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|date=March 3, 1845 (27th)

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'''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 canceling 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, Florida|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]].7

'''Florida''' is located in the southeastern [[United States]]; it was purchased by the U.S. in 1819 and in 1845 became the 27th state to join the Union.  The capital of Florida is [[Tallahassee]], and the main metropolitan areas are Jacksonville, Miami, St. Petersburg and Orlando. Florida's nickname is the "Sunshine State",  and its state tree is the "Sabal Palm."  Florida has grown very rapidly, pulling in retirees from the cold, giving it the 3rd largest population of the 50 states.

 

==Politics==

==Politics==

Senator Martinez astonished Floridians by suddenly resigning in August 2009. Governor Christ appointed George LeMieux, age 40, who was Crist's campaign manager in 2006 and served as deputy attorney general of Florida when Crist was attorney general. LeMieux is regarded as one of the shrewdest political strategists in the state and, like Crist, is a moderate conservative Republican.  

Senator Martinez astonished Floridians by suddenly resigning in August 2009. Governor Christ appointed George LeMieux, age 40, who was Crist's campaign manager in 2006 and served as deputy attorney general of Florida when Crist was attorney general. LeMieux is regarded as one of the shrewdest political strategists in the state and, like Crist, is a moderate conservative Republican.  

Christ was elected governor in 2006, running as a fiscal conservative and a moderate on social issues. His style is folksy and he searches for bipartisanship. His handling of the great hurricanes of 2005-6 was widely praised.  He appointed one moderate and two conservatives to the state supreme court. His support for [[John McCain]] helped carry the state primary and played a role in giving the 2008 GOP nomination to McCain. He cut property taxes and cut the state budget, but annoyed some conservatives by his enthusiastic support for the Obama administration's stimulus bill in spring 2009. Polls show a strong base of support from conservatives and moderates and some liberals. Christ will run for reelection in 2010; his rival in the 2010 GOP primary will be state House Speaker Marco Rubio, a Cuban American.

Christ was elected governor in 2006, running as a fiscal conservative and a moderate on social issues. His style is folksy and he searches for bipartisanship. His handling of the great hurricanes of 2005-6 was widely praised.  He appointed one moderate and two conservatives to the state supreme court. His support for [[John McCain]] helped carry the state primary and played a role in giving the 2008 GOP nomination to McCain. He cut property taxes and cut the state budget, but annoyed some conservatives by his enthusiastic support for the Obama administration's stimulus bill in spring 2009. Polls show a strong base of support from conservatives and moderates and some liberals. Christ will run for reelection in 2010; his rival in the 2010 GOP primary will be state House Speaker Marco Rubio, a Cuban American.

 

==Elected officials==  

==Elected officials==  

===Federal===  

===Federal===