Florida-Full of Flowers

 

In 1513, explorer Ponce de Leon gave the state of Florida its name. The word "Florida" is derived from the Spanish word "florido," which meaning "flowery" or "full of flowers." Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León became the first known European to make landfall, calling the region by that name due to its lush greenery and the Easter season.  With the Spanish colony of St. Augustine, founded in 1565, being the oldest continuously inhabited city in the continental United States, Florida became the first location in the continental United States to be permanently colonized by Europeans. Florida was contested by Spain and the United Kingdom several times before being given to the United States in 1819; it became the 27th state on March 3, 1845. The Seminole Wars (1816–1858), the longest and most extensive of the Indian Wars in American history, were fought mostly in Florida. On January 10, 1861, the state seceded from the Union, becoming one of the seven initial Confederate States. On June 25, 1868, Florida was returned to the Union following the Civil War.

Florida's climate ranges from subtropical to tropical in the north and south. It is the only state in the continental United States with both a tropical climate (near the lowest extremity of the peninsula) and a coral reef, aside from Hawaii. As a result, Florida is home to multiple distinct ecosystems, the most famous of which is Everglades National Park, the largest tropical wilderness in the United States and one of the largest in the Americas. The American alligator, American crocodile, American flamingo, Roseate spoonbill, Florida panther, bottle-nose dolphin, and manatee are among the region's unique species. The Florida Reef is the world's third-largest coral barrier reef system and the only extant coral barrier reef in the continental United States (after the Great Barrier Reef and Belize Barrier Reef).

The state's huge population and economy give it significant clout in national politics; it has been a prominent battleground in presidential elections since the late twentieth century, most notably in 2000. Miami is regarded as a global metropolis, along with Orlando and Tampa.