History
The State of Florida is located in the south-eastern 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, except for southern Florida, where the climate is
tropical. 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 4th most populated state in the country, behind
California ,
Texas and
New York.
Geography
Florida is situated mostly on a large peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, and the
Straits of Florida. It extends to the northwest into a panhandle, extending along the northern Gulf of Mexico. It is bordered on the north by the states of
Georgia and
Alabama, and on the west, at the end of the panhandle, by Alabama. It is near the countries of the
Caribbean, particularly the
Bahamas and
Cuba. Florida's extensive coast line made it a perceived target during World War II, so the government built airstrips all around the state. Today approximately 400 airports are still in service due to the coastal geography of the state. According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, Florida has 131 public airports, and more than 700 private airports, airstrips, heliports, and seaplane bases. Florida is one of the largest states east of the Mississippi.
Climate
The climate of Florida is tempered somewhat by its proximity to water. Most of the state has a humid subtropical climate, except for the southern part below Lake Okeechobee which has a true tropical climate. Florida's nickname is the "Sunshine State", but severe weather is a common occurrence in the state. Central Florida is known as the lightning capital of the United States, as it experiences more lightning strikes than anywhere else in the country. Florida has the highest average precipitation of any state, in large part because afternoon thunderstorms are common in most of the state from late spring until early autumn. A fair day may be interrupted with a storm, only to return to sunshine. These thunderstorms, caused by collisions between airflow from the Gulf of Mexico and airflow from the Atlantic Ocean, pop up in the early afternoon and can bring heavy downpours, high winds, and sometimes
tornadoes. Florida leads the United States in tornadoes per square mile, but these tornadoes do not typically reach the intensity of those in the
Midwest and
Great Plains. Hail often accompanies the most severe thunderstorms.
Population
Florida has the 4th highest state population in the United States . The
center of population of Florida is located in
Polk County, in the town of Lake Wales. Florida is the nation's third-fastest-growing state
Economy
Tourism makes up the largest sector of the state economy. Warm weather and hundreds of miles of beaches attract about 60 million visitors to the state every year. Amusement parks, especially in the
Orlando area, make up a significant portion of tourism. The
Walt Disney World Resort is the largest vacation resort in the world, consisting of four theme parks and more than 20 hotels in
Lake Buena Vista, Florida; it, and
Universal Orlando Resort, Busch Gardens,
SeaWorld, and other major parks drive state tourism. Many beach towns are also popular tourist destinations, particularly in the winter months.
Airports
Major international airports in Florida which processed more than 15 million passengers each in 2005 are
Orlando International Airport ,
Miami International Airport ,
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and
Tampa International Airport .
Secondary airports, with annual passenger traffic exceeding 5 million each in 2005, include
Southwest Florida International Airport ,
Palm Beach International Airport ,
Jacksonville International Airport .
Orange County Convention Center
The Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) is the primary public
convention center in
Central Florida. The large complex is located on International Drive, a major tourist area in
Orlando,
Florida. The OCCC currently ranks as the second largest convention center in the United States (the first is McCormick Place in Chicago), with over 2.2 million ft² of exhibition space. The center currently offers 7 million ft² of total space.
Originally the Orange County Convention and Civic Center (OCCCC), it was an idea borne out of a 1977 law passed by Florida's State Legislature that permits counties to collect a "Tourist Development Tax" on top of regular sales tax on hotel room stays, with the approval of the county's voters, for state-approved purposes. In April 1978 in a special election, the voters of
Orange County approved a 2% Tourist Development Tax (the limit set by the state) for the purpose of building a Convention and Civic Center. That August, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) approved a location for the OCCCC in Orlando Central Park, on International Drive, and drew up plans for a 325,000-ft² gross area (32,800 m²) facility. In 1979, Orlando Central Park and the BCC came to a deal whereby the Orlando Central Park would donate land for the initial facility, and give the county an option on 45 additional acres for future expansion. Orlando Central Park agreed to commit adjacent lands for hotel and tourist development, with an incentive of one cent per taxed dollar of the TDT each year for 30 years.
In 2006, the BCC raised the Tourist Development Tax to six cents. Half of the extra cent will be used to pay off bonds connected to the
New Orlando Magic Arena, further renovation of the
Citrus Bowl, and a new Performing Arts Center in Orlando.
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