Florida

Florida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States. Much of the land mass of the state is a large peninsula with the Gulf of Mexico to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.

It is nicknamed the "Sunshine State" because of its generally warm climate—subtropical in many regions of the state, with true tropical climate in the far southern portions near Key West. The state has a few large urban areas, a number of smaller industrial cities, and many small towns. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the state population was 18,328,340 in 2008, ranking Florida as the fourth most populous state in the U.S. Tallahassee is the state capital and Miami is the largest metro area. Residents of Florida are properly known as "Floridians".