What to Know Before Donating to A Charity in Florida?

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and the Atlantic Ocean, and to the south by the straits of Florida and Cuba; It is the only state that borders the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. With an area of ​​65,758 square miles (170,310 km2), Florida ranks 22nd out of 50 states and is the third largest with a population of over 21 million. The state capital is Tallahassee and the most populous city is Jacksonville. With nearly 6.2 million residents, the Miami metropolitan area is the most populous metropolitan area in Florida and the ninth most populous in the United States. Other metropolitan areas with more than one million inhabitants are Tampa Bay, Orlando and Jacksonville. Various Native American groups have inhabited Florida for at least 14,000 years. In 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León became the first known European to land and named the area La Florida ([la floˈɾiða] due to its lush vegetation and Easter season (Pascua Florida in Spanish). La Florida in later became the first region of the continental United States said to be permanently inhabited by Europeans, with the oldest continuously inhabited city being the Spanish colony of St. Augustine, founded in 1565. Florida was repeatedly challenged by Spain and Great Britain before be ceded to United States in 1819 Incorporated as the 27th state on March 10, 1845. Florida was the principal theater of the Seminole Wars (1816–1858), the longest and most extensive Indian wars in U.S. history. Union on January 10, 1861, becoming one of the original seven Confederate states, but joined the Union after the Civil War on June 25, 1868. Florida has experienced rapid population and economic growth since the mid-20th century. Its $1 trillion gross national product (GSP) economy is the fourth largest state in the United States and the 16th largest in the world; The main sectors are tourism, hospitality, agriculture, real estate and transport. Florida is world famous for its spas, amusement parks, warm sunny weather and water sports. Attractions such as Walt Disney World, Kennedy Space Center and Miami Beach attract tens of millions of visitors each year. Florida is a popular travel destination for retirees, seasonal vacationers, and domestic and international migrants. It is home to nine of the ten fastest growing communities in the United States. The proximity of the state to the sea has shaped its culture, identity and daily life; Its colonial history and successive waves of migration are reflected in African, European, indigenous, Latin American and Asian influences. Florida has attracted or inspired writers such as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams, and continues to attract celebrities and athletes, particularly in the fields of golf, tennis, auto racing and water sports. Florida is also known as the site of US presidential elections, most notably in 2000, 2016 and 2020. About two-thirds of Florida is located on a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. At approximately 1,350 miles (2,170 km), it has the longest coastline in the contiguous United States, not counting the many islands off its coast. Florida has 4,510 islands of ten acres (4 ha) or more in area, the second-largest number after Alaska. Much of the state is at or near sea level and is characterized by sedimentary soils. Florida is the flattest state in the country, with the highest low point of any U.S. state at just 345 feet (105 meters). Florida's largest freshwater lake, Lake Okeechobee is the second largest and lies entirely within the contiguous 48 states and is often referred to as the inland sea. Several Florida beaches have turquoise and emerald colored coastal waters. Florida's climate ranges from subtropical in the north to tropical in the south. It is the only state with a tropical climate, along with Hawaii, and the only mainland state with a tropical climate (at the bottom of the peninsula) and a coral reef. As a result, Florida has several unique ecosystems, including Everglades National Park, the largest tropical wilderness in the United States and one of the largest in the Americas. Unique wildlife includes American alligator, American alligator, American flamingo, roseate spoonbill, Florida panther, bottlenose dolphin and manatee. Florida Reef is the only living barrier reef in the continental United States and the third largest barrier reef system in the world (after the Great Barrier Reef and the Belize Barrier Reef).

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