Where activity and social events revolve around lifestyle similar to a friendly small town setting. Florida is home to many beautiful beaches, including those on the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
Many of these beaches offer clear blue waters, white sandy beaches, and a variety of recreational activities such as swimming, sunbathing, and water sports. Some beaches also have boardwalks and beachside shops and restaurants. Florida beaches are also known for their diverse wildlife, such as sea turtles, manatees, and dolphins. Following American independence, when Florida was returned to Spain, the US began to think in terms of controlling the state.
In a US general, Andrew Jackson, marched south, killing hundreds of Indians and triggering the First Seminole War - on the pretext of subduing the Seminole but with the actual intention of taking the region. Spain formally ceded Florida to the US in , with Jackson sworn in as Florida's first American governor and Tallahassee selected as the new administrative center. Thousands of troops arrived to guard the coastline, empty tourist hotels provided ready-made barracks, and - most importantly - the soldiers got a taste of Florida that would entice many of them to return.
In the mid-Sixties, the state government bent over backward to help the Disney Corporation turn a sizable slice of central Florida into Walt Disney World, the biggest theme park ever known. Its enormous commercial success helped solidify Florida's place in the international tourist market: directly or indirectly, tourism makes up 20 percent of the total state economy.
The presidential election fiasco brought unwelcome attention to the state. Both Gov. Bush led by a few hundred votes on the morning after the election in unofficial returns. For five weeks top lawyers on both slides slugged it out in the courts. Disputes raged over such issues as whether ballots with "hanging chads" partially punched out holes should be counted. Ultimately, the US Supreme Court issued a ruling that effectively halted the recounts, and Bush won the state by votes out of some six million cast.
