Florida is one of the most iconic of the 50 U.S. states. With numerous tourist attractions and pristine beaches, it's no wonder so many people call this place home. We'll examine some amazing Florida state facts that will bring you up to speed on this location:
1. The Greater Miami area is the only place in the U.S. where the borders hold two National Parks: the Everglades, and the Biscayne National Parks.
2. The city of Saint Augustine is the oldest European settlement in North America, it still stands today.
3. Orlando brings in more tourists to its theme parks than any other location in the U.S.
4. The oldest college in Florida was founded by New England Congregationalists in 1885. It is still standing today and it's known as Rollins College located in Winter Park, FL.
5. Cape Canaveral is the launch pad for all of America's space flights.
6. While Florida is very far south, Hawaii is actually the southernmost state.
7. The Benwood is a shipwreck located on the French Reef in the Florida Keys. It is one of the most explored shipwrecks in the world.
8. There is a museum that owns Sanibel that owns over 2 million shells and is known as the only museum in the world dedicated to mollusks.
9. The city of Niceville hosts the Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival each year in the third week of October.
10. The place with the highest number of lightning strikes each year is Clearwater, FL.
11. The drink known as Gatorade was invented for the Gators football team from the University of Florida.
12. Mechanical refrigeration was invented by Dr. John Gorrie in Apalachicola in 1851.
13. The first suntan lotion was invented by Benjamin Green by cooking cocoa butter in a granite coffee pot on his wife's stove.
14. Key West off the southern tip of the Florida mainland has the highest average temperatures in the United States.
15. Lake Okeechobee is the largest lake in Florida.
16. The American alligator was chosen as the state reptile in 1987.
17. The city of Fort Lauderdale is known as "The Venice of America" because it has over 185 miles of waterways.
18. Key Largo is known as the diving capital of the world.
19. Titusville is also known as "Space City." It is located across the Indian River from the John F. Kennedy Space Center.
20. The Saint John's River is one of the only rivers in the world that flows north instead of south.
These Florida state facts are meant to broaden the scope of your knowledge when it comes to the Sunshine State.