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Tampa is a deepwater port at the head of Tampa Bay and the mouth of the Hillsborough River. Tampa Bay has served both as recreation for residents and economics for the city.
The city is a major seaport serving a region in which cattle, citrus fruits, vegetables, and phosphates are produced.
It is also a commercial, financial, and service center and is one of Florida's leading manufacturing centers; products include processed food, electronic components, printed materials, communications equipment, and construction materials.
The city is served by the award winning Tampa International Airport, the Port of Tampa, a deep-water port and an area railway system. It is also the seat of the University of Tampa (1931), Tampa College (1890), and the University of South Florida (1956).
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Many of the nation's leading corporations have a presence in Tampa. As an example, some of our major employers are: Publix Supermarkets, Eckerd Drug Stores, Outback Steakhouse, Walter Industries, Florida Progress, TECO Energy, CitiCorp, Nations Bank, Sunshine Network, and many more.
Ybor City, a historic shopping, dining and nightlife district east of downtown, is a picturesque Latin quarter where the cigar industry was centered
Local Parks, museums, galleries and recreation adventures abound - The Tampa Museum of Art, The Museum of Science and Industry, The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, The Florida Aquarium and the Lowry Park Zoo are just some of the exceptional cultural venues available to you as a resident of Tampa.
Tampa is home to many professional sports franchises such as the NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers, MLS Tampa Bay Mutiny, NHL The Tampa Bay Lightning, Yankees' Minor League Baseball and the world champion AFL Tampa Bay Storm. Don't forget the golf! Tampa is home to many of Florida's finest golf courses and some of the world's finest country clubs.
Tampa Bay was explored by the Spanish soldier Pánfilo de Narváez in 1528. The site, however, was not settled until 1823, when a plantation was established. Fort Brooke was built here the next year. Tampa was incorporated as a city in 1855. Confederate forces occupied the fort at the start of the American Civil War, surrendering it to Union troops in May 1864. Growth of the community was spurred by the discovery of phosphates in 1883, the arrival of the railroad in 1885, and the establishment of the cigar-making industry in 1886. During the Spanish-American War (1898) Tampa was an army training camp; Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders used the city as an embarkation point for Cuba, where they launched the celebrated charge at the Battle of San Juan Hill. In 1953 the city greatly increased its area and population by the incorporation of surrounding suburbs.
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State in the extreme SE United States. A long, low peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Florida is bordered by Georgia and Alabama.
Area, 58,560 sq mi (151,670 sq km).
Pop. (2000) 15,982,378, a 23.5% increase since the 1990 census.
Capital, Tallahassee.
Largest city, Jacksonville.
Nickname, Sunshine State.
Motto, In God We Trust.
State bird, mockingbird.
State flower, orange blossom.
 State tree, Sabal palmetto palm.
Tourism plays a primary role in the state's economy; in 1996 visitors to Florida spent over $48 billion. Walt Disney World, a massive cluster of theme parks near Orlando that is one of the world's leading tourist attractions; Universal Studios, a combination theme park and film and television production facility, also near Orlando; and other attractions draw millions yearly.
Famed beaches, such as those at Miami Beach , Daytona Beach , and Fort Lauderdale , attract hordes of vacationers. With more than 4,000 sq mi (10,360 sq km) of inland water and with the sea readily accessible from almost anywhere in the state, Florida is a fishing paradise. Other attractions include Everglades National Park, with its unusual plant and animal life; Palm Beach , with its palatial estates; and Sanibel Island's picturesque resorts.
Famous for its citrus fruits, Florida leads the nation in the production of oranges, grapefruits, tangerines, and market-ready corn and tomatoes. Other important crops include sugarcane and many varieties of winter vegetables. Cattle and dairy products are important, as is commercial fishing, with the catch including crabs, lobsters, and shrimp.
*Information from Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition
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Daytona |
Fort Lauderdale |
Jacksonville |
Key West |
Miami |
Naples |
Orlando |
Pensacola |
Saint Augustine |
Sarasota |
Tallahassee |
Tampa |
West Palm Beach |
|
Daytona |
|
235 |
89 |
414 |
257 |
244 |
54 |
426 |
55 |
186 |
235 |
139 |
192 |
|
Fort Lauderdale |
235 |
|
320 |
180 |
25 |
105 |
209 |
631 |
280 |
203 |
445 |
234 |
43 |
|
Jacksonville |
89 |
320 |
|
499 |
345 |
322 |
134 |
354 |
40 |
240 |
163 |
190 |
277 |
|
Key West |
414 |
180 |
499 |
|
155 |
237 |
371 |
793 |
460 |
344 |
607 |
388 |
223 |
|
Miami |
257 |
25 |
345 |
155 |
|
107 |
232 |
653 |
305 |
214 |
467 |
249 |
68 |
|
Naples |
244 |
105 |
322 |
237 |
107 |
|
190 |
578 |
295 |
107 |
392 |
160 |
147 |
|
Orlando |
54 |
209 |
134 |
371 |
232 |
190 |
|
428 |
105 |
132 |
242 |
85 |
166 |
|
Pensacola |
426 |
631 |
354 |
793 |
653 |
578 |
428 |
|
385 |
471 |
191 |
426 |
588 |
|
Saint Augustine |
55 |
280 |
40 |
460 |
305 |
295 |
105 |
385 |
|
230 |
200 |
180 |
240 |
|
Sarasota |
186 |
203 |
240 |
344 |
214 |
107 |
132 |
471 |
230 |
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