HOME

MENU

LINKS

Florida: A Place for Discovery

Despite early Spanish exploration that led to the founding of the St. Augustine coastal outpost in 1565, Florida is a relatively new state. It wasn't until 1861 that railways extended across north Florida, stopping in what became Gainesville on the way to Cedar Key on the Gulf of Mexico. Development of south Florida began barely 100 years ago, when entrepreneur Henry Flagler extended a train line along the coast from Jacksonville in the north.

Over the past few decades, however, Florida has experienced a boom that has made it one of the fastest growing states in the United States. With nearly 10,000 people moving to it each week, its varied but fragile ecosystems face serious challenges from exponential increases in population and development. The situation inspired Growth Management — a legislative mandate that made Florida a national model in mapping out a planned future balancing development of both manmade and natural environments.

The result of this history is a rich mixture of Old World charm, Southern heritage, urban sprawl, sophisticated thinking and aggressive commercialism. As a result, Florida is a fascinating and quintessentially American place in which to study and do research for students and academicians in any number of fields.

To learn more about Florida, visit the Florida state government's website by clicking on this link:

My Florida: Official Website of the State of Florida