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Tallahassee is the capitol of Florida. In 1513, Ponce de Leon was seeking the mythical Fountain of Youth and discovered the beautiful Florida, claiming it for Spain. Florida was sold to the United States of America in 1819. |
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Florida's motto is "In God We Trust" in 1970. |
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Orange juice was named the state beverage of Florida by the Legislature in 1967. The production of orange juice became a multi-million dollar industry during World War II. |
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In 1953 the Legislature designated the sabal palm our state tree. It grows in any kind of soil and is found all over the state of Florida. |
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Florida's state soil is Myakka fine sand. |
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Florida's state bird is the mockingbird. It lives in Florida year round and is known for imitating or mocking the songs of other birds. Its Latin name means mimic of many tongues. |
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The State Marine Animal is the West Indiap Manatee. |
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Florida became the twenty-seventh state in the United States on March 3, 1845. William D. Moseley was elected the new state's first governor and David Levy Yulee, one of Florida's leading proponents for statehood became a U. S. Senator. |
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In 1985, Secretary of State Firestone presented the revised Great Seal of the State of Florida to the Governor and the Cabinet. The previous seal had flaws and was revised in 1985. The revised seal has a Seminole Indian woman rather than a Western Plains Indian, the steamboat is more accurate, and the Cocoa Palm has been replaced with the Sabal Palm as Legislature prescribed in 1970. |
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The State animal is the Florida Panther. The animal was chosen from students throughout the state. |
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Many flags have flown over Florida including those of Spain, France, Great Britain, the Confederate States and the United States of America. The 1899 Legislature adopted a joint resolution that led to the current flag design. |
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The orange blossom became the state flower through a resolution passed in 1909 by the Legislature. This flower is found in central and south Florida. |
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The zebra longwing became the state butterfly in 1996. The black and yellow butterfly is known for dining on the sweet nectar of passionflowers. |
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The coreopsis was named the official state wildflower in 1991 by the Legislature. These colorful flowers are used along Florida's roadsides and highway beautification programs. |
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The American alligator (alligator mississippiensis) was designated the official state reptile. Alligators are now under controlled management by the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission to preserve the species and the wetlands that they inhabit. |
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The porpoise, also commonly known as the dolphin was designated the State saltwater mammal by the Florida Legislature in 1975. |
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The horse conch, also known as the giant band shell, was officially named the state shell in 1969. It can grow to a length of twenty-four inches. |
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The Florida State song is "The Swanee River" (Old Folks at Home) written by Stephen C. Foster. |
