Floride

Floride, the French name for Florida, is a state in the southeastern United States. It forms a long peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, with the Straits of Florida at its southern end. It borders Alabama and Georgia to the north. The state covers about 170,000 square kilometers and has a population around 22 million. Its capital is Tallahassee; major metropolitan areas include Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Jacksonville.

Geography ranges from tropical beaches in the south to subtropical marshes in the north. The Everglades is a vast wetland in the south. The climate is humid subtropical in most of the state with tropical conditions in the far south, featuring a wet and dry season and a hurricane season risk.

Indigenous peoples such as the Timucua and Calusa lived here before European contact. It was claimed by Spain in the 16th century, then became part of the United States in the 19th. Florida joined as the 27th state in 1845 and participated in the Civil War on the side of the Confederacy. The 20th century brought rapid growth through tourism, space and aviation, and retirement.

The economy centers on tourism, agriculture (notably citrus), aerospace and electronics, and trade through its ports. Florida hosts world-famous attractions in the Orlando area, extensive beaches, Everglades National Park, and the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral.

Culturally, Florida is diverse, with a strong influence of Latin American communities in the south and a large international tourist economy. Environmentally sensitive areas such as the Everglades and coral reefs face conservation challenges, including habitat loss and rising sea levels.