FLORIDA
MAP:
FLAG:
CAPITAL:
Tallahassee 168.979 population
IMPORTANT CITIES:
Jacksonville 805.605 population
Miami 409.719 population
Tampa 336.823 population
San Petersburgo 246.407 population
Orlando 227.907 population
PICTURES:
Jacksonville
Downtown Miami.
Tampa
Lake Eola Park.Orlando
Old Florida State House Tallahassee
SUMMARY OF THE MAIN HISTORICAL
EVENTS OF THE REGION
Florida was the first part of what is now the continental United States to be
visited by Europeans. The earliest known European explorers came with the
Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León, who spotted the peninsula on
April 2, 1513.
Over the following century, both the Spanish and French established
settlements in Florida with varying degrees of success. The area of Spanish
Florida diminished with the establishment of English colonies to the north
and French colonies to the west.
On March 3, 1845, Florida became the 27th state of the United States of
America, although initially its population grew slowly. White settlers began
to establish cotton plantations in Florida, which required numerous laborers.
Florida's economy did not fully recover until the buildup for World War II.
Today, with an estimated population of more than 18 million, Florida is the
most populous state in the Southeastern United States, the second most
populous state in the South behind Texas, and the fourth most populous in
the United States.
LANGUAGES
As of 2005, 74.54% of Florida residents age 5 and older spoke English at
home as a first language, while 18.65% spoke Spanish, and French Creole
(predominantly Haitian Creole) was spoken by 1.73% of the population.
French was spoken by 0.63%, followed by German at 0.45%, and
Portuguese at 0.44% of all residents. Also, Italian comprised 0.32%, while
Tagalog made up 0.30% of speakers, Vietnamese was at 0.25% and Arabic
at 0.23%. In all, 25.45% of Florida's population age 5 and older spoke a
language other than English.
GOVERMENT
The basic structure, duties, function, and operations of the government of
the State of Florida are defined and established by the Florida Constitution,
establishes the basic law of the state and guarantees various rights and
freedoms of the people. The state government consists of three separate
branches: judicial, executive, and legislative. The current Governor of Florida
is Rick Scott. The Florida Supreme Court consists of a Chief Justice and six
Justices.
RELIGION
As of the year 2000, the three largest denominational groups in Florida are
Catholic, Evangelical Protestant, and Mainline Protestant. The Catholic
Church has the highest number of adherents in Florida at 2,596,148, followed
by the Southern Baptist Convention with 1,292,097 members reported and
Judaism reporting 628,485 adherents. Florida is mostly Protestant, but Roman
Catholicism is the single largest denomination in the state. There is also a
sizable Jewish community, located mainly in South Florida; no other
Southern state has such a large Jewish population.
CLIMATE
The climate of North and Central Florida is humid subtropical. South
Florida has a tropical climate. There is a defined rainy season from June
through September, which are the months most at risk of landfalling tropical
cyclones. Thunderstorms, through lightning, lead to several deaths per year
statewide. Florida is one of the most tornado-prone states in the United
States. Between October and May, fronts regularly sweep through the state
which keeps conditions dry, particularly over the peninsula. In winters,
where an El Niño climate cycle exists, rainfall increases while temperatures
are cooler statewide. In North Florida, snow and sleet have been witnessed
as early as November and as late as April, though most areas do not
experience any frozen precipitation during a typical year.
TYPICAL FOOD OR DISHES.
The population of the Southern United States is made up of many different
peoples who came to the region in a variety of ways, each contributing to
what is now called "Southern cooking
The staple food of the Southern United States is corn.
Another staple food in the South is pork.
Fried chicken has become a stereotype of Southern food, popularized by
Colonel Sanders' Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Okra, black-eyed peas, and collard greens are all common Southern-grown
vegetables that were brought to the region by African slaves.
Florida's semi-tropical climate means a year-round growing season and
plenty of tropical fruits. Mangos, guava, and passion fruit are all grown in
the state. Winter strawberries come from Florida, as do winter green beans
and eggplants.
Stone crab claws contain sweet meat people like to compare to lobster (true
crab lovers are more apt to call lobster "crab-like" as a compliment...). The
claws are served steamed or boiled, cracked, and chilled.
And right up there next to fish on the menus, you'll find alligator.
Favorite desserts in the South include chess pie, sweet potato pie, pecan pie,
key lime pie, and watermelon, which is also the most popular melon in the
United States.
LOCAL FESTIVALS OR CELEBRATIONS
CHASCO´S FIESTA
New Port Richey, Florida, USA
3/24/2011 - 4/3/2011
This festival offers eleven days of family fun and entertainment, along the
banks of the beautiful Pithlachascotee River in downtown New Port Richey,
Florida.
Since 1922, Chasco Fiesta has honored the romantic legend intertwining the
lives of a Spanish boy and girl, a priest and the Calusa Indian tribe who
captured them after defeating a Spanish expedition. According to the story,
the boy and girl were later wed as Queen Chasco and her consort Pithla.
Today, Florida's Native American heritage is revered, as evidenced by this
annual event honoring all Native American tribes.
FLORIDA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL
March 3-13, 2011 Plant City, Florida
Each spring, the Florida Strawberry Festival® rolls out the red carpet to
welcome visitors from throughout the Sunshine State and the world. The
Florida Strawberry Festival represents a piece of Americana, a time in
American history when fairs and festivals brought communities together
through celebrations of their harvests. The Florida Strawberry Festival is a
great time to discover the charm and allure of Plant City, and it's the perfect
time to enjoy eating ripe, luscious strawberries alongside the local berry
farmers that have worked hard to bring to them to market.
ANY HISTORICAL CHARACTERS /CELEBRITIES
FROM THE PLACE?
JIM MORRISON (1943-1971) Famous rock singer and leader of The
Doors; born in Melbourne.
BUTTERFLY MCQUEEN (1911-1995) Born Thelma McQueen, was an
American actress. Originally a dancer, McQueen appeared as Prissy,
Scarlett O'Hara's maid in the 1939 film Gone with the Wind. Born in
Tampa, FL.
FANE DUNAWAY (1941-) Is an American actress. Dunaway won an
Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Network (1976)
after receiving previous nominations for the critically acclaimed films
Bonnie and Clyde (1967) and Chinatown (1974). She has starred in a
variety of films, including The Thomas Crown Affair (both the 1968 and
1999 versions), The Towering Inferno (1974), Three Days of the Condor
(1975), and Mommie Dearest (1981). Born in Bascom, FL
SIDNEY POITIER (1927 - ) First African-American actor to win an
Oscar, which he won for the movie "Lilies of the Fields;" Born in Miami.
WALLACE AMOS: was born on July 1, 1936 and spent his childhood in
Tallahassee, Florida. Later he moved to Manhattan where he joined the
Food Trades Vocational High School. Since his young age, he was keenly
interested in cooking, especially in improving his aunt’s chocolate cookie
recipe. After graduation, he took up a clerical job in the William Morris
Agency and later became the first African American talent agent serving
that agency. His chocolate cookies were an attraction among his friends as
also his clients. On one of his friends' suggestion, Wallace Amos opened a
cookie store in Los Angeles. The store was called 'Famous Amos' and it
soon became popular throughout the United States. In 1994, he founded the
'Uncle Noname Gourmet Muffins Company', which focused on the
production of fat-free muffins. The muffins made a huge sale across the
nation. Wally Amos, currently a resident of New York, is truly a self-made
man.