The page presents Florida as a state in the Southeastern and South Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia to the north, th

The page presents Florida as a state in the Southeastern and South Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Straits of Florida to the south, and The Bahamas to the southeast. Florida has the longest coastline in the contiguous United States at approximately 1,350 miles, with a population over 23 million making it the third-most populous state. The Miami metropolitan area is the largest metro area with 6.138 million people, while Jacksonville is the most populous city. The portal includes historical information noting that Native American groups inhabited Florida for at least 14,000 years, and that Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León arrived in 1513, naming the peninsula La Pascua Florida. St. Augustine was founded in 1565 as the oldest continuously inhabited European-established settlement in the United States. Florida was admitted as the 27th state on March 3, 1845, and seceded from the Union on January 10, 1861, becoming one of seven original Confederate States before readmission on June 25, 1868. The page notes that since the mid-20th century, Florida has experienced rapid growth, with a gross state product of $1.647 trillion making it the fourth-largest state economy. Main economic sectors include tourism, hospitality, agriculture, real estate, and transportation. The page also lists selected articles, biographies, images, current events, and WikiProjects related to Florida topics.