Florida

Florida also hosts the following minor league baseball teams:. When adjusted for inflation (1999 dollars; comparable to Census data above), the median household income was $50,543. As of 2004, Florida hosts the following major league teams for spring training:. According to estimates by the San Diego Association of Governments, the median household income of San Diego in 2004 was $56,438 (not adjusted for inflation). Florida is an extremely popular location for Major League Baseball spring training, with teams informally organized into the "Grapefruit League". Out of the total population, 20.0% of those under the age of 18 and 7.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. [2] (http://www.sptimes.com/News/050801/State/Bush_s_trustees_mostl.shtml) In 2002, Democratic Senator Bob Graham started a ballot referendum designed to revert to the Board of Regents system. 14.6% of the population and 10.6% of families are below the poverty line.

This has not been without controversy. The per capita income for the city is $23,609. As is typical of executive-appointed government boards, the appointees so far have been overwhelmingly Republican. Males have a median income of $36,984 versus $31,076 for females. Instead, each public university is now controlled by its own Board of Trustees who are directly appointed by the governor. The median income for a household in the city is $45,733, and the median income for a family is $53,060. In 2000, Governor Bush and the state legislature acted to abolish the Board of Regents that governed the State University System of Florida. For every 100 females there are 101.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 100.4 males.

Major testing organizations frequently discount the use of state average test score rankings, or any average of scaled scores, as a valid metric (see psychometrics for more details on scaled test scores). The median age is 32 years. Governor Jeb Bush has been criticized by many Florida educators for a program that penalizes underperforming schools (as indicated by standardized tests, such as the FCAT) with fewer funding dollars. In the city the population is spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 12.4% from 18 to 24, 34.0% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who are 65 years of age or older. It should be noted that many education surveys are not scientific, but do measure prestige. The average household size is 2.61 and the average family size is 3.30. Florida public schools have consistently ranked in the bottom 25% of many national surveys and average test score rankings. 28.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older.

states. There are 450,691 households out of which 30.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% are married couples living together, 11.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% are non-families. Average teacher salaries rank near the middle of U.S. 25.40% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. Florida's public school revenue per student and spending per $1000 of personal income usually ranks in the bottom 25% of U.S. states. The racial makeup of the city is 60.18% White, 7.86% African American, 0.62% Native American, 13.65% Asian, 0.48% Pacific Islander, 12.39% from other races, and 4.83% from two or more races. See complete list of Florida places. There are 469,689 housing units at an average density of 559.1/km² (1,448.1/mi²).

Ranked by per capita income. The population density is 1,456.4/km² (3,771.9/mi²). The three largest Protestant denominations in Florida are: Baptist (22% of the total state population), Methodist (8%), Presbyterian (4%). As of the census² of 2000, there are 1,223,400 people, 450,691 households, and 271,315 families residing in the city. Religiously, Florida is mostly Protestant, but with a growing Roman Catholic community due to Hispanic immigration. Additionally, the numerous canyons that run through the city create natural boundaries and obstacles to development. The five largest ancestries in the state are: African American (14.6%), German (11.8%), Irish (10.3%), English (9.2%), American (8%). The city's borders are very irregularly shaped because of the absorption of many suburbs into the city limits.

As of 2003, the state had a population of 17,019,068. 840.0 km² (324.3 mi²) of it is land and 123.5 km² (47.7 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 12.82% water. Today most of the spam businesses appear to be operating out of South Florida. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 963.6 km² (372.0 mi²). Historically Florida has also been home to large telemarketing firms. San Diego is located at 32°46'46" North, 117°8'47" West (32.779541, -117.146344)¹. Spammers are not the first business men of questionable ethics to use Florida as a home base. Almost every major freeway in the county crosses through the city, but all are important to the flow of goods and people into and out of the city.

In 2005 Spamhaus declared Florida the spam capital of the world [1]  (http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-sbspammain08may08,0,7702631.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines). Experts have estimated that Florida is an attractive place of business for Spammers due to the gorgeous weather, low key atmosphere, nearby Internet data centers and the state's reputation as "a good place to do dirty business". San Diego includes a comprehensive collection of freeways, highways, major arterial roads, and streets that forms circles around the interior and outlying areas in the county. Florida did not have any state minimum wage laws until November 2, 2004, when voters passed a Constitutional Amendment requiring inflationary increases to the minimum wage every six months. However, these systems serve limited routes and schedules; the vast majority of transportation in San Diego is by private automobile. With the arrival of the space program at Kennedy Space Center in the 1960s, Florida has attracted a large number of aerospace and military industries to the state. San Diego has trolley (LRT), bus [1] (http://www.sdcommute.com/Rider_Information/bus/), Coaster [2] (http://www.gonctd.com/), and Amtrak service. Other major industries include citrus fruit and juice production, banking, and phosphate mining. San Diego is about two and a half hours south of Los Angeles and about half an hour north of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.

The large Walt Disney World Resort with four theme parks and over twenty hotels plus countless water parks, shopping centres and other facilities, located in Lake Buena Vista drives the economy of that area, along with more recent entries into the theme park arena such as the Universal Orlando Resort. The great amount of sales tax revenue is what allows the state to be one of the few to not levy a personal income tax. Noted San Diego tourist attractions include:
. Warm weather most of the year and hundreds of miles of beach provide a thriving vacation spot for travelers from around the world. Among the many attractions are its beaches, and climate, and deserts. Florida's economy is heavily based on tourism. San Diego is a major tourist destination, attracting visitors from all over the world. The per capita personal income was $30,098, ranking 26^th in the nation. Largely because of their city's strong military presence, San Diegans have a reputation for being more politically conservative than residents of California's other coastal cities.

The gross state product of Florida in 2003 was $550 billion. San Diego has since become a center of the emerging biotech industry and is home to telecommunications giant Qualcomm. Many other smaller hurricanes have hit or brushed Florida, and many more hurricanes will hit in the future. Following the end of the Cold War the military presence has diminished considerably. Among a long list of other infamous hurricane strikes were the Miami Hurricane of 1926, the Lake Okeechobee Hurricane of 1928, the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, Hurricane Donna in 1960 and Hurricane Opal in 1995. Since World War II, the military has played a leading role in the local economy. history, Hurricane Andrew, which cost twenty-five billion dollars when it struck on August 12, 1992. San Diego hosted two World's Fairs, the Panama-California Exposition in 1915 and the California Pacific International Exposition in 1935.

Hurricanes Charley (August 13), Frances (September 4-5), Ivan (September 16), and Jeanne (September 25-26) cumulatively cost forty-two billion dollars to the state. Florida was also the site of the most costly single weather disaster in U.S. Naval presence began in 1907 with the establishment of the Navy Coaling Station. Florida saw a slew of destruction in 2004 when it was hit by a record four hurricanes. Significant U.S. Hurricanes pose a threat during the summer and fall. San Diego was reincorporated as a city in 1886. Snow flurries fell on Miami Beach for the only time in history. In 1885, San Diego was linked to the rest of the nation by railroad.

The most widespread snowfall in Florida history happened in February 1978 with snow falling over much of the state in different times of the month, extending as far south as Homestead. The village was designated the seat of the newly designated "San Diego County" and incorporated as a city. The Great Blizzard of 1899, was also the only time the temperature has fallen below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, registering -2f in Tallahassee. However the population of the town shrank to little over a hundred persons, and by the late 1830s it lost its township until the province of Alta California became part of the United States of America in 1850 following the Mexican-American War. During that time, the Tampa Bay area had "Gulf effect" snow, similar to Lake effect snowfall. Juan Maria Osuna was elected the first alcalde (or mayor), winning over Pio Pico in the 13 ballots cast. During the Great Blizzard of 1899, Florida experienced blizzard conditions for possibly the first time. The mission was secularized in 1834 and 432 persons petitioned Governor José Figueroa to form a town, and Commandant Santiago Arguello endorsed it.

Snow is a rare occurrence in Florida, although it usually snows somewhere in Florida almost every winter. The governor of Alta California and Baja California moved the capital to San Diego from Monterey. Florida has more lightning strikes than any other state and also leads the nation in tornadoes per square mile(although the tornadoes in Florida do not get as large as those in the Midwest or Great Plains. Hail is not an uncommon occurrence in some of the more severe thunderstorms. In 1821, Spain recognized Mexico's independence. These thunderstorms which are caused by airflow from the Gulf of Mexico seemingly "pop up" in the early afternoon and can often bring heavy downpours, high winds and sometimes tornadoes. By 1797 the mission had become the largest in California, with over 1,400 natives associated with it. Statewide, Florida has the highest average precipitation of any state, due in large part to afternoon thunderstorms which are common throughout most of the state from late spring until the early autumn. Father Serra organized the rebuilding and two years later a more fire-proof adobe structure was started.

While Florida's nickname is the "Sunshine State", severe weather is a common occurrence in Florida. They killed the priest and two others, and burned the mission. The Gulf stream has a moderating effect on Florida climate and although it is common for much of Florida to see a high summer temperature over 90 degrees Fahrenheit, it is not common for the mercury to go above 100 degrees Fareinheit in Florida. Colonists began arriving in 1774, and the following year, 1775 the native people rebelled. The seasons in Florida often called "Hot and Hotter" are actually determined more by precipitation than by temperature with warm, relatively dry winters and autumns (the dry season) and hot, wet springs and especially the summers (the wet season). In 1769, Gaspar de Portolá and his expedition founded a presidio (or military post) and on Sunday July 16, Franciscan Fathers Junípero Serra, Juan Viscaino and Fernando Parron raised and blessed a cross, establishing the first mission in Upper California, Mission San Diego de Alcala. Most of the state has a humid subtropical climate with the extreme tip of Florida and the Florida Keys bordering on a true tropical climate. California was then part of the colony of New Spain.

The climate of Florida is tempered somewhat by its proximity to water. The explorers camped near a Native American village called "Nipaguay" and celebrated Mass in honor of San (or Saint) Diego de Alcala (Saint Didacus of Alcalá). At 345 feet (105 metres) above sea level, Britton Hill is the highest point in Florida (it's also the lowest state highpoint.). The San Diego Bay and the area of present day San Diego were given their present names by Sebastian Vizcaino when he was mapping the coastline of Alta California for Spain in 1602. It is near the countries of the Caribbean, particularly the Bahamas, Cuba, and Haiti. He named it San Miguel. 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. The first European to visit the region was Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, sailing for Spain, in 1542.

Florida consists of a panhandle extending along the northern Gulf of Mexico and a large peninsula with the Atlantic Ocean as its eastern border and the Gulf of Mexico as its western border. The area has long been inhabited by the Kumeyaay people. See: List of counties in Florida. North Island is also known as the birthplace of Naval Aviation, (though Pensacola Naval Station makes a rival claim to being the "Cradle of Naval Aviation."). The state use tax is 6 percent on purchases made out of state and brought into Florida within 6 months of the purchase date. N.S. Local governments may levy a local option sales on top of that, so sales taxes vary by county between 6 and 7.5 percent. Several Navy vessels have been named USS San Diego in honor of the city.

The state sales tax rate is 6 percent. One of the United States Marine Corps' two Recruit Depots is located here. Florida is one of the nine states which does not impose personal income tax (list of others). It is the home port of the largest naval fleet in the world, including two Navy supercarriers, the USS Nimitz and the USS Ronald Reagan, five amphibs, several nuclear submarines, and numerous smaller ships. See: List of Florida Governors. San Diego is the home of various military facilities including Navy ports, Marine bases, and Coast Guard stations. Outside of liberal Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, the Florida Democratic Party tends to be socially conservative and heavily associated with the good ol' boy network. The city is the second largest in California and the seventh largest in the United States.

Tampa, once a hotbed of Democratic union support, is now about 50% both registered Republicans and Democrats making it, and surrounding areas, part of the important I-4 Corridor swing region. As of 2005 the California Department of Finance estimates the city to have 1,305,736 residents. In Miami, the liberal Democrats vie for control with wealthy Cuban conservative Republicans and their business allies. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 1,223,400. As such, and because of its high population and large number of electoral votes, Florida is considered by political analysts to be a key swing state in Presidential elections. It is the county seat of San Diego County, California. The city is noted for its temperate climate and numerous beaches. The Presidential election in Florida in 2000 was extremely close. San Diego is a city located in the southwestern corner of the state of California and the southwestern corner of the continental United States.

Despite this demographic parity, Republicans control the governorship and most other statewide elected offices; both houses of the state legislature; 18 of the state's 25 seats in the House of Representatives; and one of the state's two senate seats. San Diego City Schools. Though Florida has traditionally been a Democratic state, in recent years explosive population growth has brought with it many Republicans, leaving the state approximately evenly split between the two parties. University of San Diego, USD (Roman Catholic). Bush. University of California, San Diego, UCSD (University of California). W. Thomas Jefferson School of Law.

Bush and son of former President George H. San Diego Community College District, (San Diego City College, San Diego Mesa College, San Diego Miramar College). The current governor is Republican Jeb Bush, brother of President George W. San Diego State University, SDSU (California State University). The Florida Legislature has a Senate of 40 members and a House of 120 members. National University. Today, Florida is the fourth most populous state in the Union. Point Loma Nazarene University, PLNU (Nazarene).

After the fall of the Confederacy in 1865, Florida was readmitted into the Union on June 25, 1868. California Western School of Law. Florida joined the CSA on February 10, 1861. Alliant International University, AIU (Formerly United States International University-USIU). On March 3, 1845, Florida became the 27th state of the United States of America. Florida seceded from the Union on January 10, 1861 and was one of the founding members of the Confederate States of America (CSA, also known as the Confederacy). Soledad Veteran's Memorial, future National Historic Landmark. Spain finally ceded Florida to the United States with the Adams-Onís Treaty in 1819, in exchange for the US renouncing any claims on Texas. Mt.

Control of parts of Florida passed among Spanish, British, and American control. USS Midway (CV-41), aircraft carrier museum. The area of Florida diminished with the establishment of British colonies to the north and French colonies to the west. Seaport Village. Over the following century, the Spanish and French both established settlements in Florida, with varying degrees of success. Berkeley, ferry boat. Archaelogical finds indicate that Florida had been inhabited for many thousands of years prior to any European settlements. Spaniards first arrived in 1513 and laid claim to a large, imprecisely defined area extending from about modern day Gainesville northward to the Carolinas, which they called La terra florida, "The flowery land". Star of India, barque sailing ship.

Main article: History of Florida. San Diego Presidio. USS Florida was named in honor of this state. Old Mission Dam in Mission Trails Regional Park. Postal abbreviation is FL. Mission San Diego de Alcala. The U.S. Mission Beach Roller Coaster at Belmont Park.

It was discovered by Spanish explorers during the Easter season, which is called Pascua Florida in Spanish. Little Italy (see also Little Italy). "Florida" is a Spanish adjective which means "flowery". La Casa de Estudillo. It is known as the Sunshine State. Balboa Park. Florida is a southern state in the United States. Qualcomm Stadium.

Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin. Petco Park. Petersburg. Gaslamp Quarter. Tampa Bay Devil Rays in St. Torrey Pines State Reserve. Saint Louis Cardinals in Jupiter. Torrey Pines Golf Course.

Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton. SeaWorld. Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater. Old Town. New York Yankees in Tampa. Mission Bay Park. Lucie. San Diego Wild Animal Park.

New York Mets in Port St. San Diego Zoo. Washington Nationals in Viera. Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers. Los Angeles Dodgers in Vero Beach.

Houston Astros in Kissimmee. Florida Marlins in Jupiter. Detroit Tigers in Lakeland. Cleveland Indians in Winter Haven.

Cincinnati Reds in Sarasota. Boston Red Sox in Palms Park. Baltimore Orioles in Fort Lauderdale. Atlanta Braves at Walt Disney World.