Florida was admitted to United States as a State on March 3, 1845 (27th State)Governor - Charlie CristCapital - TallahasseeNickname - Sunshine StateState Flower - Orange Blossom(Click Here) for Florida symbolsNumber of Counties in Florida - 67Form of Government - Governor and independent cabinet consisting of Attorney General, Chief Financial Officer, Commissioner of Agriculture. (Click Here) for additional information on Florida's cabinet process.
Legislature - 120 House Districts, 40 Senate Districts, 23 Congressional DistrictsMotto - (See Below)--------------------------------------------------------------------------------More Information--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Economy, State Spending & Taxes | Geography | History | Population | Taxes | Weather & Seasons | Other Interesting Facts--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Florida Economy, State Spending & TaxesGross State Product:$491 Billion (2001)$472 Billion (2000)Economy Strengths:International Trade (40% of all U.S. exports to Latin and South America pass through Florida)Tourism - with 76.8 million visitors in 2004 (a record number), Florida is the top travel destination in the world. The tourism industry has an economic impact of $57 billion on FloridaÃÂs economy.
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Space Industry - The space industry represents $4.5 billion of the state's economy. The average annual wage of aerospace workers is approximately $52,000. The number employed at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) alone is 15,000 and Florida ranks 4th among the states in overall aerospace employment with 23,000 jobs.
Agriculture ÃÂ Florida leads the southeast in farm income.
Florida produces about 75% of the U.S. oranges and accounts for about 40% of the world's orange juce supply.
Construction - This industry's strength results from the steady stream of new residents and visitors who are welcomed to Florida each year.
Services - growth in high tech, financial & back office operationsSoftware - many small, entrepreneurial companiesHealth Technology (medical, biotech, laboratories)University Research - more than $500 million per year in sponsored research at Florida universities(Click Here) for...