John Cletheroe's
USA and Canada Holiday Hints

Florida - Introduction

Area

65,758 square miles. 22nd largest state of the USA.

Furthest North to Furthest South

450 miles.

Furthest East to Furthest West

360 miles. The Florida panhandle in the northwest extends far to the west of the main part of the Florida peninsula. The peninsula is very approximately 150 miles wide.

Population Density

197 per square mile.

Licence Plate

Background: White.

Image: Yellow silhouette of the state map.

Text: "Florida" and the county name.

State Highway Marker Shield Design

The above image is computer generated and therefore only an approximation of the real sign.

A black outline of the state map on a white square background with a black border.

Derivation of Name

Florida was named by the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon from the Spanish word for "flowery", possibly due to the vegetation or because he visited Florida in Easter week which in Spanish is called "Pascua florida".