Facts and Information for Florida

Map of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Refuges in Florida

Reference: www.fws.gov/refuges/refugeLocatorMaps/Florida.html

Official Florida State Website	http://www.myflorida.com/
State Capital	Tallahassee
Origin of State Name	Florida was named Pascua Florida by explorer Ponce de Leon on Easter in 1513. Translation: means "Flowery Easter" or "Flowering Easter" (after Spain's "Feast of the Flowers" Easter celebration).
Joined the Union	Florida became the 27th state on March 3rd, 1845
State Bird	Common Mocking-bird also known as Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
State Salthwater Fish	Atlantic Sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus)
State Freshwater Fish	Florida Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides floridanus)
State Animal	Florida Panther (Felis concolor coryi)
Marine Mammal	Manatee (Trichechus manatus)
State Saltwater Mammal	Porpoise also known as Dolphin The terms porpoise and dolphin are often used interchangeably. Usually, they refer to the bottle-nose dolphin (Tursiops truncates).
State Reptile	American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)
State Butterfly	Zebra Longwing Butterfly (Heliconius charitonius)
State Tree	Sabal Palm (Sabal palmetto)
State Flower	Orange Tree Blossom (Citrus sinensis)
State Wildflower	Coreopsis
State Fruit	Orange
State Stone	Agatized Coral
State Gemstone	Moonstone
State Soil	Myakka Fine Sand
State Shell	Horse Conch (Pleuroploca gigantea)
State Song	"The Swanee River (Old Folks at Home)" Written by Stephen C. Foster in 1851
State Play	"Cross and Sword"
State Motto	"In God We Trust"
State Nicknames	"Sunshine State"
State Beverage	Orange Juice
State Pie	Key Lime Pie
Time Zone Location	EST - Eastern Standard (GMT - 5 hours) except for Western Panhandle which is CST - Central Standard (GMT - 6 hours)
Population projected estimate for year 2010 based on U.S. Census 2000 results.
Male	9,398,360
Female	9,853,331
Total	19,251,691
Crime Information	Crime Statistics for 1997 - 2006
Median Household Income (latest figures available)	$40,171
Unemployment Rate	4.3
10 Largest Cities by Population	Jacksonville Miami Tampa St. Petersburg Hialeah Orlando Fort Lauderdale Tallahassee Pembroke Pines Hollywood
Cities and Towns	Florida Cities & Towns
Counties	Florida Counties
Major Universities	Major Florida Universities
Major Rivers	Major Florida Rivers
Major Lakes	Major Florida Lakes
Total Land Area	53,926.82 Square Miles
Total Water Area	11,827.77 Square Miles
Total of Both Land And Water Area	65,754.59 Square Miles
General Coastline	1,350 Miles
Lowest Elevation	Atlantic Ocean; sea level
Highest Elevation	Britton Hill; 345 feet

REFERENCES
• Welcome to Florida, 2/9/2008, http://www.myflorida.com/
• Facts - Office of Cultural & Historical Programs | Florida State Symblols, 02/24/2008 , http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/facts/symbols/
• NWRS - Refuge Locator Map, 2/9/2008, http://www.fws.gov/refuges/refugeLocatorMaps/
• Interim Projections of the Male Population for the United States and States: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2030, 2/9/2008, http://www.census.gov/population/projections/SummaryTabA2.pdf
• Interim Projections of the Female Population for the United States and States: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2030, 2/9/2008, http://www.census.gov/population/projections/SummaryTabA3.pdf
• United States Crime Rates 1960 - 2006, 2/9/2008, http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm
• Florida, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Florida&oldid=191030567 (last visited Feb. 16, 2008).