Florida is a state in the southeastern United States with its capital in Tallahassee, located on a long peninsula of the same name between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, bordered by the Florida Strait from the south. It borders the states of Alabama and Georgia. It is the fourth most populous state in the United States (after California, Texas and New York), and the twenty-second largest by area [. The borders run along the entire peninsula, capturing some territory to the north of it and the Florida Keys to the south.
STATE NAME
The name of the state of Florida came into English from Spanish.
On April 2, 1513, during Easter week, the Spanish navigator Juan Ponce de Leon saw the shores of the peninsula, later called Florida. Probably, under the impression of the rapid flowering of the richest vegetation of the peninsula and in honor of Easter (in Spanish Pascua Florida, “floral Easter”), he named the new lands La Florida – “blooming land”.
GEOGRAPHY
The state of Florida is located in the South of the United States and belongs to the South Atlantic States of the United States. The territory of the state of Florida is 170,304 km2 (22nd place among the US states). Florida borders the states of Georgia to the north and Alabama to the northwest. From the east, Florida is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico is located in the west, and the Strait of Florida separates the peninsula on which the state is located from Cuba and the Bahamas in the south. From the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, the Florida Keys stretch along the strait. The state of Florida is located in two time zones in the United States – eastern (most of the territory) and central (northwestern districts).
CLIMATE
Florida is part of the “Sun Belt” of the United States, the state is characterized by a subtropical, and in the south – a tropical climate, with very warm winters and hot summers. From June to September, the rainy season is pronounced, it is during this period that the main amount of precipitation falls in Florida. It rarely snows in winter, usually with rain or hail.
The average January temperature in the state’s northern capital, Tallahassee, ranges from 4°C to 18°C. In summer, in July, here it is usually from 23°C to 33°C. In the south of Florida, in Miami, in winter from 15°C to 24°C, and in summer from 25°C to 32°C.
ECONOMY
Florida ranks fourth among US states in terms of GDP (after California, Texas and New York). Florida’s main economic sectors are tourism, agriculture, mining, and industry.
Approximately sixty million tourists visit the state each year, drawn both by Florida’s mild climate and its unique natural sites, as well as by its many historical landmarks and tourist attractions.
The second most important branch of the state economy is agriculture. Florida is the leading citrus-producing state in the US, providing about two-thirds of the total US citrus crop, including almost 75% of oranges, about 60% of tangerines, and over 50% of grapefruits. A significant proportion of the oranges grown in the state are processed, they are used to make the official drink of the state of Florida – orange juice.
TOURISM
The Everglades, Biscayne, Dry Tortugas National Parks are very popular with tourists; the Canaveral Seaside Sanctuary and other Florida protected areas with their extremely rich and diverse flora and fauna. Numerous hotels located along hundreds of kilometers of Florida beaches are filled with lovers of holidays on the sea coast; the lakes and rivers of the state are famous for their fishing, and the coastal waters attract diving enthusiasts.
Walt Disney World, located near Orlando, is the most popular and most visited amusement park in the United States and around the world, as well as one of the most famous tourist attractions in the United States. The Disney World complex includes four theme parks (Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom), two water parks (Typhoon Lagoon and Lightning Beach), more than twenty hotels, restaurants, shops, golf courses, racing track and many other facilities. Nearly fifty million tourists visit Walt Disney World theme parks every year.
Also in the Orlando area is the second largest and most popular (about twelve million visitors a year) park in Florida – “Universal”. It consists of two theme parks, Studio Universal Florida and Adventure Island, a water park, numerous hotels, restaurants and shops.
Sea World Orlando is one of the largest water parks in the United States, which is a zoo complex that presents visitors with a variety of marine fauna and numerous attractions. More than five million tourists visit Florida’s Sea World every year. Over four million more visitors come every year to Tampa, home to the African nature park Busch Gardens.
Of course, in addition to the listed reserves and amusement parks, Florida has many more interesting tourist attractions. Serving tens of millions of tourists generates billions of dollars and is the mainstay of Florida’s economy.
University of West Florida School of Education
Education School Admissions Application Director of admissions Steve McKellips Application deadline June 30 Application fee $30 TOEFL TOEFL required for international students Yes Minimum TOEFL score required 550 paper test Post-baccalaureate certificate programs Applications N/A Acceptance rate N/A Enrollment N/A…
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