Florida is the most south-eastern state in the United States of America. Known as "The Sunshine State", it became a popular winter destination for the well-to-do from colder climates over a century ago, and has gained ever greater popularity since. Its roots in agriculture are still present, with oranges being a chief export. The state postal abbreviation is FL. The capital of Florida is Tallahassee, located in the "Big Bend" area of the Florida Panhandle.
The total population of Florida as of 2000 is 15,982,378; it is the 4th largest state population in the United States. The total area of the state of Florida is 58,560 square miles (151,670 km²).
The beaches are one of the most popular attractions, along with some of the world's best known theme parks.
Understand
Being a coastal area, frequent precipitation is common. While the rains are often brief, they are common, and plan for rain at least one or two of your days in Florida. Torrential daytime rains (often accompanied by a fantastic show of lightning and thunder) are a relatively common occurrence in the summer months. Many attractions such as Disney World have multiple attractions available even during downpours.
Talk
English is the official language of the state. However Spanish is widely spoken throughout the state. In some parts of South Florida, Spanish is the preferred language in everyday activities. The people of the Florida Panhandle, North Florida, and The Everglades and Lake Okeechobee region will usually speak in a southern accent. One will also come across a speaker of the southern dialect in rural parts of Central Florida.
Get in
All of the state's major cities have airports. If you're seeking to go to the main tourist destinations like Orlando and Miami, plenty of flights will be available for reasonable rates, especially if you connect through Atlanta.
If you're looking to drive in, the three main interstate highways are I-95, I-75, and I-10 if you're coming from the Northeast, Midwest, and West/Southwest respectively.
Get around
Florida's major interstate highways include I-95, which runs north to south along the east coast, I-10, which runs from Jacksonville in the east across the panhandle to the west, and I-75, which enters the state from Georgia and runs south through Tampa and along the Gulf coast. U.S. Highway 1 is a historic and scenic highway which originates in Key West and continues up the east coast. This
Florida Map site includes a detailed road map of the state, showing interstate, federal, and state highways.
Do
Visit Disney World. One of the best family attraction sites in Florida and in the world.
Some places that you might like to vist would be to the waterparks in Florida. There are museums and stores to visit.
Drink
Alcoholic beverages abound throughout the state and (at least for being located in the conservative Southern U.S.) has somewhat liberal drinking laws. Liquor stores are quite often built into strip malls, supermarkets, and pharmacies...and most grocery stores, gas stations, and convenience stores sell beer and wine. Bars and clubs...
