State of Florida general data
- Time zone: 6 hours less than Italy
- Capital: Tallahassee
- Main towns: Fort Lauderdale, Hialeah, Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Petersburg, Tampa.
- Area: 300 km²
- Population: Approximately 20,000,000 inhabitants.
- Population density: 117,4 residents / km²
- State abbreviation: FL
- Entry into the United States: It joins the United States on March 3, 1845, it is the 27th state to join the union.
According to topschoolsoflaw.com, it was discovered by Juan Ponce de Leon on Easter Florida, Palm Sunday from which the name derives. The state of Florida is located in the southeastern part of the United States. It includes the Florida peninsula and a chain of coral islands, the Florida Keys, which extends into the Gulf of Mexico. From the geomorphological point of view it is a young soil, with clayey and calcareous sediments, flat and of low elevation above sea level. The highest point in the state, 105m, is located in Walton County, near the Alabama border. Florida has 2,100 km of coastline, on the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, it is the largest American state by coast length, with the exception of Alaska.
From a morphological point of view, Florida can be divided into the following major regions: the coastal plains, the Okeechobee-Everglades basins, the Kissimmee plains, the Mariana Plains, the Central Highlands, the Tallahassee Hills, and the Western Highlands..
The coastal plains region extends from the far northwest of the peninsula to the Perdido River in the west. It is a strip that has a width that varies between 65 km and 100 km. In this area you will find the best beaches in the state. The Florida Keys, islands made up of coral and limestone materials, are an extension of this natural region.
The western highlands embrace the territory between the Perdido River and the Apalachicola and extend into the state of Alabama. It is a territory with slight elevations interspersed with shallow valleys.
The Mariana Plains region is located in the northwest of the state, west of the Apalachicola River and east of the Choctawhatchee. A characteristic of this natural region is the abundance of depressions and pools, formed by the intense erosion and dissolution of the calcareous layers of the subsoil. The Tallahassee Hills region lies between the state of Georgia and the coastal plains. It is an eroded plateau, with an average width of about 160 km. The highlands of the central region occupy the territory between Lake Okeechobee and the Okefenokee Marsh in the north. It is an area of hills and ponds. The Kissimmee Plains region covers the entire Kissimmee River Valley, the main tributary of Lake Okeechobee. This territory is rich in pastures for livestock. Florida has two main wetlands: the Lake Okeechobee basin which includes the Everglades region; and the Okefenokee swamp. The swamp is located in the north of the state, and is shared with Georgia in whose territory the largest part is located. The Okeechobee-Everglades Basin is actually a subdivision of the coastal plains, but due to its peculiarity and natural wealth it is studied as an independent natural region. The Everglades, which include Lake Okeechobee, the Big Cypress Marsh and the Okefenokee Estuary, occupy an area of more than 13,000 km².
According to thembaprograms.com, the state of Florida is distinguished by the large amount of lakes in its territory. Among the nearly 30,000 lakes, the Okeechobee stands out, which is the third largest lake surface in the United States with 1,900 km², but its maximum depth does not exceed 6 meters.
The St. Johns River is the largest on the east coast of the state. It is a navigable river that flows into the Atlantic coast near Jacksonville. Most of Florida’s major rivers flow in the western region, and their sources are found in the states of Georgia and Alabama. Among them the Apalachicola, Escambia, Choctawhatchee, Suwannee and Perdido rivers.
Florida is a state rich in underground water reserves whose exploitation through wells, cisterns and canals has been one of the keys to its intense industrial agriculture.
Flora and fauna – More than half of the land is covered in forest, with various species of trees, many of hardwood, such as ash, hickory, magnolia and mahogany. The fauna is very varied: among the large mammals there are white-tailed deer, black bears, bobcats, some cougars, foxes, muskrats, otters and possums. In the marshes live alligators; there are numerous species of birds and fish, both fresh and salt water.
Climate– Average annual temperatures in Florida are 20 ° C, with mild winters (average in the coldest month, January is 15 ° C) and summers are slightly warmer (27 ° C in July). In the north of the state, however, winter temperatures are significantly lower, sometimes even close to 0. As far as rainfall is concerned, Florida stands out as one of the wettest states in the country, with an annual average of more of 1,300 mm. Precipitation abounds, particularly in the West Palm Beach and Pensacola area, especially in the period of tropical storms. Between June and November, the state is exposed to the effects of hurricanes, which are very destructive,
Tallahassee
According to countryaah.com, Tallahassee, the capital of Florida, is located 33 km on the southwest coast of the state, 17 m above sea level. Its climate is mild, and unlike the cities located on the southeastern coast of the peninsula, with seasonal differences.
Tallahassee is located 24 km from the Georgia state border. The average annual temperature is 19 ° C, with highs of 17 ° C in January and 32 ° C in July. Summer is the least pleasant season in Tallahassee due to frequent thunderstorms and high temperatures. July is the wettest month, followed by August, September and June, while the driest months are October and November. Tallahassee is not normally affected by strong winds, but they are sometimes associated with cold fronts during late winter and early spring. Hurricanes rarely hit the city.
What see– Among the organizations, institutions and cultural associations of Tallahassee are: the Florida History Museum, the San Luis Archaeological and Historical Site, the Tallahassee Museum of Natural History and Sciences and the University of Florida Art Gallery. Other points of interest are the Old-Capitol State Building, founded in 1845, and the Governor’s Palace. Every year, a reenactment of the battle fought in 1865 by Union and Confederacy troops for control of the Florida capital is celebrated in Natural Bridge Park.
Surrounding Area – Between around 1820 and 1830, the Tallahassee area was the most important in Florida for cotton. With a tour along the roads of the Cotton Trail you can visit the former cotton plantations. The Goodwood Museum and Gardens are housed in a mansion from the 1830s. Wakulla Springs State Park, 24km south of Tallahassee, has one of the largest freshwater springs in the world, in a large basin where you can swim with a mask. and snorkel or take a ride on a glass bottom boat. To see alligators and waders, take a boat ride on the Wakulla River. Tallahassee’s economy is hugely dependent on the public sector, being the state capital and seat of Leon County, and has a public university campus. The main industries are food, tobacco, wood.
History– The region that today occupies the capital of Florida was inhabited by Indians of the Apalachee tribe, who came into contact with the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in 1539, on his expedition to the Mississippi valley. Previously, the discoverer of the Florida peninsula, Juan Ponce de Leon, had sailed along the entire bay that bears his name (Ponce de Leon bay 40 km from Tallahassee). Starting from 1630, Spanish missionaries (who founded the Mission of San Luis), and Spanish colonists settled in these lands. The control of the United States over this region occurred with the purchase of Florida in 1819, a transfer which was effective starting in 1821. In 1824, Tallahassee acquired its name, (a derivation of a word creek meaning ‘ancient city’ ), when the United States Congress established the government of the Florida Territory there. In 1825, the city elected its first municipal government, and when Florida was admitted as a state of the Union in 1845, it became its capital.
During the US Civil War (1861-65), it was under the control of Confederate troops, who managed to repel various attacks by the federal army. The last battle for the occupation of the city was fought at Natural Bridge (near the city), in March 1865, and is still commemorated every year today.
The city has grown into a government and university center, thanks to the Florida State University, and the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, both institutions founded in the second half of the nineteenth century.
Miami
City of the USA, located on the southeastern coast of the state of Florida. It is the most important commercial, financial and tourist center of the state, and since the sixties it has been the capital of Cuban emigration to the United States.
The city of Miami is located on the east coast of Florida in Biscayne Bay at the mouth of the Miami River. Its magnificent natural harbor is protected by the islands of Key Biscayne. The subtropical climate is one of the keys to economic development. Indeed, Miami is a tourist paradise that enjoys mild temperatures in winter and summer. Average temperatures are: 15 ° C in January and 23 ° C in August. The downside of Miami is hurricanes, the season runs from June to November.
Miami’s Marine Aquarium, the Miami Seaquarium, is arguably one of the city’s biggest attractions; this installation features one of the most famous dolphinaria in the country. The city has other theme parks dedicated to fauna and flora, especially tropical, such as the Monkey Jungle, which shows the monkeys in their natural habitat; the Metrozoo, an impressive zoological park with animals and birds in semi-freedom; and the Jungle Orchid.
South Beach – Entertainment Venue SoBe is home to plenty of Art Deco buildings. There are also several Art Deco buildings on Collins and Washington Avenue. Between Washington and Drexel Avenue is Espanda Way, a cute little cluster of Mediterranean revival-style buildings. This tree-lined street is full of alternative art galleries and boutiques, and craft stalls are set up on the weekends. The pedestrianized Lincoln Road Mail is Miami’s up-and-coming cultural corner.
Biscayne Bay Mini Cruises – One way to see the countless island communities around Biscayne Bay is to embark on one of the many cruises that depart from Bayside Marketplace. Tours depart regularly and last approximately 90 minutes.
Downtown – The futuristic skyscrapers are a monument to the banking boom of the 1980s, when the city became a major financial and commercial center. Among the skyscrapers to see are the Wachovia Financial Center and the Bank of America Tower, erected in 1983 and known for its ever-changing night lighting.
Calle Ocho or 8th Street, is one of the arteries of the city, and undoubtedly a tourist and cultural street, as it describes the various aspects of Cuban culture in the United States. Another interesting area is the Miami Art Deco District, built starting in 1930 and which houses magnificent buildings of this style.
What to see and do – Miami’s most beautiful suburb is Coral Gables, built entirely in “Mediterranean style”.
Among the cultural institutions of the city, the Historical Museum of South Florida, the Museum of Science and Space, the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, the Cuban Museum of Art and Culture, and the magnificent Planetarium of the city deserve a mention. Arts centers include the Coconut Grove Playhouse, the University of Miami Ring Theater, the Jackie Gleason Theater, and the Ruth Foreman Theater.
This city is famous for its many festivals, such as the Inter-American Festival, the Latin American Festival, the International Folk Festival, the Orange Bowl Festival, and the Miami Film Festival, and its sports shows, the Orange Bowl, american football competition; the Miami Grand Prix, an international car race. Miami is home to the Miami Dolphins, American football, and the Miami Marlins, the professional baseball league.
Its economy is mainly based on the tourism industry which has distant origins (dating back to 1800 with the construction of the first railway that transported tourists to the coast) and which represents more than 50% of the city’s turnover. Miami is in fact one of the busiest and most elite seaside resorts in America and the world. More than 10 million visitors pass through Miami every year, attracted by its mild climate. Famous people have chosen this city as a vacation or residence place. Its beach extends for kilometers along the coast. The other economic activities developed in Miami concern the clothing, furniture, and the manufacture of metal objects. Miami is one of the major airports in the USA, the most important for air links with South America. It is also a financial center: multinational companies are based there.
History– The Spanish explorers were the first Europeans who traveled the coast of the state of Florida. In 1513, Juan Ponce de Leon on his expedition through this territory came into contact with the Indians of the Calusa tribe, (also called Tequesta). The name Miami derives from a word of the language of this people, a name that the Spaniards kept. The Creek and the Seminole, tribes of the north, subsequently occupied the lands that until then had controlled the Calusas. The Spaniards who had claimed the Florida peninsula for their country had never consolidated a settlement in the Miami area, but in 1567 they built a mission to pacify and evangelize the Indians.
After the Peace of Paris in 1763, Florida passed into British hands, although in 1783 (after the war of independence of the United States of America), Britain agreed to return the territory to Spain. Spanish control lasted until 1821, when the Madrid government accepted the US offer to buy the peninsula, as it had done years earlier in 1803 with the Louisiana territory, sold by Napoleon to the United States. Once under US control, settlers from the north began to settle in lands near Biscayne Bay, although the Seminole Indians tried to oppose it. To facilitate colonization, the The United States Army established a base at the mouth of the Miami River in 1836 and began to push the Seminole towards the swamplands of the Everglades. In 1849, the Army restored the former Fort Dallas base in Biscayne Bay, where the city of Miami is today. Colonization of the region was, however, difficult due to poor soil quality for agriculture. In the case of Miami, the families who had been there for years opted to look for better land in the north, and gradually abandoned the bay area. Miami was founded and developed at the end of the 19th century when Julia Tuttle convinced Henry Flagler, (owner of the Florida east coast railway), to reach Miami with the via ferrata, and transform the site into a tourist center. Tuttle’s idea was a success, and in 1896 the Miami Municipal Government was organized. At the beginning of the century, Miami had just 1,700 inhabitants, but, starting from 1920, it quickly developed as a tourist and commercial center thanks to the construction of roads that connected it with the north. The Florida land was the target of numerous investors who began to speculate on real estate. Consequence of this was that Miami grew dramatically in the first decades of the twentieth century to become a city of 200,000 inhabitants. Despite the crises caused by the devastating hurricanes in 1926 and 1935 and speculation, Miami has become the most important city in the state of Florida. The port has played a vital role in Miami’s growth. In fact, in 1897 the connection by ship between Miami and Nassau (Bahamas) was inaugurated, in 1920 with New York and Baltimore, and in 1940 with Havana. In 1968, four ships sailed daily from Miami, an industry that hasn’t stopped developing since then. in 1897 the connection by ship between Miami and Nassau (Bahamas) was inaugurated, in 1920 with New York and Baltimore, and in 1940 with Havana. In 1968, four ships sailed daily from Miami, an industry that hasn’t stopped developing since then. in 1897 the connection by ship between Miami and Nassau (Bahamas) was inaugurated, in 1920 with New York and Baltimore, and in 1940 with Havana. In 1968, four ships sailed daily from Miami, an industry that hasn’t stopped developing since then.
World War II, as it happened across the country, revitalized Miami’s economy, however, it was the arrival of the exiles after the Cuban Revolution that transformed the city, and, to a large extent, the entire state of Florida.. In the decade of the sixties, approximately 178,000 Cubans arrived in Miami, a figure that increased in the following decades, to make this city a second Havana and by extension, one of the cities in the United States where the Spanish language is most spoken.
Useful numbers in Miami
Fire Brigade – Police – Ambulance 911 Aventura Hospital And Medical Center
20900 Biscayne Blvd Miami, FL 33180 tel. (305) 682-7000 Police Police Depts area Miami Beach Miami Beach, FL 33109 tel. (305) 865-9008
City data
Inhabitants – about 430,000
Area – 140 sq km
Prefix 305 – 786
