114-461: (Redirected from Floridians ) Floridian may refer to: The demonym for a person from the American state of Florida List of people from Florida Floridian (train, 1971–1979) , a train operated by Amtrak from 1971 to 1979 Floridian (train) , a train that Amtrak launched in 2024 Miami Floridians , a professional basketball franchise in
228-482: A St. Augustine motel pool, in which the owner poured acid into the water during a demonstration, influenced the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act . Economic prosperity in the 1920s stimulated tourism to Florida and related development of hotels and resort communities. Combined with its sudden elevation in profile was the Florida land boom of the 1920s , which brought a brief period of intense land development. In 1925,
342-649: A school shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida , leading to new gun control regulations at both the state and federal level. On June 24, 2021, a condominium in Surfside, Florida , near Miami collapsed , killing at least 97 people. The Surfside collapse is tied with the Knickerbocker Theatre collapse as the third-deadliest structural engineering failure in United States history, behind
456-440: A tropical monsoon climate ( Köppen climate classification , Am ). The South Florida metropolis sees most of its rain in the summer (wet season) and is quite dry in the winter (dry season). The wet season, which is hot and humid, lasts from May to October, when daily thunderstorms and passing weak tropical lows bring downpours during the late afternoon. The dry season often starts in late October and runs through late April. During
570-586: A "Free and Independent State". The ordinance declared Florida's secession from the Union , allowing it to become one of the founding members of the Confederate States . The Confederacy received little military help from Florida; the 15,000 troops it offered were generally sent elsewhere. Instead of troops and manufactured goods, Florida did provide salt and, more importantly, beef to feed the Confederate armies. This
684-605: A 2020 population of 6,138,333. The MSA is made up of three "metropolitan divisions" : The MSA is the second most populous metropolitan area in the Southeastern United States and has an area of 6,137 sq. mi (15,890 km ). The original MSA for Miami, as defined by the OMB, included only Dade County (now Miami-Dade County). By 1995, the Miami-Hialeah and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood-Pompano Beach MSAs had been merged into
798-541: A Loyalist stronghold for the duration of the American Revolution . Spain regained both East and West Florida after Britain's defeat in the Revolutionary War and the subsequent Treaty of Versailles in 1783, and continued the provincial divisions until 1821. Defense of Florida's northern border with the United States was minor during the second Spanish period. The region became a haven for escaped slaves and
912-483: A base for Indian attacks against U.S. territories, and the U.S. pressed Spain for reform. Americans of English and Scots Irish descent began moving into northern Florida from the backwoods of Georgia and South Carolina . Though technically not allowed by the government authorities, they were never able to effectively police the border region and the backwoods settlers from the United States would continue to immigrate into Florida unchecked. These migrants, mixing with
1026-645: A division the Spanish Crown kept after the brief British period. The British government gave land grants to officers and soldiers who had fought in the French and Indian War in order to encourage settlement. In order to induce settlers to move to Florida, reports of its natural wealth were published in England. A number of British settlers who were described as being "energetic and of good character" moved to Florida, mostly coming from South Carolina , Georgia and England. There
1140-562: A higher margin than Miami-Dade County did. In the 2016 presidential election, 62.3% of voters in the Miami metropolitan area voted Democratic. This was the 6th highest of any metro area in the United States. However, in recent years the area has shifted hard to the Republicans, with former president Donald Trump losing the metro area by 16 points in 2020 compared to losing it by 30 in 2016 (Fueled especially by Miami Dade County shifting 22 points to
1254-700: A mixed-race population of mestizos and mulattoes . The Spanish encouraged slaves from the Thirteen Colonies to come to Florida as a refuge, promising freedom in exchange for conversion to Catholicism . King Charles II of Spain issued a royal proclamation freeing all slaves who fled to Florida and accepted conversion and baptism. Most went to the area around St. Augustine , but escaped slaves also reached Pensacola. St. Augustine had mustered an all-black militia unit defending Florida as early as 1683. The geographical area of Spanish claims in Florida diminished with
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#17328511955111368-716: A news bureau in Havana, Cuba. The Palm Beach Post serves mainly Palm Beach County, especially the central and northern regions, and the Treasure Coast . The Boca Raton News publishes five days a week and circulates in southern Palm Beach County. El Nuevo Herald , a subsidiary of the Miami Herald , and Diario Las Americas , are Spanish-language daily papers that circulate mainly in Miami-Dade County. La Palma and El Sentinel are weekly Spanish newspapers published by
1482-575: A number of protests occurred in Florida during the 1950s and 1960s as part of the Civil Rights Movement. In 1956–1957, students at Florida A&M University organized a bus boycott in Tallahassee to mimic the Montgomery bus boycott and succeeded in integrating the city's buses. Students also held sit-ins in 1960 in protest of segregated seating at local lunch counters, and in 1964 an incident at
1596-425: A population of 23,009, area of 7.21 square miles (18.7 km ) and population density of 3,191.41 inhabitants per square mile (1,232.21/km ). Miami, the largest city in the metropolitan area, had population density of over 10,000/sq mi (more than 3,800/km ) in 2000. The Miami Urbanized Area was the fourth-largest urbanized area in the United States in the 2010 census. The most notable colleges and universities in
1710-471: A relatively high percentage of Republican voters for an urban county, due partially to its Cuban-American population, which leans Republican as a result of its anti-communist views, but Miami-Dade County still remains very Democratic when compared with most of Florida's other counties . Despite being more suburban and affluent, Palm Beach County is reliably Democratic as well and in the 2020 presidential election voted for Democratic candidate Joe Biden by
1824-485: A unique dialect, commonly called the Miami dialect, is widely spoken. The dialect developed among second- or third-generation Hispanics , including Cuban-Americans , whose first language was English , though some non-Hispanic white , black , and other races who were born and raised in Miami-Dade tend to adopt it as well. It is based on a fairly standard American accent but with some changes very similar to dialects in
1938-521: Is 3 nautical miles (3.5 mi; 5.6 km) offshore in the Atlantic Ocean and 9 nautical miles (10 mi; 17 km) offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. At 345 feet (105 m) above mean sea level , Britton Hill is the highest point in Florida and the lowest highpoint of any U.S. state. Much of the state south of Orlando lies at a lower elevation than northern Florida, and is fairly level. Much of
2052-777: Is a state in the Southeastern region 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, and the Straits of Florida and Cuba to the south. 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
2166-463: Is a 312-foot (95 m) peak in Lake County . On average, Florida is the flattest state in the United States. Lake Okeechobee , the largest lake in Florida, is the tenth-largest natural freshwater lake among the 50 states of the United States and the second-largest natural freshwater lake contained entirely within the contiguous 48 states , after Lake Michigan . The longest river within Florida
2280-468: Is about 100 miles (160 km) long (north to south) and at most 20 miles (32 km) east to west; in some areas, its east to west width is only 5 miles (8 km). The Miami metropolitan statistical area is the second-longest urbanized area in the United States behind the New York metropolitan area . It was the eighth-most densely populated urbanized area in the United States as of the 2000 census. As of
2394-488: Is also statistically the most likely major area to be struck by a hurricane in the world, trailed closely by Nassau, Bahamas , and Havana , Cuba. Many hurricanes have affected the metropolis, including Betsy in 1965, Andrew in 1992, Irene in 1999, Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma in 2005, and Irma in 2017. In addition, a tropical depression in October 2000 passed over the city, causing record rainfall and flooding. Locally,
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#17328511955112508-684: Is much less common in Broward County and Palm Beach County , where the majority of the population is non-Hispanic. Greater Miami is served by several English-language and two major Spanish-language daily newspapers. The Miami Herald , headquartered in Doral , is Miami's primary newspaper with over a million readers. It also has news bureaus in Broward County , Monroe County , and Nassau, Bahamas . The South Florida Sun-Sentinel circulates primarily in Broward and southern Palm Beach counties and also has
2622-637: Is now the contiguous United States to be visited and settled by Europeans. The earliest known European explorers came with Juan Ponce de León . Ponce de León spotted and landed on the peninsula on April 2, 1513. He named it Florida (colloquially la Florida) in recognition of the flowery, verdant landscape and because it was the Easter season, which the Spaniards called Pascua Florida (Festival of Flowers). The following day they came ashore to seek information and take possession of this new land. The story that he
2736-518: Is part of the larger South Florida region of the state, which also includes the Everglades and the Florida Keys . With 1,279.2 sq mi (3,313 km ) of urban landmass , the Miami metropolitan area also is one of the world's most populous urban agglomerations . South Florida is largely confined to a strip of land between the Atlantic Ocean and Everglades , and Miami's urbanized area
2850-772: Is split into two separate television/radio markets: The Miami-Fort Lauderdale market serves Miami-Dade, Broward and the Florida Keys. The West Palm Beach market serves Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast region. Miami-Fort Lauderdale is the 12th largest radio market and the 16th-largest television market in the U.S. television stations serving the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area include WAMI-TV ( UniMas ), WBFS-TV ( The CW ), WSFL-TV ( Independent ), WFOR-TV ( CBS ), WHFT-TV ( TBN ), WLTV ( Univision ), WPLG ( ABC ), WPXM ( ION ), WSCV ( Telemundo ), WSVN ( FOX ), WTVJ ( NBC ), WLRN-TV ( PBS ), and WPBT (also PBS),
2964-438: Is the 4th-largest in Florida and the 11th-largest in the United States. Broward County Public School District is the 6th-largest in the United States. The University of Miami is one of the top-ranked private research institutions in the United States, and has the most selective admissions standards of Florida's 171 colleges and universities. As of 2023 , Florida International University , with over 55,000 enrolled students,
3078-500: Is the St. Johns River, at 310 miles (500 km) long. The drop in elevation from its headwaters South Florida to its mouth in Jacksonville is less than 30 feet (9.1 m). The climate of Florida is tempered somewhat by the fact that no part of the state is distant from the ocean. North of Lake Okeechobee , the prevalent climate is humid subtropical ( Köppen : Cfa ), while areas south of
3192-431: Is the only state that borders both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of over 21 million, it is the third-most populous state in the United States and ranks eighth in population density as of 2020. Florida spans 65,758 square miles (170,310 km ), ranking 22nd in area among the states. The Miami metropolitan area , anchored by the cities of Miami , Fort Lauderdale , and West Palm Beach ,
3306-438: 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 American Indian tribes have inhabited Florida for at least 14,000 years. In 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León became the first known European to make landfall, calling
3420-487: Is the warmest state in the U.S. Miami metropolitan area The Miami metropolitan area is a coastal metropolitan area in southeastern Florida . It is the ninth-largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the United States, the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the Southern United States , and the largest metropolitan area in Florida. It is also known as South Florida , SoFlo , SoFla ,
3534-598: The American alligator , American crocodile , American flamingo , Roseate spoonbill , Florida panther , bottlenose dolphin , and manatee . The Florida Reef is the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States, and the third-largest coral barrier reef system in the world, after the Great Barrier Reef and the Belize Barrier Reef . Paleo-Indians entered Florida at least 14,000 years ago. By
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3648-646: The Black Lives Matter movement. After Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in September 2017, a large population of Puerto Ricans began moving to Florida to escape the widespread destruction. Hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans arrived in Florida after Maria dissipated, with nearly half of them arriving in Orlando and large populations also moving to Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach. A handful of high-profile mass shootings have occurred in Florida in
3762-581: 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 15th-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 ,
3876-766: The Cook Partisan Voting Index listed four as being Republican-leaning: the 18th, 25th, 26th, and 27th, with the 25th being the most Republican-leaning at R+5, and five as being Democratic-leaning: the 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, and 24th, with the 24th being the most Democratic-leaning at D+34, making it the ninth-most Democratic-leaning district in the nation. Among those employed in the Miami metropolitan area, 32% were management, professional, and related occupations, 30% were sales and office occupations, 18% were service occupations, 11% were construction, extraction, maintenance and repair occupations, and 9% were production, transportation, and material moving occupations. 81% of
3990-607: The First Seminole War . The United States now effectively controlled East Florida. Control was necessary according to Secretary of State John Quincy Adams because Florida had become "a derelict open to the occupancy of every enemy, civilized or savage, of the United States, and serving no other earthly purpose than as a post of annoyance to them." More recent historians describe that after U.S. independence, settlers in Georgia increased pressure on Seminole lands, and skirmishes near
4104-455: The Government of Florida . The marriage between Luisa de Abrego, a free black domestic servant from Seville, and Miguel Rodríguez, a white Segovian, occurred in 1565 in St. Augustine. It is the first recorded Christian marriage in the continental United States. Some Floridanos married or had unions with Pensacola , Creek , or African women, both slave and free, and their descendants created
4218-512: The Hyatt Regency walkway collapse and the collapse of the Pemberton Mill . Much of Florida is on a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean and the Straits of Florida . Spanning two time zones , it extends to the northwest into a panhandle , extending along the northern Gulf of Mexico. It is bordered on the north by Georgia and Alabama , and on the west, at the end of
4332-666: 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; it hosts nine out of the ten fastest-growing communities in the U.S. 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 African , European , Indigenous , Latino , and Asian influences. Florida has attracted or inspired some of
4446-567: The King's Road connecting St. Augustine to Georgia . The road crossed the St. Johns River at a narrow point called Wacca Pilatka , now the core of Downtown Jacksonville , and formerly referred to by the British name "Cow Ford", reflecting the fact that cattle were brought across the river there. The British divided and consolidated the Florida provinces ( Las Floridas ) into East Florida and West Florida ,
4560-618: The Kingdom of Great Britain for control of Havana , Cuba , which had been captured by the British during the Seven Years' War . The trade was done as part of the 1763 Treaty of Paris which ended the Seven Years' War. Spain was granted Louisiana from France due to their loss of Florida. A large portion of the Florida population left, taking along large portions of the remaining Indigenous population with them to Cuba. The British soon constructed
4674-475: The Mid-Atlantic , especially the New York area dialect , Northern New Jersey English , and New York Latino English . Unlike Virginia Piedmont , Coastal Southern American, and Northeast American dialects and Florida Cracker dialect of the Miami accent is rhotic ; it also incorporates a rhythm and pronunciation heavily influenced by Spanish in which rhythm is syllable-timed . It is possible to differentiate
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4788-547: The Palm Beach Post and Sun-Sentinel , respectively, and circulate in the same areas as their English-language counterparts. There are several university student-run newspapers in the area, including The Miami Hurricane at the University of Miami , University Press at Florida Atlantic University , PantherNOW at Florida International University , and The Current at Nova Southeastern University . Greater Miami
4902-570: The Seaboard Air Line broke the FEC's southeast Florida monopoly and extended its freight and passenger service to West Palm Beach; two years later it extended passenger service to Miami. Devastating hurricanes in 1926 and 1928 , followed by the Great Depression , brought that period to a halt. Florida's economy did not fully recover until the military buildup for World War II . In 1939, Florida
5016-571: The Second Seminole War (1835–1842). Following the war, approximately 3,000 Seminole and 800 Black Seminole were removed to Indian Territory . A few hundred Seminole remained in Florida in the Everglades . On March 3, 1845, only one day before the end of President John Tyler 's term in office, Florida became the 27th state, admitted as a slave state and no longer a sanctuary for runaway slaves. Initially its population grew slowly. As European settlers continued to encroach on Seminole lands,
5130-622: The Third Seminole War (1855–1858), having taken refuge in the Everglades, from where they never surrendered to the US. They fostered a resurgence in traditional customs and a culture of staunch independence. Florida had become a burden to Spain, which could not afford to send settlers or troops due to the devastation caused by the Peninsular War . Madrid, therefore, decided to cede the territory to
5244-548: The Treaty of Payne's Landing (1832), which called for the relocation of all Seminole to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma ). Some resisted, leading to the Second Seminole War , the bloodiest war against Native Americans in United States history. By 1842, most Seminoles and Black Seminoles, facing starvation, were removed to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River . Perhaps fewer than 200 Seminoles remained in Florida after
5358-776: The Tropic of Cancer and the Caribbean , the area owes its warm, humid climate to the Gulf Stream , which moderates climate year-round. A typical summer day does not see temperatures below 75 °F (24 °C). Temperatures in the high 80s to low 90s (30–35 °C) accompanied by high humidity are often relieved by afternoon thunderstorms or a sea breeze that develops off the Atlantic Ocean, which then allow lower temperatures, although conditions still remain very muggy. During winter, dry air often dominates as dew points are often very low. Average daily high temperatures across South Florida during
5472-831: The 16th century, the earliest time for which there is a historical record, major groups of people living in Florida included the Apalachee of the Florida Panhandle , the Timucua of northern and central Florida, the Ais of the central Atlantic coast, the Mayaimi of the Lake Okeechobee area, the Tequesta of southeastern Florida, and the Calusa of southwest Florida. Florida was the first region of what
5586-462: The 2009 tax year. Politically, metropolitan Miami is strongly Democratic , like most large metropolitan regions in the United States. Broward County is the second-most heavily Democratic county in the state, behind only Gadsden County , which is much smaller. This contrasts with most of the rest of Florida, whose heavier Southern influence and high population of elderly voters makes it a swing or Republican -leaning state. Miami-Dade County has
5700-399: The 2020 census, the Miami-Fort Lauderdale urbanized area had a land area of 1,244.18 square miles (3,222.4 km ), with a population of 6,077,522, for a population density of 4,884.78 inhabitants per square mile (1,886.02/km ). The Miami metropolitan area also had one urban cluster (UC) as of the 2020 census, which is not part of the Miami urbanized area. The Belle Glade urban cluster had
5814-493: The 21st century. In June 2016, a gunman killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando . It is the deadliest incident in the history of violence against LGBT people in the United States , as well as the deadliest terrorist attack in the U.S. since the September 11 attacks in 2001, and it was the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman in U.S. history until the 2017 Las Vegas shooting . In February 2018, 17 people were killed in
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#17328511955115928-400: The 40s during the early morning hours before quickly warming-up toward late morning/early afternoon. It is rare for temperatures to drop below 40 °F (4 °C), however, low temperatures at or around 35 °F (2 °C) have occurred some years. South Florida only experiences these cold spells about twice each winter and they typically only last a day or two before temperatures return to
6042-707: The CSA was defined in 2013, it included the Okeechobee μSA, but not the Key West μSA. In 2018 the Okeechobee μSA was removed from the CSA and the Key West μSA was added. The Okeechobee μSA was re-added to the CSA in 2023. The Miami metropolitan area is frequently named the "Gold Coast" in convention with Florida's other coast regions , including the Space Coast , Treasure Coast , Sun Coast , Nature Coast , Forgotten Coast , Emerald Coast , Fun Coast , and First Coast . Like several of
6156-410: The Castilian language, and more to Florida. Spain established several settlements in Florida, with varying degrees of success. In 1559, Don Tristán de Luna y Arellano established a settlement at present-day Pensacola , making it one of the first settlements in Florida, but it was mostly abandoned by 1561. In 1564–1565, there was a French settlement at Fort Caroline , in present Duval County , which
6270-407: The Floridas, and in the meantime they were, with the advice of councils, to establish courts. This was the first introduction of the English-derived legal system which Florida still has today, including trial by jury , habeas corpus and county-based government. Neither East Florida nor West Florida sent any representatives to Philadelphia to draft the Declaration of Independence . Florida remained
6384-416: The Gold Coast , Southeast Florida , the Tri-County Area , or Greater Miami , and officially as the Miami–Fort Lauderdale–West Palm Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area . With a population of 6.18 million, its population exceeds 31 of the nation's 50 states as of 2023. It comprises the three most populated counties in the state , Miami-Dade County , Broward County , and Palm Beach County , which rank as
6498-436: The Indians from Florida. Seminoles offered sanctuary to blacks, and these became known as the Black Seminoles , and clashes between whites and Indians grew with the influx of new settlers. In 1832, the Treaty of Payne's Landing promised to the Seminoles lands west of the Mississippi River if they agreed to leave Florida. Many Seminoles left at this time. Some Seminoles remained, and the U.S. Army arrived in Florida, leading to
6612-451: The Indians. Most non-Indian residents were soldiers stationed at Fort Dallas . It was the most devastating Indian war in American history, causing almost a total loss of population in Miami. After the Second Seminole War ended in 1842, William English re-established a plantation started by his uncle on the Miami River . He charted the "Village of Miami" on the south bank of the Miami River and sold several plots of land. In 1844, Miami became
6726-426: The Miami accent from a variety of interlanguages spoken by second-language speakers. The Miami accent does not generally display addition of /ɛ/ before initial consonant clusters with /s/ , speakers do not confuse of /dʒ/ with /j/ , (e.g., Yale with jail ), and /r/ and /rr/ are pronounced as alveolar approximant [ ɹ ] instead of alveolar tap [ ɾ ] or alveolar trill [r] in Spanish. The Miami accent
6840-408: The Miami area typically represented 40% of household income, compared to 34% nationwide. Property tax increase: In March 2009, Miami area lawmakers passed a 5–10% hike in property tax millage rates throughout the metropolitan area to fund the construction of new schools and to fund understaffed schools and educational institutions, resulting in an increase in residents' property tax bills beginning in
6954-449: The Miami metropolitan area (2014) According to a 2014 study by the Pew Research Center , Christianity is the most prevalent religion in the Miami metropolitan area (68%), with 39% professing attendance at a variety of churches that could be considered Protestant and 27% professing Roman Catholic beliefs. Judaism is second (9%), followed by Islam , Buddhism , Hinduism and a variety of other religions have smaller followings; 21% of
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#17328511955117068-440: The Miami metropolitan area include Florida Atlantic University , Florida International University , Nova Southeastern University , and the University of Miami . The region also has three community colleges, Broward College , Miami Dade College , and Palm Beach State College . Some of these institutions, such as Florida International University and Miami Dade College, make up some of the largest institutions of higher learning in
7182-424: The Miami-Fort Lauderdale Consolidated MSA, consisting of the Miami Primary MSA (Dade County) and the Fort Lauderdale Primary MSA (Broward County). In 2003, the West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Boynton Beach MSA was merged with the consolidated MSA to form the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area, consisting of: the Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deefield Beach Metropolitan Division (Broward County),
7296-514: The Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall Metropolitan Division (Miami-Dade County), and the West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Boynton Beach Metropolitan Division (Palm Beach County). The Census Bureau also defines a wider commercial region based on commuting patterns, the Miami-Port Saint Lucie-Fort Lauderdale Combined Statistical Area (CSA), with a population of 6,887,655 in 2020. As of 2023 , the CSA consists of three component metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) and one Micropolitan statistical area (μSA): When
7410-462: The Mobile District of West Florida to the Mississippi Territory in 1812. Spain continued to dispute the area, though the United States gradually increased the area it occupied. In 1812, a group of settlers from Georgia, with de facto support from the U.S. federal government, attempted to overthrow the Floridan government in the province of East Florida. The settlers hoped to convince Floridians to join their cause and proclaim independence from Spain, but
7524-416: The United States intervened to move the remaining Seminoles to the West. The Third Seminole War (1855–1858) resulted in the forced removal of most of the remaining Seminoles, although hundreds of Seminole Indians remained in the Everglades. The first settlements and towns in South Florida were founded much later than those in the northern part of the state. The first permanent European settlers arrived in
7638-402: The United States through the Adams–Onís Treaty , which took effect in 1821. President James Monroe was authorized on March 3, 1821, to take possession of East Florida and West Florida for the United States and provide for initial governance. On behalf of the U.S. government, Andrew Jackson , whom Jacksonville is named after, served as a military commissioner with the powers of governor of
7752-476: The United States. The Miami metropolitan area is also known as South Florida , SoFlo , SoFla , the Gold Coast , the Tri-County Area , or Greater Miami , and, for U.S. government statistical purposes, the Miami–Fort Lauderdale–West Palm Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2023 , the Miami metropolitan area is defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget as the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), with
7866-508: The already present British settlers who had remained in Florida since the British period, would be the progenitors of the population known as Florida Crackers . These American settlers established a permanent foothold in the area. The British settlers who had remained also resented Spanish governance, leading to a rebellion in 1810 and the establishment for ninety days of the so-called Free and Independent Republic of West Florida on September 23. After meetings beginning in June, rebels overcame
7980-402: The border dispute along the Sabine River in Spanish Texas . 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
8094-405: The border led to the First Seminole War (1816–1819). The United States purchased Florida from Spain by the Adams-Onis Treaty (1819) and took possession in 1821. The Seminole were moved out of their rich farmland in northern Florida and confined to a large reservation in the interior of the Florida peninsula by the Treaty of Moultrie Creek (1823). Passage of the Indian Removal Act (1830) led to
8208-419: The county seat, and six years later a census reported there were ninety-six residents in the area. The Third Seminole War was not as destructive as the second, but it slowed the settlement of southeast Florida. At the end of the war, a few of the soldiers stayed. American settlers began to establish cotton plantations in north Florida, which required numerous laborers, which they supplied by buying slaves in
8322-648: The defense of the Captaincy General of Cuba and the Spanish West Indies . In 1738, the governor of Florida Manuel de Montiano established Fort Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose near St. Augustine, a fortified town for escaped slaves to whom Montiano granted citizenship and freedom in return for their service in the Florida militia, and which became the first free black settlement legally sanctioned in North America. In 1763 , Spain traded Florida to
8436-586: The domestic market. By 1860, Florida had only 140,424 people, of whom 44% were enslaved. There were fewer than 1,000 free African Americans before the American Civil War. On January 10, 1861, nearly all delegates in the Florida Legislature approved an ordinance of secession, declaring Florida to be "a sovereign and independent nation"—an apparent reassertion to the preamble in Florida's Constitution of 1838, in which Florida agreed with Congress to be
8550-655: The early 19th century. People came from the Bahamas to South Florida and the Keys to hunt for treasure from the ships that ran aground on the treacherous Great Florida Reef . Some accepted Spanish land offers along the Miami River. At about the same time, the Seminole Indians arrived, along with a group of runaway slaves. The area was affected by the Second Seminole War , during which Major William S. Harney led several raids against
8664-582: The employed population 16 years and older, the leading industries in the Miami area were educational services, health care, and social assistance, which accounted for 18%, and Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services, which accounted for 13% of the population. 79% of Miami area workers drove to work alone in 2005, 10% carpooled, 4% took public transportation, and 4% used other means. The remaining 3% worked at home. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 28.5 minutes to get to work. In Miami-Dade County
8778-472: The establishment of English settlements to the north and French claims to the west. English colonists and buccaneers launched several attacks on St. Augustine in the 17th and 18th centuries, razing the city and its cathedral to the ground several times. Spain built the Castillo de San Marcos in 1672 and Fort Matanzas in 1742 to defend Florida's capital city from attacks, and to maintain its strategic position in
8892-506: The federal government used the facility to process, document and provide medical and dental services for the newcomers. As a result, the Freedom Tower was also called the "Ellis Island of the South". In recent decades, more migrants have come for the jobs in a developing economy. With a population of more than 18 million, according to the 2010 census, Florida is the most populous state in
9006-618: The first, second, and third-most populous counties in the state, respectively. Miami-Dade County, with 2,701,767 people in 2020, is the seventh-most populous county in the United States . Miami is the region's financial and cultural core and most populous city. Other principal cities , as defined by the Office of Management and Budget , include Fort Lauderdale , West Palm Beach , Pompano Beach , Boca Raton , Sunrise , Deerfield Beach , Miami Beach , Kendall , Doral , Delray Beach , Jupiter , and Palm Beach Gardens . The Miami metropolitan area
9120-554: The garrison at Baton Rouge (now in Louisiana ) and unfurled the flag of the new republic: a single white star on a blue field. This flag would later become known as the " Bonnie Blue Flag ". In 1810, parts of West Florida were annexed by the proclamation of President James Madison , who claimed the region as part of the Louisiana Purchase . These parts were incorporated into the newly formed Territory of Orleans . The U.S. annexed
9234-408: The height of the dry season from February through April, South Florida is often very dry, and often brush fires and water restrictions are an issue. At times cold fronts can make it all the way down to South Florida and provide some modest rainfall in the dry season. The hurricane season largely coincides with the wet season. In addition to its sea-level elevation, coastal location and position near
9348-543: The households in the Miami area. This figure includes both married-couple families (45%) and other families (20%). Nonfamily households made up 35% of all households in Miami. Most of the nonfamily households were people living alone, but some consisted of people living in households in which no one was related to the householder. Occupied housing unit characteristics: In 2005, the Miami area had 2.0 million occupied housing units – 1.3 million (66%) owner occupied and 688,000 (34%) renter occupied. As of 2010, housing costs in
9462-423: The interior of the state. Florida's economy has been based primarily upon agricultural products such as citrus fruits, strawberries, nuts, sugarcane and cattle. The boll weevil devastated cotton crops during the early 20th century. Until the mid-20th century, Florida was the least-populous state in the southern United States . In 1900, its population was only 528,542, of whom nearly 44% were African American,
9576-440: The lake (including the Florida Keys ) have a true tropical climate (Köppen: Aw , Am , and Af ). Mean high temperatures for late July are primarily in the low 90s Fahrenheit (32–34 °C). Mean low temperatures for early to mid-January range from the low 40s Fahrenheit (4–7 °C) in north Florida to above 60 °F (16 °C) from Miami on southward. With an average daily temperature of 70.7 °F (21.5 °C), it
9690-904: The latter television station being the only channel to serve the entire metropolitan area. In addition to the Miami-Fort Lauderdale market, West Palm Beach has its own. It is the 49th largest radio market and the 38th-largest television market in the U.S. Television stations serving the West Palm Beach area include WPTV (NBC), WHDT (Independent), WPEC (CBS), WPBF (ABC), WFLX (FOX), WTVX (The CW), WXEL (PBS), WTCN (MyNetworkTV), and WPXP (ION). The West Palm Beach market shares use of WSCV and WLTV for Telemundo and Univision respectively. Also, both markets cross over and tend to be available interchangeably between both areas. In 2015, WPBT and WXEL merged their operations, to form South Florida PBS , although both stations have maintained separate programming schedules and social media platforms, but share
9804-549: The mid 70s. On average South Florida is frost-free, although there can be a light frost in the inland communities about once every decade. Hurricane season officially runs from June 1 through November 30, although hurricanes can develop outside that period. The most likely time for South Florida to be hit is during the peak of the Cape Verde season, mid-August through the end of September. Due to its location between two major bodies of water known for tropical activity, South Florida
9918-417: 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 . Florida has been considered a battleground state in American presidential elections , particularly those in 2000 and 2016 . Florida's climate varies from subtropical in
10032-519: The municipalities has its own city, town or village government, although there is no distinction between the 3 names. Much of the land in the metropolis is unincorporated, which means it does not belong to any municipality, and therefore is governed directly by the county it is located in. The Miami metropolitan area contains all or part of nine Congressional districts: the 18th , 20th , 21st , 22nd , 23rd , 24th , 25th , 26th , and 27th districts . As of 2017 (the 113th Congress),
10146-537: The newly acquired territory for a brief period. On March 30, 1822, the U.S. Congress merged East Florida and part of West Florida into the Florida Territory . By the early 1800s, Indian removal was a significant issue throughout the southeastern U.S. and also in Florida. In 1830, the U.S. Congress passed the Indian Removal Act and as settlement increased, pressure grew on the U.S. government to remove
10260-468: The north to tropical in the south. It is the only state besides Hawaii to have a tropical climate , and the only continental state with both a tropical climate, located at the southern portion of the state, and a coral reef . Florida has several unique ecosystems, including Everglades National Park , the largest tropical wilderness in the U.S. and among the largest in the Americas . Unique wildlife include
10374-472: The original, now-defunct American Basketball Association USS Floridian (ID-3875) , a United States Navy troop transport in commission in 1919 See also [ edit ] The Floridian (disambiguation) Floridiana , a term referring to artifacts relating to the state of Florida All pages with titles containing Floridian Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with
10488-515: The others, it seems to have originated at the time the area first saw major growth. One of the best known of Florida's vernacular regions, the name is a reference to the wealth and ritzy tropical lifestyle that characterizes the area. The region has a tropical climate , similar to the climate found in much of the Caribbean . It is the only metropolitan area in the 48 contiguous states that falls under that category. More specifically, it generally has
10602-467: The panhandle, by Alabama. It is the only state that borders both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Florida also is the southernmost of the 48 contiguous states, Hawaii being the only one of the fifty states reaching farther south. Florida is west of the Bahamas and 90 miles (140 km) north of Cuba . Florida is one of the largest states east of the Mississippi River , and only Alaska and Michigan are larger in water area. The water boundary
10716-538: The people employed were Private wage and salary workers; 12% were Federal, state, or local government workers; and 7% were self-employed. The median income of households in the Miami area was $ 43,091. 78% of the households received earnings and 13% received retirement income other than Social Security. 30% of the households received Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $ 13 . These income sources are not mutually exclusive; that is, some households received income from more than one source. In 2005, for
10830-472: The population did not identify with any religion. The Miami area has one of the largest Jewish communities in the United States. 10.2% of the population identified as Jewish in the 2000 Census . According to a 2011 survey of American Judaism, Palm Beach County had the most Jews of any Florida county both in absolute numbers (205,850) and as a percentage of the overall population (15.8%). Broward County came in second place with 170,700 Jewish residents or 9.8% of
10944-510: The population, and Miami-Dade County came in third with 106,300 or 4.3%. Changes in house prices for the area are publicly tracked on a regular basis using the Case–Shiller index ; the statistic is published by Standard & Poor's and is also a component of S&P's 10-city composite index of the value of the residential real estate market. As of 2005, the Miami area had a total of 2.3 million housing units, 13% of which were vacant. Of
11058-750: The pre-automobile era, railroads played a key role in the state's development, particularly in coastal areas. In 1883, the Pensacola and Atlantic Railroad connected Pensacola and the rest of the Panhandle to the rest of the state. In 1884 the South Florida Railroad (later absorbed by Atlantic Coast Line Railroad ) opened full service to Tampa . In 1894 the Florida East Coast Railway reached West Palm Beach ; in 1896 it reached Biscayne Bay near Miami . Numerous other railroads were built all over
11172-405: The region La Florida (land of flowers) ( [la floˈɾiða] ). Florida subsequently became the first area in the continental U.S. to be permanently settled by Europeans, with the settlement of St. Augustine , founded in 1565, being the oldest continuously inhabited city. Florida was frequently attacked and coveted by Great Britain before Spain ceded it to the U.S. in 1819 in exchange for resolving
11286-417: The right between 2016 and 2020), and Governor Ron DeSantis winning the metro area outright in the 2022 gubernatorial election , winning both Miami Dade and Palm Beach Counties (With the former being won by double digits) while losing Broward only by less than 16 points. The metropolitan area is governed by 3 counties. In total there are 107 municipalities or incorporated places in the metropolis. Each one of
11400-801: The same proportion as before the Civil War. Forty thousand blacks, roughly one-fifth of their 1900 population levels in Florida, left the state in the Great Migration . They left due to lynchings and racial violence and for better opportunities in the North and the West. Disfranchisement for most African Americans in the state persisted until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s gained federal legislation in 1965 to enforce protection of their constitutional suffrage. In response to racial segregation in Florida,
11514-448: The same subchannel lineup. In Florida, each county is also a school district . Each district is headed by an elected school board . A professional superintendent manages the day-to-day operations of each district, who is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the school board. The Miami-Dade County Public School District is currently the 4th-largest public school district in the nation. The School District of Palm Beach County
11628-555: The settlers lost their tenuous support from the federal government and abandoned their cause by 1813. Traditionally, historians argued that Seminoles based in East Florida began raiding Georgia settlements and offering havens for runaway slaves. The United States Army led increasingly frequent incursions into Spanish territory, including the 1817–1818 campaign against the Seminole Indians by Andrew Jackson that became known as
11742-612: The southeastern United States and the third-most populous in the United States. The population of Florida has boomed in recent years with the state being the recipient of the largest number of out-of-state movers in the country as of 2019. Florida's growth has been widespread, as cities throughout the state have continued to see population growth. In 2012, the killing of Trayvon Martin , a young black man, by George Zimmerman in Sanford drew national attention to Florida's stand-your-ground laws , and sparked African American activism, including
11856-499: The state is at or near sea level. Some places, such as Clearwater have promontories that rise 50 to 100 ft (15 to 30 m) above the water. Much of Central and North Florida, typically 25 mi (40 km) or more away from the coastline, have rolling hills with elevations ranging from 100 to 250 ft (30 to 76 m). The highest point in peninsular Florida (east and south of the Suwannee River ), Sugarloaf Mountain ,
11970-692: The storm is credited as the No Name Storm of 2000 , though the depression went on to become Tropical Storm Leslie upon entering the Atlantic Ocean. The following is a list of the twenty largest cities in the Miami metropolitan area as ranked by population. There is a strong divide between the northern and southern parts of the region in terms of dominant language. In 2010, English was the household language of 73.1% of Palm Beach County residents and 63.4% of Broward County residents but only 28.1% of Miami-Dade County residents. In contrast, 63.8% of Miami-Dade County residents spoke Spanish at home. Religion in
12084-555: The title Floridian . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Floridian&oldid=1257288202 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Florida Florida ( / ˈ f l ɒr ɪ d ə / FLORR -ih-də , Spanish: [floˈɾiða] )
12198-410: The total housing units, 52% were in single-unit structures, 45% were in multi-unit structures, and 3% were mobile homes. 25% of the housing units were built since 1990. As of 2019, over 70% of Miami's residents are renters with median rent of $ 1,355, $ 180 over the national average. Households and families: There were 2,338,450 households, The average household size was 2.6 people. Families made up 65% of
12312-617: The winter are around 74–77 °F (23–25 °C). Although daily highs can sometimes reach 82–85 °F (28–29 °C) even in January and February. Daily low temperatures during the winter are generally around 55–63 °F (13–17 °C). Each winter, cold fronts occasionally make their way down to the northern Bahamas and South Florida . As a result, daytime high temperatures in South Florida may only reach around 65 °F (18 °C) or cooler. When this occurs low temperatures can dip into
12426-464: Was also a group of settlers who came from the colony of Bermuda . This was the first permanent English-speaking population in what is now Duval County , Baker County , St. Johns County and Nassau County . The British constructed good public roads and introduced the cultivation of sugar cane, indigo and fruits, as well as the export of lumber. The British governors were directed to call general assemblies as soon as possible in order to make laws for
12540-569: Was described as "still very largely an empty State." Subsequently, the growing availability of air conditioning , the climate, and a low cost of living made the state a haven. Migration from the Rust Belt and the Northeast sharply increased Florida's population after 1945. In the 1960s, many refugees from Cuba , fleeing Fidel Castro 's communist regime, arrived in Miami at the Freedom Tower , where
12654-476: Was destroyed by the Spanish. Today a reconstructed version of the fort stands in its location within Jacksonville. In 1565, the settlement of St. Augustine (San Agustín) was established under the leadership of admiral and governor Pedro Menéndez de Avilés , creating what would become the oldest, continuously occupied European settlements in the continental U.S. and establishing the first generation of Floridanos and
12768-576: Was particularly important after 1864, when the Confederacy lost control of the Mississippi River, thereby losing access to Texas beef. The largest engagements in the state were the Battle of Olustee , on February 20, 1864, and the Battle of Natural Bridge , on March 6, 1865. Both were Confederate victories. The war ended in 1865. Following the American Civil War, Florida's congressional representation
12882-482: Was restored on June 25, 1868, albeit forcefully after Reconstruction and the installation of unelected government officials under the final authority of federal military commanders. After the Reconstruction period ended in 1876, white Democrats regained power in the state legislature. In 1885, they created a new constitution, followed by statutes through 1889 that disfranchised most blacks and many poor whites. In
12996-481: Was searching for the Fountain of Youth is mythical and appeared only long after his death. In May 1539, Hernando de Soto skirted the coast of Florida, searching for a deep harbor to land. He described a thick wall of red mangroves spread mile after mile, some reaching as high as 70 feet (21 m), with intertwined and elevated roots making landing difficult. Europeans introduced Christianity , cattle, horses, sheep,
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