The first people to live in present-day Florida arrived over 12,000 years ago. They hunted small animals and collected wild plants for food. Native American tribes have lived in the area for centuries, including the Timuku, Apalachian, Calusa, and Creek. The Spanish conquistador (Spanish for “conqueror”) Ponce de León traveled to Florida in 1513 in search of gold and silver. He didn’t find it, but he did find fertile farmland and plenty of coastline – great for shipping. Not surprisingly, Britain, France and Spain tried to establish settlements in Florida. In 1763, the British took control of Florida from Spain in exchange for the land now called Havana, Cuba.
But just two decades later, as part of the peace treaty that ended the Revolutionary War, Spain took charge again. This did not last long – new American settlers began to flood the United States, and in 1821 Spain abandoned Florida in the United States in exchange for Spanish rule over Texas. Florida officially became the 27th state in 1845. Today, Native Americans called Seminoles still live in Florida. The people come from several tribes who moved to the area in the 1700s to avoid conflict with Europeans and other tribes. The original Spanish name for Florida is La Florida, which means “place of flowers”. Some historians believe that Ponce de León chose the name after the blooming flowers he saw there, or in honor of the Easter celebration in Spain called Pascua Florida, or “Flower Festival”. “.
Geography of Florida
According to itypetravel.com, Florida is a peninsula, which means it is almost entirely surrounded by water. Its northernmost edge is connected to Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast. Swim off the west coast of Florida and you’ll be in the Gulf of Mexico. Dive off the east coast and you’ll be splashing in the Atlantic Ocean. Off the south coast, you will sail through the Straits of Florida. The northern “mountainous” part of the state is hilly, but you will find caves and sinkholes in the northwestern Mariana Lowland. The coastal plains contain sandy beaches, islands and coral reefs. To the south, you can canoe through the famous Everglades National Park, a marshy, wildlife-filled swamp covering 1.5 million acres. Off the southernmost tip of the state are the Florida Keys, a group of 1,700 tiny islands called an archipelago. Do you want island hop? No problems. A walkway and 42 bridges connect the various keys.
Wildlife of Florida
Florida’s wildlife includes mammals such as armadillos, black bears, and the Florida panther; reptiles such as alligators, crocodiles and snakes; marine life such as manatees, sea turtles, dolphins and whales; and birds such as raptors, owls, cranes, and the Florida state bird, the mockingbird. The state is home to over 300 species of native trees, from apple and cherry trees in the north to mangrove forests in the swamps. Tall sawdust is a common sight in the swamps, although Florida’s most famous plant may be the orange tree – the orange blossom is the state flower.
CORAL SPRINGS
Population: 121.100 thousand people (2010)
Area: 62.1 sq. km
Time zone: UTC-5
Altitude: 3 m
Nearest airport: Executive
Coral Springs is located in the southern part of the state. The name of the city of Coral Springs comes from the name of the company Coral Ridge. See Florida cities.
The city was founded on swampy lands. After several floods, canals and strong dams were erected. The land was dried up. Since the fifties of the twentieth century, active real estate development in South Florida began, and local lands were also involved in this process. City status was obtained in 1963. In the last thirty years of the twentieth century, population growth exceeded 35,000 inhabitants in every decade. In order to make the city’s infrastructure convenient for citizens, building regulations have been introduced to ensure harmonious development in accordance with needs.
Coral Springs is considered family-friendly, well-maintained. There is a museum of the history of the city, which began its work in 1990. From the very beginning of active construction, special attention was paid to landscaping and creating a beautiful and natural look of the city. The city is recognized as one of the hundred best cities for young people to live.
It hosts many social events, including the Coral Springs Fiesta. It is a celebration of Latin American culture and an arts festival.
Coral Springs is a multicultural city where not only English is spoken, but other languages such as Spanish are also spoken. The local arts center will be interesting to visit for tourists. Several museums and a theater were opened in the 1990s. The city is also known for its landscaped parks, schools, and sports programs.
LAKELAND
Population: 97.400 thousand people (2010)
Area: 173.5 sq. km
Founded: 1875
City status since: 1885
Time zone: UTC-5, summer UTC-4
Altitude: 43 m
Nearest airport: Tallahassee
Lakeland is located in Florida between the cities of Orlando and Tampa. It got its name because there are many lakes near this city. There are 38 named lakes and many unnamed reservoirs. Lake names in this city are used as reference points, similar to street names in other cities.
Lakeland is located in the hot subtropical zone, which is characterized by hot summers with frequent thunderstorms and cool winters.
The traditional part of the economy of this area is the cultivation of citrus fruits, cattle breeding and phosphate mining.
One of the features of local lakes are swans. When swans disappeared from local lakes in 1954, one of the locals wrote a letter to Queen Elizabeth, and she sent two swans, and now the local swan population is descendants of royal birds.
In the center of the city there is Lake Mirror Park, which has comfortable walking paths and beautiful embankments. For lovers of freshwater fishing, there are lakes that are open to the public at all times and no special license is required. You can visit the Marritt Island Wildlife Park, which is home to a variety of birds and animals, including brown pelicans, alligators, turtles, raccoons and armadillos.
The city’s busy streets are lined with shops and galleries offering a selection of antiques, jewelry and china. There is an aviation museum and an art museum, where you can see both artifacts from the pre-Columbian period and works of modern art. Lakeland will be of interest to shoppers and those who like to spend their leisure time on the lakes.
