida Keys\t, an arc of islands--mostly either uplifted coral reefs or limestone shoals--lie off the state's southern tip. Physiographic Regions The land area of Florida and its continental shelf make up the Florida Plateau, which separates the Atlantic Ocean from the Gulf of Mexico. Volcanic mountains buried during the Paleozoic Era (510 to 230 million years ago) form the base of the Florida Plateau. At present, these volcanic rocks are approximately 3,959 m (13,000 ft) below the surface of central Florida. Sands and other materials that were deposited on the base have formed sedimentary rocks more than 1,200 m (4,000 ft) thick. The plateau has shifted over the centuries, and it is now tilted from east to west, with the eastern part higher than the western part as evidenced by the gulf's broad continental shelf. If the plateau were not tilted and the whole area were dry land, the state of Florida would be twice its present size. The Florida Plateau is divided into five land regions--the coastal lowlands, the \TEverglades\t, the central highlands, the northwestern highlands, and the Marianna lowlands. The coastal lowlands include the Atlantic and Gulf zones and contain 70% of Florida's population. The Everglades were originally a sea bottom. As the area was raised, the Okeechobee Basin remained higher than the area to the south. Because Lake \TOkeechobee\t is shallow, has low banks, and is in a wet region, water overflows to the south and southwest, creating a sea of water grasses, open water areas, cypress forests, and mangrove swamps. Human activities, however, have modified the water flow and changed the natural character of the Everglades. The central highlands, narrow in the south and wide in the north, are marked by sinkholes, lakes, and springs. A part of the \TOkefenokee Swamp\t is in the far north, astride the border with Georgia. West of the \TSuwannee River\t are the northwestern highlands, with elevations rising above 91 m (300 ft) and deeply cut river valleys. The Marianna lowlands bisect the northwestern highlands. Soils The coastal lowlands have poorly drained, sandy soils. In the Everglades the soil is primarily peat and muck, often highly sandy and lacking minerals. Well-drained sands, with small amounts of silt and clay, are found in the central highlands. The well-drained soils in the northwestern highlands and Marianna lowlands, with some clay content, are the best agricultural soils. Rivers and Lakes Because of Florida's relatively flat topography, most of its rivers are slow-moving, and many overflow during periods of heavy rain and dry up in times of drought. The state's longest river, the Saint Johns, flows north from Indian River County to the Atlantic Ocean, near Jacksonville. Other major rivers include the Apalachicola, Kissimmee, Peace, Perdido, St. Marys, Suwannee, and Withlacoochee. Florida's groundwaters are primarily supplied by the Floridan aquifer, which extends across the entire state, except in the far west. Lake Okeechobee is the largest lake in the state and the fourth largest natural lake within the United States. Central Florida is the site of numerous sinkhole lakes. Climate Florida's climate is influenced by the state's location, its peninsular shape, and its numerous inland water bodies. No place in the state is more than 110 km (70 mi) from open water. Winds that blow over the \TGulf Stream\t (an ocean current known locally as the Florida Current) moderate the climate. The Florida Keys have a tropical climate, with average temperatures ranging from 22 deg C (71 deg F) in January to 29 deg C (84 deg F) in July. Northern Florida has a subtropical to temperate climate; Tallahassee has average temperatures of 12 deg C (53 deg F) in January and 27 deg C (81 deg F) in July. The southeastern coast and the northwestern panhandle receive an average of 1,626 mm (64 in) of precipitation each year. In north central Florida the average annual precipitation is approximately 1,321 mm (52 in). Thunderstorms occur frequently, especially in central Florida. Hurricanes usually develop in the Caribbean and the Atlantic in late summer and early fall and can cause severe damage if they strike Florida. Since 1900, more than 20 major hurricanes have hit Florida, mostly in the southern and panhandle areas of the state. Vegetation and Animal Life About half of Florida's land area is covered with forests, and more than 350 types of trees grow in the state. Common hardwoods include ash, hickory, magnolia, mahogany, and oak. Mangrove and cypress flourish in the southern swamplands, such as Big Cypress Swamp and the Everglades. Pines predominate in the north. Palm trees grow throughout most of the state. The swamplands are noted for their epiphytes (air plants), such as Spanish moss, nonparasitic plants that typically hang from trees (especially oak and cypress); tall saw grass is also common in these wet regions. Florida has a great variety of wildlife. Large mammals include whitetail deer, black bears, bobcats, and a few cougars. Foxes, muskrats, otters, possums, rabbits, raccoons, and squirrels are abundant. Swamps provide a habitat for alligators. Game birds, such as wild turkeys and quail, and water birds, such as egrets, flamingos, gulls, herons, and pelicans, are found. Common freshwater fish species include black bass, bream, catfish, and trout; marine animals include barracuda, bonito, dolphins, mackerel, marlin, menhaden, black mullet, pompano, tarpon, crabs, shrimp, and large turtles. Mineral Resources Florida has extensive phosphate deposits, found mainly in the central part of the state, and limestone, located throughout the state. Kaolin and other clays, sand and gravel, ilmenite, monazite, and zirconium are also found. Petroleum deposits are in the southwest, near Fort Myers, and there is a more significant deposit near Pensacola. PEOPLE Florida's resident population (excluding overseas) is 12,937,926 (1990), an increase of 32.7% since 1980. The state's increase from 1980 to 1990 was far higher than the national average of 9.8%, and in absolute numbers Florida's total gain of 3,191,602 inhabitants was surpassed only by California. Between 1960 and 1980, Florida's population nearly doubled. Most of the population increase in recent decades has been due to in-migration. Many new Floridians are retirees, whose presence accounts for the state's high proportion of persons aged 65 or more-- 19% of the state's population, compared to the national average of about 12%. Florida's population density is well above that of the nation as a whole, and most of the population is classified as urban. The chief cities are (in order of population) \TJacksonville\t, \TMiami\t, \TTampa\t, SAINT PETERSBURG, FORT LAUDERDALE, \THialeah\t, ORLANDO, FORT LAUDERDALE, \TTallahassee\t, Hollywood, Clearwater, Miami Beach, Gainesville, Pompano Beach, \TWest Palm Beach\t, Largo City, \TDaytona Beach\t, and \TPensacola\t. The great majority of Florida's inhabitants are white; blacks make up about 13.8% of the population. Significant numbers of Hispanics, especially Cubans who immigrated during the 1960s, live primarily in the greater Miami area, as well as in Tampa and other communities. A second major wave of Cuban immigration took place in 1980, when about 115,000 refugees arrived in southern Florida. A Greek community lives in Tarpon Springs, on the west coast. About 36,335 American Indians live in the state. The \TSeminole\t Indians live mostly in the Everglades. Roman Catholics form the largest single religious denomination in Florida. Among Protestants, the Baptists and Methodists are particularly strong. Florida also has a sizable Jewish community. EDUCATION AND CULTURAL ACTIVITY Education The 1868 state constitution authorized a statewide system of public education. Attendance is compulsory at public elementary and secondary schools in Florida between the ages of 7 and 16. For information on public institutions of higher education, see \TFlorida, state universities of\t. Cultural Institutions Notable museums include the John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art, at Sarasota, with a major collection of European paintings; the Florida Museum of Natural History, at Gainesville; the Center for the Fine Arts, at Miami; the Cummer Art Gallery, at Jacksonville; the Museum of Florida History, at Tallahassee; and Marineland of Florida, near Saint Augustine, with extensive exhibits on the sea, including two oceanariums. Music and opera are performed by the Florida Symphony (Orlando), the Florida State Opera (Tallahassee), and the Greater Miami Opera (Miami). Historical Sites Castillo de San Marcos National Monument contains a masonry fort, begun in 1672, built by the Spanish to protect Saint Augustine. De Soto National Memorial, near Bradenton, commemorates the landing (1539) of the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto. Fort Jefferson National Monument, in the \TDry Tortugas\t islands, is the site of an immense fortification that served as a Union military prison during the U.S. Civil War. Dade Battlefield, near Bushnell, is the site where U.S. troops were defeated (1835) by Indians at the start of the Second Seminole War. Sports and Outdoor Recreation Because of its climate and location, Florida offers extensive opportunities for outdoor sports. The state has numerous beach resorts, as well as ample facilities for marine and freshwater fishing, pleasure boating, waterskiing, and other water sports. Each year many major-league baseball teams conduct spring training in the state from February to early April. The Orange Bowl, played at Miami, is a noted annual postseason college football game. Communications Florida's first radio station (1920) and first television station (1949) began broadcasting from Miami. Numerous radio and television stations are now in operation as well as educational television and cable systems. The state's first newspaper was the East Florida Gazette, established in 1783 in Saint Augustine. Today the Miami Herald is considered Florida's most influential newspaper. A leading Spanish language daily is Diario Las Americas. ECONOMIC ACTIVITY Florida's chief economic development began in the early 20th century; today the state has a diversified modern economy. Tourism and other service industries and government (including military installations) are the chief employers. The state's economy benefits from the many retired persons who live in Florida on pensions earned elsewhere. Agriculture Florida is a major agricultural state with approximately 41,000 farms having an average size of about 123.8 ha (306 acres). The state's most important products are citrus fruits, especially oranges, which were introduced around 1570 by Spanish settlers and by the early 1800s had become an important commercial product. Other principal crops are vegetables (particularly tomatoes); sugarcane, the state's major field crop; tobacco; soybeans; nuts, especially peanuts and pecans; and noncitrus fruits, mainly watermelons, cantaloupes, and strawberries. Most citrus groves and vegetable farms are in central and southern Florida; sugarcane is grown south of Lake Okeechobee; and nuts and tobacco are produced in the northern part of the state. Income, amounting to about 20% of the total farm marketings, is also derived from livestock. A great number of Florida cattle and calves, hogs, and broiler chickens are marketed each year, and large amounts of dairy products and eggs are produced. The raising of Thoroughbred horses is also a major endeavor in Florida, particularly on the horse farms in Marion County. Forestry and Fishing Lumbering is a relatively small but significant industry in Florida; softwoods are the chief trees cut. Florida's commercial fish catch is among the highest in value in the nation. Important species include shrimp, black mullet, and blue crab. Most fish are caught off the west coast. Mining Florida is a leading state in nonfuel mineral output. Its principal minerals are phosphate, of which Florida is the nation's leading producer; petroleum and natural gas; stone; clay; sand and gravel; limestone; ilmenite; and dolomite. Manufacturing Florida has a growing manufacturing sector, but is not a center of heavy industry. Most manufacturing is concentrated around its major cities. Chief manufactures are processed food, especially citrus products, such as frozen orange juice concentrate; transportation equipment; electrical equipment; chemicals; fabricated metals; paper and paper goods; printed materials; and cigars. Tourism Tourists in Florida spend billions of dollars each year in the state. The warm climate of southern Florida during the winter is a favorite attraction for vacationers from the northeastern United States and Canada. In addition to the many beach resorts on both coasts, points of interest include \TCape Canaveral\t, the site of the John F. \TKennedy Space Center\t; Walt Disney World/Epcot Center and MGM Studios, and Universal Studios, near Orlando (see \TDisneyland and Walt Disney World\t); Cypress Gardens, near Winter Haven; Busch Gardens, in Tampa, containing a large zoo; and Everglades National Park. The state has many state parks and recreation areas. Transportation Florida has well-developed road and railway systems. Its busiest seaports are Tampa-Saint Petersburg, Jacksonville, Port Everglades (at Fort Lauderdale), and Miami. Important waterways include sections of both the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. Florida has many airports, with Miami International Airport one of the nation's busiest. Energy Petroleum is the source of about 60% of the energy produced in Florida. Other sources include natural gas and coal. Most electricity is produced in thermal plants, but the state also has nuclear power facilities and a few small hydroelectric installations. GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS Government Florida is governed under a constitution of 1885, as revised in 1968 and later amended. The chief executive of the state is a governor, popularly elected to a 4-year term; a governor may not serve more than 10 consecutive years in office. As opposed to most other states, other statewide elected officials have considerable authority independent of the governor and appreciably limit the power of the chief executive. The Florida legislature is made up of a senate, whose 40 members are popularly elected to 4-year terms, and a house of representatives, whose 120 members are popularly elected to 2-year terms. The highest tribunal in the state is the supreme court, composed of 7 justices popularly elected to 6-year terms; one of the justices is selected by the court to serve for 2 years as chief justice. The large majority of the state's 67 counties are administered by 5 county commissioners. Most of Florida's 390 (1991) incorporated cities have either a mayor-and-council form or a manager-and-council form of government. The government of some cities, notably Jacksonville and Miami, has been integrated with that of other municipalities or the surrounding county. Politics Democrats have dominated Florida politics on the state and local levels since 1876, although in recent decades two Republican governors have been elected--in 1966 and 1986. By the mid-20th century, however, the Republicans made considerable gains in national presidential elections, and since 1952, Democratic presidential candidates have carried Florida only in 1964 and 1976. HISTORY At the end of the last ice age, more than 10,000 years ago, Florida was inhabited by groups from the Caribbean and by Indians who had migrated from the north and northwest following the movement of large game animals. At the time of the first European contact in the early 16th century, four major Indian groups lived in what is now Florida: the \TApalachee\t in the northwest; the Calusa in the southwest; the Tequesta along the southeastern coast; and the Timucua in the north central region. European Rule In 1513, Juan Ponce de Leon landed on the northeast Florida coast and claimed Florida for Spain. In 1521 he returned to found a colony, but was unsuccessful and was killed the same year. In 1528, Panfilo de \TNarvaez\t, another Spanish explorer, anchored in Tampa Bay and then traveled inland. In 1539, Hernando \Tde Soto\t landed near Tampa Bay, exploring that area and then northern Florida. Another Spaniard, Tristan de Luna, attempted, with some 1,600 men and women, to establish a permanent colony on Pensacola Bay in 1559, but after two difficult years the settlement was abandoned. In 1562 the French Huguenot leader Gaspard de \TColigny\t commissioned Jean \TRibaut\t to found a colony in the territory, and in 1564, Ribaut's aide, Rene de \TLaudonniere\t, built Fort Caroline, near present-day Jacksonville. \TPhilip II\t of Spain sent a military expedition, led by Pedro \TMenendez de Aviles\t, to destroy the French settlement. Arriving in 1565, Menendez established Saint Augustine and massacred the French; he captured Fort Caroline and founded another settlement there. The Spanish subsequently built forts and missions across northern Florida and around the southwestern coast. During the \TSeven Years' War\t (1756-63) between Britain and France, Spain sided with France and lost Cuba in 1762. Under the terms of the peace treaty (1763), Spain traded Florida to Britain in exchange for Cuba. Under British rule, Florida was divided into two separate colonies, East Florida and West Florida. During the American Revolution, Floridians remained loyal to Britain; but by the Treaty of Paris (1783), English hegemony in Florida was ended and the region was returned to Spain. U.S. Acquisition During the \TWar of\t 1812, Britain used Pensacola as a naval base, but in 1814 it was captured by American troops. In 1819, Spain agreed to transfer Florida to the United States, which assumed control in 1821. The following year, Florida was organized as a territory, and William P. Duval became governor; soon many settlers, including Indians, streamed into Florida from the North. Conflicts erupted with the Seminole Indians, who were defeated in the Second \TSeminole War\t (1835-42). Some of the Seminole were removed to Oklahoma, and a small band migrated south to the Everglades. Statehood Florida entered the Union as a slave state on Mar. 3, 1845. By 1860 the population was about 140,000, of whom 63,000 were black. Florida seceded from the Union on Jan. 10, 1861, and subsequently joined the Confederacy. Most of Florida's coastal towns were captured by Union forces early in the war, but Tallahassee remained under Confederate control throughout the war. The Battle of Olustee, which took place in Florida on Feb. 20, 1864, was one of the last Confederate victories. In 1868, after a new constitution guaranteeing blacks the right to vote had been adopted, the state was readmitted to the Union. Republicans held most important elected offices until 1876, when the Democrats returned to power. An era of rapid economic growth began in the 1880s--great deposits of phosphate were discovered, citrus groves were planted, southern swamplands were drained and converted to farmland, and railroads and tourist facilities were constructed. Several entrepreneurs, notably Henry M. Flagler (1830-1913), Hamilton Disston (1844-96), and Henry B. Plant (1819-99), led Florida's development. The Modern Era During the early 1920s, Florida experienced a great land boom. Real estate prices rose spectacularly until 1926, when a combination of factors, especially the well-publicized opinion of respected financial experts that Florida land was vastly overpriced, led to a rapid and severe drop in values. Later in 1926, Miami, one of Florida's chief boom cities (its population had grown from 1,681 inhabitants in 1900 to 69,754 in 1925), was badly damaged by a hurricane. The state's economy had largely recovered by 1929, when the Great Depression began, resulting in a high unemployment rate and a depression of land values. From 1920 to 1930, Florida's population had grown by more than 50%, reaching about 1,468,000 inhabitants. Growth continued during the 1930s and accelerated in the 1940s, when war-related activities spurred additional development. By 1950, Florida had about 2,771,000 inhabitants, and during both the 1950s and '60s its population grew by about 2 million persons. In the postwar period the tourist and retirement industries grew rapidly, as did commercial farming. The aerospace industry developed in association with the Cape Canaveral missile and space-flight center. Floridians adhered gradually to the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision outlawing segregated schools, and by the early 1970s most public educational institutions in the state had integrated student bodies. During the 1970s laws were passed that ensured protection of the state's natural areas. During the 1960s and again in 1980 thousands of refugees from the Castro regime in Cuba settled in Florida, especially in Miami. During the 1980s Florida's economy became more like that of the rest of the nation, with a decrease in the role of agriculture and an increase in the service sector. Population increases encouraged innovative growth-management legislation relating to the purchase of environmentally sensitive land and beaches for protection and public use. Edward Fernald Bibliography: Carter, L. J., The Florida Experience: Land and Water Policy in a Growth State (1975); Dauer, Manning J., ed., Florida's Politics and Government, 2d ed. (1984); Douglas, Marjory S., Florida: The Long Frontier (1967); Federal Writers' Project, Florida: A Guide to the Southernmost State (1939; repr. 1981); Fernald, E. A., ed., The Atlas of Florida, 2d ed. (1991) and Water Resources Atlas of Florida (1984); Jahoda, Gloria, Florida: A History (1984); Morris, A. C., The Florida Handbook (biennial); Patrick, Rembert W., Florida under Five Flags, rev. ed. (1967); Tebeau, Charlton W., A History of Florida (1971); Terhune, F. W., ed., 1991 Florida Statistical Abstract (1991); Williams, Joy, Florida Keys: A History and Guide (1986).