Happy Birthday Florida
Florida became the nation’s 27th state on March 3, 1845.
It only took five years for the population to grow to 87,445 people, according to the Florida Department of State.
Out of the 48 contiguous states in the U.S., Florida has the most shoreline of any of them with 8,436 miles, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In fact, no matter where you’re at in Florida, you’re no farther than 60 miles away from the nearest beach.
The only other place on the planet that alligators and crocodiles coexist is Florida, according to the National Park Service. Alligators have been around here for at least 8 million years!
According to the University of Florida, the Sunshine State is home to 1,334 golf courses.
Florida got its name from Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon, who called it la Florida, in honor of Pascua Florida, or the “Spanish Feast of the Flowers,” an Easter celebration.
