Capital: Tallahassee
Population: 15,982,378
Governor: Charlie Crist (R, to January 2011)
Entered the Union: March 3, 1845
as the 27th state
Motto: In God we trust
Nickname: Sunshine state
Flower: Orange Blossom
Bird: Mockingbird
Song: The Suwanee River (Old Folks at Home)
Sports Teams:
(sport listing policy) Miami Heat, Orlando Magic (Men's Basketball); Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Football); Florida Marlins (Baseball); Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning (Hockey)
Origin of Name: From the Spanish, meaning "feast of flowers"
Major Industries: Oranges, tourism, electrical equipment, phosphate rock mining
Historical Sites: St. Augustine, Fort Matanza National Monument, DeSoto National Memorial, Fort Jefferson National Monument
Points of Interest: Walt Disney World, EPCOT Center, NASA Kennedy Space Center, Everglades National Park, Busch Gardens, Key West, Sea World, Ormond-Daytona Beach, Universal Studios Florida
Bordering States: Florida borders Georgia and Alabama
Source: State of Florida
Population, 2006 estimate: 18,089,888
Population, percent change, April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006: 13.2%
Population, 2000: 15,982,378
Persons under 5 years old, percent, 2006: 6.2%
Persons under 18 years old, percent, 2006: 22.2%
Persons 65 years old and over, percent, 2006: 16.8%
Female persons, percent, 2006: 50.9%
White persons, percent, 2006 (a): 80.2%
Black persons, percent, 2006 (a): 15.8%
American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2006 (a): 0.4%
Asian persons, percent, 2006 (a): 2.2%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, percent, 2006 (a): 0.1%
Persons reporting two or more races, percent, 2006: 1.3%
Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2006 (b): 20.2%
White persons not Hispanic, percent, 2006: 61.3%
Living in same house in 1995 and 2000, pct 5 yrs old & over: 48.9%
Foreign born persons, percent, 2000: 16.7%
Language other than English spoken at home, pct age 5+, 2000: 23.1%
High school graduates, percent of persons age 25+, 2000: 79.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher, pct of persons age 25+, 2000: 22.3%
Persons with a disability, age 5+, 2000: 3,274,566
Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16+, 2000: 26.2
Housing units, 2006: 8,533,419
Homeownership rate, 2000: 70.1%
Housing units in multi-unit structures, percent, 2000: 29.9%
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2000: $105,500
Households, 2000: 6,337,929
Persons per household, 2000: 2.46
Median household income, 2004: $40,900
Per capita money income, 1999: $21,557
Persons below poverty, percent, 2004: 11.9%
Source: U.S.Census Bureau
(a) Includes persons reporting only one race.
(b) Hispanics may be of any race, so also are included in applicable race categories.
Total Gross Domestic Product by State: 666,639
Private industries: 590,516
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting: 6,327
Crop and animal production (Farms): 4,438
Forestry, fishing, and related activities: 1,889
Mining: 879
Oil and gas extraction: 102
Mining, except oil and gas: 716
Support activities for mining: 61
Utilities: 11,688
Construction: 50,095
Manufacturing: 33,391
Durable goods: 22,423
Wood product manufacturing: 1,531
Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing: 3,215
Primary metal manufacturing: 426
Fabricated metal product manufacturing: 2,945
Machinery manufacturing: 2,152
Computer and electronic product manufacturing: 3,767
Electrical equipment and appliance manufacturing: 639
Motor vehicle, body, trailer, and parts manufacturing: 602
Other transportation equipment manufacturing: 2,433
Furniture and related product manufacturing: 1,110
Miscellaneous manufacturing: 3,603
Nondurable goods: 10,968
Food product manufacturing: 4,336
Textile and textile product mills: 346
Apparel manufacturing: 317
Paper manufacturing: 1,136
Printing and related support activities: 1,440
Petroleum and coal products manufacturing: 387
Chemical manufacturing: 1,937
Plastics and rubber products manufacturing: 1,069
Wholesale trade: 43,788
Retail trade: 53,236
Transportation and warehousing, excluding Postal Service: 17,157
Air transportation: 2,467
Rail transportation: 932
Water transportation: 2,069
Truck transportation: 3,935
Transit and ground passenger transportation: 689
Pipeline transportation: 31
Other transportation and support activities: 5,579
Warehousing and storage: 1,455
Information: 27,881
Publishing including software: 5,522
Motion picture and sound recording industries: 964
Broadcasting and telecommunications: 18,456
Information and data processing services: 2,938
Finance and insurance: 45,547
Federal Reserve banks, credit intermediation and related services: 27,342
Securities, commodity contracts, investments: 4,963
Insurance carriers and related activities: 12,772
Funds, trusts, and other financial vehicles: 470
Real estate and rental and leasing: 112,195
Real estate: 105,562
Rental and leasing services and lessors of intangible assets: 6,633
Professional and technical services: 41,944
Legal services: 10,748
Computer systems design and related services: 5,144
Other professional, scientific and technical services: 26,052
Management of companies and enterprises: 8,111
Administrative and waste services: 33,272
Administrative and support services: 31,674
Waste management and remediation services: 1,598
Educational services: 4,614
Health care and social assistance: 47,961
Ambulatory health care services: 27,593
Hospitals and nursing and residential care facilities: 17,137
Social assistance: 3,231
Arts, entertainment, and recreation: 10,688
Performing arts, museums, and related activities: 3,445
Amusement, gambling, and recreation: 7,243
Accommodation and food services: 24,639
Accommodation: 9,481
Food services and drinking places: 15,159
Other services, except government: 17,101
Government: 76,123
Federal civilian: 11,391
Federal military: 7,918
State and local: 56,814
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
Longitude: 79° 48' W to 87° 38' W
Latitude: 24° 30' N to 31° N
Length / Width: Florida is 500 miles long and 160 miles wide at its most distant points.
Geographic Center: The geographic center of Florida is located in Hernando County, 12 miles NNW of Brooksville.
Borders: Florida is bordered by Georgia and Alabama to the north. On the west Florida is bordered by Alabama and the Gulf of Mexico. To the south and to the east, Florida is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean.
Total Area: Florida covers 65,758 square miles, making it the 22nd largest of the 50 states.
Land Area: 53,997 square miles of Florida are land areas.
Water Area: 11,761 square miles of Florida are covered by water making Florida the 3rd wettest state behind Alaska and Michigan.
Highest Point: The highest point in Florida is Britton Hill, Lakewood Park in Walton County and is only 345 feet above sea level. Walton County is located in the Florida Panhandle.
Lowest Point: The lowest point in Florida is sea level where Florida meets the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
Mean Elevation: The Mean Elevation of the state of Florida is only 100 feet above sea level.
Major Rivers: St. Johns River, St. Marys River, Suwannee River
Major Lakes: Lake Okeechobee, Lake George
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
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