Origin of State Name : Named in 1513 by Juan Ponce de León, who landed during Pascua Florida, the Easter festival of flowers.

Nickname : The Sunshine State.

Capital : Tallahassee.

Entered Union : 3 March 1845 (27th).

Song : "Old Folks at Home" (also known as "The Swannee River").

Motto : In God We Trust.

Flag : The state seal appears in the center of a white field, with four red bars extending from the seal to each corner; the flag is fringed on three sides

Animal : Florida panther

Bird : Mockingbird.

Fish : Largemouth bass (freshwater), Atlantic sailfish (saltwater).

Flower : Orange blossom.

Tree : Sabal palmetto palm.

Gem : Moonstone

Country : 67 counties

Population : 15,982,378; 4th, 12/00

Agriculture : Citrus, vegetables, nursery stock, cattle, sugarcane, dairy products.

Industry : Tourism, electric equipment, food processing, printing and publishing, transportation equipment, machinery.