FLORIDA is bordered by the Georgia and Alabama to the north and the Gulf of the Mexico to the south. It has a total land area of 65,795 square miles, making it the 22nd largest state in the country. It has a total population of about 16 million people with a population density of 309 persons per square mile, making it the eighth most populous state in the United States. It was admitted to the United States on March 3, 1845. Its capital is Tallahassee but its largest city is Jacksonville. Its current governor is Charlie Crist, a Republican and its representatives to the US Senate are Bill Nelson, a Democrat, and Mel Martinez, a Republican. Crist was a former Florida attorney general prior to being governor. Nelson is a former congressman who hails from the state who is more known as the second congressman in United States history to fly to space. The feat was achieved in January 1986 when Nelson boarded Columbia as a payload specialist after completing NASA training. Martinez is former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development prior to becoming senator. Its highest elevation point is Britton Hill which stands at 345 feet. Britton Hill is located near Lakewood and is part of the Florida Ridge Hills range. The rock found in the hill is sedimentary.

Even though Florida is just a state in the United States, it has eight international airports. These airports are Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville International Airport in Jacksonville, Miami International Airport in Miami, Orlando International Airport in Orlando, Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers and Tampa International Airport in Tampa. Since it is connected to the United States mainland, one can drag his or her car there through the I-95, I-75 and I-10. And there are also Amtrak trips daily.

There are two things Florida is known for – the Seven Mile Bridge and the Cuban-Americans. The Seven Mile Bridge has been the subject of many movies, most famous of which is the one starring the now governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, True Lies. Another tourist attraction in Florida is the people themselves specifically the Cuban-Americans. The Cuban-Americans are notorious for escaping Cuba to the United States illegally. The United States does not have a diplomatic connection with Cuba and it is a crime to go there if one is a United States citizen. Cuban-Americans have since then become vanguards in the United States entertainment industry like Jon Secada and Andy Garcia. Other movies which have a Florida feel to it are Bad Boys and Miami Vice.

Since Florida is full of Cuban-American refugees, Spanish is widely spoken there. Other main tourist attractions in Florida include Disney World, Sea World in Orlando, Wet and Wild in Orlando, Discovery Cove in Orlando, Busch Gardens in Tampa, the 17th century fort in St. Augustine and the Everglades National Park. Busch Gardens is a combination of a theme park and a zoo.