Florida

From Conservapedia

**Florida**
Capital	Tallahassee
Nickname	The Sunshine State
Official Language	English
Governor	Charlie Crist, R
Senators	Mel Martinez, R; Bill Nelson, D
Admission to Union	March 3, 1845 (27th)
	Motto: "In God We Trust"

Florida is located in the southeastern United States, and in 1845 became the 27th state to join the Union. Florida was first settled by Europeans in 1513, when Spaniard "Juan Ponce de Leon" landed at St. Augustine. For some time, Spain and France ran competing colonies in Florida, with the Spanish eventually expelling the French. Eventually, Spain ceded Florida to the United States in 1819 in exchange for the cancelling of debts. Along with 12 other southern states, Florida seceded from the Union in 1859 in order to form the "Confederate States of America". The end of the war between the "United States" and the "Confederate States" resulted in Florida rejoining the Union in 1865. The capital of Florida is Tallahassee, and the largest city is Jacksonville. The current governor of Florida is Charlie Crist, a Republican. Florida's nickname is the "Sunshine State", and its state tree is the "Sabal Palm." When judged by population, Florida is the 3rd largest of the 50 member-states of the United States of America.