Florida actually means "full (or feast) of flowers" named by explorer Ponce de Leon  because of all the flowers he saw when he landed here in 1513.    Florida's semi-tropical climate allows it to have year-round flowers and lush vegetation.

State Abbreviation	FL
State Capital	Tallahassee
Largest City	Jacksonville
Area (Square Miles)	Total Area- 58,560, Land Area- 54,252 , Total Water Area- 4,308
Population	15,982,378 (2000 Census) 4th after California, Texas and New York
Major Industries	tourism, agriculture, electronics
Natural Highest Point	Lakewood 345 feet above sea level in Walton County
Geographic Center	12 miles northwest of Brooksville, Hernando County
Bordering States	Georgia, Alabama
Bordering Bodies of Water	Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico
Coastline	1,197 Statute Miles
Beaches	663 Miles
Rivers, Streams & Waterways	11,000 miles
Longest River	St. Johns at 273 miles
Largest Lake	Lake Okeechobee at 700 square miles (2nd largest in US)
# of Lakes greater than 10 acres	Approximately 7,700
# of First Magnitude Springs	27 (more than any other state)
# of Islands Greater than 10 Acres	Approximately 4,500
Number of Counties	67 Counties
Largest County	Palm Beach at 2,578 square miles
Smallest County	Union at 245 square miles
Hurricane Season	June 1 - November 30
Annual Summer Temps	80.5(F) North Florida / 82.7(F) South Florida (more climatology)
Annual Winter Temps	53.0(F) North Florida / 68.5(F) South Florida (more climatology)
Form of Government	Governor and independent cabinet consisting of Attorney General, Chief Financial Officer, Commissioner of Agriculture.
Legislature	120 House Districts, 40 Senate Districts, 23 Congressional Districts
State Sales Tax	6%
Corporate Tax	5.5%
State Income Tax	None
Number of major Commercial Airports	20
Number of International Airports	12
Number of Deepwater Ports	14 with Offering Cargo and Cruise Ships
Number of golf courses	1,250 + (more than any other state)
Education	67 School Districts, one for each Florida County
Points of Interest	Walt Disney World, EPCOT Center, NASA Kennedy Space Center, Everglades National Park, Busch Gardens, Key West, Sea World, Ormond-Daytona Beach, Universal Studios Florida