Florida has a long and interesting history. Burial mounds have been found along Florida's western coast that are 10,000 years old. The Spanish explorer, Ponce de Leon reached Florida in 1513. When he returned to Florida in 1521 he started a colony but was seriously hurt fighting the Indians. Later, he traveled northward looking for gold. His colony, St. Augustine, was the first permanent European settlement in Florida and is now part of the United States. There are many facts about Florida that make its history interesting to study.

Florida has many special geographical features. Many years ago Florida was part of the Atlantic-Gulf coastal plain. Florida's keys extend for many miles off the mainland from Miami. Florida is a peninsula extending from the southeastern corner of the United States. Lake Okeechobee covers about 680 square miles and is Florida's largest lake. Forest covers about half of Florida. Florida's geographical features make it a special place.

There are many general facts to know about Florida. Florida covers an area of 58,560 square miles and the state flower is the orange blossom. The capital of Florida is Tallahassee. The largest city in Florida is Jacksonville. The population of Florida is 14,166,000. The state flag was adopted in 1899 and it has the state seal on it. General facts about Florida are good to know.