The Cross Florida Barge Canal was a massive project started in the 1930s to cut a canal across the state, but it was never completed, and the land is now the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway!
Florida (U.S. State)
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Facts About Florida (U.S. State)
During World War II, many German U-boats (submarines) patrolled off Florida’s coast, and some ships were sunk so close to shore that people could see them from the beaches!
The Historic Cocoa Village in Florida was founded in 1860 and named after the cocoa plant, even though cocoa doesn’t grow in Florida!
The Spanish treasure fleet of 1715 sank in a hurricane off Florida’s east coast, scattering gold and silver coins that still wash up on beaches today, giving that area the nickname “Treasure Coast”!
Florida’s state play is “Cross and Sword,” which tells the story of the founding of St. Augustine and has been performed there every summer since 1965!
Florida’s official state butterfly is the zebra longwing, which has black and yellow striped wings and can live for several months — much longer than most butterflies!
The Miami Dolphins football team is named after the bottlenose dolphin, which is commonly found in the waters around Florida!
Florida’s state song was changed in 2008 from “Old Folks at Home” (also known as “Swanee River”) to “Florida (Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky)” because the original song contained language considered offensive!
The Florida Cracker is a unique type of horse developed in Florida over 500 years ago and known for its small size, endurance, and ability to work with cattle in tough swampy conditions!
Tarpon Springs, Florida, has the highest percentage of Greek Americans of any city in the United States, and it’s famous for its sponge diving industry, which Greek immigrants brought to Florida in the early 1900s!
The mullet fish is so popular in Florida that there’s an annual Mullet Toss competition at the Florida-Alabama state line, where people compete to see who can throw a dead mullet the farthest across the state line!
Florida is a leading producer of fresh market tomatoes in the United States.
Gopher tortoises in Florida dig burrows up to 40 feet (12 meters) long and 10 feet (3 meters) deep, which provide shelter for more than 350 other species of animals!
Florida is home to the Underwater Hotel in Key Largo, where guests sleep 21 feet (6.4 meters) below the surface of the ocean in rooms with windows looking out into the sea!
Ocala, Florida, is known as the “Horse Capital of the World” because of its thriving equine industry, with over 400 thoroughbred farms and training centers.
The manatees that live in Florida’s rivers and springs can weigh up to 1,300 pounds (590 kilograms) but are gentle giants that only eat plants!
The oldest Catholic parish in the United States, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine in St. Augustine, Florida, and has records dating back to 1594!
The Florida Scrub-Jay is the only bird species that lives exclusively in Florida and nowhere else in the entire world!
Disney World in Florida is so big that it has its own fire department, security force, and even its own government district called the Reedy Creek Improvement District!
The St. Augustine Lighthouse is 165 feet (50 meters) tall, and if you climb all 219 steps to the top, you can see up to 24 miles (39 kilometers) in every direction on a clear day!
The St. Augustine Lighthouse, Florida, built in 1874, is not just famous for its towering height and stunning views — it’s also known for its spooky legends!
Pensacola Beach has sand so white and fine that it squeaks when you walk on it because it’s made of pure quartz crystals that rub together under your feet!
Navarre Beach is home to the longest fishing pier in the Gulf of Mexico, stretching 1,545 feet (471 meters) (about 5 football fields) into the emerald-green waters!
Jacksonville is the largest city by land area in the contiguous United States, covering 874.3 square miles — that’s bigger than Los Angeles or New York City!
Jacksonville, Florida, has more than 80,000 acres of parks, making it the city with the largest urban park system in the United States!
The St. Augustine Alligator Farm opened in 1893 and is Florida’s first zoo.
