Interesting facts

1. Florida has the longest coastline in the contiguous United States (approx. 1,197 miles). 2. It is the only state that borders both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. 3. St. Augustine, founded in 1565, is the oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement in the United States. 4. The Florida Everglades is the only ecosystem in the world where alligators and crocodiles naturally coexist. 5. Florida is one of a handful of states with no personal state income tax. 6. Key West is the southernmost point of the contiguous United States. 7. Greater Miami is the only U.S. metropolitan area bordered by two national parks (Everglades and Biscayne). 8. Florida produces over 70% of the United States' citrus. 9. The Walt Disney World Resort is roughly the size of the city of San Francisco. 10. At 345 feet above sea level, Britton Hill is the lowest "highest natural point" of any U.S. state. 11. Florida has more than 1,250 golf courses, more than any other state. 12. Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León named the region "La Florida" (the land of flowers) in 1513. 13. Cape Canaveral has been the primary launch site for U.S. human space flight since the 1960s. 14. There are more than 700 natural freshwater springs throughout the state, largely in Central and North Florida. 15. The official state marine mammal is the Florida manatee. 16. Clearwater, Florida experiences the highest rate of lightning strikes per capita in the US. 17. The Florida Reef is the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States. 18. Jacksonville is the largest city in the contiguous United States by land area (840 square miles). 19. It is the flattest state in the nation. 20. The Overseas Highway, which connects the Florida Keys, contains 42 bridges, including the famous Seven Mile Bridge.