Portal:Florida
The Florida Portal
Florida (pronounced /ˈflɒrɪdə/) is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. Most of the state is a large peninsula with the Gulf of Mexico on its west and the Atlantic Ocean on its east. Much of the state has a humid subtropical climate; southern Florida has a tropical climate. Florida was named by Juan Ponce de León, who landed on the peninsula on 2 April 1513, during Pascua Florida (Spanish for "Flowery Easter," referring to the Easter season). Florida is the fourth most populous state in the country.
Archaeological research indicates that Florida had been inhabited for thousands of years before any European settlements. Of the many indigenous peoples, the largest known were the Ais, the Apalachee, the Calusa, the Timucua and the Tocobago tribes. Juan Ponce de León, a Spanish conquistador, named Florida in honor of his discovery of the land on April 2, 1513, during Pascua Florida, a Spanish term for the Easter season (Juan Ponce de León may not have been the first European to reach Florida; according to one report, at least one indigenous tribesman who he encountered in Florida in 1513 spoke Spanish.) From that date forward, the land became known as "La Florida" , although from 1630 until the 19th century Tegesta (after the Tequesta tribe) was the name of choice for the Florida peninsula following publication of a map by the Dutch cartographer Hessel Gerritsz in Joannes de Laet's History of the New World. Over the following century, both the Spanish and French established settlements in Florida, with varying degrees of success. In 1559, Spanish Pensacola was established by Don Tristán de Luna y Arellano as the first European settlement in the continental United States, but it had become abandoned by 1561 and would not be reinhabited until the 1690s. French Huguenots founded Fort Caroline in modern-day Jacksonville in 1564, but the fort was conquered by Spanish forces from St. Augustine the following year.
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Miami-Dade Transit, a county department of more than 4,000 employees, is the largest transit agency in the state of Florida and provides more than 50% of the trips taken on public transit in the state. MDT operates an accessible, integrated system of 100-plus Metrobus routes; the 22-mile Metrorail heavy rail system; Metromover, a downtown people mover system; and the Paratransit division’s Special Transportation Service.
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Deerfield Beach is a city in Broward County, Florida, USA. The city is named for the numerous deer that once roamed the area. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 76,478. It is part of the South Florida metropolitan area, which is home to 5,463,857 people.
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Though born in New Jersey, White moved to Florida at an unknown time during his childhood where, by his own admission, he grew up on "Star Wars and heavy metal." He has three younger brothers, Westly, Dustin, and Ayden. His mother Dana was formerly a cage dancer for such bands as the Ramones, giving Jeordie famous musical contact. White has been romantically linked to famous women in music such as Courtney Love and Jessicka of Jack Off Jill and later of Scarling. Often referred to as the male Kinderwhore, White adopted his "Twiggy Ramirez" look from his relationship with then girlfriend Jessicka and a desire to ridicule Courtney Love.
Did you know?
- ...that the Tiger Bay Club, a political club in Florida was started by Dan Cunningham in 1971 after a meeting with Reubin O'Donovan Askew?
- ...that the Four Seasons Hotel Miami, a Four Seasons Hotel in Miami is the tallest building in the city, standing at 240 metres?
- ...that Jacksonville Public Library is one of the largest library systems in the state, with a collection of nearly three million items?
In the news
- November 25: Wikinews interviews Darcy Richardson, Democratic Party presidential challenger to Barack Obama
- September 1: Florida schools begin to enforce new statewide ban on saggy pants and other revealing attire
- August 28: Tropical Storm Irene passes over New York
- August 6: Juno spacecraft bound for Jupiter
- July 22: Space Shuttle Atlantis landing concludes program
- July 8: End of an era: Space Shuttle Atlantis launches on final mission in program
- July 1: U.S. space agency NASA sues ex-astronaut
- June 23: Prohibition Party holds convention; nominates Jack Fellure for U.S. President
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You are invited to participate in WikiProject Florida, a WikiProject dedicated to developing and improving articles about Florida. |
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The Florida Citrus Tower is a 1956-built tower, standing 226 feet tall. The tower is notable as the most famous landmark of the Orlando area; its top is the highest point in Florida, and it is the highest observation point in Florida.
Quality content
- Featured content
1928 Okeechobee Hurricane • William Cooley • Florida Atlantic University • History of Miami, Florida • List of Florida birds • List of Florida hurricanes • List of sister cities in Florida • List of snow events in Florida • List of wild mammal species of Florida • Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami • Everglades National Park • Rosewood massacre • Marjory Stoneman Douglas • Restoration of the Everglades • Indigenous people of the Everglades region • Geography and ecology of the Everglades • Draining and development of the Everglades • Tropical Storm Keith (1988)
- Good articles
Brothers to the Rescue • Burger King • Casey Donovan (porn star) • Florida International University • Florida State University • University of Central Florida • Fort Lauderdale, Florida • Hurricane Charley • Hurricane Ivan • Key Biscayne • Miami River (Florida) • Osborne Reef • Super Bowl XLI • Mary McLeod Bethune • Against All Odds (2005) • Key Biscayne • Port Charlotte High School • Shawn Lonsdale • More...
Things you can do
- Requested articles: Bent Tree Elementary School • University Christian School
- Cleanup and, if possible, expand stub articles
- Write articles relating to Florida if you see a redlink and know the article meets Wikipedia's notability guideline
- Help suggest additional content for this portal
- Help assess those articles about Florida that have yet to be assessed
