Florida is a Southern state in the United
States, situated upon a large peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico,
the Atlantic Ocean, and the Straits of Florida. "Florida" is a
Spanish adjective which means "flowery." The peninsula was
discovered and settled by Juan Ponce de León on Easter Sunday,
March 27, 1513, which is known as Pascua Florida in Spanish. Its
U.S. Postal abbreviation is FL.
Florida consists of the
Panhandle extending along the northern Gulf of Mexico and the large
Peninsula with the Atlantic Ocean as its eastern border and the Gulf
of Mexico as its western border. It is bordered on the north by the
states of Georgia and Alabama and on the west, at the end of the
panhandle, by Alabama. It is near the countries of the Caribbean,
particularly the Bahamas and Cuba.
At 345 feet (105 metres)
above mean sea level, Britton Hill is the highest point in Florida.
This is also the lowest highpoint of any U.S. state. Contrary to
popular belief, however, Florida is not an entirely "flat" state.
Some places, such as Clearwater, feature relatively high vistas
rising 50 to 100 feet above the water. Much of the interior of
Florida, typically 25 miles or more away from the coastline,
features rolling hills with elevations ranging from 100 to 250 feet
in many locations. Lake County holds the highest point of peninsular
Florida, Sugarloaf Mountain , at 312 feet. The amount of
topographical change will surprise many visitors.
The state line begins at the Atlantic, traveling west, south, and
north up the thalweg of the Saint Mary's River. At the origin of
that river, it then follows a straight line nearly due-west and
slightly north, to the point where the confluence of the Flint River
(from Georgia) and the Chattahoochee River (down the Alabama/Georgia
line) used to form Florida's Apalachicola River. (This point is now
under Lake Seminole since Woodruff Dam was built.) The border with
Georgia continues north through the lake for a short distance up the
former thalweg of the Chattahoochee, then with Alabama runs due west
along latitude 31°N to the Perdido River, then south along its
thalweg to the Gulf via Perdido Bay.
Miscellaneous Florida
information
Orange blossoms.
- State Bird: Mockingbird
- State Flower: Orange blossom - (Citrus
sinensis)
- State Insect: Zebra Longwinged Butterfly
- State Song: "Old folks at home (Suwannee
River)" by Stephen C. Foster
- State Tree: Sabal Palm
- State Reptile: American Alligator
- State Animal: The Florida Panther
- State Saltwater Mammal: The Manatee
- State Drink: Orange Juice
- State Fruit: Orange
- State Shell: The Horse Conch (The great band
shell)
- State Saltwater Fish: The Sailfish
- State Freshwater Fish: Florida Largemouth
Bass
- Highest Point: Britton Hill; 345 feet, 50th
- State Motto: "In God We Trust" is the
unofficial State Motto, Florida has no official Motto.
Want to learn more about Florida visit the
Florida Visitors Guide
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