Florida

Culture

From the city of Tampa, Florida, you can go west in any direction and run into over 60 different beaches.For a look into the traditional Florida, woods, wildlife, and less population, try the Hillsborough River parks and recreation areas all along the river.North of the lock, and south of it.Lettuce Lake Park is on the narrows of the fresh water of the river, north of the city of Tampa.Picnic areas, with playground equipment are nestled among the trees of the park.Several hiking trails give you a one on one with the flora and wildlife native to the area.Climb the 3­storey tower to the tree top level for an overview of the river to see alligator, turtles, otters, birds, and fish.

History

The first European to come to Florida was Juan Ponce de Leon£¬who is thought to have landed someplace near Saint Augustine in the early 16th century.The Spanish explorer claimed the territory for his native country, naming the land after Pascua de Florida, the Spanish Easter Celebration.Early colonization attempts by Leon failed mainly because of attacks by the area's indigenous people and diseases, both of which killed many of his men.Eventually Spain was able to colonize Florida, as well as much of the Southern part of the United States, territory they held until the British took over part of the area in the 1700's.

Florida was still largely populated by its native people, the Seminoles, well into the 18th century.As the area became more and more popular for white settlers to move into, President Andrew Jackson began a program to have the Seminoles removed£¬spending millions of dollars and costing many lives, both white and native.

In 1845 Florida became the 27th state in the US, with a population of about 90£¬000 people.Today the state is home to millions and has a diverse economy based on tourism, agriculture, and technology.