The coldest temperature was −2 °F (−19 °C), on February 13, 1899, just 25 miles (40 km) away, in Tallahassee. Florida declared its secession from the Union on January 10, 1861, and was one of the seven original Confederate States. [283] Tens of thousands more employees work for contractors who have federal contracts, including those with the military. The Florida Legislature comprises the Florida Senate, which has 40 members, and the Florida House of Representatives, which has 120 members. In 1894 the Florida East Coast Railway reached West Palm Beach; in 1896 it reached Biscayne Bay near Miami. Major college football programs include the Florida State Seminoles and Miami Hurricanes of the Atlantic Coast Conference, and the Florida Gators of the Southeastern Conference. Daytona also has the Coke Zero Sugar 400 NASCAR race weekend around Independence Day in July. [250], In the early 20th century, land speculators discovered Florida, and businessmen such as Henry Plant and Henry Flagler developed railroad systems, which led people to move in, drawn by the weather and local economies. The center of population has moved less than 5 miles (8 km) to the east and approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) to the north between 1980 and 2010 and has been located in Polk County since the 1960 census. Rent a whole home for your next weekend or holiday. Florida's universities have a number of collegiate sport programs. Updates? They left behind artifacts and archeological evidence. Professor of History, University of Tennessee. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The Florida legislature also refused to accept additional Federal funding for Medicaid, although this would have helped its constituents at no cost to the state. The federal military was the top employer in three counties. Coconut palms are cultivated north of south Florida to roughly Cocoa Beach on the East Coast and the Tampa Bay Area on the West Coast.[111]. At least 11 other states have, too", "Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals By Race, 1790 to 1990, and By Hispanic Origin, 1970 to 1990, For The United States, Regions, Divisions, and States", "Race, Hispanic or Latino, Age, and Housing Occupancy: 2010", "Americans under age 1 now mostly minorities, but not in Ohio: Statistical Snapshot", "Big Metro Areas in Florida Keep Getting Bigger", "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places of 50,000 or More, Ranked by July 1, 2018 Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2018", "Florida Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data", "Florida: SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES—2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates", "Ancestry of the Population by State: 1980—Table 3", Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America, "Miami, Florida Race and Hispanic or Latino Origin: 2010 Census Summary File 1", "Florida Hispanic or Latino by Type: 2010 Census Summary File 1", "Thedailyjournal—Puerto Rico's population exodus is all about jobs", "How many Puerto Ricans have moved to Florida? Propagules fall from late summer through early autumn. [142] The population of Florida in the 2010 census was 18,801,310. [269] Citrus fruit, especially oranges, are a major part of the economy, and Florida produces the majority of citrus fruit grown in the United States. 2000, compared to 79 percent nationally. The northern portion has been modified with canals, dikes, and pumping stations and is Florida’s principal zone of sugarcane production. Combined with its sudden elevation in profile was the Florida land boom of the 1920s, which brought a brief period of intense land development. Florida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. Florida's top countries for export are Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Germany, and Colombia. [citation needed] Florida mangrove plant communities covered an estimated 430,000 to 540,000 acres (1,700 to 2,200 km2) in Florida in 1981. The state government consists of three separate branches: judicial, executive, and legislative. These American settlers established a permanent foothold in the area and ignored Spanish authorities. Explore an array of Florida, US vacation rentals, including houses, cabins & more bookable online. As a result of the 2010 United States Census, Florida gained two House of Representative seats in 2012. [27][28] The story that he was searching for the Fountain of Youth is mythical and appeared only long after his death.[29]. English colonists and buccaneers launched several attacks on St. Augustine in the 17th and 18th centuries, razing the city and its cathedral to the ground several times. The Walt Disney World Resort is the most visited vacation resort in the world with more than 58 million visitors annually,[265] consisting of four theme parks, 27 themed resort hotels, nine non-Disney hotels, two water parks, four golf courses and other recreational venues. As of 2018, the gross state product (GSP) is about $1.0 trillion,[232] the fourth largest economy in the United States. As of 2010, those of Hispanic or Latino ancestry accounted for 22.5% (4,223,806) of Florida's population. [232] Florida is responsible for 5 percent of the United States' approximately $21 trillion gross domestic product (GDP). Forty thousand blacks, roughly one-fifth of their 1900 population levels in Florida, left the state in the Great Migration. Some Seminoles remained, and the U.S. Army arrived in Florida, leading to the Second Seminole War (1835–1842). Florida's interstates, state highways, and U.S. The geographical area of Spanish claims in La Florida diminished with the establishment of English settlements to the north and French claims to the west. Population (2010) 18,801,310; (2019 est.) It particularly makes changes in South Florida. Much of Central and North Florida, typically 25 mi (40 km) or more away from the coastline, have rolling hills with elevations ranging from 100 to 250 ft (30 to 76 m). We want to say Thank You to all of our Hometown Heroes! The Spanish encouraged slaves from the Thirteen Colonies to come to Florida as a refuge, promising freedom in exchange for conversion to Catholicism. Florida was the principal location of the Seminole Wars (1816 – 1858), the longest and most extensive of Indian Wars in United States history. [279], After the watershed events of Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Florida began investing in economic development through the Office of Trade, Tourism, and Economic Development. [43][44] Neither East Florida nor West Florida sent any representatives to Philadelphia to draft the Declaration of Independence. Out of the 57.9%, the largest groups were 12.0% German (2,212,391), 10.7% Irish (1,979,058), 8.8% English (1,629,832), 6.6% Italian (1,215,242), 2.8% Polish (511,229), and 2.7% French (504,641). In 1885, they created a new constitution, followed by statutes through 1889 that disfranchised most blacks and many poor whites.[63]. There were fewer than 1,000 free African Americans before the American Civil War.[57]. Some reference materials may show only 66 because Duval County is consolidated with the City of Jacksonville. It became a territory of the U.S. in 1821 … In 1851, the Florida legislature voted to establish two seminaries of learning: West Florida Seminary (which later became Florida State University) and East Florida Seminary (which later became the University of Florida). Major ports in Florida include Port Tampa Bay in Tampa, Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Port of Jacksonville in Jacksonville, PortMiami in Miami, Port Canaveral in Brevard County, Port Manatee in Manatee County, and Port of Palm Beach in Riviera Beach. [160] As of 2011[update], 57% of Florida's population younger than age 1 had at least one parent who was not non-Hispanic white. Florida's top countries for imports are China, Mexico, Canada, Germany, and France. The history of Florida can be traced to when the first Native Americans began to inhabit the peninsula as early as 14,000 years ago. They left due to lynchings and racial violence, and for better opportunities in the North and the West. Much of the area is swampy, and in the eastern part of the state numerous former beach ridges parallel one another. Delivered right to your door for only $29.95. The Lake Okeechobee–Everglades basin and the Kissimmee lowlands are actually subdivisions of the coastal lowlands, but their uniqueness justifies separate designations. [298] A notable collection of these styles can be found in St. Augustine, the oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement within the borders of the United States. Florida Gov. Spain continued to dispute the area, though the United States gradually increased the area it occupied. Several record cold maxima have been in the 30s °F (−1 to 4 °C) and record lows have been in the 10s (−12 to −7 °C). Because of this, the area has consistently voted as one of the most Democratic areas of the state. Florida is the most hurricane-prone state, with subtropical or tropical water on a lengthy coastline. In the pre-automobile era, railroads played a key role in the state's development, particularly in coastal areas. The Florida College System comprises 28 public community and state colleges. [167][168] The British settlers who had remained also resented Spanish rule, leading to a rebellion in 1810 and the establishment for ninety days of the so-called Free and Independent Republic of West Florida on September 23. In 1883, the Pensacola and Atlantic Railroad connected Pensacola and the rest of the Panhandle to the rest of the state. Florida is a low per capita energy user. Petersburg, has had a fairly even breakdown of Republican and Democratic voters. [164], In 2012, 75% of the population lived within 10 miles (16 km) of the coastline.[165]. Like whites in most other states of the southern U.S., they descend mainly from English and Scots-Irish settlers, as well as some other British American settlers.[177]. From the 1601 publication by the pre-eminent historian of 16th-century Spanish exploration in America, Proclamation, presented by Dennis O. Freytes, MPA, MHR, BBA, Chair/Facilitator, 500th Florida Discovery Council Round Table, VP NAUS SE Region; Chair Hispanic Achievers Grant Council, CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (, Clark, James C.; "200 Quick Looks at Florida History" p. 20, Tindall, George Brown, and David Emory Shi. The current governor of Florida is Ron DeSantis. [155], Hispanic and Latinos of any race made up 22.5% of the population in 2010. [56], American settlers began to establish cotton plantations in north Florida, which required numerous laborers, which they supplied by buying slaves in the domestic market. In 2018, there were more than 427,824 millionaires in the state, the fourth highest number in the nation. [305] [145] Protestants account for almost half of the population, but the Catholic Church is the largest single denomination in the state mainly due to its large Hispanic population and other groups like Haitians. [272], Other products include sugarcane, strawberries, tomatoes and celery. There is also a sizable Jewish community in South Florida. In the 1960s, many refugees from Cuba fleeing Fidel Castro's communist regime arrived in Miami at the Freedom Tower, where the federal government used the facility to process, document and provide medical and dental services for the newcomers. The British constructed high-quality public roads and introduced the cultivation of sugar cane, indigo and fruits as well as the export of lumber. 143 ] Florida was the first recorded Christian marriage in the panhandle to the original Colonies... Is second only to Texas in the U.S. state. 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