Florida is located in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered by only two states: Alabama and Georgia. It is the 4th most populous state at 19,317568 people, and it's largest metropolitan area is the Miami Metropolitan area, which is comparable to Chicago. Florida is mainly a peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean, unlike Chicago which resides near Lake Michigan. Florida was named by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce De Leon who named it "La Florida" or the flowery land, while landing there during Easter season.
Climate
The main climate is humid subtropical, while some coastal areas have a true tropical climate. Average high temperatures in July are in the low 90 degrees Fahrenheit and the average low around January is around the 40 degree Fahrenheit range to above 60 in Miami. Unlike Chicago which experiences four distinct seasons, Florida rarely experiences snow and it rarely encounters freezing temperatures. Florida's nickname is the "Sunshine State" but central Florida is known for being the lightning capital of the world, since it has more lightning strikes than anywhere else in the country. Also unlike Chicago which has an average amount of rain, Florida has one of the highest average precipitation levels of any state, mainly because afternoon thunderstorms are common from spring to fall. Hurricanes are an immediate threat to the state of Florida, it's hurricane season is something that is very foreign to Chicagoans.
Demographic
Florida's population as of 2010 was 19,317,568, being the seventh fastest growing state in the U.S. About two-thirds of the population was born in another state, the second highest in the country. Also in 2010, illegal immigrants constituted an estimated 5.7% of the population, making it the 6th highest percentage of illegal immigrants in the country. Chicago's illegal immigrant statistics are nowhere near as high. Whites make up 75% of the population, Hispanics and Latinos make up 22.5%, Blacks 16.0% and 2.4% are Asian.
Florida's Hispanic population includes large communities of Cuban Americans in Miami and Tampa, Puerto Ricans in Orlando and Tampa and Central Americans in West-Central and Southern Florida. Like Chicago, Florida also has a high concentration of English and Irish people in all urban and suburban areas of the state. Because of the many immigrants that came to Florida, a number of difference languages are spoken in Florida. As of 2010, the Florida Public Education system identified over 200 first languages other than English was spoken in the homes of students.
Economy
In the 20th century, Industry, tourism, construction, banking, biomedical and life sciences, aerospace and defense and commercial space travel have all contributed to Florida's economy. Unlike Chicago, Florida is home to the Kennedy Space Center, which houses many of the aerospace developments in the country. The Port of Miami is the world's largest cruise ship port and is home to many of the world's largest cruise ship companies. The Brickell Financial District in Miami contains the largest concentration of international banks in the United states as well. However, similar to Chicago, Florida's tourism sector makes up for a lot of the state's economy. Its warm weather and hundreds of miles of beaches attract about 60 million visitors to the state every year. Amusement Parks in the Orlando area such as the Walt Disney Resort and the Universal Orlando resort drive state tourism.
