Florida (FLORR-ih-dəə; Spanish: [floˈɾˈ ɾ i & eth; a] is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. It surrounds the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia to the north, the Atlantic Sea to the eastern, and the Straits of Florida and Cuba to the south. Regarding two-thirds of Florida inhabits a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. It has the longest coast in the adjoining United States, extending roughly 1,350 miles (2,170 km), not including its numerous obstacle islands. It is the only state that surrounds both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of over 23 million, it is the third-most populated state in the United States and ranks 7th in populace thickness since 2020. Florida covers 65,758 square miles (170,310 km2), ranking 22nd in area among the states. The Miami metropolitan area, anchored by the cities of Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, is the state's biggest metropolitan area, with a populace of 6. 138 million; the most populous city is Jacksonville. Florida's various other major populace facilities include Tampa Bay, Orlando, Cape Reefs, and the state resources of Tallahassee. Numerous Native American tribes have actually inhabited Florida for at the very least 14,000 years. In 1513, Spanish traveler Juan Ponce de León came to be the very first known European to make landfall, calling the area La Florida (land of blossoms) ([ la floˈɾˈ ɾ ið& eth; a]. Florida subsequently became the first area in the continental U. S. to be permanently resolved by Europeans, with the negotiation of St. Augustine, established in 1565, being the earliest continually populated city. Florida was frequently attacked and wanted by Terrific Britain before Spain yielded it to the U. S. in 1819 in exchange for solving the boundary conflict along the Sabine River in Spanish Texas. Florida was confessed as the 27th state on March 3, 1845, and was the principal area of the Seminole Wars (1816–-- 1858), the longest and most substantial of the American Indian Wars. The state seceded from the Union on January 10, 1861, turning into one of the 7 initial Confederate States, and was readmitted to the Union after the Civil Battle on June 25, 1868. Because the mid-20th century, Florida has experienced rapid market and financial development. Its economy, with a gross state product (GSP) of $1. 647 trillion, is the fourth biggest of any type of U. S. state and the fifteenth-largest on the planet; the major industries are tourism, hospitality, agriculture, real estate, and transportation. Florida is world-renowned for its beach resorts, amusement parks, cozy and warm climate, and maritime recreation; attractions such as Walt Disney World, the Kennedy Room Center, and Miami Beach attract 10s of countless site visitors yearly. Florida is a preferred destination for retired people, seasonal vacationers, and both residential and international migrants. The state's close closeness to the ocean has shaped its culture, identity, and daily life; its early american background and successive waves of movement are mirrored in African, European, Indigenous, Latino, and Asian impacts. Florida has actually brought in or influenced some of one of the most popular American writers, consisting of Ernest Hemingway, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, and Tennessee Williams, and continues to bring in celebrities and athletes, particularly in golf, tennis, automobile racing, and water sports.Florida has actually been recognized for being a battleground state in American governmental political elections, although it has transformed progressively Republican recently. Florida's environment differs from subtropical in the north to tropical in the south. It is the only state besides Hawaii to have a tropical climate, and the only continental state with a coral reef. Florida has numerous distinct ecosystems, consisting of Everglades National Park, the largest tropical wilderness in the U. S. and among the biggest in the Americas. Special wildlife consist of the American alligator, American crocodile, American flamingo, roseate spoonbill, Florida panther, bottlenose dolphin, and manatee. The Florida Coral reef is the only living coral reefs obstacle coral reef in the continental United States, and the third-largest reefs barrier reef system worldwide, after the Great Barrier Reef and the Belize Obstacle Reef.
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