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Portal:Florida

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The Florida Portal

The Sunshine State
The Sunshine State
Florida
State of Florida
Map of the United States with Florida highlighted
Map of the United States with Florida highlighted

Florida (/ˈflɒrɪdə/ FLORR-id-ə; Spanish: [floˈɾiða] ) is a state in the Southeastern and South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Straits of Florida to the south, and The Bahamas to the southeast. About two-thirds of Florida occupies a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. It has the longest coastline in the contiguous United States, spanning approximately 1,350 miles (2,170 km), not including its many barrier islands. It is the only state that borders both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of over 23 million, it is the third-most populous state in the United States and ranks seventh in population density as of 2020. Florida spans 65,758 square miles (170,310 km2), ranking 22nd in area among the 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; the most populous city is Jacksonville. Florida's other major population centers include Tampa Bay, Orlando, Cape Coral, and the state capital of Tallahassee.

Various Native American groups have inhabited Florida for at least 14,000 years. In 1513, Spanish explorer and conquistador Juan Ponce de León became the first European to make landfall in the region. He called the peninsula La Pascua Florida in recognition of the verdant landscape and because it was the Easter season, which the Spaniards called Pascua Florida (Festival of Flowers). giving the territory its present name. Spain subsequently incorporated Florida into the Spanish Empire in the early 16th century. In 1565, it founded St. Augustine, the oldest continuously inhabited European-established settlement in the United States. The region was frequently coveted and attacked by Great Britain throughout the 18th century. Britain briefly gained control of Florida in 1763, but Spain recovered it in 1783 following the British defeat in the American Revolutionary War. Florida remained under Spanish rule until it was ceded to the United States in 1821, in exchange for U.S. recognition of Spanish sovereignty in Texas and the resolution of the border dispute along the Sabine River. 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 American Indian Wars. 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 $1.647 trillion, is the fourth largest of any U.S. state and the fifteenth-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. 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 European, Latino, African, Indigenous, 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, especially in golf, tennis, auto racing, and water sports. Initially a battleground state in American presidential elections, it has turned increasingly Republican in recent years. (Full article...)

Exterior of Hooters in San Bruno, California

Hooters is the registered trademark used by an international restaurant chain Hooters, Inc., based in Clearwater, Florida and its associated franchise group Hoot Owl Restaurants LLC. The Hooters name is a double entendre referring to both an American slang term for women's breasts and the logo (a bird known for its "hooting" calls: the owl).

The waiting staff at Hooters restaurants are primarily young women, usually referred to simply as "Hooters Girls", whose revealing outfits and sex appeal are played up and are a primary component of the company's image. The company employs both men and women as cooks, hosts (at some franchises), busboys, and managers. The menu includes hamburgers and other sandwiches, steaks, seafood entrees, appetizers, and the restaurant's specialty, chicken wings. Almost all Hooters restaurants hold alcoholic beverage licenses to sell beer and wine, and where local permits allow, a full liquor bar. Hooters T-shirts, sweatshirts, and various souvenirs and curios are also sold. (Full article...)

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Did you know?

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In South Florida, we have industrial cockroaches that have to be equipped with loud warning beepers so you can get out of their way when they back up

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The following are images from various Florida-related articles on Wikipedia.

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Bowden in 2007

Robert Cleckler Bowden (/ˈbdən/; November 8, 1929 – August 8, 2021) was an American college football coach. Bowden coached the Florida State Seminoles of Florida State University (FSU) from 1976 to 2009 and is considered one of the greatest college football coaches of all time for his accomplishments with the team.

During his time at Florida State, Bowden led FSU to consensus national championships in 1993 and 1999, as well as twelve Atlantic Coast Conference championships once FSU joined the conference in 1991. Bowden's Seminoles finished as an AP top-5 team for 14 consecutive seasons, setting a record which doubled the closest program. However, the program weakened during the mid-2000s, and after a difficult 2009 season Bowden was forced to retire just weeks after his 80th birthday. He made his final coaching appearance in the 2010 Gator Bowl game on January 1, 2010, with a 33–21 victory over his former program, West Virginia. (Full article...)

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Current events

June 25, 2026 – Immigration detention in the second Trump administration
Florida governor Ron DeSantis confirms that the Alligator Alcatraz detention center in Ochopee, Florida, U.S., will close operations, a year after it opened. (AFP via The Straits Times) (Politico)
June 1, 2026 – Regulation of artificial intelligence in the United States
The U.S. state of Florida files a lawsuit against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and AI-chatbot ChatGPT, accusing the chatbot of putting profit over safety. This lawsuit is the first to be filed by a U.S. state against ChatGPT. (AFP via NDTV) (NPR)

WikiProjects

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A panoramic view of the Downtown Miami skyline
A panoramic view of the Downtown Miami skyline
Credit: Averette

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 hurricane2006 Gator Bowl2012 Budweiser ShootoutAmerican white ibisAndrew SleddBiscayne National ParkDerek JeterDraining and development of the EvergladesErnest HemingwayEverglades National ParkFalcon's FuryGeography and ecology of the EvergladesGeorge Floyd (American football)Gregor MacGregorGuy BradleyHogwarts Express (Universal Orlando Resort)Hurricane AndrewHurricane DennisHurricane FrancesIndigenous people of the Everglades regionIron GwaziJohn F. BoltMarjory Stoneman DouglasRosewood massacreSci-Fi Dine-In Theater RestaurantSheiKraSpace Shuttle Challenger disasterSt. Johns RiverTNA Turning Point (2008)USS Massachusetts (BB-2)Walt Disney World Railroad

List of Daytona 500 winnersList of Florida hurricanesList of Florida hurricanes (1900–1949)List of Florida hurricanes (1950–1974)List of Florida hurricanes (1975–1999)List 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 FloridaSnow in FloridaUnited States presidential elections in Florida

A-Class articles

Naval Live Oaks Cemetery

Good articles

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 Daytona2017 24 Hours of Daytona2018 24 Hours of Daytona2021 College Football Playoff National Championship2022 Gasparilla BowlAlbert A. MurphreeAndy HansenApalachee massacreApollo 1Ashlyn HarrisBattle of Flint RiverBill PulteBob TurleyBomisBound for Glory (2005)Brad Miller (baseball)Buccaneers–Packers rivalryBurger KingBurger King franchisesBurger King legal issuesCarlos (Calusa)Caroline Street (Key West)Catie BallChad MottolaCheetah Hunt

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Did you know? articles

Saint Andrew's Chapel (Sanford, Florida) (2026-07-21)Palm Beach Pete (2026-07-11)WJAX-TV (2026-07-08)Cate Giordano (2026-07-07)OneBlood (2026-05-27)Stanley Kimmel (2026-05-14)Roosevelt Blackmon (2026-05-03)Don W. Moore (2026-04-26)Rainelle Krause (2026-04-09)Effects of the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane in the Caribbean (2026-04-08)Brian D. Ballard (2026-04-05)Port Manatee Railroad (2026-04-04)Nelly Korda (2026-03-24)Palm Beach Biltmore (2026-03-16)Olivia Ponton (2026-02-27)WZVN-TV (2026-02-26)West Palm Beach Fishing Club (2026-01-22)Scarlett Spears (2026-01-13)Derek Han (2026-01-05)MLS Cup 2025 (2025-12-27)WKMG-TV (2025-12-12)Splash (otter) (2025-11-28)Lewis House (Tallahassee, Florida) (2025-11-10)John Adams Cameron (2025-11-01)Bop House (2025-10-29)Weezer Cruise (2025-10-17)WTWC-TV (2025-09-09)Luisa Moreno (2025-08-10)Arielle Prepetit (2025-08-05)Chelsea Wolfe (BMX cyclist) (2025-07-23)Jeff Baena (2025-06-29)Samantha Nye (2025-06-26)WRBW (2025-06-24)Leander Wiegand (2025-06-24)Jeremy Crawshaw (2025-06-18)Arrest of Marcy Rheintgen (2025-05-24)WTLV (2025-05-05)Sophie Rain (2025-04-28)2024 Tallahassee tornadoes (2025-03-20)WTVX (2025-02-16)Bill Pulte (2025-02-15)La Querida (mansion) (2025-02-12)2025 Orange Bowl (2025-02-05)Florida State University academic-athletic scandal (2025-01-19)WZAZ (2024-12-31)WOGX (2024-11-14)Misinformation about the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season (2024-11-07)Jumbo's (2024-10-28)MyRadar (2024-10-25)J. D. Arteaga (2024-07-19)

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Associated Wikimedia

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

Things you can do

  • Operation Real Florida
    • Objective #1: Promote all Florida State Park articles to class B.
    • Objective #2: Promote eligible articles to GA and FA.
      • Not all articles can be GA or FA based on the sourcing available, but many parks have decades of rich history that deserve to be showcased to the world.
    • Objective #3: Gather new images for all State Parks.
      • Many State Park pages languish at stub class with 10-20-year-old photos. Lots of work goes into maintaining and updating these parks and that should be reflected in their respective page.

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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