How Much Do You Know About Florida?

Zoe Samuel

What length is Florida's coastline?

Florida is only 447 miles long but due to its shape, it has a lot of coast!

When did Walt Disney World open?

Walt Disney World opened in 1971 and has been expanding ever since. It is now the size of San Francisco.

When was Florida colonized by the Spanish?

Spanish colonizers tried to settle Florida several times but it didn't stick until 1565, when a permanent settlement was established.

Who founded the city of Miami?

Julia Tuttle founded Miami, bringing together investors to back her vision.

What famous swampy national park lies to the west of Miami?

The Everglades are a uniquely beautiful ecosystem threatened by climate change.

Which of the following trees is not native to Florida?

You could struggle to grow a redwood in Florida since they aren't naturally from there.

What incredibly cool thing can you find at Cape Canaveral?

You can see literal spaceships take off at Cape Canaveral. It is unarguably incredibly cool.

What is the distance from Florida to Cuba?

It's 90 miles from Cuba to Florida. A lot of people get into rafts and try to make it on their own, which is very dangerous.

How far from Miami are the Florida Keys?

The Keys are all connected to the mainland by bridges! The longest bridge in the Florida Keys is 7 miles long.

What is the population of Florida?

There are 20 million people in Florida, which makes it one of the top four most populous states, along with New York, Texas, and California.

What controversial electoral event occurred in Florida in 2000?

Bush vs. Gore was the presidential election decided by the votes in Florida. Al Gore won the popular vote but Georgen Bush took the White House after a recount in Florida.

What is the tallest building in Florida?

The Panorama Building stands over 800 feet and it in the Brickell area near downtown Miami.

By what name is the stormy weather phenomenon known that occurs in Florida every year from June 1 to December 1?

Hurricane season is when tropical storms and hurricanes sweep through the Atlantic Ocean, often threatening the East Coast of the United States, including Florida and the Florida Keys.

What is Florida's official state nickname?

The Sunshine State actually doesn't have the highest amount of sunshine - Arizona does.

How big is Florida?

Florida is long and thin - but not that thin, with nearly 60,000 square miles.

What is the largest lake in Florida?

Lake Okeechobee is just west of Palm Beach County and is absolutely enormous, at 730 square miles.

What is the longest river in Florida?

St John's stretches over 300 miles.

How high is the highest point in Florida?

At only 345 feet, the highest point would still be out of the water if all the ice on the planet were to melt - but by only 75 feet.

When did Florida become a U.S. territory?

Monroe was president when Florida was taken from Spain and became a U.S. territory.

When did Florida change from being a U.S. territory to being a U.S. state?

Florida became a state in 1845, in time to participate in the Civil War 20 years later!

What is Florida's state capital?

Tallahassee means "old town" or "abandoned field" in Apachee. It has been around for nearly 400 years.

How many counties are there in Florida?

There are 67 counties in Florida. The state has 27 representatives in Congress.

What is the state income tax rate in Florida?

There is no state income tax in Florida, which is one reason a lot of retirees move there.

When did parts of the Creek tribe become known as the Seminole tribe?

Seminole means "unconquered people" and is the name of parts of the Creek tribe who became the Seminole tribe.

When did the Seminole tribe achieve official federal recognition?

The Seminoles are a native tribe who come from the Creek tribe. They have lived in Florida since before its European settlement.

Who was the first governor of the State of Florida?

Florida had governors while it was a mere territory but William Dunn Moseley was first when it became a full state. Florida has yet to have a woman as governor.

During the Civil War, when did Florida announce its secession from the Union?

Florida didn't secede first - Mississippi and South Carolina beat it to the punch.

What is the average high in Florida's hottest month?

91 degrees Fahrenheit is the average high, but due to the incredibly high humidity, it feels pretty much like twice that.

What is the coldest month in Florida?

January is the coldest month, with an average temperature of a balmy 61 degrees Fahrenheit.

What is the name of the portion of Florida sitting between the state of Georgia and the Gulf Coast?

The panhandle is a thin strip of Florida that is between Georgia and the Gulf Coast

How much freight goes through Port Miami?

The port is the largest in the southeastern U.S., and has a remarkable 7.42 million tons of freight going through it annually.

What Florida city holds the distinction of being the U.S. city with the highest number of lightning strikes per year?

Clearwater is hit by more lightning strikes than any other city, due to a combination of location, altitude, and climate.

What is the maximum distance you can be from the ocean without leaving Florida?

Florida is long and skinny so you can't get very far from the beach! Not that you would want to.

A cypress named "Senator" was the oldest tree in Florida. How old was it?

Senator was burned by a very destructive person in 2012! It was a massive bald cypress.

By what controversial name were the five native tribes subjected to the Trail of Tears known?

Florida is the starting point of the Trail of Tears. President Jackson forced tens of thousands of Native Americans out of the Southeast in order to give their land to white people. Many people died on forced marches to Oklahoma. The "Five Civilized Tribes" were the Creek, Choctaw, Seminole, Cherokee, and Chickasaw, who were called that rather patronizingly because they were deemed to be "like us."​ It didn't protect them, though.

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About This Quiz

Florida is one of the most easily-recognized states on a map of the United States of America. It sticks out from the southeastern portion of the country in a shape that a naughty-minded person might find rather amusing. It's also one of the four biggest states in the USA, after New York, Texas, and California, as well as one of the most diverse. It's also one of the wettest, lowest, and least politically predictable states. It contains a very large, dense mega-urban conglomeration of towns, cities, and suburbs, as well as some of the most fragile, highly-protected, and beautiful national parks in the nation. Florida is also home to the absolutely enormous theme park - the largest in the world - known as DisneyWorld, the most magical place on Earth!

Florida's history is not very well known even by many Americans. From its Native American roots to its period as a Spanish colony to its later entry to the Union as a state, it is not entirely part of the Deep South, certainly not an original member of the thirteen colonies, and only amorphously part of the Southeast. It has its own culture, its own people, and its own story. How well do you know it?


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