Florida, the 27th state of the United States of America, is
located on the east coast and is the southernmost state in the
continental United States. It borders Georgia to the north,
Alabama to the northwest and lies between the Atlantic Ocean and
the Gulf of Mexico. Thanks to this climatic and geographical
location, Florida (also known as the Sunshine State) is ideally
suited for beach holidays and all kinds of water sports.
Even in winter, the sea water is pleasant for swimming, with the
Atlantic (Gold Coast) cooling down even less than the Caribbean
(Sun Coast) during the cold season.
Florida Panhandle
with Tallahassee, the capital of Florida
Florida/North
with the cities of Jacksonville and Saint
Augustine
Florida/Central
with the cities of Orlando,
Tampa, Saint Petersburg and Daytona Beach
Florida/South
Sun Coast (southwest) with the cities of Sarasota, Fort Myers
and Naples, Gold Coast (southeast) with the cities of Miami,
Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Hollywood, southern tip
with the Everglades and the Florida Keys archipelago
1 Daytona Beach. known for its 37 km long beach, which can be driven
on by car and motorbike at a slow pace.
2 Fort Lauderdale
3 Fort
Myers
4 Jacksonville
5 Key West . End point of an island chain
worth seeing.
6 Miami
7
Orlando
8 Tallahassee
9 Tampa
Big Cypress National Preserve is situated 45 mi (72 km) West of Miami, Florida in United States. It covers an area of 2,500 sq mi.
Biscayne National Park is situated just outside of Miami, Florida state in United States. It covers an area of 172,971 acres.
Bulow Plantation, thus ruins you can see in the park, was originally constructed in 1821 after Major Charles Wilhelm Bulow bought 4,675 acres of surrounding lands.
Castillo de San Marcos is situated at 11 South Castillo Dr, St. Augustine, Florida. It was constructed in 1672 by the Spanish army when it was part of the Spanish Empire.
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is situated in Collier County of Florida in United States. This nature reserve covers an area of 17 sq mi.
Dry Tortugas National Park is situated in Monroe County of Florida Keys in United States. It was known formerly as a Fort Jefferson and it covers an area of 64,700 acres.
Everglades National Park is situated across Collier, Miami-Dade, Monroe counties of Florida. It covers an area of 2,354 sq mi.
Fort Matanzas National Monument is an old Spanish fortress located in St. Johns County, Florida. It was constructed in 1740-42 to secure Spanish possessions in the New World.
As a relatively "young" country, Florida is largely free of classic
ABC (Another Bloody Church) category attractions, which for some may
well contribute to the attractiveness of the travel destination. A
building that is more than 100 years old is almost automatically
considered a historical landmark and is already well signposted.
Of antiquity to the northeast is St. Augustine, founded by the Spaniards
in 1556, making it the oldest continuously settled settlement in North
America. Corresponding to the development of Florida as a holiday region
at the beginning of the 20th century, there are numerous examples of Art
Deco buildings (e.g. Miami Beach and more recently, and be it the
spaceport in Cape Canaveral.
The coastal strips are now often
overbuilt and have largely lost their originality. Nature parks are more
inland, such as the Everglades swamps. But parts of the island chain of
the Florida Keys have also preserved their diverse flora and fauna, both
above and below the water.
The lack of historical and natural
sights has been compensated for with money. Florida has numerous
museums, art galleries, but also technology and automobile museums.
Details can be found in the regional and local articles.
In
addition, there are numerous amusement parks, especially in and around
Orlando, such as Disney World, Epcot or SeaWorld, which attract millions
of visitors every year.
Florida is geographically located in the southernmost part of the
United States and is a unique blend of many different societies. The
Florida Panhandle, much of northern Florida, the rural areas of central
Florida, and the Florida Heartland are part of the southern cultural
regions, where traditional southern cuisine, entertainment, such as
those found in Georgia and Alabama, dialects, and lifestyles similar to
those found in Georgia and Alabama. In general, the further south you go
in a state, the less Southern it seems, and while Southern culture can
be found in all parts of the state, it is not always prevalent.
Cities such as Tampa and Orlando offer a southern feel along with many
other cultures. Many people in these areas are from the South, but many
are also from other parts of the country, such as the Midwest and
Northeast. Miami, on the other hand, is unique in that it is a cross
between a major U.S. metropolis and a major Latin American city (such as
Rio or Sao Paulo). There are several Seminole Native American
reservations and villages in southern Florida, especially in the
Everglades, and you can experience their native culture by visiting
their stores and browsing their arts and crafts. The southernmost
Florida Keys offer another taste of the casual, slow-paced atmosphere of
beach life. In short, Florida is an authentic region of the United
States in its own right.
Much of southern Florida is populated by
Hispanics or Latinos. The predominantly Hispanic or Latino areas extend
north to Orlando. Miami has a large Cuban population, and south of
Greater Orlando there is a large Puerto Rican population. The white
population is larger as one moves north, and the Hispanic/Latino
population is very small near the northern border with Georgia and
Alabama. The Black or African American population is primarily in
mainland Florida and throughout the state, with historically Black
communities and history in the Daytona Beach metropolitan area,
Jacksonville, and Gadsden County in the Panhandle. Florida's ethnic
diversity is not particularly cosmopolitan outside of certain urban
areas, but Spanish is spoken in some areas and contributes significantly
to the culture. There are some small minority communities, such as
Anglo, Franco, Caribbean, and Middle Eastern, but they have a smaller
impact on the state's culture than the largest ethnic groups.
A
variety of factors combine to make the state less "liberal" leaning than
many of the relatively urban and ethnically diverse states in the north,
despite being more urbanized than many other southern states. Orlando,
the state capital of Tallahassee, Fort Lauderdale, and the school town
of Gainesville lean left, while most of Miami, Tampa-St. Petersburg,
Southwest Florida, parts of the East Coast, rural inland areas, and the
Panhandle are more conservative than demographically similar areas in
other parts of the country The state of Florida is the most conservative
region in the country. However, nearly all regions of Florida are
politically diverse.
By plane
From Europe, the major airports Miami International
Airport wikivoyagewikipediacommons (IATA: MIA) and Orlando International
Airport wikivoyagewikipediacommons (IATA: MCO)) are frequently served,
as well as Fort Lauderdale Airport wikipediacommons (IATA: FLL), Tampa
International Airport wikipediacommons (IATA: TPA ) and Fort Myers
(Southwest Florida International Airport internet wikipediacommons
(IATA: RSW). Other airports can be reached by connecting at Atlanta,
Newark, Charlotte, Philadelphia or other East Coast hubs.
Destination airports are for
Panhandle: Pensacola — Tallahassee
International Airport (IATA: TLH) - Pensacola International Airport
(IATA: PNS) and Tallahassee
East Florida: Jacksonville—
Daytona Beach— (Daytona Beach International Airport (IATA: DAB)) and Jacksonville International Airport (IATA: JAX))
Central Florida: In
addition to Orlando, Orlando Sanford International Airport (IATA: SFB))
West Florida: Tampa — Tampa International Airport (IATA: TPA), Fort
Myers — Southwest Florida International Airport (IATA: RSW), Sarasota —
Bradenton — Sarasota — Bradenton International Airport (IATA: SRQ), and
St. Pete — Clearwater — St. Petersburg -Clearwater International Airport
(IATA: PIE)
South Florida & Keys: Miami; Fort Lauderdale, West Palm
Beach — Palm Beach Airport (IATA: PBI) and Key West — Key West
International Airport (IATA: EYW)
In the street
If you drive
from Georgia along Florida's east coast, you have three routes to choose
from.
Interstate 95 (short: I95), which runs from the state
border at Yule to Miami. Speeds of up to 75 mph are allowed, but fast
progress is not always guaranteed, the I95 is considered to be very
congested, especially in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area.
US Highway 1
(H1 for short), which runs practically parallel to I95, from Miami it
continues to Key West. Speeds up to 55 mph are allowed, you can make
relatively quick progress. The road is not without crossings and often
crosses the town centres, so you can see a lot, but at rush hour you are
stuck in traffic like the locals.
US Highway 1A1 (1A1 for short). 1A1
runs parallel to US1 but even closer to the coast. Speeds up to 30 mph
are allowed so allow plenty of time. But you will be rewarded, as the
highway sometimes leads along picturesque stretches of beach.
Those driving from Georgia along Florida's west coast have two routes to
choose from:
Interstate 75 (I75 for short). From the state border at
Jennings, I75 runs to Naples, from there it leads to the east coast and
ends in Fort Lauderdale. Speeds up to 75 mph (65 mph in parts) are
permitted. Between Ocala and Tampa the route is very scenic.
US
Highway 19 (H19 for short). Approximately 40 miles east of Tallahassee,
H19 crosses the Florida border and continues into Saint Petersburg.
There it merges into the H41 and runs to Naples. From there, head east
to Miami. This section of H41 is better known as the Tamiami Trail.
Those driving from Alabama to Florida take Interstate 10 or the H98. I10
runs west (Pensacola) to east (Jacksonville) to the coast.
The
H98 also runs from Pensacola to Perry, where it joins and eventually
merges with the H19.
By train
Two passenger trains (Silver
Meteor and Silver Star) operate daily from the Northeast of the USA,
with stops in Jacksonville, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale
and Miami with through coaches from Orlando to Fort Myers/Tampa. There
is also a daily non-stop car train service from Lorton, VA (near
Washington, DC) to Sanford/Orlando.
By boat
Miami, Fort
Lauderdale and Cape Canaveral are passenger ports served by cruise
ships, including transatlantic voyages from Europe.
In the street
If you are on vacation in Florida, you should not do
without a set of wheels. There are car rental companies in every city.
However, booking from Germany is cheaper, e.g. B. at
HolidayAuto
Opodo
Florida is teeming with toll roads and bridges. If you want to
make it easy for yourself, ask for an e-passport to be included in the
service package when you pick up your rental car. Nothing then needs to
be paid at the toll stations.
A few small tips for stress-free
car fun:
It is driven on the right
Speeds on signs on the
right-hand side of the road
Overtaking is allowed
Right turns –
right turns are permitted at red lights unless restricted by an
additional sign (no turn on red).
Intersections – at an intersection
with 4 stop signs (4-way-stop), first-come-first-served after a short
stop.
Breakdown - if you break down, pull up on the right and open
the hood to let others know you've broken down. Call the rental company
or the Florida Highway Patrol (#*FHP(*347)).
Be sure to note the
following:
Lights – lights on when it rains (legal requirement).
Alcohol – no drinking and driving, but also no drinking inside the car.
So even if the driver is completely sober and the passenger is holding a
bottle, that's "driving while drinking" and it's a criminal offense.
Also, an opened bottle must not be left on the back seat. If there's
anything left over from the night before, put it in the trunk.
School
Buses - School buses that are parked at bus stops with their hazard
lights on or warning signs up should not be overtaken. Not even from the
oncoming side of the street. Oncoming traffic may only pass if there is
a fixed median.
Speeding – you drove too fast and the patrol car
stops you: pull up to the right and only look for the papers in your
pocket or jacket when asked. Hectic junk while the policeman approaches
his own car could be misunderstood. Discussions usually lead to nothing.
It is more promising to show remorse and promise that it will never
happen again. If you also identify yourself as a tourist, there is a
good chance that you will avoid a ticket and fine.
Parking - Parking
regulations are strictly enforced and enforced in the United States.
Please never block hydrants, leave space approx. 5 m in front of and
behind the hydrant.
Roadside markings:
Yellow Stripe: Parking only
after 6pm
Red stripe: No stopping
Blue stripe: Disabled parking
only
Green stripe: short-term parking (10 min)
White stripe:
loading and unloading only
By train
Train travel has
traditionally been a more exotic (and expensive!) treat for tourists who
don't care about getting quickly from A to B, but rather want to
experience the vastness of the country and leisurely watch the
landscapes pass by outside the window. Amtrak's Silver Meteor and Silver
Star operate once daily in each direction between New York and Miami and
also carry sleeper cars. For example, it takes 5:15 to 7½ hours from
Miami to Orlando, depending on the connection, and 8½ to 11 hours to
Jacksonville.
On the other hand, the Brightline aims to make rail
travel an everyday means of transport that – similar to Europe – is also
attractive for commuters, business travelers and short-trippers. The 110
km long section from Miami via Fort Lauderdale to West Palm Beach has
been in operation since 2018. The line will then be extended to Orlando
and later to Tampa by 2023. The trains run hourly from around 6 a.m. to
11 p.m. The travel speed has so far been a maximum of 127 km/h, i.e.
about as fast as a regional express in Central Europe, which is a lot by
North American standards. The journey from Miami to Fort Lauderdale
therefore takes half an hour, from Fort Lauderdale to West Palm Beach 43
minutes, the total distance 1 hour 15 minutes. Depending on the
connection and time of booking, each of the two sections costs $15-20,
the total distance from Miami to West Palm Beach $20-25 (as of March
2019).
On foot
If people generally don't walk much in the USA,
this is especially true in Florida. Of the ten most dangerous cities in
the USA for pedestrians, eight are in Florida, above all Fort Myers/Cape
Coral, but also the major cities of Orlando and Jacksonville. A positive
exception is Miami, which can be considered relatively
pedestrian-friendly.
25 minutes north of Downtown Miami is Aventura Mall (19501 Biscayne
Blvd, Miami), the third largest mall in the United States. Around 300
retailers on 3 floors or a sales area of 250,000 square meters. Lots of
upscale names like Bloomingdale's, Nordstroms, Burberry, Cartier, Dior,
Luis Vuitton but also less expensive brands.
If you want to buy
English-language books in Florida, the best place to start is with the
US monopolist Barnes & Noble, because their branches offer the largest
selection, are very pleasantly furnished (with lots of space, carpeted
floors, armchairs, toilets, children's play area and café) and that's it
invite you to browse and browse for hours.
The most prevalent
supermarket chains in Florida are Winn-Dixie, Sweetbay, Publix, Bravo,
Presidente (Miami area only) and Sedano's (Miami/Fort Lauderdale and
Orlando area only). Self-catering travelers traveling on a very small
budget can also take a look at the nearest Walmart supercenter (not a
serious grocery department without the suffix "supercenter") or Aldi.
Unlike some other US states, wine and beer in Florida can be bought
in supermarkets (Monday through Saturday). Only high-proof spirits are
sold exclusively in specially licensed stores (liquor stores).
Contrary to the general notion that the USA only has burgers and
fries, there are many places where you can find very good quality
restaurants with French, Spanish and Italian influences. The Chinese
around the corner are not missing either, just like the Thai or the
Indian. Seafood lovers will get their money's worth in Florida: Lobster
(lobster), shrimp (shrimp), crab (crabs) and much more are on the menus
of the fish restaurants. There is also a large selection of fresh
vegetables and fruits. So you can eat healthily.
Of course, the
fast food restaurants are not missing in any cityscape. You know a lot
more chains here than here in Germany. In addition to the well-known
McDonald's, Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken or Pizza Hut, there
would also be Wendy's, Taco Bell, Arby's and and and.
But you
don't have to go to a fast food restaurant to get delicious food
relatively quickly. E.g. at T.G.I. Friday's, Applebee's or Chilie's are
great places to eat in very pleasant surroundings.
Then there are
the family restaurants, which are usually open 24 hours. You can get
everything from breakfast to a midnight snack here. The best known are
Denny's, IHOP and Perkins.
In all restaurants, except for the
fast food chains, the following applies: "Please wait to be seated",
wait at the entrance until a nice employee comes and brings you to the
table. Tips are expected in the range of 15-20%. This is common in the
US, as tips are an integral part of waitress wages. If you don't quite
finish your meal, you can ask for a DoggieBag (no, not for the dog). The
leftovers can be packed in plastic containers to take away.
If
you want to take care of yourself, you won't have any problems. The
supermarkets have a rich assortment. The two largest (unfortunately also
the most expensive) supermarket chains are Publix and Winn-Dixie. You
enter the shop and feel like you're in Cockaigne. Everything is
presented extremely neatly and tastefully. On the other hand, e.g. B.
FoodLion and Kash'n Karry. On the other hand, you can often get items
from the same brand cheaper than in the big supermarkets.
In
summary, one can say: culinary wishes are fulfilled.
See the
recommended article "Eating and Drinking in the United States" for more
on the topic.
Once you've had your fill of
burgers, steaks and Caesar salads (which are the same from Hawaii to
Maine), it's time to give the local cuisine a try. Because the chains,
which usually do without regional products, are quite dominant and
because many independently run restaurants also tend to cater to guests
with conventional tastes, Floridian specialties are not always easy to
find. However, Tripadvisor offers a starting point, with which you can
search for good restaurants that specialize in seafood or Caribbean
cuisine; However, one should again avoid Red Lobster, because this
(otherwise quite decent) chain does not take regional things into
account.
Here is a (partial) list of foods and dishes to try in
Florida:
Crab: Florida serves many interesting and tasty types of
crab that are only found in this region, including blue crabs, golden
crabs, Gulf stone crabs, and Florida stone crabs.
Crayfish: Rock
shrimp grow up to 5 cm, have a hard and prickly shell and taste a bit
like lobster. Despite their name, spiny lobsters are not lobsters, but
shrimp that grow up to 60 cm long in nature.
Shellfish: Local
specialties include scallops, oysters and conch fritters (fried
dumplings made from a batter with vegetables and sea snail meat).
Gator: Alligator meat is served breaded, fried, baked, and sautéed.
Ceviche (Seviche): Fish marinated and cooked in citrus juice.
Rice
and Beans (Arroz con habichuelas): Classic Puerto Rican soul food often
served as a side dish with chicken.
Swamp Cabbage: Cooked palm
hearts, which are usually served as a salad.
Cuban Sandwich: Cuban
sandwiches are an inexpensive delicacy that early immigrants popularized
in Florida. They are made from baguette-like bread topped with ham or
pork, cheese, pickles and mustard.
Key Lime Pie: A cheesecake-like
pie with a frosting made from lime juice, egg yolks, and condensed milk.
Traditionally, the whole thing still has a meringue topping. A no less
delicious variant is orange pie. Cakes and tarts are not eaten with
afternoon coffee in the USA, but as dessert after the main meals,
especially after dinner. Never from the supermarket, but only in the
best café in town.
Florida oranges: In addition to California,
Florida is a main growing area for oranges, which can be found here in
various varieties. You can also find freshly squeezed juice in the
refrigerated section of the supermarket. In addition to oranges, many
other fruits are also grown in the region, such as grapefruit,
tangerines and exotic fruits.
Wine does not thrive well in Florida
because of the tropical climate and is prone to disease. The regional
winemakers experiment a lot, also with fruit wine, which is mainly made
from mango, lime, orange, strawberries and blueberries.
Key Lime
Mojito: Cocktail made with rum, lime juice, sugar and soda water.
If you come to southern Florida (especially Miami) and bring a
little money with you, you can also try Floribbean cuisine. This
Floridian counterpart to French nouvelle cuisine and Alice Walter's
Californian cuisine is one of the most interesting and recent
developments in American fine dining. As the name suggests, Floribbean
Cuisine is an eclectic cuisine where American Southern cuisine meets
influences from the Caribbean (Bahamas, Barbados, Haiti, Jamaica).
Sacred basic rules are a creative use of spices, the exclusive use of
fresh ingredients, the use of fruit (mango, papaya, lime) and an
appealing presentation.
Miami has half a million Jewish
residents. Anyone who has always wanted to try Gefilte Fish, Lox,
Kneidlach or other Jewish delicacies can easily find restaurant
recommendations on the Internet.
Of course, alcohol is only available from the age of 21. Even if you
are well over 21, you may be asked for ID when ordering or entering. The
"normal" German identity card is often not sufficient, so you should
always carry your passport with you. Otherwise the evening will be dry.
This is already checked at the entrance to most restaurants. However,
some bars allow entry from the age of 18.
For the Tampa area we
recommend: Ybor City and the beaches at Clearwater and St. Pete Beach.
Many bars offer drinking specials such as a "sink or swim" which is best
described as an "alcohol flat rate". Smoking is prohibited in most
places in Florida. This has to do with the fact that places where food
is served are not allowed to be smoked and most of the hosts have opted
for the menu.
For St. Petersburg we recommend:
"First Friday":
Every first Friday of the month, Central Avenue (I think between 2nd and
3rd street) is closed, there is live music and lots of people on the
street. The best way to watch the hustle and bustle is from one of the
balconies, which usually include a wine bar.
When using boats, jet skis, or other vehicles on the water, it may be
necessary to slow down significantly in areas where manatees and
dolphins are present. Fast moving vehicles can harm the respiratory
system of manatees.
Misuse of recreational areas caused record
manatee deaths in 2021.
Internet.
Essentially all hotels offer Wi-Fi Internet access for
their guests. Many businesses also offer free Wi-Fi. Free Wi-Fi is
available in clothing stores, department stores, grocery stores, and
convenience stores as well as in general restaurants and shopping malls.
All major airports have free Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi Internet access is also
available at public libraries. It is free to anyone with their own
device (laptop, smartphone, tablet) in most cases. Users need a username
and password to access the computers installed to access the Internet.
Almost all libraries will issue "guest passes" for non-card holders, but
they may charge a nominal fee. There are various time restrictions on
the use of library computers.
The majority of "Internet cafes" in
the state are nominally illegal casinos set up for online gambling to
circumvent gaming laws. These Internet cafes are not equipped with
typical computers. Instead, they are usually surrounded by a slot
machine-style cover, with only a few buttons to push, and set up to
allow only gambling websites to be viewed. Users pay a fee for a short
time of use, sometimes using bizarre methods such as purchasing prepaid
phone cards. After a high-profile crackdown on the operators of dozens
of such Internet cafes, the state banned all new Internet cafes from
opening in 2013.
Dialing 911 on any phone will connect you to emergency services (police, fire, ambulance, etc.). Any phone connected to the U.S. network can dial 911, whether or not it has a paid account.
The intensity of crime in Florida varies from city to city. While it
may be unsafe to walk alone or in small groups at night in certain areas
of large cities, this is the exception and most areas of Florida are
safe for tourists. Violent crime is rare in tourist areas, but theft
does occur from time to time. If an area feels unsafe, it probably is
not safe.
Clip joint operators who con tourists into paying large
sums of money for low-quality service may use local police to extort
tourists under a Florida law that requires bar and restaurant patrons to
pay disputed bills first and bring them to the credit card company
later. This is not a good idea.
Florida has a high incidence of hurricanes, but hurricanes do not
strike every year. If you are visiting Florida during hurricane season
(June 1 through November 30), you may want to check our hurricane safety
page.
Few places in the world have lightning strikes as
frequently as Florida. Florida's frequent summer thunderstorms cause
many deaths and injuries each year. Stay indoors during thunderstorms
and never take shelter under a tree. Most of the deaths and injuries
occur on golf courses, but lightning strikes everywhere. If you must go
outdoors during a storm, stay away from tall objects, especially trees
and metal objects.
Thunderstorms can also bring hail, high winds,
and tornadoes. The historical number of tornadoes in Florida is somewhat
higher, but the overwhelming majority occur during hurricanes (Hurricane
Jean alone produced more than 200 tornadoes in Florida). Some occur
during winter cold fronts and summer thunderstorms, but 99% of these are
weak (F-0/F-1). Therefore, tornadoes are not a major hazard in Florida,
although statistics may suggest otherwise.
Be careful where and
when you swim Beaches are great, but sometimes there are rip currents,
bacteria, and jellyfish. Always check with the lifeguard stand or ranger
station before swimming if no one is in the water or if the waves are
rough.
Red tide is the name for a harmful algal bloom that can
occur along Florida's Gulf Coast. Red tide causes fish kills, water
discoloration, and releases toxins into the air that cause respiratory
irritation. People with severe or chronic respiratory problems, such as
emphysema or asthma, should avoid areas where red tides occur. Swimming
in waters where red tides occur is not recommended because it can cause
skin and eye irritation.
Heavy rains make roads hazardous.
Florida's highway drainage systems are necessarily well designed, but
during the worst storms it becomes almost impossible to see through the
windshield. Light and torrential rains can be as much as 100 feet apart,
so when a heavy rainstorm hits, even major interstate highways typically
slow down to 20 mph if necessary. However, there are a few drivers who
ignore that procedure and speed anyway. Even though it is common, it is
illegal to drive in the rain with hazard lights on. Hazard lights should
only be used when the vehicle is at a complete stop.
Alligators are a threat throughout Florida (even inland like Orlando
and Walt Disney World) and should be considered present in stagnant or
slow-flowing freshwater. Never swim in lakes or rivers unless there are
signs indicating that swimming is safe. Keep children and pets away from
the water.
Bears and Florida panthers, which were common before
Europeans arrived in Florida, are now both endangered in Florida. If you
see either, back away slowly or keep your distance and wave your arms
above your head to make yourself look bigger. When hiking, be loud so as
not to startle the animals, and keep small children close to you at all
times. Both species are endangered and protected by Florida law.
Harassing or injuring them (even if it is a car accident) will result in
prosecution.
Volusia County is known for its shark attacks, but
sharks can occur anywhere in the state, so be careful when surfing.
Still, of the millions of tourists and residents who swim in the ocean,
fewer than 50 attacks occur and one fatality occurs every two to three
years. Bathing in the ocean between dusk and dawn is most dangerous.
Lionfish are venomous non-native fish and are found in coral reefs
throughout Florida. They can be recognized by their red and white
striped bodies and venomous spines. Stings are extremely painful and
often require hospitalization. Because it is an invasive species, any
sighting of the minnow should be reported immediately to wildlife
management authorities.
Jellyfish can also often be found on
beaches, and venomous snakes can be found year-round in the state, so
you should be wary of both.
The official language of Florida is English. However, Spanish is the
native language of about 20% of Floridians, and the further south you
go, the more Spanish speakers you will find. In some areas of South
Florida, Spanish is preferred in everyday life. Miami is the most
prominent, with nearly 80% of its residents non-native English speakers
and 30% not speaking English at all. Tampa also has a large
Spanish-speaking population, with some areas almost exclusively spoken
in Spanish. As in other language-rich places, Spanish words and
expressions can be expected to be used or quoted in everyday English.
Along the northeastern coast, near the Georgia border, Gullah, a
distinctive English-based Creole language, is spoken by the African
American community.
Non-Hispanic Floridians from the northern
part of the state usually speak with a southern accent. However, after
millions of Americans moved to the central and southern parts of the
state from other states, the southern dialect is being diluted with
other accents. Miami residents often speak with a distinctive accent
that is strongly influenced by Cuban Spanish.
Florida is known throughout the world for its warm, sunny climate,
which makes it a major tourist destination. Florida has the mildest
winters in the continental United States, and retirees and transients,
known as "snowbirds," flock to Florida during the colder months. On the
coast, summers are mild and breezy, and the beaches are usually the
coolest places to be.
Coastal breezes provide welcome relief from
scorching temperatures, but they are also the cause of thunderstorms, a
well-known feature of Florida weather. Visitors to Florida during the
rainy season (mid-June through September) should plan a few afternoon
indoor activities as a backup. Florida thunderstorms occur daily during
the rainy season, usually forming 20-30 mi (32-48 km) inland and moving
either toward the center of the state or toward the coast. This means
that just a few miles inland from the coast, rain can fall and
beachgoers can experience a beautiful day.
While storms cool the
atmosphere and provide brief relief from stifling temperatures, many
storms produce large amounts of dangerous lightning, and some can bring
hail, winds of 50 mph (80 km/h) or more, and tornadoes. For more
information on thunderstorm safety, see the "Staying Safe" section. Many
tourist destinations, such as Walt Disney World, allow visitors to enjoy
multiple attractions even during downpours.
Spring is the driest
time of year, with wildfires occurring almost every May and early June.
The six-month hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30,
and Floridians have learned to prepare for when storms threaten the
area; if you plan to visit from June through November, and especially
during the peak of the hurricane season from August through October, be
aware of news and weather warnings. Information is available from the
National Hurricane Center. Cyclones are unlikely, but possible in May.
From May through October, Florida has a hot and rainy season. Highs
are often in the 80s to 90s F and lows in the 70s F. The Bermuda High
pressure system brings hot, unstable tropical air from the Bahamas and
the Gulf of Mexico, creating the typical daytime thunderstorms of a
Florida summer. Intense but very brief downpours are common during the
Florida summer. The rainy season usually begins to wane by early
November in northern Florida and reaches southern Florida by late
November.
From December through April, Florida's climate is often
mild and dry. The dry season (or winter) is often the driest and
sunniest in Florida, with average maximum temperatures ranging from the
low 60s F in northern Florida to the mid 70s F in southern Florida.
Overnight lows range from the mid-40s in north Florida to nearly 60
degrees in south Florida. A few times each year, strong cold fronts can
bring temperatures down to near freezing in north Florida, but many
years south of central Florida do not freeze. During the driest months,
Florida often experiences long stretches of rainless days, and drought
conditions around April can lead to grass burning and water supply
restrictions.
Florida consists of the Florida Peninsula
and the mainland part of the Florida Panhandle and is located in the
south-east of the United States. The Atlantic Ocean is on the east coast
and the Gulf of Mexico on the west and south coasts.
The state
has an island chain at the southern end whose islands are called "Keys".
The best known are the Florida Keys, which are connected by 42 bridges.
At the end of this chain of islands is Key West. From there it is only
140 kilometers to Cuba. Key West is also the southernmost point of the
continental United States.
With a total area of 170,304 km²,
Florida ranks 22nd among the states. 30,634 km² (17.99%) of the national
territory are water areas.
Florida has a latitude of 260 km between 79° 48' W and 87° 38' W and a length of 800 km between 24° 30' N and 31° 00' N.
To the north are the US states of Georgia and Alabama. It is close to Cuba, Haiti and other Caribbean countries. It is the southernmost state in the United States after Hawaii.
Florida's coastline is world famous, with several gorgeous beaches,
bays, and estuaries. However, Florida's terrain is very flat, with lakes
and wetlands dotting much of the state, but the lack of terrain results
in a mixed ecosystem. The only exceptions are parts of the Highlands,
Polk, and Lakes, and a few other counties in the central part of the
state, where rolling hills are common. The highest point in the state is
Britton Hill at 345 feet (105 m) in the Panhandle, and Iron Mountain at
298 feet (91 m) in Polk County is the highest point on the peninsula.
Florida's cities tend to be large, sprawling, and well-developed,
but they are not as close to each other as they appear on maps. Despite
its high population density, the state is fortunate to retain some
wilderness areas.
Some regions of the state grow citrus and
sugarcane, but most of the farmland is outside the usual tourist areas.
The Florida Panhandle and much of northern Florida consists of farmland
and pine trees, but as one moves southward, wetlands and urbanization
develop, culminating in the Everglades in the southern part of the state
near Miami. The Florida Keys are small tropical islands with a unique
topography.
The Florida Continental Shelf is a 700 km long bulge of the North
American continent. The Florida peninsula is the oversea part of this
bulge, the panhandle belongs to the coastal plain of the Gulf of Mexico.
The deep subsurface is composed of Precambrian volcanic rocks, Devonian
sedimentary rocks and later Triassic and Jurassic volcanic rocks.
Overlying this are young sedimentary rocks from all periods between the
Jurassic and the Holocene. Limestone, which is predominantly highly
porous, characterizes the structure. The central aquifer, which is
important for Florida's fresh water supply, lies in this porous
limestone. The chemical erosion on the surface of the limestone leads to
karst formations.
Florida is particularly affected by rising sea
levels. Sea level has risen 9 inches in Miami Beach since about 1920.
The rising salt water is entering the aquifer and has led to the loss of
drinking water supplies since the 1990s. In addition, drainage ditches
lose their slope towards the sea, so that flood areas can no longer be
drained.
In Florida there are mainly subtropical wet forests - consisting
mainly of pine trees and various types of palm trees - which in the
extreme south and on the southern coastal areas change into tropical
forms of vegetation - here are mainly the swamp cypress forests, the
"tropical forest islands" in the Everglades swamps (hammocks) and called
the mangrove forests on the coast. In the interior of the country, the
forests form partly open areas, which are referred to as "prairies",
although they also have a high proportion of woody plants in addition to
grasses. The state's biodiversity and biodiversity is among the highest
in the United States.
The landscapes, some of which are largely
unspoilt, are home to over fifty endangered species, including the
Caribbean manatee, leatherback turtle, Atlantic ridley and hawksbill sea
turtle, and American crocodile in the waters, mammals Florida panther
(puma subspecies), Key -White-tailed deer and Florida bulldog bat, as
well as numerous species of birds including the bald eagle.
Florida is one of the world's focal points for invasive alien species
introduced by humans. These include, for example, the ragweed, the Asian
ladybird or the dark burmese python in the Everglades. The proximity of
the natural areas to the densely populated coastal cities with plenty of
tourism and trade favors this development. Not all newcomers are
necessarily harmful. However, Florida has a number of species that have
become a major threat to endangered native species. The python in
particular has multiplied enormously in South Florida and (as of 2015)
destroyed up to 99 percent of the existing possums, raccoons or marsh
rabbits. Native to Southeast Asia, the snake was probably released by
private keepers when the import and sale of constrictor snakes was still
legal in Florida. In view of the problem, this has now been banned.
Today, the Water Board pays a bounty for every python shot. In view of
the suspected 30,000 animals, however, this is a hopeless fight.
prehistory
The Windover archaeological site near Titusville
provides important information about the early settlement of Florida.
were excavated.
Spanish Expeditions
Archaeological finds
suggest that Florida had been inhabited for thousands of years before it
was discovered by European settlers. The east coast of Florida was
discovered by the Spaniard Juan Ponce de León in 1513. In 1521, Ponce de
León - equipped and accompanied by a group of settlers - traveled to
Florida again to found a colony of La Florida for Spain there, which was
smashed by the indigenous population. In 1528, conquistador Pánfilo de
Narváez, hoping to find gold in Florida, explored the west coast of the
peninsula, but was also thwarted by local hostility. Narváez was
eventually shipwrecked, but his officer Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca
survived and returned to Spain, where he was able to report on the
expedition. This inspired Hernando de Soto to attempt another invasion
in 1539. Like Narváez, De Soto also landed on the west coast and from
there undertook an extensive expedition through what is now the
southeastern United States, which, however, again failed to find gold or
a suitable site for founding a colony, so that after De Soto's death the
Spanish died Expedition tasks. In 1559 Tristán de Luna y Arellano
established a settlement in the Pensacola area, but gave it up again two
years later.
Huguenot and Spanish settlements
In 1562, the
Frenchman Jean Ribault, who was looking for a possible settlement for
Huguenot emigrants, explored the mouth of the St. Johns River on the
east coast of Florida. In 1564 his compatriot René Goulaine de
Laudonnière founded the first Huguenot settlement, Fort Caroline. The
Spaniards saw themselves challenged and installed a governor of Florida
in 1565, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, who had the French fort destroyed in
the same year and founded 60 km south of San Agustín, the first
permanent European settlement on the North American mainland should.
From San Agustín the Spaniards began to cover the southeast with a
network of Catholic missions.
British and French hostilities
In 1586 San Agustín was attacked and plundered by the English privateer
and later Vice Admiral Francis Drake. In the 17th century, English
settlers in Virginia and the Carolinas continually tried to push the
Spanish colony's frontier southward. The French settlers on the lower
reaches of the Mississippi did the same. In 1702, the British colonial
governor of South Carolina, Colonel James Moore, had San Agustín
destroyed with the help of allied Muskogee Indians; However, he did not
succeed in capturing the Spanish fort. Two years later, Moore began
burning down Spanish missions in northern Florida and killing Indians on
friendly terms with the Spanish. In western Florida, the French took the
Spanish settlement in Pensacola, which had existed again since 1696, in
1719.
Under British rule
After the Seven Years' War, Spain
ceded Florida to Great Britain, which in return gave the Spanish control
of Havana. This exchange was contractually sealed in 1763 in the Peace
of Paris. Up to this point, La Florida only covered part of what is now
the state of Florida; the southern border was near present-day
Gainesville. The British divided the territory into East Florida and
West Florida and pursued a consistent colonization policy. They offered
the settlers free land and support in setting up export-oriented
companies. In order to meet the need for workers, large numbers of
bonded laborers were brought to Florida from Europe. In 1767, the
borders of West Florida were extended northward to include what is now
southern Mississippi and Alabama.
fate of the indigenous
population
Florida natives died in their thousands after the first
Spaniards arrived because they were not immune to the diseases they
brought with them. Entire peoples were wiped out, and it is believed
that after the British took over Florida, the Spanish brought the few
Indians who survived in their Catholic missions to safety in Cuba. In
the course of the 18th century, however, the peninsula was again settled
by Native Americans, as parts of the Muskogee, who had divided among
themselves, began to flow in from the north. As a result of the Yamasee
War, many Yuchi and Yamasee refugees also made their way to Florida.
Despite their heterogeneous roots, these Indians were uniformly referred
to as "Seminoles".
Again under Spanish rule
In the American
Revolutionary War, Spain, fighting on the side of France against the
British, regained control of most of western Florida in 1781. The Treaty
of Paris (1783) restored all of Florida to Spain. Thereafter, there was
no significant Spanish settlement, but the Spanish settlement policy
attracted migrants, particularly from the United States. Florida also
became a place of refuge for slaves who escaped from the southern states
because the Spaniards had promised them freedom if they professed the
Catholic faith.
American conquest
In 1810, British settlers
rose up against Spanish rule and proclaimed a Free and Independent
Republic of West Florida on September 23, which lasted only a good ten
weeks.
On October 27 of the same year, portions of West Florida
were claimed by the United States, which claimed the region was part of
the Louisiana Purchase, in which the US acquired the French colony of
Louisiana in 1803. The handover of the affected areas, which were
subsequently incorporated into the Orleans Territory and the Mississippi
Territory, took place in December 1810. After the First Seminole War
(1817/1818), during which American troops repeatedly invaded Spanish
territory, the USA controlled it entire area of West Florida. Since the
British-American War (1812-1814), parts of East Florida have also been
under American control.
Under American rule
The
Americanization of Florida came to an end in 1819 with the Adams-Onís
Treaty, in which the United States renounced land claims in Texas in
return. On July 17, 1821, later US President Andrew Jackson officially
took control of Florida in Pensacola. On March 30, 1822, Florida became
an organized territory. East Florida and West Florida were united, but
much of West Florida remained attached to the Orleans Territory and the
Mississippi Territory. Tallahassee became the new capital of the
territory.
Florida experienced an economic boom in the 1830s as a
result of Indian resettlement. This was additionally promoted by the
debt-financed expansion of transport routes. In 1840, Florida's national
debt had therefore increased massively. With a debt ratio of 77% of
economic output, Florida was at the top of the American states and
territories. As a result of the economic crisis of 1837, Florida had to
file for national bankruptcy in 1840 and no longer service its
government bonds.
state of the USA
On March 3, 1845, Florida
became the 27th state of the United States. During the Third Seminole
War (1855-1858), most of the remaining Seminole were forcibly relocated
to Indian Territory. Under the leadership of Governor Madison S. Perry,
Florida left the Union on January 11, 1861 and joined the Confederate
States. After the defeat in the American Civil War and the suicide of
Governor John Milton, Florida was placed under military occupation as
part of the Reconstruction. A new constitution was not drafted until
1868, and on June 25, 1868, Germany was reintegrated into the Union. The
"Reconstruction" ended with the "Compromise of 1877". In it, Florida,
South Carolina and Louisiana agreed to the presidency of Rutherford B.
Hayes, which was controversial due to an unclear election outcome, if
all US troops were to leave these states at the same time.
The
oil magnate Henry Morrison Flagler began developing Florida for tourism
in 1885. He was the builder of the railway line on Florida's east coast
(Florida East Coast Railway). On January 22, 1912, the first train ran
to Key West. Flagler created a kind of American Riviera. The Florida
land boom drew tourists as well as residents from the North to Florida.
However, the boom was stopped by the Miami hurricane (1926), the
Okeechobee hurricane (1928) and the Great Depression. The recession hit
the tourism industry hard. The arrival of the Mediterranean fruit fly
then hit citrus growers and further clouded Florida's economy. During
the Second World War, the military built many training barracks in
Florida due to the strategically favorable location. However, Florida's
economy only recovered after the end of World War II.
In 1947, US
President Harry S. Truman declared the Everglades a national park. In
1967, the Supreme Court forced Florida to become one of the last states
in the United States to lift the ban on intermarriage. Since the 1960s,
Florida has also become a destination for tens of thousands of
immigrants from Central and South America, many of them Cubans. While
2.7 million people lived in Florida in 1950, there were already more
than 18 million in 2006/08. In 2000, a controversial voter count in
Florida decided the US presidential election. George W. Bush, brother of
then Governor Jeb Bush, became the 43rd President of the United States.
Ron DeSantis of the Republican Party has been the governor of the
state since January 8, 2019.
The governor exercises executive
power at the state level, that is, he directs state government and sets
policy guidelines. He has the power of pardon, appoints senior officials
and judges of the state Constitutional Court, and plays a central role
in legislation, signing and vetoing legislation. He is also the
commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard and represents the
state externally. The governor is directly elected by the people every
four years. Other important members of the Executive Branch are the
Lieutenant Governor, the Attorney General, the Secretary of State and
the State Treasurer (roughly equivalent to a Treasury Secretary).
State Legislature
Legislative power at the state level is
exercised through the Florida Legislature. It consists of a state senate
with 40 directly elected senators and the house of representatives with
120 directly elected representatives. The terms of office are four or
two years. Republicans hold the majority of seats in both chambers. The
seat of the legislature is the Capitol in Tallahassee, the state
capital.
political landscape
Like the other southern states,
Florida was strongly influenced by the Democrats until the 1950s.
Republican dominance was probably also due to the immigration policy of
the Democrats, which was considered too liberal. Growing urbanization in
the 1940s and 1950s gave Republicans a political base in the suburbs,
which attracted many Republican-voting internal migrants from the
Northeastern United States. The Republicans won their first
congressional seat in Florida since 1880 in the 1954 election in the
Tampa Bay Area (William C. Cramer) and their second in the 1962 election
on the central-east Space Coast with Edward Gurney winning his first
seat since Reconstruction in 1968 United States Senate for Florida won.
The southern tip of Florida has been made a contested area by the mass
immigration of exiled Cubans leaning toward the Republicans. Republican
presidential candidate George HW Bush won Florida by a 22 percentage
point margin in the 1988 election, but centrist Democrat Bill Clinton
won many of the suburban residents in the 1990s, such as in Pinellas and
Palm Beach counties, who have since voted increasingly Democrats .
Currently, the Republican-to-Democrat ratio is about 1:1, although
Republicans have increasingly gained strength in recent years. The state
is changing demographically due to rapid population growth. The groups
that make up the largest number of immigrants in Florida are the
so-called Hispanics and the Snow Belt retirees. Both groups cannot be
clearly assigned to either of the two parties in their entirety.
Therefore, immigration in Florida, which has also been able to break
away from its image as a sun-drenched agricultural state, does not bring
any clear advantages to any political camp. The very close outcomes in
the presidential elections in Florida in recent years make the state
almost unpredictable for pollsters. In addition to the change from a
southern state to a melting pot, the population growth also brought with
it an enormous increase in the electoral vote. In relation to the other
US states, Florida has increased the most since the New Deal. Florida
provided seven in 1940, eight from 1944, ten in 1952, 14 in 1964, and
then 17 in 1972. The rapid increase in population began in the 1980s,
when more refugees from Cuba settled in Florida. The numbers developed
as follows: 1984, 21 votes; 1992, 25 votes; 2000, 27 votes. Florida
moved up from 31st place in the electoral college to fourth place, which
it has held since 1992. With the exception of 1964, 1976, 1996, 2008 and
2012, Florida always voted in favor of the Republicans in the
presidential elections from 1952 onwards.[26] In the presidential
elections between 1992 and 2016, the Democrats received a total of
24,140,463 votes and the Republicans 24,122,710, just 17,753 fewer,
which is why Florida is now considered an important swing state at the
presidential level, while at the state level most offices are now in
Republican hands .
In Miami, the liberal Democrats are competing
with the rich Cuban exiles, who are more Republican-leaning. Tampa used
to be the center of the Democratic Party, but has become a Republican
center in the 2010s decade. The university town of Tallahassee has
become a new strong center for the Democrats. While the Democrats rely
primarily on African Americans as a reliable constituency and the
Republicans can count on a majority of Latinos, both parties have long
sought moderation and centrism to win over suburban and retiree voters.
In the 2018 gubernatorial election, on the other hand, Ron DeSantis and
Andrew Gillum, who both belong to the right and left wing of their party
and who aim to mobilize their own party base through polarization,
prevailed instead of the moderate candidates favored by the respective
party leadership.
When a 2018 referendum in Florida restored
ex-convicts – with the exception of murderers and sex offenders – to
vote, the Republicans there, led by Ron DeSantis, decided that the
ex-convicts (most of them black or African American, who were
eighty-something percent vote for the Democratic Party) are only allowed
to exercise their right to vote after paying off their debt associated
with serving their sentences. Almost 1.5 million people, about five
percent of the state's population, had actually regained their right to
vote after the referendum, but the Republican debt regulation held up
even after lawsuits were filed in the Florida Supreme Court.
After Donald Trump's success in Florida in the 2020 presidential
election, it became even more likely that Florida could permanently
develop into a Red State in future elections.
Florida will have
30 voters in the Electoral College for the first time in the 2024 United
States presidential election, up from 29 since 2012.
Florida has multiple teams in each of the four major leagues. Three teams play in the NFL, the world's most important American football league: The Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Miami Dolphins, who play their home games at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. The Miami Marlins baseball team also played in this stadium before moving to Marlins Park, which was built on the site of the former Orange Bowl Stadium. Another MLB team are the Tampa Bay Rays from Saint Petersburg. Two franchises are also based in Florida in the National Hockey League: the Florida Panthers of Sunrise north of Miami and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Orlando Magic is home to the Orlando Magic basketball team. They play with the Miami Heat in the NBA. Orlando City (home games at Exploria Stadium in Orlando) and since 2020 Inter Miami (home games in Fort Lauderdale) have played in the top US soccer league MLS. When it comes to motor sports, Daytona Beach stands out with its Speed Week and the annual races for the US NASCAR racing series.
Florida's economic output was $926 billion in 2016, making it the
fourth-highest performing state in the United States and accounting for
5.02% of the total American economy. Counted as a separate country,
Florida's economic performance would roughly match that of Indonesia.
Real gross domestic product per capita (per capita real GDP) was USD
44,964 in 2016 (national average for the 50 US states: USD 57,118;
national ranking: 39). The unemployment rate was 3.6% in November 2017
(national average: 4.1%).
Florida's climate and many beaches make
it an interesting leisure destination for vacationers from all over the
world, as well as a retirement home for many Americans. Because of the
unbearably muggy weather, the high season tends to be away from the
summer months of June/August. The various amusement parks Universal
Studios, Islands of Adventure, Busch Gardens and SeaWorld and last but
not least the Walt Disney World Resort with the parks Magic Kingdom,
Epcot, Hollywood Studios (formerly: MGM Studios) and Animal Kingdom near
Orlando are major attractions for tourists. In addition, the economy
focuses on the cultivation of citrus fruits (50% of US consumption)
including juice production, there are numerous banks and phosphate is
mined.
In addition, Florida is the most important launch site for
NASA and the US Air Force for their space missions from Cape Canaveral,
from 1963 to 1973 Cape Kennedy.