Difference between revisions of "Florida"
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==Politics== | ==Politics== | ||
− | Florida is a swing state in presidential elections. The South Florida region (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach, along with the Florida Keys) along with the | + | Florida is a swing state in presidential elections. The South Florida region ([[Miami]], [[Fort Lauderdale]], and [[Palm Beach]], along with the [[Florida Keys]]) along with the [[Tallahassee]] capital area, are heavily Democratic and the urban areas of [[Tampa]] and [[Orlando]] lean Democratic, while the northern parts of the state (especially the panhandle), rural areas of central Florida, and the southwestern portion of the state ([[Naples]], [[Fort Myers, Florida|Fort Myers]], [[Punta Gorda, Florida|Punta Gorda]], and [[Sarasota, Florida|Sarasota]]) are heavily Republican. The swing state phenomenon was most pronounced during the 2000 presidential election when the margin of victory for eventual winner George W. Bush was a mere 537 votes (triggering a mandatory recount under Florida state law, an ensuing number of lawsuits and judicial rulings, and never-ending speculation as to the real winner). |
==State symbols== | ==State symbols== | ||
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===Statewide=== | ===Statewide=== | ||
*Governor [[Ron DeSantis]] (R) | *Governor [[Ron DeSantis]] (R) | ||
− | *Lt. Governor [[ | + | *Lt. Governor [[Jeanette Nunez]] (R) |
− | *Chief Financial Officer [[ | + | *Chief Financial Officer [[Jimmy Patronis ]] (R) |
*Attorney General [[Ashley Moody]] (R) | *Attorney General [[Ashley Moody]] (R) | ||
*Agriculture Commissioner [[Nikki Fried]] (D) | *Agriculture Commissioner [[Nikki Fried]] (D) |
Revision as of 18:20, November 9, 2019
Capital | Tallahassee |
---|---|
Nickname | The Sunshine State |
Official Language | English |
Governor | Ron DeSantis, R |
Senator | Rick Scott, R (202) 224-5274 Contact |
Senator | Marco Rubio, R (202) 224-3041 Contact |
Ratification of Constitution/or statehood | March 3, 1845 (27th) |
Flag of Florida | Motto: "In God We Trust" |
Florida is a state located in the southeastern United States. It is bound by Georgia and Alabama to the north, the Gulf of Mexico to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Straits of Florida to the south. Originally a colony of Spain, 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.
The state Constitution of Florida, like all of the other 50 states, acknowledges God or our Creator or the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe. It says:
- We, the people of the State of Florida, being grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty, in order to secure its benefits, perfect our government, insure domestic tranquility, maintain public order, and guarantee equal civil and political rights to all, do ordain and establish this constitution.
Contents
History
Florida was first settled by Europeans in 1513, when Spaniard Juan Ponce de Leon landed near where St. Augustine stands today. de Leon originally spotted Florida on Easter Sunday, so he named it Pascua Florida, which means "Flowery Easter" in Spanish.[1]
For some time, Spain and France ran competing colonies in Florida, with the Spanish eventually expelling the French. John Quincy Adams, serving as the Secretary of State for President James Monroe, negotiated the Adams–Onís Treaty with the Spanish in 1819, purchasing the territory of Florida from Spain.[2]
Florida seceded from the Union in 1861 and joined the Confederate States of America; there was little military action in the remote state.
Economy
A large sector of Florida's economy is based on the cultivation of citrus fruit. As of 2006, Florida produced 67 percent of the United States' total citrus fruit. This breaks down to 74 percent of oranges grown in the US, 58 percent of tangerines and 54 percent of grapefruit.[3] The orange blossom is Florida's state flower, the orange is the state fruit and orange juice is the official state beverage.
Tourism is one of the state's largest economic sectors, with over 112 million tourists visiting in 2016 and with 1.4 million people employed in the industry (as of 2016). Particularly popular attractions include the Everglades, Walt Disney World, and Miami's South Beach district.
NASA's presence in Cape Canaveral makes Florida a very good environment for the aerospace industry. Florida is the 4th largest employer of workers in the aerospace industry, with over 23,000 employed.
Politics
Florida is a swing state in presidential elections. The South Florida region (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach, along with the Florida Keys) along with the Tallahassee capital area, are heavily Democratic and the urban areas of Tampa and Orlando lean Democratic, while the northern parts of the state (especially the panhandle), rural areas of central Florida, and the southwestern portion of the state (Naples, Fort Myers, Punta Gorda, and Sarasota) are heavily Republican. The swing state phenomenon was most pronounced during the 2000 presidential election when the margin of victory for eventual winner George W. Bush was a mere 537 votes (triggering a mandatory recount under Florida state law, an ensuing number of lawsuits and judicial rulings, and never-ending speculation as to the real winner).
State symbols
Elected officials
Federal
- Sen. Rick Scott (R)
- Sen. Marco Rubio (R)
- Rep. Matt Gaetz [R, FL-1]
- Rep. Neal Dunn [R, FL-2]
- Rep. Ted Yoho [R, FL-3]
- Rep. John Rutherford [R, FL-4]
- Rep. Al Lawson [D, FL-5]
- Rep. Michael Waltz [R, FL-6]
- Rep. Stephanie Murphy [D, FL-7]
- Rep. Bill Posey [R, FL-8]
- Rep. Darren Soto [D, FL-9]
- Rep. Val Demings [D, FL-10]
- Rep. Daniel Webster [R, FL-11]
- Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis [R, FL-12]
- Rep. Charlie Crist [D, FL-13]
- Rep. Kathy Castor [D, FL-14]
- Rep. Ross Spano [R, FL-15]
- Rep. Vern Buchanan [R, FL-16]
- Rep. Greg Steube [R, FL-17]
- Rep. Brian Mast [R, FL-18]
- Rep. Francis Rooney [D, FL-19]
- Rep. Alcee L. Hastings [D, FL-20]
- Rep. Lois Frankel [D, FL-21
- Rep. Ted Deutch [D, FL-22]
- Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz [D, FL-23]
- Rep. Frederica Wilson [D, FL-24]
- Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart [R, FL-25]
- Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell [D, FL-26]
- Rep. Donna Shalala [D, FL-27]
Statewide
- Governor Ron DeSantis (R)
- Lt. Governor Jeanette Nunez (R)
- Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis (R)
- Attorney General Ashley Moody (R)
- Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried (D)
Metropolitan Areas
- Daytona Beach
- Deltona
- Fort Myers
- Fort Walton Beach
- Gainesville
- Homosassa Springs
- Jacksonville
- Lakeland
- Miami
- Naples
- Ocala
- Orlando
- Panama City
- Pensacola
- Port St. Lucie
- Punta Gorda
- Sarasota
- Sebring
- Tallahassee
- Tampa
- Titusville
- Vero Beach
References
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