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Port St. Joe, Florida
Photograph by James Bynum |
Juan
Ponce de Leon landed on the shores of northeast Florida in April of 1513.
He called the area "la Florida" in honor of Spain's Eastertime
celebration "Pascua florida" (feast of the flowers).
He never discovered the legendary Fountain of Youth but, if it exists, it could well be
somewhere in Florida. Perhaps one of the 58.9 million tourists that visited the Sunshine State in 1999 knows where it is?
Florida,
over the years has become one of the worlds strongest tourist magnets,
with sun soaked beaches and crystal springs. And with a little help from a
mouse, Walt Disney World continues to lure more visitors than any other
single attraction anywhere in the world. A word of caution, "Watch
out for alligators." Once endangered, alligators have made a strong
comeback and have become something of a nuisance. Hold onto your small
pets.
If
you want to go to the moon, you'll probably have to leave from Florida.
John Glenn became the first American in orbit when he blasted off from
Cape Canaveral in 1962. On July 20, 1969, only seven years later, Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the
moon.
| THE NAME:
As mentioned above, Florida was named by Ponce de Leon in 1512. "la Florida," he called this land, Spanish
for flowery, covered with flowers, or abounding in flowers. Historians favor the idea that Ponce de Leon
named the state because he discovered it on Easter or Palm Sunday. Others don't discount this theory, but
impress upon us that the full flush of spring was on the area and the abundance of flowers in bloom and the
"fragrant and delicious odors" certainly played a role.
Source: Shearer, Benjamin F. and Barbara S.
State
Names, Seals, Flags and Symbols Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut - 1994 |
| THE NICKNAMES:
The Sunshine State: Primarily supporting Florida's tourism industry, this nickname references
the great measure of sunshine that falls upon the state each year.
The Alligator State: This nickname grew from the number of alligators that lived in the streams
and swamplands of Florida.
The Everglade State: Florida is home to a vast network of Everglades.
The Orange State: The orange groves, so numerous across the state, earned this nickname for the state.
The Flower State: And sometimes referred to as "The Land of Flowers," for the wildflowers that are so abundant from border to border.
The Peninsula State: In fact, Florida is a peninsula and, hence the nickname, The Peninsula State.
The Gulf State: Nicknamed such because of the great border with the Gulf of Mexico, to the west and south.
Source: Shearer, Benjamin F. and Barbara S. State
Names, Seals, Flags and Symbols Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut - 1994
Shankle, George Earlie, Phd State Names, Flags, Seals, Songs, Birds, Flowers and
Other Symbols H. H. Wilson Company, New York - 1938 (Reprint) |
THE CITIZENS:
People who live in Florida or who come from Florida are called Floridians.
Floridians have been referred to as "Alligators" after the Alligator population of the state. They've been
called "Crackers" in a reference to the sound of the Mule-driver's whips over the backs of their mules in the
early days of the state. (Note: Early residents of Georgia were called "Crackers" for a very different reason.)
"Fly-Up-the-Creeks" is another old nickname given to Floridians. This nickname was based on the name given to a
variety of Green Heron that was common along marshy shorelines. In More About Names, 1893, Leopold Wagners
states that Floridians were called "Fly-Up-the-Creeks "...doubtless from their retiring disposition on the approach
of strangers." |
THE QUARTER:
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| U.S. Mint image |
The Florida quarter is the second of 2004, and the 27th in the United States Mint's 50 State Quarters® Program. On March 3, 1845, Florida became the 27th state to be admitted into the Union.
The design incorporates a 16th-century Spanish galleon, a space shuttle and the inscription "Gateway to Discovery." A strip of land with Sabal palm trees is also depicted.
On Easter in 1513, while searching for the legendary Fountain of Youth, Ponce de Leon named the region "Pascua Florida," meaning "Flowery Easter." In 1539, Hernando de Soto and other explorers continued the exploration of the New World through the region.
Florida, home to the Kennedy Space Center, has been the starting point for most of the modern era’s most significant scientific space expeditions – from Man’s first moon landing to the Voyager probe currently exploring deep space outside our solar system. From 16th-century Spanish galleons to 21st-century space exploration, Florida has played a continuing role in humanity’s quest for knowledge and discovery. With the highest average temperature of any state, and the second longest shoreline, Florida is one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations.
On April 9, 2002, Governor Jeb Bush appointed a nine-person Florida Commemorative Quarter Committee. In May 2002, the Committee reviewed over 1,500 design concepts and narrowed the candidates to 25. The Committee met again in June 2002 and selected 10 candidate design concepts to forward to Governor Bush, who selected five concepts – including "The Everglades," "Gateway to Discovery," "Fishing Capital of the World," "St. Augustine," and "America’s Spaceport." In a three-week public vote, Floridians chose "Gateway to Discovery" as the winning design.
Source: The United States Mint, http://www.usmint.gov, March 30, 2004
This 50 State Quarter Map is a great way to store all 50 State Quarters. |
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