Florida is a state in the United States of America. Florida is also known as the ‘Sunshine State’.
According to Acronymmonster, Florida is the most southeastern state in the United States and has a population of around 21.3 million (as of 2018). The area is about 170,000 km². The capital Tallahassee is in the far north near the Georgia border, while the largest city (Miami) is in the southeast. The Florida coast extends from the Gulf of Mexico in the west to the Atlantic Ocean in the east. Due to its southern location and the high number of hours of sunshine, Florida is also called the ‘Sunshine State’ in American usage.
Politically, Florida is a so-called ‘swing state’. It’s a state where Democrats and Republicans are always roughly on par when it comes to the presidential election. Usually the party that wins the election in Florida is victorious. This was evident in the re-election of Barack Obama in 2012, who won the 29 electorates in Florida; Donald Trump was successful here four years later.
The proximity to socialist Cuba caused a large wave of immigration from there to Florida. Many people also migrated to Florida from other states in Central and South America, making Spanish the most widely spoken language in the state alongside English. Traditionally, many wealthy Americans spend the winters in Florida, and many retirees have moved to this state.
Largest Counties in Florida by Area
According to Countryaah, the biggest counties in Florida are listed as below:
| Ranking | County | Area |
| 1 | Palm Beach County | 5,268 km2 |
| 2 | Collier County | 5,247 km2 |
| 3 | Miami-Dade County | 5,040 km2 |
| 4 | Polk County | 4,856 km2 |
| 5 | Marion County | 4,090 km2 |
| 6 | Osceola County | 3,424 km2 |
| 7 | Broward County | 3,131 km2 |
| 8 | Hendry County | 2,986 km2 |
| 9 | Levy County | 2,896 km2 |
| 10 | Volusia County | 2,865 km2 |
| 11 | Walton County | 2,740 km2 |
| 12 | Hillsborough County | 2,722 km2 |
| 13 | Taylor County | 2,699 km2 |
| 14 | Highlands County | 2,663 km2 |
| 15 | Brevard County | 2,637 km2 |
| 16 | Santa Rosa County | 2,631 km2 |
| 17 | Monroe County | 2,582 km2 |
| 18 | Lake County | 2,468 km2 |
| 19 | Okaloosa County | 2,424 km2 |
| 20 | Jackson County | 2,372 km2 |
| 21 | Orange County | 2,352 km2 |
| 22 | Alachua County | 2,264 km2 |
| 23 | Liberty County | 2,165 km2 |
| 24 | Lee County | 2,082 km2 |
| 25 | Columbia County | 2,064 km2 |
| 26 | Duval County | 2,005 km2 |
| 27 | Glades County | 2,005 km2 |
| 28 | Okeechobee County | 2,005 km2 |
| 29 | Bay County | 1,979 km2 |
| 30 | Pasco County | 1,930 km2 |
| 31 | Manatee County | 1,919 km2 |
| 32 | Putnam County | 1,870 km2 |
| 33 | Dixie County | 1,823 km2 |
| 34 | Charlotte County | 1,797 km2 |
| 35 | Madison County | 1,792 km2 |
| 36 | Suwannee County | 1,782 km2 |
| 37 | Leon County | 1,728 km2 |
| 38 | Escambia County | 1,720 km2 |
| 39 | Nassau County | 1,689 km2 |
| 40 | DeSoto County | 1,650 km2 |
| 41 | Hardee County | 1,650 km2 |
| 42 | St. Johns County | 1,577 km2 |
| 43 | Wakulla County | 1,572 km2 |
| 44 | Clay County | 1,557 km2 |
| 45 | Jefferson County | 1,549 km2 |
| 46 | Baker County | 1,515 km2 |
| 47 | Citrus County | 1,513 km2 |
| 48 | Washington County | 1,502 km2 |
| 49 | St. Lucie County | 1,481 km2 |
| 50 | Sarasota County | 1,481 km2 |
| 51 | Calhoun County | 1,469 km2 |
| 52 | Gulf County | 1,463 km2 |
| 53 | Martin County | 1,440 km2 |
| 54 | Sumter County | 1,414 km2 |
| 55 | Lafayette County | 1,406 km2 |
| 56 | Franklin County | 1,383 km2 |
| 57 | Gadsden County | 1,336 km2 |
| 58 | Hamilton County | 1,334 km2 |
| 59 | Indian River County | 1,303 km2 |
| 60 | Flagler County | 1,256 km2 |
| 61 | Holmes County | 1,248 km2 |
| 62 | Hernando County | 1,238 km2 |
| 63 | Gilchrist County | 904 km2 |
| 64 | Seminole County | 798 km2 |
| 65 | Bradford County | 759 km2 |
| 66 | Pinellas County | 725 km2 |
| 67 | Union County | 622 km2 |
FORT LAUDERDALE
“Yo so I continued to A1A Beachfront Avenue” once sang Vanilla Ice in his chartbreaker “Ice, Ice Baby” (US No. 1, UK No. 1, D No. 2 – over 1 million singles sold in the USA) in the Year 1990. It refers to a part of the road that leads along the beach of Fort Lauderdale. The “Venice of America” is just 50 kilometers from Miami and can be easily reached by car, train or even by plane. Some people could even go there with their yacht and moor there at the famous Port Everglades. Port Everglades is one of the largest, if not the largest cruise port in the world. The high sea port, which was completed in 1928, emerged from the former lake “Lake Mabel” and is today the contact point for the largest cruise ships in the world, such as “Oasis of the Seas” or “Allure of the Seas”. The port exit is sensational: Breathtaking views and acoustics make a difference and the ships are accompanied by illuminated signs and fanfares.
Las Olas Boulevard invites you to stroll and shop. This leads from the beach through the richer “Isle of Venice” settlement to the center of town. The boulevard runs along a variety of boutiques, restaurants, galleries and nightclubs.
Or would you prefer to go to the beach or in a water taxi? For just US $ 20 you can get a day pass and explore the sights along the waterways. With the ticket you can change the taxi as often as you want and cover a set distance in Fort Lauderdale’s canals. However, the whole thing cannot be completed in one day, the total length of the waterways is an impressive 400 kilometers.
For those who like to go shopping, we can recommend the “Aventura Mall” or the “Sawgrass Mill” shopping mall. The latter will accommodate up to 350 discount stores, making it one of the larger shopping centers in the USA. You might get cheaper at the Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop, a large, covered flea market. Almost 10 million visitors come to this affordable place every year.
The money you save there can be invested in a trip to nearby Palm Beach, Miami or Key Biscayne, for example. Maybe even in a 1969 Ford Mustang Convertible (Cabrio) along the coastal road.
Location: 30 km north of Miami in the state of Florida
Population: 165,521
Area: 93.3 km²
Nickname: Ft. Laudy, Venice of America
