Cultural Information about Florida, USA
Florida, The Sunshine State.
Florida celebrates the multitude of cultures and diversity. It is the mix of people from many different places and cultural backgrounds that helps to make Florida special. All over the state you will find different cultures sharing their traditions. From the Native Americans to the Florida "Crackers" to the Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Greeks, Asians, African Americans, White Americans and dozens other ethnic groups, old and young have grown to appreciate the differences and likenesses they share. They are proud of their heritage and their society of people from who all play a part in making Florida a wonderful place to live and to visit. Read more
In 1513, Ponce de León, seeking the mythical “Fountain of Youth,” discovered and named Florida, claiming it for Spain. Later, Florida would be held at different times by Spain and England until Spain finally sold it to the United States in 1819. (Incidentally, France established a colony named Fort Caroline in 1564 in the state that was to become Florida.)
Florida's history in the early 19th century was marked by wars with the Seminole Indians, which did not end until 1842. Florida's economy rests on a solid base of tourism, manufacturing, and agriculture. Leading the manufacturing sector are electrical equipment and electronics, printing and publishing, transportation equipment, food processing, and machinery. Oranges, grapefruit, and other citrus fruits lead Florida's agricultural products list, followed by potatoes, melons, strawberries, sugar cane, peanuts, dairy products, and cattle. Major tourist attractions are Miami Beach, Palm Beach, St. Augustine (founded in 1565, thus the oldest permanent city in the U.S.), Daytona Beach, and Fort Lauderdale on the East Coast; Sarasota, Tampa, and St. Petersburg on the West Coast; and Key West off the southern tip of Florida. The Orlando area, where Disney World is located on a 27,000-acre site, is Florida's most popular tourist destination. Also drawing many visitors are the NASA Kennedy Space Center's Spaceport USA, Everglades National Park, and the Epcot Center. Read more
Just 35 miles from Miami, Everglades National Park is the third largest national park in contiguous United States. The Everglades are actually a slow moving freshwater "River of Grass," 50 miles wide but only 6 inches deep, flowing from Lake Okeechobee through marshy grassland into Florida Bay. You can explore the wilds of the Everglades alone or on one of many Everglades tours but either way it is good to bring along a good Everglades map and plenty of mosquito repellant. Read more
Population Facts:
USA: 299,398,484 in 2006
Florida: 18,089,888 in 2006
Miami-Dade: 2,387,170 in 2007, Home of Florida International University and University of Miami
Gainesville - 104,828 in 2007, Home of University of Florida
Florida celebrates the multitude of cultures and diversity. It is the mix of people from many different places and cultural backgrounds that helps to make Florida special. All over the state you will find different cultures sharing their traditions. From the Native Americans to the Florida "Crackers" to the Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Greeks, Asians, African Americans, White Americans and dozens other ethnic groups, old and young have grown to appreciate the differences and likenesses they share. They are proud of their heritage and their society of people from who all play a part in making Florida a wonderful place to live and to visit. Read more
In 1513, Ponce de León, seeking the mythical “Fountain of Youth,” discovered and named Florida, claiming it for Spain. Later, Florida would be held at different times by Spain and England until Spain finally sold it to the United States in 1819. (Incidentally, France established a colony named Fort Caroline in 1564 in the state that was to become Florida.)
Florida's history in the early 19th century was marked by wars with the Seminole Indians, which did not end until 1842. Florida's economy rests on a solid base of tourism, manufacturing, and agriculture. Leading the manufacturing sector are electrical equipment and electronics, printing and publishing, transportation equipment, food processing, and machinery. Oranges, grapefruit, and other citrus fruits lead Florida's agricultural products list, followed by potatoes, melons, strawberries, sugar cane, peanuts, dairy products, and cattle. Major tourist attractions are Miami Beach, Palm Beach, St. Augustine (founded in 1565, thus the oldest permanent city in the U.S.), Daytona Beach, and Fort Lauderdale on the East Coast; Sarasota, Tampa, and St. Petersburg on the West Coast; and Key West off the southern tip of Florida. The Orlando area, where Disney World is located on a 27,000-acre site, is Florida's most popular tourist destination. Also drawing many visitors are the NASA Kennedy Space Center's Spaceport USA, Everglades National Park, and the Epcot Center. Read more
Just 35 miles from Miami, Everglades National Park is the third largest national park in contiguous United States. The Everglades are actually a slow moving freshwater "River of Grass," 50 miles wide but only 6 inches deep, flowing from Lake Okeechobee through marshy grassland into Florida Bay. You can explore the wilds of the Everglades alone or on one of many Everglades tours but either way it is good to bring along a good Everglades map and plenty of mosquito repellant. Read more
Population Facts:
USA: 299,398,484 in 2006
Florida: 18,089,888 in 2006
Miami-Dade: 2,387,170 in 2007, Home of Florida International University and University of Miami
Gainesville - 104,828 in 2007, Home of University of Florida
Cultural Impressions Florida
Netherlands Florida Scholarship Foundation :.: PO Box 56-2963 :.: Miami-Dade :.: FL 33256-2963 :.: United States of America
Phone (+1) 305-447-1580 :.: Fax (+1) 305-447-1686 :.: Email gina@nflsf.org
Phone (+1) 305-447-1580 :.: Fax (+1) 305-447-1686 :.: Email gina@nflsf.org