Florida State Facts – Part IV

76. Famous citizens – Ernest Hemingway, Novelist, short story writer, and journalist.
77. Famous citizens – Ernest Ivy “Boots” Thomas, Jr. – United States Marine who was part of the six-man group who raised the first flag on Mount Suribachi at the Battle of Iwo Jima.
78. Famous citizens – Sidney Poitier, American actor who is the first African-American to win an Academy Award for Best Actor.
79. From 1851 to 2006, Florida has been struck by 114 hurricanes, 37 of them Category-3 and above.
80. Hurricane Andrew, the second costliest weather disaster in U.S. history, struck Florida on August 24, 1992, and caused more than $25 billion in damage.
81. Greater Miami is the only metropolitan area in the United States whose borders encompass two national parks. You can hike through pristine Everglades National Park or ride on glass-bottom boats across Biscayne National Park.
82. Cape Canaveral is America’s launch pad for space flights.
83. Florida is not the southernmost state in the United States. Hawaii is farther south.
84. Saint Augustine is the oldest European settlement in North America.
85. The United States city with the highest rate of lightning strikes per capita is Clearwater.
86. Key West has the highest average temperature in the United States.
87. The Saint John’s River is one of the few rivers that flows north instead of south.
88. DeFuniak Springs is home to one of the two naturally round lakes in the world.
89. Florida is the only state that has 2 rivers both with the same name. There is a Withlacoochee in north central Florida (Madison County) and a Withlacoochee in central Florida. They have nothing in common except the name.
90. There are more than 30,000 lakes in Florida.
91. The state of Florida is roughly the size of England and Wales.
92. Orlando attracts more visitors than any other amusement park destination in the United States.
93. Florida was the first part of what is now the continental United States to be visited by Europeans.
94. Florida is tied for last place in terms of number of earthquakes of any U.S. state. Because Florida is not located near any tectonic plate boundaries, earthquakes are very rare.
95. Florida contains 1700 islands.
96. The first European Thanksgiving in North America was celebrated on September 8, 1565 in St. Augustine, Florida.
97. Known as the “Venice of America,” Fort Lauderdale has an expansive and intricate canal system, with 42,000 resident yachts and 100 marinas (as of 2006).
98. Florida’s Amelia Island has had eight flags flown over it since 1562.
99. Florida has the second longest coastline in the United States, after Alaska.
100. 40 percent of all U.S. exports to Central and South America pass through Florida.