Florida

Territory (land area)	53,927 sq miles = 139,670 sq kms (Ranks 22^nd among states)
Population (July 2005 estimate):	17,789,864
Admitted:	17,789,864 (July 2005 estimate) (Ranks 4th among states)
Capital:	Tallahassee
Largest cities (incl. metropolitan area):	Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville, Orlando
Abbreviation:	FL
Nickname:	The Sunshine State
Region:	The South

Florida was most probably the first part of the present US that was visited by Europeans: the Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León landed here in April 1513, on Palm Sunday, called Pascua Florida in Spanish, hence the name of the peninsula. The first permanent European settlement was also founded here by the Spaniards, at St. Augustine in 1565. Florida has had a special history among Southern states, because it belonged to Spain until 1819, when it was ceded to the US under the Adams-Oñíz Treaty. Its poor, swampy land was unattractive for agriculture, so it remained sparsely populated and was little affected by slavery, although it joined the Confederacy in 1861. It began to develop spectacularly in the 20^th century, when its pleasant subtropical climate and sandy beaches were discovered for tourism. But the closeness of the Atlantic has its dangers too: Florida is threatened by hurricanes each autumn, which often pass through the state, leaving enormous destruction in their wake.

Today, Florida has the fourth largest population in the US, and it is still growing fast. The state is among the favourite destinations of retired people from other parts of the US, especially the East Coast and the Northern Midwest, who move here after retirement to enjoy the climate and the attractions of the state. Southern Florida also has a significant Cuban-American minority in and around Miami, who mostly fled from Fidel Castro’s Communist regime in the early 1960s, and their numbers has been continually growing as more and more refugees try to cross the relatively short distance (about ) separating the tip of the peninsula from Cuba. The state is visited by about 60 million tourists each year, both Americans and foreigners. Its attractions besides the seaside resorts include the Disney World theme park complex in Lake Buena Vista, and the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, where US space shuttles are launched into space.