The State of Florida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States of America. Most of the state is a large peninsula with the Gulf of Mexico on its west and the Atlantic Ocean on its east. Most of the state has a humid subtropical climate, except for southern Florida, where the climate is tropical. Florida was named by Juan Ponce de León, who landed on the peninsula on 2 April 1513, during Pascua Florida (Spanish for "Flowery Easter," referring to the Easter season). Florida's economy relies heavily on tourism.

Florida is situated mostly on a large peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Straits of Florida. It extends to the northwest into a panhandle, extending along the northern Gulf of Mexico. It is bordered on the north by the states of Georgia and Alabama, and on the west, at the end of the panhandle, by Alabama. It is near the countries of the Caribbean, particularly the Bahamas and Cuba. Florida's extensive coast line made it a perceived target during World War II, so the government built airstrips all around the state. Today approximately 400 airports are still in service due to the coastal geography of the state. Florida is one of the largest states east of the Mississippi. Only Alaska and Michigan are larger in water area.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia listing for "Florida".