The Florida Portal

Welcome to the Portal:Florida. The Sunshine State.
Welcome to the Portal:Florida. The Sunshine State.
Florida
State of Florida
Map of the United States with Florida highlighted
Map of the United States with Florida highlighted

Florida is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico; Alabama to the northwest; Georgia to the north; the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean to the east; and the Straits of Florida and Cuba to the south. It is the only state that borders both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. With a population exceeding 21 million, it is the third-most populous state in the nation and ranks eighth in population density as of 2020. It spans 65,758 square miles (170,310 km2), ranking 22nd in area among the 50 states. The Miami metropolitan area, anchored by the cities of Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, is the state's largest metropolitan area with a population of 6.138 million, and the state's most-populous city is Jacksonville with a population of 949,611. Florida's other major population centers include Tampa Bay, Orlando, Cape Coral, and the state capital of Tallahassee.

Various American Indian tribes have inhabited Florida for at least 14,000 years. In 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León, as member of the Conquistadors of the Kingdom of Spain, became the first known European to make landfall, calling the region La Florida ([la floˈɾiða]) for its lush greenery and the Easter season (Pascua Florida in Spanish). Florida subsequently became the first area in the continental U.S. to be permanently settled by Europeans, with the Spanish colony of St. Augustine, founded in 1565, being the oldest continuously inhabited city. Florida was a Spanish territory frequently attacked and coveted by Great Britain before Spain ceded it to the U.S. in 1819 in exchange for resolving the border dispute along the Sabine River in Spanish Texas. Florida was admitted as the 27th state on March 3, 1845 and was the principal location of the Seminole Wars (1816–1858), the longest and most extensive of the Indian Wars in U.S. history. The state seceded from the Union on January 10, 1861, becoming one of the seven original Confederate States, and was readmitted to the Union after the Civil War on June 25, 1868.

Since the mid-20th century, Florida has experienced rapid demographic and economic growth. Its economy, with a gross state product (GSP) of $1.4 trillion, is the fourth-largest of any U.S. state and the 16th-largest in the world; the main sectors are tourism, hospitality, agriculture, real estate, and transportation. Florida is world-renowned for its beach resorts, amusement parks, warm and sunny climate, and nautical recreation; attractions such as Walt Disney World, the Kennedy Space Center, and Miami Beach draw tens of millions of visitors annually. Florida is a popular destination for retirees, seasonal vacationers, and both domestic and international migrants; it hosts nine out of the ten fastest-growing communities in the U.S. The state's close proximity to the ocean has shaped its culture, identity, and daily life; its colonial history and successive waves of migration are reflected in African, European, Indigenous, Latino, and Asian influences. Florida has attracted or inspired some of the most prominent American writers, including Ernest Hemingway, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, and Tennessee Williams, and continues to attract celebrities and athletes, particularly in golf, tennis, auto racing, and water sports. Florida has been considered a battleground state in American presidential elections, particularly those in 2000, 2016, and 2020. (Full article...)

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The Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant is a theme restaurant at Disney's Hollywood Studios, one of the four main theme parks at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida, United States. Established in May 1991, the restaurant is modeled after a 1950s drive-in theater. Walt Disney Imagineering designed the booths to resemble convertibles of the period, and some servers act as carhops while wearing roller skates. While eating, guests watch a large projection screen displaying clips of 1950s and 1960s films as Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster, Plan 9 from Outer Space, and Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.

The restaurant serves traditional cuisine of the United States. Popcorn functions as a complimentary hors d'oeuvre. Initially, the menu listed items with themed names, such as "Tossed in Space" (garden salad), "The Cheesecake that Ate New York", and "Attack of the Killer Club Sandwich", but these playful names were later altered so that they now describe the dishes in a more standard and straightforward manner. (Full article...)
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The following are images from various Florida-related articles on Wikipedia.

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Official portrait, 2017

Charles Joseph Crist Jr. (/krɪst/ KRIST; born July 24, 1956) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 44th governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011 and as the U.S. representative for Florida's 13th congressional district from 2017 to 2022. Crist has been a member of the Democratic Party since 2012; he was previously a Republican before becoming an independent in 2010.

Crist served in the Florida Senate from 1993 to 1999, vacating his seat to run unsuccessfully against incumbent Bob Graham for the U.S. Senate in 1998. He won a 2000 special election to serve as Florida education commissioner from 2001 to 2003 and a 2002 election to serve as Florida attorney general from 2003 to 2007. He was elected Governor of Florida in 2006 after winning against Democrat Jim Davis. (Full article...)

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Current events

January 8, 2024 –
Peregrine Mission One, the first US lunar lander since the Apollo program, is launched at Cape Canaveral in Florida, United States. It later suffers from a fuel leak, making it unable to complete its objective. (The Guardian)
October 30, 2023 – 2023 Ybor City shooting
Two people are killed and 16 others are injured in a mass shooting in the Ybor City neighborhood of Tampa, Florida, United States. A 22-year-old man is arrested. (CNN)
October 29, 2023 – 2023 Israel–Hamas war
Protests are held in the United States including Florida, Michigan, and Colorado. (The Detroit News) (WPLG-TV) (The Denver Post)
October 26, 2023 – International reactions to the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
The office of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announces that it is sending drones and weapons to Israel to support its fight against Hamas. (The Hill)

WikiProjects

WikiProjects puzzle
WikiProjects puzzle
Main project
  • WikiProject Florida
Sub-projects
  • Jacksonville
  • Manatee-Sarasota History
  • Miami
  • Navarre
  • Tampa Bay
  • Florida International University
  • Florida State University
  • State University System of Florida
  • University of Central Florida
  • University of Florida
  • U.S. Roads/Florida

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A panoramic view of the Downtown Miami skyline
A panoramic view of the Downtown Miami skyline

Downtown Miami is the central business district of South Florida, Miami-Dade County and Miami, Florida. Brickell Avenue/Biscayne Boulevard is the main north-south road in downtown, and Flagler Street is the main east-west road in the Central Business District.

Topics

Quality content

1910 Cuba hurricane1928 Okeechobee hurricane2012 Budweiser ShootoutAmerican white ibisAndrew SleddBiscayne National ParkDerek JeterDraining and development of the EvergladesErnest HemingwayEverglades National ParkFalcon's FuryGeography and ecology of the EvergladesGregor MacGregorGuy BradleyHogwarts Express (Universal Orlando Resort)Hurricane AndrewIndigenous people of the Everglades regionIron GwaziJohn F. BoltMarjory Stoneman DouglasRestoration of the EvergladesRosewood massacreSci-Fi Dine-In Theater RestaurantSheiKraSpace Shuttle Challenger disasterSt. Johns RiverStephen CraneTurning Point (2008 wrestling)USS Massachusetts (BB-2)Walt Disney World RailroadWilliam Cooley

List of Florida hurricanesList of Florida hurricanes (pre-1900)List of Tampa Bay Rays seasonsList of University of Central Florida alumniList of birds of FloridaList of counties in FloridaList of governors of FloridaList of invasive species in the EvergladesList of mammals of FloridaList of municipalities in FloridaList of sister cities in FloridaSnow in FloridaUnited States presidential elections in Florida

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1898 Georgia hurricane1928 Florida Gators football team1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season1986 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season1987 Gulf Coast tropical storm1987 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season1989 Florida's 18th congressional district special election1989 South Florida television affiliation switch1998 Pepsi 4002003 Budweiser Shootout2005 TNA Super X Cup Tournament2006 Daytona 5002006 Ford 4002008 TNA World X Cup Tournament2009 Budweiser Shootout2009 Ford 4002010 Cafés do Brasil Indy 3002010 Daytona 5002010 Ford 4002011 Budweiser Shootout2011 Daytona 5002011 Gatorade Duels2012 Daytona 5002012 Gatorade Duels2016 24 Hours of Daytona2018 24 Hours of Daytona2021 College Football Playoff National Championship2022 Gasparilla BowlAgainst All Odds (2005)Albert A. MurphreeAndy HansenApalachee massacreApollo 1Ashlyn HarrisBattle of Flint RiverBob TurleyBomisBound for Glory (2005)Brad Miller (baseball)Buccaneers–Packers rivalryBurger KingBurger King franchisesBurger King legal issuesBurger King productsCarlos (Calusa)Caroline Street (Key West)Catie BallChad MottolaCheetah Hunt

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Buccaneers–Packers rivalry (2023-12-17)Skytrain (Miami International Airport) (2023-12-05)Anthony Bennett (gridiron football) (2023-12-05)WPBF (2023-12-01)If I Survive You (2023-10-26)Ruby Diamond (2023-09-22)1989 South Florida television affiliation switch (2023-09-22)WXEL-TV (2023-06-25)2021 College Football Playoff National Championship (2023-05-15)2023 Fort Lauderdale floods (2023-05-04)Devin Futrell (2023-04-28)Royal Palm State Park (2023-03-28)Florida Criminal Justice Standards & Training Commission (2023-03-07)WVUP-CD (2023-03-02)Jett Howard (2023-02-22)WJXX (2023-02-01)2022 Gasparilla Bowl (2023-01-22)William Everett Potter (2023-01-16)Killing of Sara-Nicole Morales (2023-01-12)2022 Boca Raton Bowl (2023-01-08)2022 Cure Bowl (2023-01-01)Pipeline: The Surf Coaster (2022-11-03)Jamie Keeton (2022-10-06)Skeeter Reece (2022-10-04)2022 U.S. Open Cup final (2022-10-04)Cauley Square (2022-09-12)Dania Beach Hurricane (2022-09-11)Cheetah Hunt (2022-09-05)Sean Barber (2022-09-01)Lee Wachtstetter (2022-08-31)Tigris (roller coaster) (2022-08-28)Ken Russell (politician) (2022-08-25)Chaz Stevens (2022-08-22)Hank Goldberg (2022-08-16)Dwight Smith (baseball) (2022-08-07)Mario Salcedo (2022-08-06)WPST-TV (2022-07-24)Lance McCullers (2022-07-23)WAQI (2022-07-18)Iron Gwazi (2022-07-12)The Mutiny Hotel (2022-06-09)NetPark Tampa Bay (2022-06-08)Dave Thomas (politician) (2022-06-04)Royal Theater (St. Petersburg, Florida) (2022-05-05)Disney and Florida's Parental Rights in Education Act (2022-04-21)Mary Hayes Davis (2022-04-17)Jovani Furlan (2022-03-24)Peter Walker (dancer) (2022-03-21)Jack Sweeney (2022-03-15)WGBS-TV (2022-03-03)

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Florida
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Military in Florida
Native American tribes in Florida
People from Florida
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Associated Wikimedia

The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject:

Things you can do

  • Tag all talk pages of Florida articles and categories with {{WPFlorida|class=|importance=}}. (The rater user script can be used to help tag articles.)
  • Find images for articles (see Category:Wikipedia requested photographs in Florida)
  • Cleanup requests: clean-up listing for Floridathe tool's wiki page
  • Expand any existing stub
  • Add county templates ({{Hamilton County, Florida}}, {{Jackson County, Florida}}, etc.) to appropriate cities.
  • Add appropriate short descriptions to Florida-related articles.

Sources

  1. "Cuba's most famous food isn't even from Cuba — or Miami". Matador Network.
  2. "Viva La Cuban Sandwich!". Farmers’ Almanac. March 20, 2015.
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