15 Fabulous Facts about Florida: The Sunshine State

Florida, which became the twenty-seventh state in the United States on March 3, 1845 is located in the southern United States and nicknamed the “Sunshine State”. The state is the third-most populous in the country and its capital, Tallahassee, was founded in 1821 and became Florida’s capital in 1824. For you fans of Florida, here are 15 Fabulous Facts about Florida.

Facts about Florida:

1. No matter where you stand in Florida, you’re always within 60 miles of the ocean. Florida is the only state that borders both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, which means that Floridians are surrounded by salt water. Even if you stand at the state’s highest point, you’re still only 345 feet above sea level.
2. In Florida, you can be fined for falling asleep beneath a hair dryer. If you’re planning on getting your hair done in Florida, make sure you’ve consumed plenty of caffeine beforehand. According to a special law, you—as well as the owner of the salon—risk being fined if you accidentally catch some Z’s while sitting under a hair dryer.
3. Magic Kingdom is the most eco-friendly tourist attraction in the world. When researchers analyzed the 27 most visited tourist attractions in the world in terms of their commitment to sustainability, Disney World’s Magic Kingdom came out on top. It got the highest ratings for renewable energy, wildlife efforts, low emissions and recycling efforts. The theme park is also the 3rd most popular tourist attraction on Earth.
4. Fourteen of the 15 U.S. counties with the most lightning are in Florida. For a place known as the Sunshine State, Florida has an awful lot of storms. The state also has 24 negative cloud-to-cloud flashes per square mile, which is the highest average in the country. Florida experiences around 1.2 million lightning slashes each year.
5. Key West has more bartenders per capita than anywhere else in the country. If you need a stiff one, this city in Florida is the place to be. Key West, which is comprised of several of tiny islands, has the highest concentration of bartenders than anywhere else in the world. For every 1,000 residents, 13.3 of them are bartenders. Bottom’s up!
6. It’s illegal to sing while wearing a swimsuit in Florida. This ancient law in Sarasota, Florida, is still technically in effect. If you bring portable speakers to your beach day, make sure you don’t accidentally sing along.
7. Florida in the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles coexist. The American crocodile lives in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. The American alligator, on the other hand, lives in states like North Carolina, Texas, and Louisiana. However, both animals are also found in south Florida. It’s the only place on the planet where both animals share a habitat in the wild.
8. Florida highway patrol officers don’t get a bonus if they’re overweight. When Florida’s legislature decided to offer $500 performance bonuses to cops in lieu of larger paychecks, the Florida Highway Patrol decided to only award the top 15% of officers with the extra cash. If you’re 15 pounds over the recommended weight, you’re automatically off the list
9. Walt Disney Resort is roughly the same size as the city of San Francisco. At 40 square miles, the resort is only seven square miles smaller than the bustling city in Northern California. It’s also the same size as two entire Manhattan islands. Disneyland in Anaheim, California, on the other hand, sits on just 0.13 square miles
10. There are more golf courses in Florida than in any other state. If you’re into golfing, Florida is the place to be. It boasts whopping 1,250 golf courses, many of which are open to the public. Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach is consistently rated as one of the best courses in the United States. Unfortunately, getting a tee time at this one requires some serious networking
11. Florida is the flattest state in America. Sorry Kansas, but by any measure, Florida takes the prize for the flattest state in the nation because its mean elevation is only 100 feet. Britton Hill is the state’s highest natural point with a summit elevation of 345 feet above sea level. However, Britton Hill is the lowest high point out of any the states in the country.
12. Gatorade was developed in Florida. In 1965, the head coach of the Florida Gators football team asked scientists to create a drink that would replace the bodily fluids his athletes lost during game time. They named the resulting beverage after the school’s mascot: a gator. When the team played in the Orange Bowl the following year, they credited Gatorade for their victory.
13. Florida has the highest recorded average temperature in the United States. The annual average temperature in Florida is 70.7 degrees Fahrenheit, while the state with the lowest annual average temperature is Alaska at a jaw-dropping 26.6 degrees
14. Every year, Floridians gather at the state line to throw dead fish into Alabama. At the Annual Mullet Toss, Floridians come in droves to attend the biggest beach party of the year. The key event involves throwing a dead mullet—the fish, not the 80s hairdo—in an alley and past the Alabama state line. Based on how long the tosses are, six finalists are chosen each day. The rules are lengthy, and the competition is fierce.
15. Florida is home to the only living coral barrier reef in the Continental Unites States. The Florida Reef is also the third biggest coral barrier reef system in the world, next to the Great Barrier Reef and Belize Barrier Reef. It lies just a few miles from the Florida Keys and spans about 4 miles.

Now that you know a few fun facts about Florida, try reading about these amazing facts about Georgia.

Also, go ahead and share some facts about Florida that we might have missed below in the comments.