Florida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United
States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north.
It was the 27th state admitted to the United States. Much of the
land mass of the state is a large peninsula with the Gulf of Mexico
to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.
It is nicknamed the "Sunshine
State" because of its generally warm climate—subtropical
in the northern and central regions of the state, with a true tropical
climate in the southern portion.[5] The state has four large urban
areas, a number of smaller industrial cities, and many small towns.
The United States Census Bureau estimates that the state population
was 18,328,340 in 2008, ranking Florida as the fourth most populous
state in the U.S.[6][7] Tallahassee is the state capital, Jacksonville
is the largest city, and the Miami metropolitan area is the largest
metro area.
