Florida State Government
Florida taps into its Spanish roots by referencing Pascua florida, meaning flowering Easter, as Spanish explorers found the lush area during the holiday season. There’s also a tie to the Latin word floridus, meaning strikingly beautiful.
Capital: Tallahassee
Largest Cities: Cape Canaveral, Gainesville. Hialeah, Hollywood, Jacksonville, John F. Kennedy Space Center, Miami, Pennsacola, St. Augustine, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Tampa
Present Constitution Drafted: 1969
Entered Union: March 3, 1845 (27)
Motto: “In God We Trust”
State Flower: Orange Blossom
State Tree: Sabal Palmetto Pine
State Bird: Mockingbird
