Introduction
Have you ever wondered where some of the oranges in your orange juice come from? Well, they most likely came from Florida! Florida produces the second most oranges in the world! I chose Florida because I've been there and I wanted to learn more. So, I recommend that you read this report to learn more about this amazing state!
History Before the 1500s and Spanish settlers, Native American populations were growing. The Native Americans that lived in Florida then were the Panzacola, Chatot, and Apalachicola in the Panhandle, with the Apalachee just southeast. The northern half of the peninsula was home to the Timicua, with the southern half home to the Calusa. The Matecumbe tribe lived in the Florida Keys. Sadly, all of these tribes were eventually pushed out by soldiers or disease.
On Easter Sunday, 1513, Juan Ponce de Leon discovered Florida, looking for the Fountain of Youth and gold. He was also sent to claim land for King Ferdinand of Spain. Although he never found the Fountain of Youth, Ponce de Leon named the new land La Florida meaning “land of flowers”. Ponce de Leon died after a battle with the Calusa tribe in 1521. In 1564, a group of Frenchmen settled near Jacksonville (Fort Caroline), which displeased the Spanish king, King Phillip II. He sent Pedro Menendez de Aviles to force the French out. Later, in 1566, Menendez de Aviles built St. Augustine, the first European settlement. It’s still occupied today! During the 1600s and early 1700s, Spain didn’t really rely on Florida. But, from 1754-1763, Spain struggled to keep Florida. This was called the French and Indian War, or the Seven Years’ War, in which Spain sided with France. When Great Britain captured Spain’s important port of Havana, Cuba, Spain finally agreed to give Florida to Britain. By 1783, Spain got control of Florida again, but signed a treaty to give Florida to the U.S. During 1817-1858, many Seminole Indians were killed or forced out by U.S. troops. These force-outs were called Seminole Wars. There were three Seminole Wars: the First Seminole War, which was from 1817-1818, the Second Seminole War, which was from 1835-1842, and the Third Seminole War, which was from 1855-1858, in which the Seminoles tried, unsuccessfully, to get their land back. Sadly, only about 100 Seminoles remained in Florida by escaping to the Everglades. On March 3rd, 1845, Florida became the 27th U.S. state. Only a few years later, Florida seceded from the Union on January 10th, 1861 and became part of the Confederacy. During the Civil War, Florida produced meat, salt, cotton, and turpentine (paint remover). When the South lost the Civil War, Florida quickly bounced back. After the Civil War, Florida started growing citrus fruits in Southern Florida. This becomes an important industry. Also, in 1868, the Florida State Flag was adopted. At the beginning of the 20th century, Florida did well until the Great Depression hit. But when highways and bridges to the Keys were built and jobs were increased, Florida survived. And after World War II, more people moved to Florida, mostly retirees who came for the sunshine and immigrants from South and Central America and the Caribbean. In 1947, the Everglades became a national park, and eleven years later Cape Canaveral was made a place of space exploration. Finally, in 1971, Walt Disney founded Disney World, which changed tourism in Florida forever. People started coming to Florida mostly to visit theme parks, not beaches (although they’re still visited). Today, Orlando (where Disney World is) is one of the most popular vacation spots ever. Over 16 million people visit each year! Today, Florida continues to be a very popular tourist destination. One thing that has happened was in 2011: NASA completed its final mission when the space shuttle Atlantis returned. Florida has some interesting history, doesn't it? Florida State FlagIf I had One Day in Florida If I had one day in Florida, I would first go to a beach in Miami and go scuba diving. Then I would go to the John F. Kennedy Space Center just outside of Orlando, and have lunch there (I’ll eat lots of oranges!). Then finally, I’ll go on a nature walk (note: wear lots and lots of mosquito spray!).
And that is how I’d spend a day in Florida, the Sunshine State! |
Florida MapFlorida is 65,578 square miles, with 663 miles of coastline!
Economy and Resources
Florida has big industries, including tourism and food processing. At least 60 million people visit Florida every year as a part of the tourism industry.
Some of the many food products that Florida raises and grows include oranges, and other fruits, mostly citrus, as well as lots of vegetables. Florida grows the world’s most grapefruits, and the 2nd most oranges (Brazil grows the most). 20% of income in Florida comes from raising cattle, poultry, and race horses. Technology is also a big part of Florida’s economy. There is the space program and the personal computer, which was invented in Florida. Florida has many major attractions, including the Everglades and Disney World. And guess what? Gatorade, a famous sport drink, was invented at the University of Florida to give the team, the Gators, energy. Today many people all over the world drink it. Climate Florida is usually very sunny and really warm year round. But in summertime, heavy thunderstorms, floods, and hurricanes take place, causing plenty of damage.
Normal temperatures range from 60-90 degrees F. Government Florida has two U.S. Senators: Bill Nelson (a Democrat), and Marco Rubio (a Republican), as well as 25 U.S. Representatives (19 Republicans and 6 Democrats). Republican Rick Scott is the governor.
Florida has 27 electoral votes in the presidential election, making it a must-have state for presidential candidates. Every 20 years, Florida reviews it’s constitution to make sure everything is current. It’s one of the only states to do so. |
State Symbols· STATE BIRD: mockingbird · STATE FLOWER: orange blossom · STATE NICKNAME: The Sunshine State · STATE SONG: “Swanee River”, by Stephen Foster · STATE TREE: sabal palm · STATE ANIMAL: Florida panther(an endangered species) · STATE MOTTO: “In God We Trust” · STATE SHELL: Horse Conch · STATE GEM: moonstone · STATE ABBREVIATION: FL · STATE BEVERAGE: orange juice · STATE BUTTERFLY: zebra longwing · STATE PIE: Key lime · STATE PLAY: Cross and Swords, by Paul Green · STATE MARINE MAMMAL: Manatee · STATE SALTWATER MAMMAL: Porpoise Geography Florida borders Alabama, Georgia, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic Ocean, and is 65,578 square miles.
It’s the state with the second lowest elevation in the U.S., in a tie with Louisiana. Some buildings in Miami are taller than Florida’s highest point! Florida is home to Lake Okeechobee, the biggest freshwater lake in Florida and the second largest in the U.S. Its 730 square miles wide, and six-ten feet deep! In the Seminole language, Okeechobee means “big waters,” but a levee keeps the lake from flooding. Today, the Everglades, Big Cypress Swamp, and Lake Okeechobee form a large wetland area. Florida has five land regions: the Northern Highlands, the Marianna Lowlands, the Coastal Lowlands, the Central Highlands, and the Southern Zone. Its coastline is the second longest in the U.S. Only Alaska’s is longer. The Florida coastline is 663 miles long! Florida has many major cities, including its capital, Tallahassee. Other major cities in Florida are Pensacola, Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, Orlando, Cape Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale, St. Augustine, Miami, Tampa, Fort Myers, and Key West. People, Culture, and Annual Events Florida has a population of 19,317,568.
Many people are famous and are from or have lived in Florida, from inventors to writers to politicians. One of these people is Thomas A. Edison, inventor of the light bulb. Even though Edison is from New Jersey, he spent most of his winters in Florida, where he did many experiments on the goldenrod plant. His neighbor there was Henry Ford, who invented the car/automobile. Another famous person who lived and wrote about Florida and the Keys is Ernest Hemingway, who lived in the Keys and wrote three of his most famous novels there. Janet Reno, born in 1938, and the first woman U.S. Attorney General is from Miami and was elected in 1993. She was called the nation’s “top cop”. She retired in 2001. If you like racing, you've probably heard about the Daytona 500: a famous car race that happens every year in Daytona Beach, Florida. It’s a 500 mile race (200 laps)! It happens in February. Also, every March in the Florida Keys there’s a conch shell horn-blowing contest. Most of the time people use the Horse Conch, Florida’s state shell. Natives used this shell as well. |
Plants and Wildlife
Thanks to Florida’s warm weather and climate, Florida has many plants and wildlife.
The inner peninsula is full of green plants and wildlife. Pine and oak trees grow very well. Florida woods are home to foxes, wildcats and black bears.
In swampy areas egrets, ibis, flamingos, and herons build their nests, and cypress, cedar, and palm trees rise above the water. This is what the Everglades are like. American alligators live in Florida wetlands, along with Florida panthers and deer. Sometimes you can even spot a bald eagle. The biggest bald eagle nest in the U.S. was found in Florida, at ten feet wide and more than twenty feet deep! And last but not least is the Burmese python, a huge snake that can be over thirteen feet long! These snakes were illegally brought to Florida and sold as pets, then released into the wild when they were too big to keep. People are trying to lower the python population in Florida. There are at least four different poisonous snake species in Florida, as well as many more not poisonous. There are also seventy species of mosquitoes in Florida.
The water around Florida is saltwater. Turtles migrate off the Florida coast and lay eggs on the beaches. There are 5 types of turtles that migrate off the Florida coast: loggerhead turtles, green turtles, hawksbill turtles, leatherback turtles, and Kemp’s ridley turtles. Shallower coastal waters are home to crabs, crayfish, and oysters, while sailfish, red snappers, and groupers live in the ocean. There are also a variety of colorful fish, dolphins and porpoises, and sometimes even sharks!
Bibliography"Florida." CultureGrams States Edition. ProQuest, 2013. Web. 18 Jan 2013.
Crane, Carol. S is for Sunshine: A Florida Alphabet. Ann Arbor, MI: Sleeping Bear, 2000. Print. Sirvaitis, Karen. Florida. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publications, 1995. Print. Christian, Sandra J. Florida. Mankato, MN: Capstone Press, 2003. Print. "Florida State Symbols, Songs, and Emblems." netstate.com. 1998. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. <http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/fl_symb.htm>. |
Picture Sources |