Florida is the second largest state of the US after Georgia. It ranks 22nd in size covering a total area of 58,664 sq mi (151,939 sq km), of which 54,153 sq mi (140,256 sq km) is covered by land and 4,511 sq mi (11,683 sq km) is covered by inland water. It is located in the extreme southeastern US, east of the Mississippi River.

The state comprises a peninsula surrounded by ocean on three sides, with a panhandle of land in the NW. It is bounded on the north by Alabama and Georgia; on the East by the Atlantic Ocean; on the South by the Straits of Florida; and on the West by the Gulf of Mexico and Alabama. Florida Keys are important offshore islands which extend from the state’s southern tip into the Gulf of Mexico. The capital of Florida is Tallahassee while the geographic center is in Hernando County.