Florida Championship Wrestling

Tuesday, 14 August 2012

FCW 2/19/12 Full Show (HDTV) - Florida Championship Wrestling

FCW 4/22/12 Full Show (HDTV) - Florida Championship Wrestling

Florida Championship Wrestling Episode 117 Part 4

FCW 12/4/11 Full Show (HDTV) - Florida Championship Wrestling

Florida Championship Wrestling Episode 91 Part 2

Florida Championship Wrestling Episode 112 Part 1

Florida Championship Wrestling Episode 123 Part 4

Florida Championship Wrestling 07-03-2011

Florida Championship Wrestling Episode 118 Part 1

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Tampa, Florida
Tampa () is a Gulf Coast Bay city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2000 was 303,447. According to the 2009 estimates, the city's population had grown to 343,890, making it the 54th largest city in the United States.
http://wn.com/Tampa_Florida
United States
The United States of America (also referred to as the United States, the U.S., the USA, or America) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and Russia to the west across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses several territories in the Caribbean and Pacific.
http://wn.com/United_States
WWE Niagara Falls
WWE Niagara Falls is a wrestling-related retail establishment that is a part of the Falls Avenue Entertainment Complex, which is located in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada and owned by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It is the world's first WWE retail and attraction site.
http://wn.com/WWE_Niagara_Falls

Abraham Washington
http://wn.com/Abraham_Washington
Afa Anoa'i, Jr.
'''Afa Anoa'i, Jr. (born October 6, 1984) is an American professional wrestler of Samoan descent. He is best known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment, where he competed on its Raw brand under the ring name Manu'''.
http://wn.com/Afa_Anoa'i_Jr
AJ Lee
April Jeanette (born March 19, 1987) is an American professional wrestler. She is signed to World Wrestling Entertainment, where she is part of the third season of NXT under the name A.J.. She also competes in their developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling.
http://wn.com/AJ_Lee
Alberto Del Rio
http://wn.com/Alberto_Del_Rio
Alex Riley
Alex Riley (born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England) is a stand up comedian, and TV and radio presenter.
http://wn.com/Alex_Riley
Alicia Fox
Victoria Crawford (born June 30, 1986) is an American model and professional wrestler best known by her ring name Alicia Fox. She is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment performing on the Raw brand.
http://wn.com/Alicia_Fox
APOC (wrestler)
APOC is the ring name of a professional wrestler currently working for Ohio Valley Wrestling, as well as WFX Wrestling. He has also worked for Stampede Wrestling in Canada.
http://wn.com/APOC_(wrestler)
Averno (wrestler)
Averno (Hell) (born May 9, 1977), whose real name is not publicly known, is a Mexican professional wrestler currently performing for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, where he is the reigning CMLL World Middleweight Champion. His ring name is the Spanish rendering of Avernus, the crater where Aeneas descended into the underworld in Virgil's Aeneid and is most commonly translated as "Hell" in English. Averno's real name is not a matter of public record, as is often the case with masked wrestlers in Mexico where their private lives are kept a secret from the wrestling fans.
http://wn.com/Averno_(wrestler)
Booker T (wrestler)
http://wn.com/Booker_T_(wrestler)
Bret Hart
Bret Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer and retired professional and amateur wrestler who is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), appearing on the Raw brand.
http://wn.com/Bret_Hart
Britani Knight
http://wn.com/Britani_Knight
Brock Lesnar
Brock Edward Lesnar (; born July 12, 1977) is an American mixed martial artist and a former professional and amateur wrestler. He is currently the UFC Heavyweight Champion. He is ranked the #1 Heavyweight in the world by Sherdog and MMA Weekly.
http://wn.com/Brock_Lesnar
Brodie Lee
Jon Huber (born 1979) is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Brodie Lee, who performs primarily in the Chikara, Dragon Gate USA, Evolve Wrestling and Jersey All Pro Wrestling professional wrestling promotions. He has also worked for promotions such as Combat Zone Wrestling, NWA Upstate, Ring of Honor and Squared Circle Wrestling.
http://wn.com/Brodie_Lee
Brodus Clay
http://wn.com/Brodus_Clay
Bryan Alvarez
Bryan Alki Alvarez (born June 12, 1975) is a professional wrestler and the editor and publisher of Figure Four Weekly, a newsletter that has covered professional wrestling since 1995. Alvarez credits a portion of his pro wrestling training to pro wrestler Buddy Wayne, and is credited in training Jack Evans. He was born in Bothell, Washington.
http://wn.com/Bryan_Alvarez
Byron Saxton
http://wn.com/Byron_Saxton
Carlos Cabrera
Carlos Rodrigo Cabrera (born October 18, 1959) is a former newsman and currently employed with World Wrestling Entertainment, where he is one half of the company's Spanish announce team in which he is the play-by-play announcer. His partner is the former Ecuadorian professional wrestler Hugo Savinovich, who is the color commentator on the announce team.
http://wn.com/Carlos_Cabrera
Chris Hero
Chris Spradlin (born December 24, 1979) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Chris Hero. He is a mainstay of many independent wrestling promotions, including Ring of Honor, where he is currently in his second reign as one half of the tag team champions with Claudio Castagnoli, and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla as well as Pro Wrestling Noah in Japan. He is also known from his time in Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South, Combat Zone Wrestling and Chikara, where he was the co-head trainer of the Chikara Wrestle Factory. Hero is also a former three-time world champion having held the CZW World Heavyweight Championship, the PWG World Championship and the wXw World Heavyweight Championship.
http://wn.com/Chris_Hero
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970) better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-born Canadian professional wrestler, television and stage actor, author, radio host, television host and rock musician. He is currently working for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), wrestling on its Raw brand. He is also known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and internationally in Canadian, Mexican, and Japanese promotions. He is also known as the host of the ABC show Downfall.
http://wn.com/Chris_Jericho
Christian (wrestler)
William Jason Reso (born November 30, 1973) is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring names Christian and Christian Cage. He currently wrestles for the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) promotion, formerly the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), on its SmackDown brand. However, he is currently inactive due to injury.
http://wn.com/Christian_(wrestler)
Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio Castagnoli (born December 27, 1980) is a Swiss professional wrestler. He performs primarily on the American independent circuit in promotions such as Ring of Honor and Chikara, currently in his second reigns as the Tag Team Champion in both companies, holding the Chikara Campeonatos de Parejas with Ares and the ROH World Tag Team Championship with Chris Hero, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, where he is the current PWG World Champion, and in Japan for Pro Wrestling Noah. In November 2006, he had agreed to a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment, but was later released before working for them.
http://wn.com/Claudio_Castagnoli
CM Punk
Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on its Raw brand.
http://wn.com/CM_Punk
Cody Rhodes
Cody Runnels (born June 30, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Cody Rhodes. Runnels is currently signed by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) where he wrestles on its SmackDown brand, where he is one-half of the reigning WWE Tag Team Champions with Drew McIntyre. He is a former three-time World Tag Team Champion, having won the championship once with Hardcore Holly and twice with Ted DiBiase, Jr.
http://wn.com/Cody_Rhodes
Conor O'Brian
http://wn.com/Conor_O'Brian
Consequences Creed
Austin Watson (born September 4, 1986), better known by his ring name Consequences Creed, is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment, working on its developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling under the ring name Xavier Woods. He previously worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he was a former World Tag Team Champion with Jay Lethal as Lethal Consequences. He has also worked for NWA Anarchy and other independent promotions under the ring name Austin Creed. His wrestling persona is based on Apollo Creed from the Rocky movie series.
http://wn.com/Consequences_Creed
Curt Hawkins
Brian Myers (born April 20, 1985) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Curt Hawkins. He is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) working on its SmackDown brand. For the majority of his career, Hawkins teamed with Zack Ryder, and they won several tag team championships together, including the WWE Tag Team Championship.
http://wn.com/Curt_Hawkins
David Otunga
David Daniel Otunga, Sr. is an American professional wrestler and former reality television actor. As of 2010, he is signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), appearing on the Raw brand. He participated in the first season of NXT under his real name.
http://wn.com/David_Otunga
Diamond Dallas Page
:For the 1930s cricketer, see Dallas Page (cricketer)
http://wn.com/Diamond_Dallas_Page
Dolph Ziggler
http://wn.com/Dolph_Ziggler
Drew McIntyre
Drew Samuel Galloway (born June 6, 1985) is a Scottish professional wrestler signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where he wrestles on the SmackDown brand as Drew McIntyre. He is one-half of the reigning WWE Tag Team Champions with Cody Rhodes.
http://wn.com/Drew_McIntyre
Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972) is an American actor and former professional wrestler. He is also known by his former ring name The Rock and is occasionally credited as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
http://wn.com/Dwayne_Johnson
Eli Cottonwood
http://wn.com/Eli_Cottonwood
Eric Pérez
http://wn.com/Eric_Pérez
Evan Bourne
Matthew Joseph Korklan (born March 19, 1983) is an American professional wrestler, also known as Matt Sydal and Evan Bourne. He is signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and wrestles on its Raw brand under the ring name Evan Bourne.
http://wn.com/Evan_Bourne
Eve Torres
Eve Torres is an American dancer, model, and professional wrestler. She is working for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on its Raw brand as Eve, as well as her full name.
http://wn.com/Eve_Torres
Ezekiel Jackson
Rycklon Stephens (born April 22, 1978) is a Guyanese bodybuilder and professional wrestler. He is signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), working on its Raw brand under the ring name Ezekiel Jackson. He is a one-time world champion, having won the ECW Championship in February 2010, and is recognized by WWE as the final ECW Champion.
http://wn.com/Ezekiel_Jackson
Heath Slater
Heath Miller (born July 15, 1983) is an American professional wrestler working for World Wrestling Entertainment. He performs on the Raw brand under the name Heath Slater. He was a contestant in the first season of WWE NXT, where he finished fourth. He is a former FCW Florida Heavyweight Champion.
http://wn.com/Heath_Slater
Hillbilly Jim
Jim Morris (born July 5, 1952), best known to fans as Hillbilly Jim, is an American professional wrestler and disc jockey. He was one of the World Wrestling Federation's most popular wrestlers of the mid-to-late 1980s.
http://wn.com/Hillbilly_Jim
Hornswoggle
Dylan Postl (born May 29, 1986) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring names Hornswoggle or Little Bastard. He is employed by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), appearing on its SmackDown brand. In WWE, he was the last Cruiserweight Champion before the belt was deactivated.
http://wn.com/Hornswoggle
Howard Finkel
Howard Finkel (born June 7, 1950) is a professional wrestling ring announcer currently working with World Wrestling Entertainment in a variety of roles. Hired in 1975 by Vincent J. McMahon's World Wide Wrestling Federation, "The Fink" was the first person brought in to Vincent K. McMahon's nascent World Wrestling Federation and is widely credited as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)'s first and longest lasting employee.
http://wn.com/Howard_Finkel
Husky Harris
http://wn.com/Husky_Harris
Jack Brisco
Freddie Joe Brisco (September 21, 1941 – February 1, 2010), better known as Jack Brisco or Uvalde Slim, was an American professional wrestler who was popular during the 1970s, and into the 1980s. He performed for various territories of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), becoming a two-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and multi-time NWA Tag Team Champion with his brother Gerald Brisco. Brisco was considered one of the top wrestlers of his era; in 2005, Don Leo Jonathan called him "probably the greatest champion of the 20th century."
http://wn.com/Jack_Brisco
Jack Doan
John Michael "Jack" Doan (born June 12, 1972) is a veteran professional wrestling referee currently signed with World Wrestling Entertainment.
http://wn.com/Jack_Doan
Jerry Lawler
'''Jerry O'Neil Lawler (born November 29, 1949) is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler'''. He is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), working and wrestling on its Raw brand as the color commentator. He also wrestles and occasionally commentates for the Memphis Wrestling promotion.
http://wn.com/Jerry_Lawler
Jim Duggan
James Stuart Duggan (born January 14, 1954), better known by his ring name "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment in the 1980s, when it was known as World Wrestling Federation (WWF), and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). His best known character is that of an American patriot, which sees him use a 2x4 length of wood as a weapon, the battle cry "Hooo!" and the U-S-A! cheer. During his time in WWE he was the oldest active wrestler after Ric Flair retired in 2008.
http://wn.com/Jim_Duggan
Jim Ross
James "Jim" Ross (born January 3, 1952 ) was a professional wrestling commentator, restaurateur, and former company executive of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). He worked behind-the-scenes for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) dealing with many aspects of talent relations including talent payroll, scouting and talent development. To many peers, Ross is considered to be the best wrestling announcer of all time and has been called the voice of WWE. He is known affectionately as "good ol" J.R., or simply J.R., to his fans.
http://wn.com/Jim_Ross
Jimmy Hart
Jimmy Ray Hart (born January 1, 1944) is a professional wrestling manager, executive, composer, and musician best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling under his nickname The Mouth of the South. He has managed many professional wrestlers, including Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart, Jerry "The King" Lawler, Ted DiBiase, and The Honky Tonk Man. He is also a one-time AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion. He is currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
http://wn.com/Jimmy_Hart
Jinder Mahal
http://wn.com/Jinder_Mahal
Joe Anoa'i
'''Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoa'i (born May 25, 1985) is a professional wrestler and former Canadian football defensive tackle. He is signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and wrestles in its developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) under the ring name Roman Leakee'''.
http://wn.com/Joe_Anoa'i
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena, Jr. (; born April 23, 1977) is an American actor, rapper, and professional wrestler employed by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on its Raw brand, where he is a member of The Nexus.
http://wn.com/John_Cena
Jon Moxley
Jonathan Good (born December 7, 1985) is an American professional wrestler known by his ring name Jon Moxley. Moxley is best known for his work in Heartland Wrestling Association, CHIKARA, International Wrestling Association, Combat Zone Wrestling, Ring of Honor and Dragon Gate USA. Moxley is also a five time World Champion and is currently holding the FIP World Heavyweight Championship, the IPW World Heavyweight Championship for the second time, and the CZW World Heavyweight Championship for the second time.
http://wn.com/Jon_Moxley
Josh Mathews
Josh Lomberger (born November 25, 1980) is an American presenter and announcer, better known by the stage name Josh Mathews. He is currently working for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as a play-by-play commentator for WWE NXT and a backstage interviewer for WWE Raw, WWE SmackDown, and WWE Superstars.
http://wn.com/Josh_Mathews
JTG
http://wn.com/JTG
Justin Gabriel
Paul Lloyd Jr. (born March 3, 1981) is a second-generation South African professional wrestler. He is currently signed with World Wrestling Entertainment, and performs on the Raw brand under the name Justin Gabriel. He was a contestant in the first season of WWE NXT, where he finished third, before joining The Nexus stable on Raw. He is a former FCW Florida Heavyweight Champion.
http://wn.com/Justin_Gabriel
Justin Roberts
Justin Jason Roberts (born December 29, 1979) is an American ring announcer for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). He currently works for the Raw brand.
http://wn.com/Justin_Roberts
Kane (wrestler)
Glenn Thomas Jacobs (born April 26, 1967) is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is working for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), signed to its SmackDown brand, where he is the reigning World Heavyweight Champion.
http://wn.com/Kane_(wrestler)
Kelly Kelly
Barbara Jean Blank (born January 15, 1987) is an American model, professional wrestler, dancer, and professional wrestling valet better known by her ring name Kelly Kelly. She is currently working for World Wrestling Entertainment on its SmackDown brand.
http://wn.com/Kelly_Kelly
Kevin Nash
Kevin Scott Nash (born July 9, 1959) is a retired American professional wrestler and actor, who most recently worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. Nash has wrestled under various ring names, but is most notably known by his real name in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and in World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment (WWF/E), where he was known as Diesel in his first run with the company. Nash is a six-time world champion, having won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship five times and the WWF Championship once. He has achieved notable success in the tag team division as well, being a twelve-time world tag team champion: nine times in WCW, two times in WWF and once in TNA. He is also a one-time WWE Intercontinental Champion. He also won the WCW World War 3 battle royal in 1998. He is also one of the three founding members of the New World Order (nWo), along with Hulk Hogan and Scott Hall.
http://wn.com/Kevin_Nash
Kia Stevens
Kia Michelle Stevens (born September 4, 1977), better known by her ring names Amazing Kong and Awesome Kong, is an American independent professional wrestler, best known for her work in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). She is currently working for Shimmer Women Athletes, National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), Lucha Libre USA, and various independent promotions in the United States and Japan.
http://wn.com/Kia_Stevens
Kofi Kingston
Kofi Sarkodie-Mensah (born on August 14, 1981), is a Ghanaian American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Kofi Kingston, currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment working on the SmackDown brand. Since competing for WWE, he has won the Intercontinental Championship two times, the United States Championship once, and the World Tag Team Championship once with CM Punk.
http://wn.com/Kofi_Kingston
Layla El
Layla El (born 25 June 1978) is an English dancer, model and professional wrestler of Moroccan descent. She is employed by World Wrestling Entertainment as a WWE Diva and appears on the SmackDown brand as Layla. She was the final WWE Women's Champion, and is unofficially recognized as the co-WWE Unified Divas Champion.
http://wn.com/Layla_El
Lilian Garcia
http://wn.com/Lilian_Garcia
Mae Young
Johnnie Mae Young (born March 12, 1923) is a mostly retired female professional wrestler and is currently a WWE Ambassador. Beginning in 1999, Young had a high-profile "second career" in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Young, along with best friend The Fabulous Moolah were a part of the WWF/WWE family by making occasional appearances on WWE television.
http://wn.com/Mae_Young
Marcelo Rodríguez
http://wn.com/Marcelo_Rodríguez
Mark Henry
Mark Jerrold Henry (born June 12, 1971) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) performing on its Raw brand. Aside from wrestling, he is a 1992 Olympian, and winner of the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic. Since wrestling in WWF/E, he has become a one-time WWE European Champion and a one-time world champion, having held the ECW Championship in 2008.
http://wn.com/Mark_Henry
Matt Bloom
Matthew Jason "Matt" Bloom (born November 14, 1972) is an American professional wrestler, currently wrestling for New Japan Pro Wrestling under the ring name Giant Bernard. He is currently one half of the IWGP Tag Team Champions with partner Karl Anderson. Between 1997 and 2004, Bloom wrestled for World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring names Prince Albert, Albert, and A-Train.
http://wn.com/Matt_Bloom
Matt Striker
Matthew Kaye (born June 26, 1974) is an American wrestling commentator, former child star and retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Matt Striker. He is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where he works as a color commentator on its SmackDown brand. He also serves as the host of WWE NXT.
http://wn.com/Matt_Striker
Michael Cole
Michael Sean Coulthard (born December 8, 1968), better known by his stage name Michael Cole, is an American professional wrestling commentator, currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment. A former news journalist, Cole is the current play-by-play commentator for WWE Raw and WWE NXT.
http://wn.com/Michael_Cole
Michael McGillicutty
http://wn.com/Michael_McGillicutty
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. (born June 7, 1965) is an American actor, author, comedian, voice actor, and professional wrestler.
http://wn.com/Mick_Foley
Mike Chioda
Michael Joseph Chioda, (born August 1, 1964) is a senior referee who is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment. While not refereeing, Chioda, as well as the other referees in WWE, help set up the arena before shows, constructing the ring and stage areas.
http://wn.com/Mike_Chioda
Místico
http://wn.com/Místico
Orlando Colón
http://wn.com/Orlando_Colón
Randy Orton
Randal Keith "Randy" Orton (born on April 1, 1980) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) wrestling on its Raw brand, where he is the reigning WWE Champion. Orton is a third-generation professional wrestler; his grandfather Bob Orton, Sr., father "Cowboy" Bob Orton, as well as his uncle Barry O, all competed in the professional wrestling industry.
http://wn.com/Randy_Orton
Rey Mysterio
http://wn.com/Rey_Mysterio
Richard Blood, Jr.
http://wn.com/Richard_Blood_Jr
Richie Steamboat
http://wn.com/Richie_Steamboat
Ricky Steamboat
Richard Henry Blood (Born February 28, 1953), better known by his ring name Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, is an American professional wrestler who is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers of the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment working as a road agent. He was well-known among wrestling fans as being one of the few wrestlers who stayed a babyface throughout his lengthy career. He is best known for his work with the American Wrestling Association (AWA), the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
http://wn.com/Ricky_Steamboat
Ricky Steamboat, Jr.
http://wn.com/Ricky_Steamboat_Jr
Roddy Piper
Roderick George Toombs (born April 17, 1954), better known by his ring name "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, is a Canadian former professional wrestler and film actor currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment. Though being Canadian, due to his Scottish heritage he was billed as coming from Glasgow, Scotland and was known for his signature kilt and bagpipe entrance music. He earned the nickname "Rowdy" by displaying his trademark "Scottish" rage, spontaneity and quick wit, and despite being a crowd favorite for his rockstar-like persona, often played the villain; he was also nicknamed "Hot Rod". He accumulated thirty-four championships in various promotions during his career. Piper was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.
http://wn.com/Roddy_Piper
Ron Killings
Ronnie Aaron Killings (born January 19, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is currently under contract to World Wrestling Entertainment, performing on its Raw brand, where he is a former United States Champion under the ring name R-Truth. Killings has previously worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he was a two-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, a two-time NWA World Tag Team Champion and a one-time TNA World Tag Team Champion. Killings currently resides in Charlotte.
http://wn.com/Ron_Killings
Rosa Mendes
Milena Leticia Roucka (born October 25, 1979) is a Canadian professional wrestler and former model of Czech and Costa Rican descent. She is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) working as Rosa Mendes on the SmackDown brand.
http://wn.com/Rosa_Mendes
Santino Marella
Anthony Carelli (born March 14, 1979) is a Canadian professional wrestler of Italian descent best known as Santino Marella in World Wrestling Entertainment. He is currently wrestling on the Raw brand. His gimmick is an Italian stereotype. Since competing for WWE, he has become a two-time Intercontinental Champion.
http://wn.com/Santino_Marella
Sarona Reiher
http://wn.com/Sarona_Reiher
Scott Stanford
http://wn.com/Scott_Stanford
Sgt. Slaughter
Robert Remus (born August 27, 1948) is an American former WWE personality, and semi-retired professional wrestler better known by the ring name Sgt. Slaughter. From the late 1970s to the early 1990s, Slaughter had success in the National Wrestling Alliance, American Wrestling Association, and World Wrestling Federation.
http://wn.com/Sgt_Slaughter
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom (born July 22, 1965), better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is a former American professional wrestler. He performed for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), formerly the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), from 1988 until his retirement in 2010. He was considered one of WWE's senior performers, having performed for over 20 years.
http://wn.com/Shawn_Michaels
Sheamus
Stephen Farrelly () (born January 28, 1978) is an Irish professional wrestler and actor, best known by his ring names Sheamus and '''Sheamus O'Shaunessy'''. He is signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and competes on the Raw brand.
http://wn.com/Sheamus
Steve Keirn
Steve Keirn (born September 10, 1951) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for being part of the tag team The Fabulous Ones, with Stan Lane, and later for a run in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as Skinner, a gimmick that portrayed him as a tobacco spitting alligator hunter from the Everglades. During his time in WWF, Steve was also one of a number of wrestlers to play the role of the masked Doink the Clown.
http://wn.com/Steve_Keirn
Steven Lewington
Steven Paul Lewington (born February 25, 1983) is an English professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment where he competed as DJ Gabriel.
http://wn.com/Steven_Lewington
Taylor Rotunda
Taylor Rotunda is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and wrestles in their developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), as Bo Rotundo. He is a former FCW Florida Tag Team Champion.
http://wn.com/Taylor_Rotunda
Ted DiBiase
http://wn.com/Ted_DiBiase
Ted DiBiase, Jr.
Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase, Jr. (born November 8, 1982) is an American professional wrestler and actor signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where he appears on its Raw brand as the Million Dollar Champion. He is a former two time World Tag Team Champion with his tag team partner, Cody Rhodes.
http://wn.com/Ted_DiBiase_Jr
Tenille Dashwood
http://wn.com/Tenille_Dashwood
The Miz
http://wn.com/The_Miz
The Undertaker
Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name The Undertaker. He is signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), currently wrestling on the SmackDown brand.
http://wn.com/The_Undertaker
Theodore Long
Theodore R. "Teddy" Long (born September 15, 1947) is a former American professional wrestling referee and manager, who currently works for World Wrestling Entertainment on its SmackDown brand as its General Manager.
http://wn.com/Theodore_Long
Tom Prichard
Thomas Prichard (born August 18, 1959) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment, working in their developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) as a trainer using his ring name Tom Prichard. He is the brother of Chris and Bruce Prichard.
http://wn.com/Tom_Prichard
Tony Atlas
Anthony White (born April 23, 1954) better known by his ring name "Tony Atlas" is a , bodybuilder, powerlifter, and professional wrestler who has held multiple titles and championships in each sport. He is also known by his bodybuilding title, "Mr. USA" (a distinction he earned three times), the nom de guerre the "Black Superman", as well as an alter ego named Saba Simba. He returned as an on screen manager for World Wrestling Entertainment, recently appearing on its now-defunct ECW brand.
http://wn.com/Tony_Atlas
Tony Chimel
Anthony "Tony" Chimel (born October 11, 1961) is an American professional wrestling ring announcer, currently employed by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) working as the ring announcer for SmackDown brand.
http://wn.com/Tony_Chimel
Trent Barreta
Greg Marasciulo (born 1987) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to World Wrestling Entertainment, working on its SmackDown brand under the ring name Trent Barreta. He is one half of The Dude Busters tag team with Caylen Croft. Marasciulo also wrestled for the New York Wrestling Connection as Plazma, and competed in Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) in drag as a masked wrestler, The Girl from Mexico.
http://wn.com/Trent_Barreta
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque (born July 27, 1969) is an American professional wrestler, actor and executive, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of his former ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley. He is currently signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where he works as the senior advisor to Vince McMahon. He is also signed on the Raw brand as a wrestler but is currently inactive due to injury.
http://wn.com/Triple_H
Tyler Black
Colby Lopez (born May 28, 1986) is an American professional wrestler signed to a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment, where he competes in their developmental territory as Seth Rollins. He is best known for his time in Ring of Honor, where he is a former ROH World Champion using the ring name Tyler Black.
http://wn.com/Tyler_Black
Tyson Kidd
Theodore James (TJ) Wilson, sometimes stylized as T.J. Wilson, (born July 11, 1980) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment, and wrestles on the Raw brand as Tyson Kidd. Kidd, David Hart Smith, and Natalya, Kidd's real-life girlfriend, are known as The Hart Dynasty.
http://wn.com/Tyson_Kidd
Vickie Guerrero
Vickie Guerrero(born Vickie Lara on April 16, 1968), is an American professional wrestling personality, manager, shifting authority figure and occasional wrestler. She is the widow of professional wrestler Eddie Guerrero, currently signed to WWE on its Smackdown brand.
http://wn.com/Vickie_Guerrero
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon Jr. (born August 24, 1945) is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer and former occasional professional wrestler, and is often referred to as the archetypal wrestling magnate. McMahon currently serves as the chairman and CEO of professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and is the majority shareholder of the company, holding approximately 88% of the total voting power within WWE. Upon acquiring World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling, McMahon's WWE became the sole remaining major American professional wrestling promotion until the national expansion of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and Ring of Honor.
http://wn.com/Vince_McMahon
Wade Barrett
Wade Barrett may refer to:
http://wn.com/Wade_Barrett
William Regal
Darren Kenneth Matthews (born May 10, 1968) also known by his ring names Steven Regal and William Regal, is a British professional wrestler, currently signed to the World Wrestling Entertainment, performing on its Raw brand.
http://wn.com/William_Regal
Yoshi Tatsu
http://wn.com/Yoshi_Tatsu
Zack Ryder
Matthew Cardona (born May 14, 1985) better known by his ring name Zack Ryder, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) working on its Raw brand. Upon making his debut in the WWE, Ryder formed a tag team with Curt Hawkins where they would go on to capture the WWE Tag Team Championship.
http://wn.com/Zack_Ryder

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This article is about the WWE developmental territory. For the promotion that operated from 1961-1987, see Championship Wrestling from Florida.

This article relies on references to primary sources or sources affiliated with the subject, rather than references from independent authors and third-party publications. Please add citations from reliable sources. (February 2012)

Florida Championship Wrestling
Florida Championship Wrestling logo
Acronym	FCW
Founded	June 26, 2007
Style	Professional wrestling
Headquarters	Tampa, Florida
Founder(s)	Steve Keirn
Owner(s)	Steve Keirn
Parent	WWE
Website	FCWwrestling.com

Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) is a professional wrestling promotion based on the former independent Championship Wrestling from Florida promotion, which operated from 1961 until 1987.^[1] From 2008 onwards the promotion has served as the official developmental territory for WWE.^[2]^[3]^[4]

1 History
2 Championships and accomplishments
3 Roster
4 FCW Alumni
5 References
6 External links

History [link]

The promotion, in its current form, was started by Steve Keirn in 2007^[5] to be WWE's second developmental territory when they ended their relationship with the Georgia-based Deep South Wrestling in early 2007.^[6] It became their sole developmental territory in early 2008 when they ceased affiliation with Ohio Valley Wrestling.^[4]

File:FCWLogo.jpg

FCW logo (2007–2008)

FCW's debut show was on June 26, 2007 at Tampa, Florida's Dallas Bull. A 21 man Battle Royal was held during the show, to crown the first ever FCW Southern Heavyweight Champion.^[7] The next year the Florida Heavyweight Championship was introduced,^[8] with Jake Hager becoming the first champion at a February 15 show after surviving a Battle Royal and defeating Ted DiBiase, Jr..^[9] The Florida Tag Team Championship was also introduced in February, with the Puerto Rican Nightmares (Eddie Colón and Eric Pérez) beating Steven Lewington and Heath Miller to win it in the finals of a one night tournament.^[10] The singles titles were later unified, keeping the "Florida Heavyweight" name and championship.^[11]

On July 7, 2008, WWE confirmed that FCW was based on the original independent, Championship Wrestling from Florida promotion, which operated from 1961 until 1987.^[1]

On March 20, 2012, it was reported that WWE will cease operation at Florida Championship Wrestling, however this statement was later refuted after Steve Keirn as well as Triple H denied the claim.^[12]

Championships and accomplishments [link]

Active championships [link]

#	Order in reign history
Reign	The reign number for the specific set of wrestlers listed
Event	The event promoted by the respective promotion in which the titles were won
—	Used for vacated reigns in order to not count it as an official reign
+	Indicates the current reign is changing daily.

Statistics correct as of June 26, 2012.

Florida Heavyweight championship [link]

Main article: FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship

The Florida Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling heavyweight championship owned by the developmental territory of WWE, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW); it is contested for in their heavyweight division.

Florida Tag Team championship [link]

Main article: FCW Florida Tag Team Championship

The Florida Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship contested for in the tag team division of Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW).

FCW Divas championship [link]

Main article: FCW Divas Championship

The FCW Divas Championship is a professional wrestling women's championship contested for in the divas division of Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW).

Other accomplishments [link]

FCW Jack Brisco 15 championship [link]

FCW 15 Championship

Details

Current champion(s)

Richie Steamboat

Date won

January 13, 2012

Promotion

Florida Championship Wrestling

Date established

January 13, 2011

Statistics
First champion(s)	Seth Rollins
Longest reign	Seth Rollins (252 days)
Shortest reign	Damien Sandow (119 Days)
Oldest champion	Damien Sandow (29 years, 50 days)
Youngest champion	Seth Rollins (24 years, 229 days)
Heaviest champion	Damien Sandow (252 lb (114 kg))
Lightest champion	Seth Rollins (205 lb (93 kg))

The FCW Jack Brisco 15 Championship is a professional wrestling championship contested for in 15 minute ironman matches. A medal is held by the title holder, rather than a championship belt that is primarily used in professional wrestling.

#	Wrestlers	Reign	Date	Days held	Location	Event	Notes	Ref.
1	Seth Rollins	1	02011-01-13January 13, 2011	252	Tampa, Florida	FCW TV Tapings	Defeated Hunico in the finals of the 'FCW 15' Jack Brisco Classic Tournament.	^[13]
2	Damien Sandow	1	02011-09-22September 22, 2011	113	Tampa, Florida	FCW TV Tapings		^[14]
3	Richie Steamboat	1	02012-01-13January 13, 2012	165+	Tampa, Florida	FCW TV Tapings	Richie Steamboat defeated Damien Sandow, winning the bout 2 falls to 1.

Defunct championships [link]

FCW Southern Heavyweight championship [link]

FCW Southern Heavyweight Championship

Details

Promotion

Florida Championship Wrestling

Date established

June 26, 2007

Date retired

March 22, 2008

Statistics
Most reigns	All Champions (1 reign)
First champion(s)	Harry Smith
Longest reign	Harry Smith (112 days)
Shortest reign	Jake Hager (unification)

The FCW Southern Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling heavyweight championship contested for in the heavyweight division of Florida Championship Wrestling. It has since been retired after being unified with the Florida Heavyweight Championship.

#	Wrestler	Reigns	Date	Days held	Location	Event	Notes	Ref.
01 !1	Harry Smith	01 !1	02007-06-26June 26, 2007	112	Tampa, Florida	Live event	Won a 21-man battle royal to become the first champion.	^[15]
02 !2	Afa, Jr.	01 !1	02007-10-16October 16, 2007	46	New Port Richey, FL	Live event	Declared winner when Smith could not make referee's ten count.	^[15]
03 !3	TJ Wilson	01 !1	02007-12-01December 1, 2007	17	New Port Richey, FL	Live event	This was a ladder match.	^[15]
04 !4	Ted DiBiase, Jr.	01 !1	02007-12-18December 18, 2007	32	New Port Richey, FL	Live event		^[15]
05 !5	Heath Miller	01 !1	02008-01-19January 19, 2008	63	New Port Richey, FL	Live event	Awarded title when partner Ted DiBiase, Jr. was unable to defend it due to injury.	^[16]
06 !6	Jake Hager	01 !1	02008-03-22March 22, 2008	0	New Port Richey, FL	Live event	Florida Heavyweight Champion Jack Hager defeated Heath Miller in a unification match to unify the two championships.	^[17]
6.5 !-	Deactivated	0 !-	02008-03-22March 22, 2008	0 !-	New Port Richey, FL	Live event	Retired immediately after being unified with Florida Heavyweight Championship.	^[17]

Queen of FCW [link]

Main article: Queen of FCW

The Queen of FCW title was a professional wrestling women's title contested for in the divas division of Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). A crown is held by the title holder, rather than a championship belt that is primarily used in professional wrestling.

Roster [link]

Male wrestlers [link]

Seth Rollins

Richie Steamboat

Ring name	Real name	Notes
W., A. !A. W.	Jossie, BrianBrian Jossie	Also appears on Raw^[18]^[19]
Mercer, Adam !Adam Mercer	Singleton, Evan !Evan Singleton	^[20]
English, Aiden !Aiden English	Rehwoldt, Matt !Matt Rehwoldt	^[21]
Rusev, Alexander !Alexander Rusev	Barnyashev, Miroslav !Miroslav Barnyashev	^[22]
Cesaro, Antonio !Antonio Cesaro	Castagnoli, ClaudioClaudio Castagnoli	Also appears on SmackDown^[23]
Salazar, Benicio !Benicio Salazar	Unknown	^[24]
Langston, Big E !Big E Langston	Ewen, EttoreEttore Ewen	^[25]
Rotundo, Bo !Bo Rotundo	Rotunda, TaylorTaylor Rotunda	^[26]
Maddox, Brad !Brad Maddox	Wellington, Brent !Brent Wellington	^[27]
Wyatt, Bray !Bray Wyatt	Rotunda, WindhamWindham Rotunda	^[28]
Pierce, Briley !Briley Pierce	Nemeth, RyanRyan Nemeth	^[29]
Saxton, Byron !Byron Saxton	Kelly, BryanBryan Kelly	^[30]^[31]
Parker, CJ !CJ Parker	Robinson, Joe !Joe Robinson	^[32]
Cassady, Colin !Colin Cassady	Unknown	^[33]
O'Brian, Conor !Conor O'Brian	Parmeter, RyanRyan Parmeter	^[34]^[35]
Graves, Corey !Corey Graves	Polinsky, MattMatt Polinsky	Florida Tag Team Champion^[36]
Sandow, Damien !Damien Sandow	Haddad, AaronAaron Haddad	Also appears on SmackDown^[37]
Dash, Dante !Dante Dash	Freeman, Teon !Teon Freeman	^[38]
Ambrose, Dean !Dean Ambrose	Good, JonathanJonathan Good	^[39]
Porter, DT !DT Porter	McGhee, Brian !Brian McGhee	^[40]
Cottonwood, Eli !Eli Cottonwood	Christianson, KippKipp Christianson	^[41]
Rowan, Erick !Erick Rowan	Ruud, Joseph !Joseph Ruud	^[42]
Dylan, Garret !Garret Dylan	Kristofferson, Jody !Jody Kristofferson	^[43]
Carter, Jake !Jake Carter	Jesse White	Florida Tag Team Champion ^[44]
Bronson, James !James Bronson	Friedman, Phil !Phil Friedman	^[45]
Jordan, Jason !Jason Jordan	Unknown	^[46]
Jiro !Jiro	Takizawa, HiroshiHiroshi Takizawa	^[47]
Ohno, Kassius !Kassius Ohno	Spradlin, ChrisChris Spradlin	^[48]
Cameron, Kenneth !Kenneth Cameron	Latimer, Tom !Tom Latimer	^[49]
Leakee !Leakee	Anoa'i, LeatiLeati Anoa'i	^[50]
Kruger, Leo !Leo Kruger	Leppan, RayRay Leppan	^[51]
Dalton, Mike !Mike Dalton	Clement, Mattias !Mattias Clement	^[52]
Rogers, Nick !Nick Rogers	Spencer, Austin !Austin Spencer	^[53]
Steamboat, Richie !Richie Steamboat	Blood, Jr., RichardRichard Blood, Jr.	FCW 15 Champion ^[54]
Victor, Rick !Rick Victor	Thompson, EricEric Thompson	^[55]
Sakamoto !Sakamoto	Unknown, Unknown	Also appears on Raw^[56]
Rollins, Seth !Seth Rollins	Lopez, ColbyColby Lopez	Florida Heavyweight Champion Also appears on NXT^[57]
Elliot, Sonny !Sonny Elliot	Bolton, Daniel !Daniel Bolton	^[58]
Woods, Xavier !Xavier Woods	Watson, AustinAustin Watson	^[59]

Female wrestlers [link]

Ring name	Real name	Notes
Marie, Audrey !Audrey Marie	Miller, AshleyAshley Miller	^[60]
Lynn, Cameron !Cameron Lynn	Andrew, ArianeAriane Andrew	Also appears on Raw as valet for Brodus Clay^[61]
Turner, Caylee !Caylee Turner	Crawford, ChristinaChristina Crawford	Ring Announcer^[62]
Maxine !Maxine	Pérez, KarleeKarlee Pérez	Also appears on NXT Redemption^[63]
Naomi !Naomi	McCray, TrinityTrinity McCray	Also appears on Raw as valet for Brodus Clay^[64]
Diaz, Raquel !Raquel Diaz	Guerrero, ShaulShaul Guerrero	FCW Divas Champion^[65]
Cortez, Sofia !Sofia Cortez	Vélez, IvelisseIvelisse Vélez	^[66]
Rae, Summer !Summer Rae	Moinet, DanielleDanielle Moinet	General Manager^[67]
Paige !Paige	Bevis, Saraya-JadeSaraya-Jade Bevis	^[68]

Referees [link]

Ring name	Real name	Role
Harris, Marc !Marc Harris	Smith, Tony !Tony Smith	^[69]
Zapata, Rod !Rod Zapata	Vista, Rod !Rod Vista	Also referees the main roster^[70]^[71]
Tran, Ryan !Ryan Tran	Nguyen, Brian !Brian Nguyen	^[72]

Staff [link]

Ring name	Real name	Role
DeMott, Bill !Bill DeMott	DeMott, BillBill DeMott	Training Staff^[73]
Russo, Chris !Chris Russo	Russo, Chris !Chris Russo	Commentator Also appears on NXT
Rhodes, Dusty !Dusty Rhodes	Runnels, Jr., VirgilVirgil Runnels, Jr.	Creative Staff Also appears on NXT^[74]
Naylor, Rob !Rob Naylor	Naylor, RobRob Naylor	Creative Staff^[75]
Mercury, Joey !Joey Mercury	Birch, AdamAdam Birch	Training Staff^[76]
Smiley, Norman !Norman Smiley	Smiley, NormanNorman Smiley	Training Staff^[77]
Steamboat, Ricky !Ricky Steamboat	Blood, Sr., RichardRichard Blood, Sr.	Training Staff^[78]
Keirn, Steve !Steve "Skinner" Keirn	Keirn, SteveSteve Keirn	President^[79]

FCW Alumni [link]

The following is a list of FCW alumni active on WWE's main roster:

Aiden English	AJ	Aksana
Alberto Del Rio	Alex Riley	Alicia Fox
Bo Dallas	Bray Wyatt	Brodus Clay
Byron Saxton	Camacho	CJ Parker
Conor O'Brian	Corey Graves	Darren Young
Dante Dash	David Otunga	Derrick Bateman
Dolph Ziggler	Drew McIntyre	Epico
Evan Bourne	Ezekiel Jackson	Heath Slater
Hunico	Jack Swagger	Jake Carter
Jason Jordan	Jey Uso	Jimmy Uso
Jiro	Jinder Mahal	Johnny Curtis
Justin Gabriel	Justin King	Kassius Ohno
Kaitlyn	Kenneth Cameron	Kofi Kingston
Leo Kruger	Mason Ryan	Mike Dalton
Michael McGillicutty	Natalya	Nick Rogers
Percy Watson	Primo	Ricardo Rodriguez
Richie Steamboat	Rick Victor	Rosa Mendes
Ryback	Seth Rollins	Sheamus
Tamina Snuka	Ted DiBiase

References [link]

^ ^a ^b "Florida Championship Wrestling unveils new arena in Tampa, Fla.". WWE. July 7, 2008. http://www.wwe.com/inside/news/7596266. Retrieved July 8, 2008. "From the birth of the promotion in the 1960s, until 1987, “Florida Championship Wrestling” was regarded as one of the premier wrestling territories in the country...Florida Championship Wrestling is now an official developmental territory of World Wrestling Entertainment. FCW and the WWE are proud to bring back Florida Championship Wrestling."
^ "About Us". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/about.html. Retrieved April 11, 2011.
^ "About page". Florida Championship Wrestling. Archived from the original on February 11, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080211182858/http://www.fcwwrestling.com/site_about_us.htm. Retrieved October 24, 2007.
^ ^a ^b "WWE Ceases affiliation with Ohio Valley Wrestling". WWE. February 6, 2008. http://corporate.wwe.com/news/2008/2008_02_07.jsp. Retrieved February 6, 2008.
^ Fox, Geoff (September 8, 2007). "Area Wrestling Will Continue Under A New State Banner". The Tampa Tribune. http://pasco.tbo.com/pasco/MGBDHS2GB6F.html. Retrieved October 24, 2007.
^ "WWE ends relationship with DSW". WWE. http://www.wwe.com/inside/news/archive/dsw. Retrieved October 24, 2007.
^ "FCW 2007 results". Online World of Wrestling. http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/fcw/_2007/. Retrieved October 24, 2007.
^ Wojcik, Alan J.. "Results from Florida on 2/5". Online World of Wrestling. http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/2008/02/06/fcw-wwe-results-from-florida-on-25/. Retrieved April 6, 2008.
^ Wojcik, Alan J.. "Results from Tampa on 2/15". Online World of Wrestling. http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/2008/02/17/fcw-wwe-results-from-tampa-on-215/. Retrieved April 6, 2008.
^ Wojcik, Alan J.. "Results from Florida on 2/23". Online World of Wrestling. http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/2008/02/24/fcw-wwe-results-from-florida-on-223/. Retrieved April 6, 2008.
^ "FCW Southern Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-Titles. http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/fl/fcw/fcw-h.html. Retrieved April 6, 2008.
^ Gray, Richard. "Breaking News – Steve Keirn Says There Is “No Truth” To FCW Shutting Down Rumor". Wrestling World News.. http://www.wrestlingnewsworld.com/breaking-news-steve-keirn-says-there-is-no-truth-to-fcw-shutting-down-rumor/. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
^ "Superstar of the Week: Seth Rollins". fcwwrestling.com. Archived from the original on February 6, 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/5wIVOfgkR. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
^ Alvarez, Bryan (September 23, 2011). "Fri update: WWE survey on moving Mania to WWE Network, another wacky WWE show, Jones vs. Rampage odds, win a call from Jay Briscoe, new TNA girl identified, ROH affiliate list for this weekend's TV, full weekend schedule, tons more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/3-news/22292-fri-update-wwe-survey-on-moving-mania-to-wwe-network-another-wacky-wwe-show-jones-vs-rampage-odds-win-a-call-from-jay-briscoe-new-tna-girl-identified-roh-affiliate-list-for-this-weekends-tv-full-weekend-schedule-tons-more. Retrieved September 23, 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "FCW 2007 results". Online World of Wrestling. http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/fcw/2007.html. Retrieved October 24, 2007.
^ "FCW 2008 results". Online World of Wrestling. http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/fcw/2008.html. Retrieved February 17, 2008.
^ ^a ^b "March 22, 2008 FCW results". fcwwrestling.com. http://www.fcwwrestling.com/main.htm. Retrieved March 24, 2008.
^ "A. W.". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/abrahamwashington1.html. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
^ "A. W.". WWE. http://www.wwe.com/superstars/a-w. Retrieved April 25, 2012.
^ "Adam Mercer". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/adammercer1.html. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
^ "Aiden English". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/aidenenglish1.html. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
^ "Alexander Rusev". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/alexanderrusev1.html. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
^ "Antonio Cesaro". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/cesaro1.html. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
^ "Benicio Salazar". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/salazar1.html. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
^ "Big E Langston". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/bigelangston1.html. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
^ "Bo Rotundo". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/borotundo1.html. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
^ "Brad Maddox". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/bradmaddox1.html. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
^ "Husky Harris". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/huskyharris1.html. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
^ "Briley Pierce". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/brileypierce1.html. Retrieved May 2, 2011.
^ "Byron Saxton". WWE. http://www.wwe.com/superstars/byronsaxton/. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
^ "Byron Saxton". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/byronsaxton1.html. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
^ "CJ Parker". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/cjparker1.html. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
^ "Colin Cassady". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/colincassady1.html. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
^ "Conor O'Brian". WWE. http://www.wwe.com/superstars/conorobrian/. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
^ "Conor O'Brian". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/conorobrian1.html. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
^ "Corey Graves". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/graves1.html. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
^ "Damien Sandow". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/damiensandow1.html. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
^ "Dante Dash". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/dantedash1.html. Retrieved December 14, 2011.
^ "Dean Ambrose". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/deanambrose1.html. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
^ "DT Porter". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/dtporter1.html. Retrieved March 14, 2011.
^ "Eli Cottonwood". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/elicottonwood1.html. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
^ "Erick Rowan". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/erickrowan1.html. Retrieved February 22, 2011.
^ "Garret Dylan". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/garretdylan1.html. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
^ "Jake Carter". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/jakecarter1.html. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
^ "James Bronson". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/jamesbronson1.html. Retrieved August 13, 2010.
^ "Jason Jordan". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/jordan1.html. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
^ "Jiro". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/jiro1.html. Retrieved December 11, 2011.
^ "Kassius Ohno". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/kassiusohno1.html. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
^ "Kenneth Cameron". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/kennethcameron1.html. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
^ "Leakee". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/romanleakee1.html. Retrieved August 13, 2010.
^ "Leo Kruger". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/leokruger1.html. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
^ "Mike Dalton". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/mikedalton1.html. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
^ "Nick Rogers". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/nickrogers1.html. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
^ "Richie Steamboat". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/richiesteamboat1.html. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
^ "Rick Victor". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/rickvictor1.html. Retrieved February 22, 2011.
^ "Sakamoto". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/sakamoto1.html. Retrieved December 11, 2011.
^ "Seth Rollins". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/sethrollins1.html. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
^ "Sonny Elliot". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/sonnyelliot1.html. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
^ "Xavier Woods". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/xavierwoods1.html. Retrieved August 13, 2010.
^ "Audrey Marie". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/audreymarie1.html. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
^ "Cameron Lynn". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/cameronlynn1.html. Retrieved 2011.
^ "Caylee Turner". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/cayleeturner1.html. Retrieved 2011.
^ "Maxine". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/Maxine1.html. Retrieved 2009.
^ "Naomi". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/Naomi1.html. Retrieved 2009.
^ "Raquel Diaz". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/raqueldiaz1.html. Retrieved February 18, 2011.
^ "Sofia Cortez". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/sofiacortez1.html. Retrieved 2012.
^ "Summer Rae". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/summerrae1.html. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
^ "Paige". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/paige1.html. Retrieved 2012.
^ "Marc Harris". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/talent.html. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
^ "Rod Zapata". WWE. http://www.wwe.com/superstars/wwereferees/rodzapata/. Retrieved January 4, 2009.
^ "Rod Zapata". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/talent.html. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
^ "Ryan Tran". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/talent.html. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
^ "Bill DeMott". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/class.html. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
^ "Dusty Rhodes". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/class.html. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
^ "Rob Naylor". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/class.html. Retrieved May 9, 2012.
^ "Joey Mercury". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/class.html. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
^ "Norman Smiley". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/class.html. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
^ "Ricky Steamboat". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/class.html. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
^ "Steve Keirn". Florida Championship Wrestling. http://www.fcwwrestling.info/class.html. Retrieved July 4, 2010.

External links [link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Florida Championship Wrestling

v t e WWE, Inc.

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Programming	Raw NXT Superstars SmackDown Pay-per-view events Other current programming Former programming

Talent	Roster Divas Teams and stables Hall of Fame Alumni A–C D–H I–M N–R S–Z

Subsidiaries	WWE Video Library WWE Studios WWE Music Group WWE Home Video WWE Books WWE Magazine WWE Network

Defunct subsidiaries	World Bodybuilding Federation The World WWE Niagara Falls XFL

Notable acquisitions	World Championship Wrestling (History) Extreme Championship Wrestling (WWE brand) American Wrestling Association World Class Championship Wrestling

Developmental territories	Deep South Wrestling Florida Championship Wrestling (current) Heartland Wrestling Association International Wrestling Association Memphis Championship Wrestling Ohio Valley Wrestling

Accomplishments	Current champions Royal Rumble Money in the Bank King of the Ring Triple Crown Grand Slam Former championships

Draft	2002 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

See Also	McMahon wrestling family

Current WWE championships and accomplishments

Championships

World	WWE (reigns) World Heavyweight (reigns)

Secondary	Intercontinental (reigns) United States (reigns)

Divisional	Tag Team (reigns) Divas (reigns)

Other

WWE personnel

Main roster

Wrestlers

Tag teams
and stables

Commentators

English	Booker T Jim Ross Jerry Lawler Josh Mathews Matt Striker Michael Cole Scott Stanford William Regal

Spanish	Carlos Cabrera Marcelo Rodriguez

Ring announcers

Referees

Legends

Legends' House	Gene Okerlund Hacksaw Jim Duggan Hillbilly Jim Howard Finkel Jimmy Hart Roddy Piper Pat Patterson Tony Atlas

Ambassadors	Bret Hart Diamond Dallas Page Joey Styles Kevin Nash Mae Young Mick Foley "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase Sgt. Slaughter Shawn Michaels

NXT/FCW

Developmental wrestlers	Audrey Marie Big E Langston Bo Dallas Brad Maddox Bray Wyatt Briley Pierce Byron Saxton Caylee Turner Conor O'Brian Corey Graves Dean Ambrose Eli Cottonwood Jake Carter Jiro Kassius Ohno Leakee Leo Kruger Mike Dalton Paige Raquel Diaz Richie Steamboat Rick Victor Seth Rollins Sofia Cortez Summer Rae Xavier Woods

Staff	Dusty Rhodes Joey Mercury Norman Smiley Ricky Steamboat Steve Keirn Tom Prichard

Unassigned
employees

Professional wrestling in the United States

Active promotions

National promotions	WWE · Total Nonstop Action Wrestling · Ring of Honor

Notable independent promotions	Men: All Pro Wrestling · Chikara · Combat Zone Wrestling · Dory Funk’s Bang · Dragon Gate USA · East Coast Wrestling Association · Empire Wrestling Federation · Evolve · Florida Championship Wrestling · Full Impact Pro · Heartland Wrestling Association · Jersey All Pro Wrestling · Juggalo Championship Wrestling · Lucha Libre USA · Maryland Championship Wrestling · Memphis Wrestling · Ohio Valley Wrestling · Pro Wrestling Alliance · Pro Wrestling Guerrilla · Real Championship Wrestling · United Wrestling Federation · World Xtreme Wrestling · World League Wrestling · Wrestling Retribution Project Women: ChickFight · Professional Girl Wrestling Association · Shimmer Women Athletes · Women Superstars Uncensored · Wrestlicious

Governing bodies and interpromotional alliances	Global Professional Wrestling Alliance · National Wrestling Alliance

Defunct promotions

National promotions	World Championship Wrestling (Jim Crockett Promotions) · Extreme Championship Wrestling · American Wrestling Association

Notable former independent promotions and wrestling territories	Men: American Wrestling Federation · Championship Wrestling from Florida · Continental Championship Wrestling · Continental Wrestling Association · Deep South Wrestling · Georgia Championship Wrestling · Global Wrestling Federation · Hardcore Homecoming · Heart of America Sports Attractions/Central States Wrestling · Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South · International Championship Wrestling · International (World Class) Championship Wrestling · Major League Wrestling · Memphis Championship Wrestling · National Wrestling Federation · Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts · Pacific Northwest Wrestling/Portland Wrestling · Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling · Pro Wrestling USA · Smoky Mountain Wrestling · United States Wrestling Association · Universal Wrestling Federation (Bill Watts)/Mid-South Wrestling · Universal Wrestling Federation (Herb Abrams) · Windy City Pro Wrestling · World Wrestling Association (Indianapolis) · World Class Championship Wrestling · Wrestling Society X · Xcitement Wrestling Federation · Xtreme Pro Wrestling Women: Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling · Ladies Major League Wrestling · Ladies Professional Wrestling Association · Powerful Women of Wrestling · Women of Wrestling · Women's Extreme Wrestling · World Women's Wrestling

Governing bodies and interpromotional alliances	Pro Wrestling USA · Wrestling Superstars Live

http://wn.com/Florida_Championship_Wrestling

http://fr.wn.com/Florida Championship Wrestling

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http://it.wn.com/Florida Championship Wrestling

http://es.wn.com/Florida Championship Wrestling

This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Championship_Wrestling

This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.

This article is about the U.S. state of Florida. For other uses, see Florida (disambiguation).

State of Florida


Flag	Seal

Nickname(s): The Sunshine State

Motto(s): In God We Trust

State anthem: Florida, Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky

Official language(s)

English^[1]

Spoken language(s)

English 74.5%
Spanish 18.7%^[2]

Demonym

Floridian

Capital

Tallahassee

Largest city

Jacksonville

Largest metro area

South Florida metro area

Area

Ranked 22nd in the U.S.

- Total

65,755^[3] sq mi
(170,304^[3] km²)

- Width

361 miles (582 km)

- Length

447 miles (721 km)

- % water

17.9

- Latitude

24° 27′ N to 31° 00' N

- Longitude

80° 02′ W to 87° 38′ W

Population

Ranked 4th in the U.S.

- Total

19,057,542 (2011 est)^[3]

- Density

353.4/sq mi (136.4/km²)
Ranked 8th in the U.S.

Elevation

- Highest point

Britton Hill^[4]^[5]
345 ft (105 m)

- Mean

100 ft (30 m)

- Lowest point

Atlantic Ocean^[4]
sea level

Before statehood

Florida Territory

Admission to Union

March 3, 1845 (27th)

Governor

Rick Scott (R)

Lieutenant Governor

Jennifer Carroll (R)

Legislature

Florida Legislature

- Upper house

Senate

- Lower house

House of Representatives

U.S. Senators

Bill Nelson (D)
Marco Rubio (R)

U.S. House delegation

19 Republicans, 6 Democrats (list)

Time zones

- Peninsula and "Big Bend" region

Eastern: UTC -5/-4

- Panhandle west of the Apalachicola River

Central: UTC -6/-5

Abbreviations

FL Fla. US-FL

Website

www.myflorida.com

Florida State symbols

The Flag of Florida.

Animate insignia
Amphibian	Barking tree frog
Bird(s)	Northern Mockingbird
Butterfly	Zebra Longwing
Fish	Florida largemouth bass, Atlantic sailfish
Flower(s)	Orange blossom
Mammal(s)	Florida panther, Manatee, Bottle-nosed dolphin, Florida Cracker Horse^[6]
Reptile	American Alligator, Loggerhead turtle^[6]
Tree	Sabal Palmetto

Inanimate insignia
Beverage	Orange juice
Food	Key lime pie, Orange
Gemstone	Moonstone
Rock	agatized Coral
Shell	Horse conch
Soil	Myakka
Song(s)	"Old Folks at Home" ("Way Down Upon The Swanee River")

Route marker(s)


State Quarter

Released in 2004

Lists of United States state insignia

File:FlaCitiesMap.PNG

Map of Florida's incorporated municipalities

Florida (ⁱ/ˈflɒrɪdə/) is a state in the southeastern United States, bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. Florida is the 22nd most extensive, the 4th most populous, and the 8th most densely populated of the 50 United States. The state capital is Tallahassee, its largest city is Jacksonville, and the South Florida metropolitan area is the largest metropolitan area in the southeastern U.S.

Much of Florida is situated on a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Straits of Florida. Its geography is marked by a coastline, by the omnipresence of water and the threat of hurricanes. Florida has the longest coastline in the contiguous United States, encompassing approximately 1,350 miles (2,170 km), and is the only state to border both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Much of the state is at or near sea level and its terrain is characterized by sedimentary soils. The climate varies from subtropical in the north to tropical in the south.^[7] Its symbolic animals like the American alligator, Florida panther and the manatee, can be found in the Everglades, one of the most famous national parks in the world.

Since the first European contact was made in 1513 by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León – who named it La Florida ("Flowery Land") upon landing there during the Easter season, Pascua Florida^[8] – Florida was a challenge for the European colonial powers before it gained statehood in the United States in 1845. It was a principal location of the Seminole Wars against the Indians, and racial segregation after the American Civil War. Today, it is distinguished by its large Hispanic community, and high population growth, as well as its increasing environmental concerns. Its economy relies mainly on tourism, agriculture and transportation, which developed in the late 19th century. Florida is also known for its amusement parks, the production of oranges and the Kennedy Space Center.

Florida culture is a reflection of influences and multiple inheritance; Native American, European American, Hispanic and African American heritages can be found in the architecture and cuisine. Florida has attracted many writers such as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams, and continues to attract celebrities and athletes. It is internationally known for tennis, golf, auto racing and water sports.

1 History
2 Geography
3 Demographics
4 Governance
5 Health
6 Architecture
7 Economy
8 Education
- 8.1 State University System
- 8.2 Private universities
9 Infrastructure
- 9.1 Communication
- 9.2 Transportation
10 Sports
- 10.1 Auto-racing tracks
11 Sister states
12 See also
13 References
14 External links

History [link]

Main article: History of Florida

Juan Ponce de León

The five flags of Florida from the right, Spain (1565–1763), the Kingdom of Great Britain, Spain (1784–1821), the Confederacy, and the United States. France (flag not shown) also controlled part of Florida.

Bernard Picart copper plate engraving of Florida Indians, Circa 1721 "Ceremonies and Religious Dress of all the People of the World"^[9]

A Cracker cowboy, 19th century

The Battle of Olustee during the American Civil War in 1864

Winter in Florida, 1893

Soldiers and crowds in Downtown Miami 20 minutes after surrender during World War II (1945)

Archaeological research indicates that Florida was first inhabited by Paleo-Indians, the first human inhabitants of the Americas, perhaps as early as 14 thousand years ago. The region was continuously inhabited through the Archaic period (to about 2000 BC). After about 500 BC the previously relatively uniform Archaic culture began to coalesce into distinctive local cultures.^[10] By the 16th century, the earliest time for which there is a historical record, major Native American groups included the Apalachee (of the Florida Panhandle), the Timucua (of northern and central Florida), the Ais (of the central Atlantic coast), the Tocobaga (of the Tampa Bay area), the Calusa (of southwest Florida) and the Tequesta (of the southeastern coast).

Florida was the first part of what is now the continental United States to be visited by Europeans. The earliest known European explorers came with the Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León, who spotted the peninsula on April 2, 1513. According to his chroniclers, Ponce de León named the region La Florida ("flowery land") because it was then the Easter Season, known in Spanish as Pascua Florida (roughly "Flowery Easter"), and because the vegetation was in bloom.^[11] It is possible Juan Ponce de León was not the first European to reach Florida, however; reportedly, at least one indigenous tribesman whom he encountered in Florida in 1513 spoke Spanish.^[12] From 1513 onward, the land became known as "La Florida", although after 1630 and throughout the 18th century, Tegesta (after the Tequesta tribe) was an alternate name of choice for the Florida peninsula following publication of a map by the Dutch cartographer Hessel Gerritsz in Joannes de Laet's History of the New World.^[13]^[14]

Over the following century, both the Spanish and French established settlements in Florida with varying degrees of success. In 1559, Don Tristán de Luna y Arellano established a colony at present-day Pensacola, one of the first European attempts at settlement in the continental United States. It was abandoned by 1561 due to hurricanes, famine and warring tribes, and the area was not re-inhabited until the 1690s. French Protestant Huguenots founded Fort Caroline in modern-day Jacksonville in 1564. The following year, the Spanish colony of St. Augustine (San Agustín) was established, and forces from there conquered Fort Caroline that same year. The Spanish maintained tenuous control over the region by converting the local tribes, briefly with Jesuits and later with Franciscan friars.

The area of Spanish Florida diminished with the establishment of English colonies to the north and French colonies to the west. The English weakened Spanish power in the area by supplying their Creek and Yamasee allies with firearms and urging them to raid the Timucuan and Apalachee client-tribes of the Spanish. The English attacked St. Augustine, burning the city and its cathedral to the ground several times, while the citizens hid behind the walls of the Castillo de San Marcos.

Florida was attracting a large number of Africans and African Americans from British-occupied North America who sought freedom from slavery. Once in Florida, the Spanish Crown converted them to Roman Catholicism and gave them freedom. Those ex-slaves settled in a community north of St. Augustine, called Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose, the first freedom settlement of its kind in what became the United States. Many of those slaves were also welcomed by Creek and Seminole Native Americans who had established settlements there at the invitation of the Spanish government.

Great Britain gained control of Florida and other territory diplomatically in 1763 through the Peace of Paris. The British divided their new acquisitions into East Florida, with its capital at St. Augustine, and West Florida, with its capital at Pensacola. Britain tried to develop the Floridas through the importation of immigrants for labor, but this project ultimately failed. Spain received both Floridas after Britain's defeat by the American colonies and the subsequent Treaty of Versailles in 1783, continuing the division into East and West Florida. They offered land grants to anyone who settled in the colonies, and many Americans moved to them.

After settler attacks on Indian towns, Seminole Indians based in East Florida began raiding Georgia settlements, purportedly at the behest of the Spanish. The United States Army led increasingly frequent incursions into Spanish territory, including the 1817–1818 campaign against the Seminole Indians by Andrew Jackson that became known as the First Seminole War. Following the war, the United States effectively controlled East Florida. In 1819, by terms of the Adams-Onís Treaty, Spain ceded Florida to the United States in exchange for the American renunciation of any claims on Texas that they might have from the Louisiana Purchase and $5 million.

In 1830, the Indian Removal Act was passed and as settlement increased, pressure grew on the United States government to remove the Indians from their lands in Florida. To the chagrin of Georgia landowners, the Seminoles harbored and integrated runaway blacks, known as the Black Seminoles, and clashes between whites and Indians grew with the influx of new settlers. In 1832, the United States government signed the Treaty of Payne's Landing with some of the Seminole chiefs, promising them lands west of the Mississippi River if they agreed to leave Florida voluntarily. Many of the Seminoles left at this time, while those who remained prepared to defend their claims to the land. The U.S. Army arrived in 1835 to enforce the treaty under pressure from white settlers, and the Second Seminole War began at the end of the year with the Dade Massacre, when Seminoles ambushed and killed or mortally wounded all but one in a group of 110 Army troops, plus Major Dade and seven officers, marching from Fort Brooke (Tampa) to reinforce Fort King (Ocala).^[15] Between 900 and 1,500 Seminole Indian warriors employed guerrilla tactics against United States Army troops for seven years until 1842. The U.S. government is estimated to have spent between $20 million and $40 million on the war, at the time an astronomical sum.

The United States quarter dollar coin released March 29, 2004, in honor of the state of Florida.

On March 3, 1845, Florida became the 27th state of the United States of America, although initially its population grew slowly. White settlers continued to encroach on lands used by the Seminoles, and the United States government resolved to make another effort to move the remaining Seminoles to the West. The Third Seminole War lasted from 1855 to 1858, and resulted in the removal of most of the remaining Seminoles. Even after three bloody wars, the U.S. Army failed to force all of the Seminole Indians in Florida to the West.^[16] Though most of the Seminoles were forcibly exiled to Creek lands west of the Mississippi, hundreds, including Seminole leader Aripeka (Sam Jones), remained in the Everglades and refused to leave the native homeland of their ancestors. Their descendants remain there to this day.

White settlers began to establish cotton plantations in Florida, which required numerous laborers. By 1860 Florida had only 140,424 people, of whom 44% were enslaved. There were fewer than 1000 free African Americans before the Civil War.^[17]

On January 10, 1861, before the start of the American Civil War, Florida declared its secession from the Union; ten days later, the state became a founding member of the Confederate States of America. The war ended in 1865. On June 25, 1868, Florida's congressional representation was restored. After Reconstruction, white Democrats succeeded in regaining power in the state legislature. In 1885 they created a new constitution, followed by statutes through 1889 that effectively disfranchised most blacks and many poor whites over the next several years. Provisions included poll taxes, literacy tests, and residency requirements. Disfranchisement for most African Americans in the state persisted until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s gained federal legislation to protect their suffrage.

Until the mid-20th century, Florida was the least populous Southern state. In 1900 its population was only 528,542, of whom nearly 44% were African American.^[18] The boll weevil devastated cotton crops, and early 20th century lynchings and racial violence caused a record number of African Americans to leave the state in the Great Migration to northern and midwestern industrial cities. Forty thousand blacks, roughly one-fifth of their 1900 population, left for better opportunities.^[19] Economic prosperity in the 1920s stimulated tourism to Florida. Combined with its sudden elevation in profile was the Florida land boom of the 1920s, which brought a brief period of intense land development. Devastating hurricanes in 1926 and 1928, followed by the stock market crash and Great Depression, brought that period to a halt.

Florida's economy did not fully recover until the buildup for World War II. The climate, tempered by the growing availability of air conditioning, and low cost of living made the state a haven. Migration from the Rust Belt and the Northeast sharply increased the population after the war. In recent decades, more migrants have come for the jobs in a developing economy. With a population of more than 18 million according to the 2010 census, Florida is the most populous state in the Southeastern United States, the second most populous state in the South behind Texas, and the fourth most populous in the United States.

St. Augustine is the oldest city in the United States, established in 1565 by Spain
Key West Historic District
Historic Ybor City in Tampa
The Downtown Miami Historic District has some of the oldest buildings in Miami
Miami Art Deco District, built throughout the 1920-1930s

Geography [link]

A map of Florida showing county names and boundaries

Main article: Geography of Florida

Much of the state of Florida is situated on a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean and the Straits of Florida. Spanning two time zones, it extends to the northwest into a panhandle, extending along the northern Gulf of Mexico. It is bordered on the north by the states of Georgia and Alabama, and on the west, at the end of the panhandle, by Alabama. It is near several Caribbean countries, particularly The Bahamas and Cuba. Florida is one of the largest states east of the Mississippi River, and only Alaska and Michigan are larger in water area.

At 345 feet (105 m) above mean sea level, Britton Hill is the highest point in Florida and the lowest highpoint of any U.S. state.^[20] Much of the state south of Orlando is low-lying and fairly level; however, some places, such as Clearwater, feature vistas that rise 50 to 100 feet (15 – 30 m) above the water. Much of Central and North Florida, typically 25 miles (40 km) or more away from the coastline, features rolling hills with elevations ranging from 100 to 250 feet (30 – 76 m). The highest point in peninsular Florida, Sugarloaf Mountain, is a 312-foot (95 m) peak in Lake County.^[21]

Boundaries [link]

The state line begins in the Atlantic Ocean, traveling west, south, and north up the thalweg of the Saint Mary's River. At the origin of that river, it then follows a straight line nearly due west and slightly north, to the point where the confluence of the Flint River (from Georgia) and the Chattahoochee River (down the Alabama/Georgia line) used to form Florida's Apalachicola River. (Since Woodruff Dam was built, this point has been under Lake Seminole.) The border with Georgia continues north through the lake for a short distance up the former thalweg of the Chattahoochee, then with Alabama runs due west along latitude 31°N to the Perdido River, then south along its thalweg to the Gulf via Perdido Bay. The water boundary is 3 nautical miles (3.5 mi; 5.6 km) offshore in the Atlantic Ocean^[22] and 9 nautical miles (10 mi; 17 km) offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.^[22] Much of the state is at or near sea level.

Climate [link]

Main article: Climate of Florida

Hurricane Andrew bearing down on Florida on August 23, 1992.

The climate of Florida is tempered somewhat by the fact that no part of the state is very distant from the ocean. North of Lake Okeechobee, the prevalent climate is humid subtropical (Köppen: Cfa), while coastal areas south of the lake (including the Florida Keys) have a true tropical climate (Köppen: Aw).^[23] Mean high temperatures for late July are primarily in the low 90s Fahrenheit (32–34 °C). Mean low temperatures for early to mid January range from the low 40s Fahrenheit (4–7 °C) in northern Florida to the mid-50s (≈13 °C) in southern Florida. With an average daily temperature of 70.7 °F (21.5 °C), it is the warmest state in the country.^[24]

In the summer, high temperatures in the state seldom exceed 100 °F (38 °C). Several record cold maxima have been in the 30s °F (−1 to 4 °C) and record lows have been in the 10s (−12 to −7 °C). These temperatures normally extend at most a few days at a time in the northern and central parts of Florida. Southern Florida, however, rarely encounters freezing temperatures.

The hottest temperature ever recorded in Florida was 109 °F (43 °C), which was set on June 29, 1931 in Monticello. The coldest temperature was −2 °F (−19 °C), on February 13, 1899, just 25 miles (40 km) away, in Tallahassee.

Due to the tropical climate Florida rarely receives snow. However, on very rare occasions, a combination of cold moisture and freezing temperatures can result in snowfall. Frost is more common than snow, occurring several times during the winter months.

Snowball fight on the Florida State Capitol Building in Tallahassee on February 13, 1899

The USDA Plant hardiness zones for the state range from zone 8a (no colder than 10 °F (−12 °C)) in the inland western panhandle to zone 11 (no colder than 40 °F (4 °C)) in the lower Florida Keys.^[25]

Florida's nickname is the "Sunshine State", but severe weather is a common occurrence in the state. Central Florida is known as the lightning capital of the United States, as it experiences more lightning strikes than anywhere else in the country. ^[26] Florida has the highest average precipitation of any state,^{[citation needed]} in large part because afternoon thunderstorms are common in most of the state from late spring until early autumn. A narrow eastern part of the state including Orlando and Jacksonville receives between 2,400 and 2,800 hours of sunshine annually. The rest of the state, including Miami, receives between 2,800 and 3,200 hours annually.^[27]

Florida leads the United States in tornadoes per area (when including waterspouts)^[28] but they do not typically reach the intensity of those in the Midwest and Great Plains. Hail often accompanies the most severe thunderstorms.

Hurricanes pose a severe threat during hurricane season, which lasts from June 1 to November 30, although some storms have been known to form out of season. Florida is the most hurricane-prone state, with subtropical or tropical water on a lengthy coastline. From 1851 to 2006, Florida has been struck by 114 hurricanes, 37 of them major—category 3 and above.^[29] It is rare for a hurricane season to pass without any impact in the state by at least a tropical storm. For storms, category 4 or higher, 83% have either hit Florida or Texas.^[29] August to October is the most likely period for a hurricane in Florida.

In 2004, Florida was hit by a record four hurricanes. Hurricanes Charley (August 13), Frances (September 4–5), Ivan (September 16), and Jeanne (September 25–26) cumulatively cost the state's economy $42 billion. Additionally, the four storms caused an estimated $45 billion in damage. ^[30] In 2005, Hurricane Dennis (July 10) became the fifth storm to strike Florida within eleven months. Later, Hurricane Katrina (August 25) passed through South Florida and Hurricane Rita (September 20) swept through the Florida Keys. Hurricane Wilma (October 24) made landfall near Cape Romano, just south of Marco Island, finishing another very active hurricane season. Wilma is the second most expensive hurricane in Florida history, due in part to a five year window in which to file claims.^[31]

Florida was the site of the second costliest weather disaster in U.S. history, Hurricane Andrew, which caused more than $25 billion in damage when it struck on August 24, 1992. In a long list of other infamous hurricane strikes are the 1926 Miami hurricane, the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane, the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, Hurricane Donna in 1960, and Hurricane Opal in 1995. Recent research suggests the number of storms are part of a natural cycle which rises in some years, falls in others.^[32]^[33]

Average High and Low temperatures for various Florida Cities
City	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Jacksonville^[34]	65/42	68/45	74/50	79/55	86/63	90/70	92/73	91/73	87/69	80/61	74/51	67/44
Key West^[35]	75/65	76/66	79/69	82/72	85/76	88/78	89/80	90/80	88/78	85/76	80/71	76/67
Melbourne^[36]	72/51	73/53	77/57	81/61	85/67	88/71	90/73	90/73	88/72	83/67	78/60	73/53
Miami^[37]	76/60	78/62	80/65	83/68	87/73	89/76	91/77	91/77	89/76	86/73	82/68	78/63
Orlando^[36]	71/49	74/52	78/56	83/60	88/66	91/72	92/74	92/74	90/73	85/66	78/59	73/52
Pensacola^[38]	61/43	64/46	70/51	76/58	84/66	89/72	90/74	90/74	87/70	80/60	70/50	63/45
Tallahassee^[39]	64/39	68/42	74/47	80/52	87/62	91/70	92/72	92/72	89/68	82/57	73/48	66/41
Tampa^[40]	70/51	73/54	77/58	81/62	88/69	90/74	90/75	91/76	89/74	85/67	78/60	72/54

The Royal Poinciana grows in South Florida and blooms in the winter, an indication of South Florida's tropical climate
Summer afternoon showers from the Everglades traveling eastward over Downtown Miami
Fall foliage occurs annually in North and Central Florida.
Snow is uncommon in Florida, but has occurred in every major Florida city at least once.
Winter in Miami. Miami's mild winters make it a major tourist destination in the winter.

Fauna [link]

Further information: List of mammals of Florida

American Alligator in the Florida Everglades

Florida is host to many types of wildlife including:

Marine Mammals: Bottlenose Dolphin, Short-finned Pilot Whale, North Atlantic Right Whale, West Indian Manatee
Mammals: Florida panther, Northern River Otter, Mink, Eastern Cottontail Rabbit, Marsh Rabbit, Raccoon, Striped Skunk, Squirrel, White-tailed deer, Key Deer, Bobcats, Gray Fox, Coyote, Wild Boar, Florida Black Bear, Nine-banded Armadillos
Reptiles: Eastern Diamondback and Pygmy Rattlesnakes, Gopher Tortoise, Green and Leatherback Sea Turtles, and Eastern Indigo Snake. In 2012, there were about one million American Alligators and 1,500 Crocodiles.^[41]
Birds: Bald Eagle, Northern Caracara, Snail Kite, Osprey, White and Brown Pelicans, Sea Gulls, Whooping and Sandhill Cranes, Roseate Spoonbill, Florida Scrub Jay (state endemic), and others. One subspecies of Wild Turkey, Meleagris gallopavo, namely subspecies osceola, is found only in the state of Florida.^[42] The state is a wintering location for many species of eastern North American birds.
Invertebrates: carpenter ants, termites, American cockroach, Africanized bees, the Miami blue butterfly, and the grizzled mantis.

The only known calving area for the Northern Right Whale is off the coasts of Florida and Georgia.^[43]

The native bear population has risen from a historic low of 300 in the 1970s, to 3,000 in 2011.^[44]

Since their accidental importation from South America into North America in the 1930s, the Red imported fire ant population has increased its territorial range to include most of the Southern United States, including Florida. They are more aggressive than most native ant species and have a painful sting.^[45]

A number of non-native snakes and lizards have been released in the wild. In 2010 the state created a hunting season for Burmese and Indian pythons, African rock pythons, green anacondas, and Nile monitor lizards.^[46] Green iguanas have also established a firm population in the southern part of the state.

Key Deer in the lower Florida Keys
The Florida Scrub Jay is found only in Florida.
West Indian Manatee
Florida Panther, native of South Florida
Babyleatherbackseaturtle.jpg

Leatherback Sea Turtle
Whooping Crane

Environmental issues [link]

Main article: Environment of Florida

File:Crandon Park Modified.jpg

The beaches of Key Biscayne in Miami

Florida is a low per capita energy user.^[47] It is estimated that approximately 4% of energy in the state is generated through renewable resources.^[48] Florida's energy production is 6% of the nation's total energy output, while total production of pollutants is lower, with figures of 5.6% for nitrogen oxide, 5.1% for carbon dioxide, and 3.5% for sulfur dioxide.^[48]

It is believed that significant petroleum resources are located off Florida's western coast in the Gulf of Mexico, but that region has been closed to exploration since 1981.^[49]

Red tide has been an issue on the southwest coast of Florida, as well as other areas. While there has been a great deal of conjecture over the cause of the toxic algae bloom, there is no evidence that it is being caused by pollution or that there has been an increase in the duration or frequency of red tides.^[50]

The Florida panther is close to extinction. A record 23 were killed in 2009 predominately by automobile collisions, leaving only about 100 individuals in the wild. The Center for Biological Diversity and others have therefore called for a special protected area for the panther to be established.^[51] Manatees are also dying at a rate higher than their reproduction.

Prior to instituting controlled burns, the state forests and pastures burned for months during the dry season. From the 1940s to the 1970s, the state and federal government assumed control of burning that largely prevented uncontrolled fires.^[52] In 2010, the state burned a record 2,600,000 acres (11,000 km²).^[53]

Recycling [link]

The recycling rate in Florida is estimated at 28% in 2000.^[54] In 2008, The Energy, Climate Change, and Economic Security Act of 2008 set a goal of progressively improving recycling to reach a 75 percent rate by the year 2020.

It directs public entities (schools, state and local public agencies) to report the amount they recycle annually to their counties. Private businesses are encouraged (but not mandated) to report the amount they recycle to their counties. Finally, the section directs DEP to create the Recycling Business Assistance Center.^[55] Under the new law, each county must implement a recyclable materials recycling program that shall have a goal of recycling recyclable solid waste by 40 percent by December 31, 2012, 50 percent by 2014, 60 percent by 2016, 70 percent by 2018, and 75 percent by 2020.^[56] The county with the highest recycling rate is Lee County with a 43% recycling rate as of 2008.^[57]

Geology [link]

Topographic map of Florida

The Florida peninsula is a porous plateau of karst limestone sitting atop bedrock known as the Florida Platform. The emergent portion of the platform was created during the Eocene to Oligocene as the Gulf Trough filled with silts, clays, and sands. Flora and fauna began appearing during the Miocene. No land animals were present in Florida prior to the Miocene.

The largest deposits of potash in the United States are found in Florida.^[58]

Extended systems of underwater caves, sinkholes and springs are found throughout the state and supply most of the water used by residents. The limestone is topped with sandy soils deposited as ancient beaches over millions of years as global sea levels rose and fell. During the last glacial period, lower sea levels and a drier climate revealed a much wider peninsula, largely savanna.^[59] The Everglades, an enormously wide, very slow-flowing river encompasses the southern tip of the peninsula. Sinkhole damage claims on property in the state exceeded a total of $2 billion from 2006 through 2010.^[60]

Florida is tied for last place^[61] as having the fewest earthquakes of any US state.^[62] Because Florida is not located near any tectonic plate boundaries, earthquakes are very rare, but not totally unknown.

The 1755 Lisbon earthquake triggered a tsunami that would have struck Central Florida with an estimated 5-foot (1.5 m) wave.^[63]

In January, 1879, a shock of Mercalli intensity scale VI occurred near St. Augustine. There were reports of heavy shaking that knocked plaster from walls and articles from shelves. Similar effects were noted at Daytona Beach 50 miles (80 km) south. The tremor was felt as far south as Tampa and as far north as Savannah, Georgia.

In January 1880, Cuba was the center of two strong earthquakes that sent severe shock waves through the city of Key West, Florida.^[64]

The shock from the 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, earthquake was felt throughout northern Florida, ringing church bells at St. Augustine and severely jolting other towns along that section of Florida's east coast. Jacksonville residents felt many of the strong aftershocks that occurred in September, October, and November 1886.^[65]

In 2006, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake centered about 260 miles (420 km) southwest of Tampa in the Gulf of Mexico sent shock waves through southwest and central Florida. The earthquake was too small to trigger a tsunami and no damage was reported.^[66]|

Everglades National Park in Southern Florida
Bahia Honda in the Florida Keys
Ocala National Forest in North Florida

Demographics [link]

Main article: Demographics of Florida

Population [link]

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1830	34,730	—
1840	54,477	56.9%
1850	87,445	60.5%
1860	140,424	60.6%
1870	187,748	33.7%
1880	269,493	43.5%
1890	391,422	45.2%
1900	528,542	35.0%
1910	752,619	42.4%
1920	968,470	28.7%
1930	1,468,211	51.6%
1940	1,897,414	29.2%
1950	2,771,305	46.1%
1960	4,951,560	78.7%
1970	6,789,443	37.1%
1980	9,746,324	43.6%
1990	12,937,926	32.7%
2000	15,982,378	23.5%
2010	18,801,310	17.6%
Sources: 1910–2010^[67]

The United States Census Bureau estimates that the population of Florida was 19,057,542 on July 1, 2011, a 1.36% increase since the 2010 United States Census.^[68] The center of population of Florida is located in Polk County, in the town of Lake Wales.^[69] As of 2009, Florida's population was estimated to be 18,537,969. The state grew 128,814, or 0.7% from 2007. Using the latest population estimates, Florida is the nation's thirtieth-fastest-growing state. During Florida's recent peak growth year of 2005, it was the nation's fifth fastest growing state and grew at an annual rate of 2.2%.^[70]

About two-thirds of the population was born in another state, the second highest in the country.^[71]

The state had the third largest illegal immigrant population in the country in 2009.^[72] In 2010, illegal immigrants constituted an estimated 5.7% of the population. This was the sixth highest percentage of any state in the country.^[73]^[74] There were an estimated 675,000 illegal immigrants in the state in 2010.^[75]

There were 186,102 military retirees living in the state in 2008.^[76]

Racial makeup [link]

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Florida had a population of 18,801,310. In terms of race and ethnicity, the state was:

75.0% White (57.9% Non-Hispanic White alone)
16.0% Black or African American
0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
2.4% Asian
0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
3.6% from Some Other Race
2.5% from Two or More Races
Hispanics and Latinos of any race made up 22.5% of the population.^[77]

Ancestry groups [link]

The largest reported ancestries in the 2000 Census were German (11.8%), Irish (10.3%), English (9.2%), American (8%), Italian (6.3%), Cuban (5.2%), Puerto Rican (3.0%) French (2.8%), Polish (2.7%) and Scottish (1.8%).^[78]

In the 2000 Census, 1,278,586 people in Florida self-identified as having "American" ancestry, most of these people are of English descent and some are of Scots-Irish descent however have families that have been in the state so long, in many cases since the colonial period, that they choose to identify simply as having "American" ancestry or do not in fact know their own ancestry.^[78]^[79]^[80]^[81]^[82]^[83] In the 1980 United States census the largest ancestry group reported in Florida was English with 2,232,514 Floridians citing that they were of English or mostly English ancestry.^[84] Their ancestry primarily goes back to the original thirteen colonies and for this reason many of them today simply claim "American" ancestry, though they are of predominately English stock. They were followed by Irish at 1,617,433.

Before the American Civil War, when slavery was legal, and during the Reconstruction era that followed, blacks made up nearly half of the state's population.^[85] Their proportion declined over the next century, as many moved north in the Great Migration while large numbers of northern whites moved to the state. In 1970, non-Hispanic whites were nearly 80% of Florida's population.^[86] Recently, the state's proportion of black residents has begun to grow again. Today, large concentrations of black residents can be found in northern Florida (notably in Jacksonville, Gainesville, Tallahassee, and Pensacola), the Tampa Bay area, the Orlando area, especially in Orlando and Sanford.

Florida's Hispanic population includes large communities of Cuban Americans in Miami and Tampa, Puerto Ricans in Orlando and Tampa, and Central American migrant workers in inland West-Central and South Florida. The Hispanic community continues to grow more affluent and mobile.

White Americans of all European backgrounds are present in all areas of the state. Those of English and Irish ancestry are present in large numbers in all the urban/suburban areas across the state. Native white Floridians, especially those who have descended from long-time Florida families, affectionately refer to themselves as "Florida crackers". Like whites in most of the other Southern states, they descend mainly from English and Scots-Irish settlers, as well as some other British settlers.^[87]

Cities and metropolitan areas [link]

File:Floridamap2.png

Largest cities in Florida and Metropolitan Statistical Areas

Florida's population density

Largest cities in Florida
Rank	City	Year of Incorporation	Metropolitan Area	Population (2010 census)	Population Density (people per mi²)	City's Size (mi²)
1	Jacksonville	1832	Greater Jacksonville	&10000000000821784000000821,784	&100000000000010615999991,061.6	&10000000000000885000000885
2	Miami	1896	Miami-South Florida	&10000000000408568000000408,568	&1000000000001213950000012,139.5	&1000000000000005529999955.3
3	Tampa	1855	Tampa Bay	&10000000000335709000000335,709	&100000000000029695999992,969.6	&10000000000000170599999170.6
4	Saint Petersburg	1903	Tampa Bay	&10000000000244769000000244,769	&100000000000018000000001,800	&10000000000000137599999137.6
5	Orlando	1885	Greater Orlando	&10000000000238300000000238,300	&100000000000023273000002,327.3	&10000000000000110700000110.7
6	Hialeah	1925	Miami-South Florida	&10000000000224669000000224,669	&1000000000001170120000011,701.2	&1000000000000001969999919.7
7	Tallahassee	1825	Tallahassee	&10000000000181376000000181,376	&100000000000018092999991,809.3	&10000000000000103099999103.1
8	Fort Lauderdale	1911	Miami-South Florida	&10000000000165521000000165,521	&100000000000052218000005,221.8	&1000000000000003600000036.0
9	Port Saint Lucie	1961	Port St. Lucie	&10000000000164603000000164,603	&100000000000014445000001,444.5	&1000000000000007670000076.7
10	Pembroke Pines	1960	Miami-South Florida	&10000000000154750000000154,750	&100000000000046718999994,671.9	&1000000000000003439999934.4

Largest metropolitan areas in Florida
Rank	Metropolitan area	Population
1	Miami-South Florida	5,564,635
2	Tampa Bay	2,783,243
3	Greater Orlando	2,134,411
4	Greater Jacksonville	1,345,596
5	Bradenton-Sarasota	702,281

The largest metropolitan area in the state as well as the entire southeastern United States is the South Florida metropolitan area, with about 5.5 million people. The Tampa Bay area, with over 2.7 million people, is the second largest metro area and Greater Orlando, with over 2.1 million people, is the third.

Florida has twenty Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Thirty-nine of Florida's sixty-seven counties are in an MSA. Reflecting the distribution of population in Florida, Metropolitan areas in the state are concentrated around the coast of the peninsula. They form a continuous band on the east coast of Florida, stretching from the Jacksonville MSA to the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach MSA, including every county on the east coast, with the exception of Monroe County. There is also a continuous band of MSAs on the west coast of the peninsula from the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater MSA to the Naples-Marco Island MSA, including all of the coastal counties from Hernando County to Collier County. The interior of the northern half of the peninsula also has several MSAs, connecting the east and west coast MSAs. A few MSAs are scattered across the Florida panhandle.

Downtown Miami
Downtown Tampa
Downtown Orlando
Downtown Jacksonville
Sarasota Florida - 83d40m - from mainland across bay front to Gulf of Mexico - new bridge.JPG

Downtown Sarasota

Languages [link]

First settled by the Spanish in the 16th century, today, 19% of Floridians speak Spanish, and is the most widely taught second language.

As of 2005, 74.54% of Florida residents age 5 and older spoke English at home as a first language, while 18.65% spoke Spanish, and French Creole (almost entirely Haitian Creole) was spoken by 1.73% of the population. In all, 25.45% of Florida's population age 5 and older spoke a language other than English.^[88]

Florida's public education system identified over 150 first languages other than English spoken in the homes of students.^{[citation needed]} In 1990, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) won a class action lawsuit against the state Florida Department of Education that required educators to be trained in teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).^{[citation needed]}

Article II, Section 9, of the Florida Constitution provides that "English is the official language of the State of Florida." This provision was adopted in 1988 by a vote following an Initiative Petition.

Religion [link]

As of the year 2000, the three largest denominational groups in Florida are Catholic, Evangelical Protestant, and Mainline Protestant.^[89]

Florida is mostly Protestant, but Roman Catholicism is the single largest denomination in the state. There is also a sizable Jewish community, located mainly in South Florida; this is the largest Jewish population in the south and the third largest in the country behind New York and California.^[90] Florida's current religious affiliations are shown in the table below:^[91]

Roman Catholic, 26%
Protestant, 48%
- Baptist, 9%
- Methodist, 6%
- Pentecostal, 3%
Jewish, 3%
Jehovah's Witness, 1%
Muslim, 1%
Orthodox, 1%
other religions, 1%
non-religious, 16%

Governance [link]

Main article: Government of Florida

Florida Capitol buildings.

The basic structure, duties, function, and operations of the government of the state of Florida are defined and established by the Florida Constitution, which establishes the basic law of the state and guarantees various rights and freedoms of the people. The state government consists of three separate branches: judicial, executive, and legislative. The legislature enacts bills, which, if signed by the governor, become Florida Statutes.

The Florida Legislature comprises the Florida Senate, which has 40 members, and the Florida House of Representatives, which has 120 members. The current Governor of Florida is Rick Scott. The Florida Supreme Court consists of a Chief Justice and six Justices.

There are 67 Counties in Florida, but some reports show only 66 because of Duval County, which is consolidated with the City of Jacksonville. There are 379 cities in Florida (out of 411) that report regularly to the Florida Department of Revenue, but there are other incorporated municipalities that do not. The primary source of revenue for the state government is sales tax (Florida does not impose a personal income tax), but the primary revenue source for cities and counties is property tax.

Political history [link]

From 1885 to 1889, the state legislature passed statutes with provisions to reduce voting by blacks and poor whites, which had threatened white Democratic power with a populist coalition. As these groups were stripped from voter rolls, white Democrats established power in a one-party state, as happened across the South. In 1900 African Americans comprised 44% of the state's population,^[92] the same proportion as before the Civil War, but they were effectively disfranchised. From 1877 to 1948, Florida voted for the Democratic candidate for president in every election except for the 1928 election.

The Florida Supreme Court

In response to segregation, disfranchisement and agricultural depression, many African Americans migrated from Florida to northern cities in the Great Migration, in waves from 1910–1940, and again starting in the later 1940s. They moved for jobs, better education for their children and the chance to vote and participate in society. Given migration of other groups into Florida (as noted in other sections of this article), by 1960 the proportion of African Americans in the state had declined to 18%.^[93]

Further information: Political party strength in Florida

Since 1952, despite having a majority of registered Democrats, the state has voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election except for the 1964, 1976, and 1996 elections, when the Democrat was from the South, and the 2008 election, which was the first time since Franklin D. Roosevelt that Florida had voted for a Northern Democrat. The first post-reconstruction Republican congressional representative was elected in 1954.^[94] The state's first post-reconstruction Republican senator was elected in 1968,^[95] two years after the first post-reconstruction Republican governor.^[96]

**Presidential elections results**
Year	Republican	Democratic
2008	48.22% 4,045,624	50.96% 4,282,074
2004	52.10% 3,964,522	47.09% 3,583,544
2000	48.85% 2,912,790	48.84% 2,912,253
1996	42.32% 2,244,536	48.02% 2,546,870
1992	40.89% 2,173,310	39.00% 2,072,698
1988	60.87% 2,618,885	38.51% 1,656,701
1984	65.32% 2,730,350	34.66% 1,448,816
1980	55.52% 2,046,951	38.50% 1,419,475
1976	46.64% 1,469,531	51.93% 1,636,000
1972	71.91% 1,857,759	27.80% 718,117
1968	40.53% 886,804	30.93% 676,794
1964	48.85% 905,941	51.15% 948,540
1960	51.51% 795,476	48.49% 748,700

In 1998, Democrats were described as most dominant in areas of the state with high percentages of racial minorities, as well as transplanted white liberals coming primarily from the Northeastern United States.^[97] The South Florida metropolitan area was a good example of this as it had a particularly high level of both racial minorities and white liberals. Because of this, the area has been one of the most Democratic areas of the state. The Daytona Beach area has been, to a lesser extent, somewhat similar to South Florida demographically and the city of Orlando had a large Hispanic population, which often favored Democrats. Republicans remain dominant throughout much of the rest of Florida particularly in the more rural and suburban areas, as is the case throughout the Deep South.^[97]

The fast growing I-4 corridor area, which runs through Central Florida and connects the cities of Daytona Beach, Orlando, and Tampa/St. Petersburg, had a fairly similar number of both Republican and Democratic voters. The area is often seen as a merging point of the conservative northern portion of the state and the liberal southern portion making it the biggest swing area in the state. In recent times, whichever way the I-4 corridor area, containing 40% of Florida voters, votes has often determined who will win the state of Florida in presidential elections.^[98]

The Democratic Party has maintained an edge in voter registration, both statewide and in 40 of the 67 counties, including Miami-Dade County, Broward County, and Palm Beach County, the state's three most populous counties.^[99]

There were 800 federal corruption convictions from 1988 to 2007, more than any other state.^[100]

Recent elections [link]

Main article: United States presidential election in Florida, 2000

In 2000, George W. Bush won the U.S. Presidential election by a margin of 271–266 in the Electoral College.^[101] Of the 271 electoral votes for Bush, 25 were cast by electors from Florida.^[102] Reapportionment following the 2000 United States Census gave the state two more seats in the House of Representatives.^[103]

Despite the Democratic advantage in registration, as of 2008, Republicans controlled the governorship and most other statewide elective offices; both houses of the state legislature; and 15 of the state's 25 seats in the House of Representatives. Florida has been listed as a swing state in Presidential elections since 1950, voting for the losing candidate once in that period of time.^[104] In the closely contested 2000 election the state played a pivotal role.^[101]^[102]^[105]^[106]^[107]^[108]

In 2008, delegates of both the Republican Florida primary election and Democratic Florida primary election were stripped of half of their votes when the conventions met in August due to violation of both parties' national rules.

In the 2010 elections, Republicans solidified their dominance state-wide, by winning the governor's mansion, maintaining firm majorities in both houses of the state legislature. They won four previously Democratic-held seats to create a 19–6 Republican majority delegation representing Florida in the federal House of Representatives. As a result of the 2010 United States Census, Florida will gain two House of Representative seats in 2012.^[103]

Statutes [link]

All potable water resources have been controlled by the state government through five regional water authorities since 1972.^[109]

The state repealed mandatory auto inspection in 1981.^[110]

In 1972, the state made personal injury protection auto insurance mandatory for drivers, becoming the second in the nation to enact a no-fault insurance law. The ease of receiving payments under this law is seen as precipitating a major increase in insurance fraud.^[111] Auto insurance fraud was the highest in the nation in 2011, estimated at close to $1 billion.^[112] Fraud is particularly centered in the Miami-Dade metropolitan and Tampa areas.^[113]^[114]^[115]

Law enforcement [link]

Further information: List of law enforcement agencies in Florida and Crime in Florida

Florida was ranked the fifth most dangerous state in 2009. Ranking was based on the record of serious felonies committed in 2008.^[116]

The state was the sixth highest scammed state in 2010. It ranked first in mortgage fraud in 2009.^[117]

In 2009, 44% of highway fatalities involved alcohol.^[118]

Florida is one of seven states that prohibit the open carry of handguns. This law was passed in 1987.^[119]

Health [link]

There were 2.7 million Medicaid patients in Florida in 2009. The governor has proposed adding $2.6 billion to care for the expected 300,000 additional patients in 2011.^[120] The cost of caring for 2.3 million clients in 2010 was $18.8 billion.^[121] This is nearly 30% of Florida's budget.^[122]

Medicaid paid for 60% of all births in Florida in 2009.^[31]

The state has a program for those not covered by Medicaid.

Some people suffer from various allergies from plants at varying seasons including pollen from oak trees and juniper shrubs.^[123]

Architecture [link]

While many houses and commercial buildings look similar to those elsewhere in the country, the state has appropriated some unique styles in some section of the state including Spanish revival, Florida vernacular, and Mediterranean Revival Style.^[124]^[125]

Economy [link]

Launch of Space Shuttle Columbia from the Kennedy Space Center

The Port of Miami is the world's largest cruise ship port, and is the headquarters of many of the world's largest cruise companies.

File:Brickell1.JPG

The Brickell Financial District in Miami contains the largest concentration of international banks in the United States.^[126]^[127]

South Florida's climate is ideal for growing sugarcane.

Historically, the economy of Florida was dependent on agricultural products such as citrus, sugar, cotton and cattle. In the twentieth century, tourism, industry, construction, international banking, biomedical and life sciences, healthcare research, simulation training, aerospace and defense, and commercial space travel have contributed.^{[citation needed]}

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Florida in 2010 was $748 billion.^[128] Its GDP is the fourth largest economy in the United States.^[129] In 2010, it became the fourth largest exporter of trade goods.^[130] The major contributors to the state's gross output in 2007 were general services, financial services, trade, transportation and public utilities, manufacturing and construction respectively. In 2010–11, the state budget was $70.5 billion, having reached a high of $73.8 billion in 2006–07.^[131] Chief Executive Magazine name Florida the third "Best State for Business" in 2011.^[132]

The economy is driven almost entirely by its nineteen metropolitan areas. In 2004, they had a combined total of 95.7% of the state's domestic product.^[133]

Personal income [link]

Preliminary data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis shows that in 2011, per capita personal income was $39,563, ranking 27th in the nation.^[134]

The state was one of the few states to not have a state minimum wage law of its own and was therefore obliged to follow federal minimum wage law. This changed in 2004, when voters passed a constitutional amendment establishing a state minimum wage and (unique among minimum wage laws) mandating that it be adjusted for inflation annually. For 2010, the calculated Florida minimum wage was lower than the federal rate of $7.25, so the federal rate controlled.^[135]

Florida is one of the seven states that do not impose a personal income tax.

According to a study by Experian, Florida has 4 cities in the top 25 cities in the country with the most credit card debt.^[136]

There were 2.4 million Floridians living in poverty in 2008. 18.4% of children 18 and younger were living in poverty.^[137] Miami is the sixth poorest big city in the United States.^[138]

The state also had the second-highest credit card delinquency rate, with 1.45% of cardholders in the state more than 90 days delinquent on one or more credit cards.^[139]

In 2010, over 2.5 million Floridians were on food stamps, up from 1.2 million in 2007. To qualify, Floridians must make less than 133% of the federal poverty level, which would be under $29,000 for a family of four.^[140]

Real estate [link]

In the early 20th century, land speculators discovered Florida, and businessmen such as Henry Plant and Henry Flagler developed railroad systems, which led people to move in, drawn by the weather and local economies. From then on, tourism boomed, fueling a cycle of development that overwhelmed a great deal of farmland.

Because of the collective effect on the insurance industry of the hurricane claims of 2004, homeowners insurance has risen 40% to 60% and deductibles have risen.^[30]

At the end of the third quarter in 2008, Florida had the highest mortgage delinquency rate in the country, with 7.8% of mortgages delinquent at least 60 days.^[139] A 2009 list of national housing markets that were hard hit in the real estate crash included a disproportionate number in Florida.^[141] The early 21st century building boom left Florida with 300,000 vacant homes in 2009, according to state figures.^[142] In 2009, the US Census Bureau estimated that Floridians spent an average 49.1% of personal income on housing-related costs, the third highest percentage in the country.^[143]

In the third quarter of 2009, there were 278,189 delinquent loans, 80,327 foreclosures.^[144] Sales of existing homes for February 2010 was 11,890, up 21% from the same month in 2009. Only two metropolitan areas showed a decrease in homes sold: Panama City and Brevard County. The average sales price for an existing house was $131,000, 7% decrease from the prior year.^[145]^{[dubious – discuss]}

Labor [link]

As of February 2011, the state's unemployment rate was 11.5%.^[146]

In 2009, there were 89,706 federal workers employed within the state.^[147]

In 2012, government was a top employer in all counties in the state. This was mainly due to the prevalence of teachers, whose school boards employ nearly 1 out of every 30 workers in the state. The military was the top employer in three counties.^[148]

Agriculture and fishing [link]

Historically, Florida's economy was based upon cattle farming and agriculture (especially sugarcane, citrus, tomatoes, and strawberries).

The second largest industry is agriculture. Citrus fruit, especially oranges, are a major part of the economy, and Florida produces the majority of citrus fruit grown in the U.S.—in 2006 67% of all citrus, 74% of oranges, 58% of tangerines, and 54% of grapefruit. About 95% of commercial orange production in the state is destined for processing (mostly as orange juice, the official state beverage).^[149] Citrus canker continues to be an issue of concern. Other products include sugarcane, strawberries, tomatoes and celery.^[150] The state is the largest producer of sweet corn and green beans for the country.^[151]

The Everglades Agricultural Area is a major center for agriculture. The environmental impact of agriculture—especially water pollution—is a major issue in Florida today.

In 2009, fishing was a $6 billion industry, employing 60,000 jobs for sports and commercial purposes.^[152]

Mining [link]

Phosphate mining, concentrated in the Bone Valley, is the state's third-largest industry. The state produces about 75% of the phosphate required by farmers in the United States and 25% of the world supply, with about 95% used for agriculture (90% for fertilizer and 5% for livestock feed supplements) and 5% used for other products.^[153]

Government [link]

Since the arrival of the NASA Merritt Island launch sites on Cape Canaveral (most notably Kennedy Space Center) in 1962, Florida has developed a sizable aerospace industry.

Another major economic engine in Florida is the United States Military. There are currently 24 military bases in the state, housing three Unified Combatant Commands; United States Central Command in Tampa, United States Southern Command in Doral, and United States Special Operations Command in Tampa. There are 109,390 U.S. military personnel currently stationed in Florida,^[154] contributing, directly and indirectly, $52 billion a year to the state's economy.^[155]

Industry [link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

The Miami Civic Center has the second-largest concentration of medical and research facilities in the United States.^[156]

After the watershed events of Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the State of Florida began investing in economic development through OTTED (Office of Trade, Tourism, and Economic Development). Governor Jeb Bush realized that watershed events such as Andrew negatively impacted Florida's backbone industry of tourism severely. The office was directed to target Medical/Bio-Sciences among others. Three years later, The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) announced it had chosen Florida for its' newest expansion. In 2003, TSRI announced plans to establish a major science center in Palm Beach, a 364,000 square feet (33,800 m²) facility on 100 acres (40 ha), which TSRI planned to occupy in 2006^[157].

At the same time that Scripps started operations in Florida, Tavistock Group, an investment firm that held 7,000 acres (2,800 ha) of land immediately South East of Orlando International Airport began formulating new possibilities for its land use after the decline in tourism to the state. Tavistock decided to use part of the land to establish a Bio-Sciences cluster. In 2005, the State of Florida along with Tavistock Group and the University of Central Florida agreed that Tavistock would donate 50 acres (20 ha) and $12.5 Million (which the state would match for a total of $25 Million) to start the UCF College of Medicine and the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences. The UCF College of Medicine won approval from the State Board of Governors in 2006. That decision was key to attracting Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute to Central Florida. Tavistock then donated another 50 acres (20 ha) and $17.5 Million to Sanford-Burnham which allowed Sanford-Burnham's East Coast expansion. In February and March 2007, Nemours and the The V/A(respectively) announced Lake Nona as the site of two new hospitals.^{[citation needed]}

Other prospective tenants of the Lake Nona Medical City included M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the University of Florida research center, and Valencia Community College.^{[citation needed]}

It was determined in 2008 from a study done by Arduin, Laffer and Moore Econometrics that the Lake Nona Medical City cluster has in two years reached 80% of the Milken Numbers which were based on the commitments made by the economic development statements. The study then released new projections for the 10 year period which included 30,000 jobs created and a $7.6 Billion economic impact.^[158]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Florida has become a simulation training cluster.^{[citation needed]} There are the aerospace and defense industries. Companies have expanded. The Electronic Arts Tiburon, the division responsible for popular games such as the Madden NFL series as well as other sports games, has given way to a cluster of highly skilled digital media workers who transformed their craft into simulation and simulation training. The United States Military has been the driving force and primary client of these simulation training firms.^{[citation needed]} It has since spilled over into local police and fire agencies across the country and across the world. Aviation simulation has also benefited greatly from the advances of the Central Florida simulation training cluster.^{[citation needed]}

Tourism [link]

Tourism makes up the largest sector of the state economy. Warm weather and hundreds of miles of beaches attract about 60 million visitors to the state every year. Florida was the top destination state in 2011. 42% of poll respondents living in the Northeast United States said they planned on visiting Florida over spring break.^[159]

Amusement parks, especially in the Orlando area, make up a significant portion of tourism. The Walt Disney World Resort is the largest vacation resort in the world, consisting of four theme parks and more than 20 hotels in Lake Buena Vista, Florida; it, and Universal Orlando Resort, Busch Gardens, SeaWorld, and other major parks drive state tourism. Many beach towns are also popular tourist destinations, particularly in the winter months. 23.2 million tourists visited Florida beaches in 2000, spending $21.9 billion.^[160]

The public has a right to beach access under the public trust doctrine. However, some areas have access effectively blocked by private owners for a long distance.^[161]

Energy [link]

Florida ranks 45th out of 50 states in total energy consumption per capita, despite the heavy reliance on air conditioners and pool pumps. This includes coal, natural gas, petroleum, and retail electricity sales.^[47]^{^{[not in citation given]}}

Education [link]

Main article: Education in Florida

Florida's public primary and secondary schools are administered by the Florida Department of Education.

State University System [link]

The State University System of Florida was founded in 1905, and is governed by the Florida Board of Governors. During the 2010 academic year, 312,216 students attended one of these member institutions.

Private universities [link]

Florida's first private university, Stetson University, was founded in 1883. The Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida is an association of 28 private, educational institutions in the state.^[162] This Association reported that their member institutions served over 121,000 students in the fall of 2006.^[163]

Barry University
Miami Shores
Flagler College
Saint Augustine
University of Miami
Coral Gables
Nova Library West.JPG

Nova Southeastern University
Fort Lauderdale
Stetson University
DeLand
University of Tampa
Tampa

Infrastructure [link]

Communication [link]

27% of Floridians exclusively own cell phones for communication; no landline. Nationally, figures vary from 13–35%, with the higher percentages an indication of lower income.^[164]

Transportation [link]

Main article: Transportation in Florida

The Miami Metrorail is the state's only rapid transit system. About 15% of Miamians use public transit daily.

Public transit [link]

Miami's public transportation is served by Miami-Dade Transit that runs Metrorail, a heavy rail rapid transit system, Metromover, a people mover train system in Downtown Miami, and Metrobus, Miami's bus system. Metrorail runs throughout Miami-Dade County and has two lines and 23 stations connecting to Downtown Miami's Metromover and Tri-Rail. Metromover has three lines and 21 stations throughout Downtown Miami. Outside of Miami-Dade County, public transit in the South Florida metropolitan area is served by Broward County Transit and Palm Tran; intercounty commuter rail service is provided by Tri-Rail, with 18 stations including the region's three international airports.

Orlando utilizes the LYNX bus system as well as a downtown bus service called LYMMO, and has attempted to plan a local light rail service for years. A commuter rail service – SunRail – has been approved by all concerning counties and is in final planning stages.

Tampa and its surrounding area use the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority system ( "HART"). In addition, downtown Tampa has continuous trolley services in the form of a heritage trolley powered by Tampa Electric Company. Pinellas County and St. Petersburg provide similar services through the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority or "PSTA". The beaches of Pinellas County also have a continuous trolley bus. Downtown St. Petersburg has a trolley system.

Public transit usage in Florida
Rank	City	Daily weekday passenger ridership	Population served	% Daily transit riders	Modes of transit
1	Miami	369,600^[165]	2,496,435	14.8%	Tri-Rail (commuter rail), Miami Metrorail (heavy rail), Metromover (people mover), & Metrobus
2	Fort Lauderdale	125,710	1,748,066	7.2%	Tri-Rail (commuter rail), & Broward County Transit (bus)
3	Orlando	84,061	2,134,411	3.9%	LYNX (bus)
4	Tampa	40,000^[166]	1,229,226	3.2%	HART (bus), & TECO Line Streetcar
5	West Palm Beach	34,000^[166]	1,320,134	2.6%	Tri-Rail (commuter rail), & Palm Tran (bus)
6	Jacksonville	28,220	821,784	3.4%	Jacksonville Transportation Authority: Bus, and JTA Skyway (people mover)

Highways [link]

Further information: State Roads in Florida

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge crosses Tampa Bay, and is one of the largest bridges in the state.

Florida's interstates, state highways and U.S. Highways are maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation. Florida's interstate highway system contains 1,473 miles (2,371 km) of highway, and there are 9,934 miles (15,987 km) of non-interstate highway in the state, such as Florida state highways and U.S. Highways.

In 2011, there were about 9,000 retail gas stations in the state.On an average day, Floridians consume 21 million gallons of gasoline, ranking it third in national use.^[167]^[168]

Motorists have the 45th worst rate of car insurance in the country. 24% are uninsured.^[169] Drivers between 15 and 19 years of age averaged 364 car crashes a year per ten thousand licensed Florida drivers in 2010. Drivers 70 and older averaged 95 per 10,000 during the same time frame. A spokesperson for the non-profit Insurance Institute said that "Older drivers are more of a threat to themselves."^[170]

State highways are numbered according to convention. The first digits of state highways^[171] are numbered with the first digit indicating what area of the state the road is in, from 1 in the north and east to 9 in the south and west. Major north-south state roads generally have one- or two-digit odd route numbers that increase from east to west, while major east-west state roads generally have one- or two-digit even route numbers that increase from north to south. Roads of secondary importance usually have three-digit route numbers. The first digit x of their route number is the same as the first digit of the road with two-digit number x0 to the immediate north. The three-digit route numbers also increase from north to south for even numbers and east to west for odd numbers.

Following this convention, State Road 907, or Alton Rd. on Miami Beach, is farther east than State Road 997, which is Krome Ave, or the farthest west north-south road in Miami-Dade County. One notable exception to the convention is State Road 826, or the Palmetto Expressway (pictured at the right heading north) which, although even numbered, is signed north-south. State roads can have anywhere from one to four digits depending on the importance and location of the road.^[172] County roads often follow this same system.

Prior to the construction of routes under the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, Florida began construction of a long cross-state toll road, Florida's Turnpike. The first section, from Fort Pierce south to the Golden Glades Interchange was completed in 1957. After a second section north through Orlando to Wildwood (near present-day The Villages), and a southward extension around Miami to Homestead, it was finished in 1974.

Florida's primary interstate routes include:

I-4, which bisects the state, connecting Tampa, Lakeland, Orlando, and Daytona Beach, connecting with I-95 in Daytona Beach and I-75 in Tampa.
I-10, which traverses the panhandle, connecting Jacksonville, Lake City, Tallahassee and Pensacola, with junctions with I-95 in Jacksonville and I-75 in Lake City.
I-75, which enters the state near Lake City (45 miles (72 km) west of Jacksonville) and continues southward through Gainesville, Ocala, Tampa's eastern suburbs, Bradenton, Sarasota, Fort Myers and Naples, where it crosses the "Alligator Alley" as a toll road to Fort Lauderdale before turning southward and terminating in Hialeah/Miami Lakes having junctions with I-10 in Lake City and I-4 in Tampa.
I-95, which enters the state near Jacksonville and continues along the Atlantic Coast through Daytona Beach Melbourne/Titusville, Palm Bay, Vero Beach, Fort Pierce, Port Saint Lucie, Stuart, West Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale before terminating in Downtown Miami, with junctions with I-10 in Jacksonville and I-4 in Daytona Beach.

Intercity rail [link]

Amtrak connects all major cities in Florida. This West Palm Beach Station serves Amtrak and Tri-Rail commuter rail service.

Florida is served by Amtrak, operating numerous lines throughout, connecting the state's largest cities to points north in the United States and Canada. The busiest Amtrak train stations in Florida in 2011 were: Sanford (259,944), Orlando (179,142), Tampa Union Station (140,785), Miami (94,556), and Jacksonville (74,733).^[173] Sanford, in Greater Orlando, is the southern terminus of the Amtrak Auto Train, which originates at Lorton, Virginia, south of Washington, D.C.. Orlando is also the eastern terminus of the Sunset Limited, which travels across the southern United States via New Orleans, Houston, and San Antonio to its western terminus of Los Angeles. Florida is served by two additional Amtrak trains (the Silver Star and the Silver Meteor), which operate between New York City and Miami. Miami Central Station, the city's new union station is under construction, and is expected to be completed in 2013.

The South Florida Metro Area is connected by Tri-rail, a 70.9 miles (114.1 km) long line with 18 stations which operates on Amtrak rails.

The Florida Department of Transportation was preparing to build a high speed rail between Tampa, Lakeland and Orlando.^[174] This was to be the first phase of the Florida High Speed Rail system.^[175] Soil work began in July 2010^[176]^[177] and construction of the line was slated to begin in 2011, with the initial Tampa-Orlando phase completed by 2014.^[178] The second phase, would have extended the line to Miami. Governor Scott, however, refused federal funds and the project has been canceled.

Airports [link]

Miami International Airport is the world's 10th-largest cargo airport, and the state's busiest airport.

Sports [link]

Fourteen, about half, of all Major League Baseball teams conduct spring training in the state. Throughout MLB history other teams, at one time or another, held spring training in Florida.

Yet Florida did not have a permanent major-league-level professional sports team until the American Football League added the Miami Dolphins in 1966. The state now has three NFL teams, two MLB teams, two NBA teams, and two NHL teams.

The state of Florida has given professional sports franchises some subsidies in the form of tax breaks since 1991.^[181]

Three of the Arena Football League's teams are in Florida.

Golf, tennis, and auto racing are popular. NASCAR (headquartered in Daytona Beach) begins all three of its major Series in Florida at Daytona International Speedway, and ends all three Series in November at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The PGA of America is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens while the LPGA is headquartered in Daytona Beach.

Minor league baseball, football, basketball, ice hockey, soccer and indoor football teams are based in Florida. Florida's universities have a number of collegiate sport teams. Florida is the traditional home for Major League Baseball spring training, with teams informally organized into the "Grapefruit League".

Club	League	Venue	Championships
Miami Dolphins	National Football League	Sun Life Stadium (Miami Gardens)	2 (1972, 1973)
Miami Heat	National Basketball Association	American Airlines Arena (Miami)	1 (2006)
Miami Marlins	Major League Baseball	Marlins Park (Miami)	2 (1997, 2003)
Florida Panthers	National Hockey League	BankAtlantic Center (Sunrise)	0
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	National Football League	Raymond James Stadium (Tampa)	1 (2003)
Tampa Bay Rays	Major League Baseball	Tropicana Field (St. Petersburg)	0
Tampa Bay Lightning	National Hockey League	Tampa Bay Times Forum (Tampa)	1 (2004)
Orlando Magic	National Basketball Association	Amway Center (Orlando)	0
Jacksonville Jaguars	National Football League	EverBank Field (Jacksonville)	0

Auto-racing tracks [link]

Sister states [link]

Sister jurisdiction	Country	Year^[182]
Languedoc-Roussillon	France	1989
Taiwan Province	Taiwan, R.O.C.	1992
Wakayama Prefecture	Japan	1995
Western Cape	South Africa	1995
Nueva Esparta	Venezuela	1999
Kyonggi	South Korea	2000

References [link]

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^ Florida — Languages. MLA. Archived from the original on December 1, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071201170638/http://http%3A//www.mla.org/map_data. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
^ ^a ^b ^c "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
^ ^a ^b "Elevations and Distances in the United States". United States Geological Survey. 2001. http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
^ Elevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988.
^ ^a ^b "SB 230 – State Symbols/Fla. Cracker Horse/Loggerhead Turtle [RPCC"]. Florida House of Representatives. http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=37196&. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
^ "Köppen Climate Classification Map". John Abbott College, Geosciences Department. Archived from the original on November 20, 2010. http://www2.johnabbott.qc.ca/webpages/departments/geoscience/intro/Koppen/KoppenMap.htm. Retrieved July 18, 2007.
^ "Historic Feature: Juan Ponce de Leon Landing – Brevard County Parks and Recreation Department on Florida's Beautiful Space Coast". Brevard County Parks & Recreation. BrevardParks.com. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
^ "Cérémonies et Coutumes Religieuses de tous les Peuples du Monde"
^ Milanich, Jerald T. (1998). Florida's Indians From Ancient Time to the Present, pp. 12–37. University Press of Florida.
^ From the 1601 publication by the pre-eminent historian of 16th century Spanish exploration in America, Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas, in Stewart, George (1945). Names on the Land: A Historical Account of Place-Naming in the United States. New York: Random House. pp. 11–12. ISBN 978-1-59017-273-5.
^ Smith, Hale G., and Gottlob, Marc (1978). "Spanish-Indian Relationships: Synoptic History and Archaeological Evidence, 1500–1763". In Tacachale: Essays on the Indians of Florida and Southeastern Georgia during the Historic Period. Edited by Jerald Milanich and Samuel Proctor. Gainesville, Florida: University Presses of Florida. ISBN 978-0-8130-0535-5
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^ The name Florida, sometimes expanded to cover more of the present-day southeastern U.S., remained the most commonly used Spanish term, however, throughout the entire period. De Bow, J.D.B. (1857). De Bow's Review, Vol. XXII Third Series Vol. II. Washington, D.C. and New Orleans. pp. 303–305.
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^ See Bush v. Gore, 531 U.S. 98 (2000)
^ See also Bush v. Palm Beach County Canvassing Board, 531 U.S. 70 (2000).
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^ Cf. Fla. Stat. § 103.011 (web version) ("Votes cast for the actual candidates for President and Vice President shall be counted as votes cast for the presidential electors supporting such candidates. The Department of State shall certify as elected the presidential electors of the candidates for President and Vice President who receive the highest number of votes.")
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^ "Laying out an "unwelcome mat" to public beach access" (PDF). http://www.law.fsu.edu/Journals/Landuse/vol18_2/sullivan.pdf. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
^ "Official website of ICUF". Icuf.org. http://www.icuf.org/. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
^ Atherton, Blair (August 2006). "2005–2006 Accountability Report: Quality, Productivity, Diversity, and Access" (PDF). Archived from the original on September 25, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070925205651/http://www.icuf.org/_docs/2005-2006_Acct_Report.pdf. Retrieved September 14, 2007.
^ Alan Fram (April 20, 2011). "Arkansas, Mississippi rely on cellphones most". Florida Today. Florida Today. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/apr/20/arkansas-mississippi-rely-on-cellphones-most/?page=all.
^ http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/news_technical_reports.asp
^ ^a ^b http://www.gohart.org/departments/marketing/press/press-release-12-2-08.html
^ behind California and Texas
^ Moody, R. Norman (January 30, 2011). "Guidelines tight to drive a fuel tanker". Florida Today (Melbourne, Florida): p. 2A. http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110130/NEWS01/101300318/Beachline-huge-artery-tankers.
^ "Recession Marked by Bump in Uninsured Motorists" (PDF). http://www.ircweb.org/news/ircum2011_042111.pdf. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
^ Kennerley, Britt (September 18, 2011). "Olde drivers take fewer risks". Florida Today (Melbourne, Florida): p. 11A. http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110918/NEWS01/109180309/Aging-out-driver-s-seat. ^{[dead link]}
^ with some exceptions (such as State Road 112 connecting Interstate 95 to the Miami International Airport)
^ FHP State Road Listings^{[dead link]}. Retrieved March 29, 2009. Archived August 22, 2008 at the Wayback Machine^{[dead link]}
^ www.amtrak.com/pdf/factsheets/FLORIDA11.pdf
^ "FLORIDA HIGH SPEED RAIL UPDATE:Regional Rail Briefing March 24, 2010, Lakeland" (PDF). Florida Department of Transportation. March 2010. http://www.floridahighspeedrail.org/uploads/LAKELAND_FHSR_PRESENTATION_MARCH_2010.pdf. Retrieved April 7, 2010. ^{[dead link]}
^ "Environmental Studies". Floridahighspeedrail.org. May 20, 2010. http://www.floridahighspeedrail.org/Environmental_Studies.html. Retrieved August 2, 2010. ^{[dead link]}
^ "Bullet Train Work Begins With Soil in I-4 Median". The Ledger. Lakeland, Florida. July 20, 2010. http://www.theledger.com/article/20100720/NEWS/7205036/1338. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
^ "Work begins on Florida's high speed rail". WTSP.com. July 19, 2010. Archived from the original on November 20, 2010. http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=137356&catid=250. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
^ Jackovics, Ted. January 28, 2010, "Obama calls high speed rail funding a 'down payment'".^{[dead link]} The Tampa Tribune (TBO.com).. Retrieved February 18, 2010.
^ www.aci-na.org/sites/default/files/_rankings-2010nam_.xls
^ "Florida Drug Threat Assessment-Overview". National Drug Intelligence Center. Archived from the original on November 20, 2010. http://www.usdoj.gov/ndic/pubs5/5169/overview.htm. Retrieved July 18, 2007.
^ Peltier, Michael (November 5, 2011). "Lawmaker's bill would fine teams that black out games". Florida Today (Melbourne, Florida): pp. 4B. http://www.cbs12.com/news/nfl-4736484-fasano-teams.html.
^ "Florida Sister City/Sister State Directory 2001" (PDF). State of Florida. 2001. Archived from the original on June 27, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080627165012/http://internationalaffairs.flgov.com/pdf/sister.pdf. Retrieved August 19, 2010.

External links [link]

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This article is about the independent promotion from 1961-1987. For its current form as a WWE developmental territory, see Florida Championship Wrestling.

Championship Wrestling from Florida
Championship Wrestling from Florida logo
Acronym	CWF
Founded	1949
Headquarters	Tampa, Florida
Founder(s)	"Cowboy" Clarence P. Luttrell
Owner(s)	Eddie Graham Hiro Matsuda Duke Keomuka

Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF) was the corporate and brand name of the Tampa, Florida wrestling office^[1] existing from 1961, when Eddie Graham first bought into the promotion, until 1987, when it closed down. It is also referred to as Florida Championship Wrestling. When Mike Graham tried a return to promoting, the rights to the name had been acquired by an outside party, forcing him to use another name, Florida Championship Wrestling.

1 History
2 Revivals
3 Former FCW and CWF stars
4 Active Championships
5 Defunct Championships
6 Notes
7 External links

History [link]

Founding [link]

The original owner and promoter was "Cowboy" Clarence P. Luttrell, a former journeyman heel wrestler who once fought a widely publicized boxing match, resulting from a wrestling angle, with a forty-something Jack Dempsey. It was worked but Cowboy took a severe beating. Cowboy opened the office in 1949, and Eddie Graham bought into the promotion in 1961 and took over completely in 1971, some say forcing Cowboy out.

The office was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance during the entire CWF era, Eddie Graham serving two terms as NWA president, and loosely aligned before that, with other 'world' champions sometimes defending their titles.

Notable stars/alumni [link]

The promotion thrived with stars such as NWA champions Lou Thesz and Gene Kiniski, Graham, Don Curtis, Sam Steamboat, the Great Malenko (Larry Simon), Johnny Valentine, Hiro Matsuda, Bob Orton Sr. and later Jr., Joe Scarpa (later Chief Jay Strongbow), Wahoo McDaniel, the Funks (Terry and Dory, Jr.), the Briscos (Jack and Jerry), Buddy Colt (Ron Read), Dusty Rhodes, Barry Windham, Mike Rotunda, Mike Graham (Eddie's son), Kevin Sullivan - whose cult-like Army of Darkness got tremendous heat from the fans - and, in the words of the promotion's legendary commentator and a star in his own right Gordon Solie, 'a host of others'.

Life after Eddie Graham's suicide [link]

When Eddie Graham committed suicide on Super Bowl Sunday in January 1985, due to a combination of personal and business reverses, responsibility for the office went to Hiro Matsuda and Duke Keomuka, both of whom bought in the 1960s. The other remaining owners were Mike Graham, Eddie's brother Skip Gossett, Dusty Rhodes and Buddy Colt. The promotion continued losing money and merged with Jim Crockett Promotions in February 1987.^[2] Most of the stars had gone to Jim Crockett Promotions or the WWF by that point.

Television programs and tape library [link]

CWF filmed and later taped its weekly TV wrestling show at the famed Sportatorium at 106 N. Albany in Tampa, FL - really a small television studio with seating for a live audience of about 100 people (1/40th of the seating capacity of its Dallas counterpart), with the wrestling office and gym in the same building. Arena footage was always also used, and full arena show broadcasts began in the early '80s. CWF Spin-off shows were Championship Wrestling Superstars, Global Wrestling, North Florida Championship Wrestling, United States Class Wrestling, American Championship Wrestling and Southern Professional Wrestling.

On March 2, 2006, it was announced that the CWF library was purchased by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) for the DVD on Dusty Rhodes.

Gordon Solie is featured at the end of WWE's FCW TV Show as a tribute to CWF and himself.

Revivals [link]

Howard Brody started NWA Florida in 1990 and he booked for it until 2002.

In 2003, Kevin Rhodes started Championship Wrestling from Florida as a member of the NWA. He occasionally has some legends of the 1980s wrestling appear in his promotion.

In 2007, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), revived the promotion as a developmental territory under the name, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW).^[3]

^ "WrestlingTerritories.png". Freakin' Awesome Network Forums :: Freakin' Awesome Wrestling Forum :: (w)Rest of Wrestling. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aw8hS9psIsI/TX2U4tyXq7I/AAAAAAAAAGo/pYb5ZvDMbOg/s1600/WrestlingTerritories.png. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
^ N.W.A. Championship Wrestling from Florida
^ "Florida Championship Wrestling unveils new arena in Tampa, Fla.". World Wrestling Entertainment. 2008-07-07. http://www.wwe.com/inside/news/7596266. Retrieved 2008-07-08.

External links [link]

v t e National Wrestling Alliance

World Championships	World Heavyweight (reigns) World Tag Team (reigns) World Junior Heavyweight (reigns) World Welterweight (reigns) World Women's (reigns)

National and Regional Championships	National Heavyweight North American Heavyweight Others

Current Territories	ECCW Zero1 NWA Anarchy NWA UK Hammerlock Other

Miscellaneous	Current Roster Hall of Fame NWA Wrestling Showcase NWA Championship Wrestling from Hollywood

Professional wrestling in the United States

Active promotions

National promotions	WWE · Total Nonstop Action Wrestling · Ring of Honor

Notable independent promotions	Men: All Pro Wrestling · Chikara · Combat Zone Wrestling · Dory Funk’s Bang · Dragon Gate USA · East Coast Wrestling Association · Empire Wrestling Federation · Evolve · Florida Championship Wrestling · Full Impact Pro · Heartland Wrestling Association · Jersey All Pro Wrestling · Juggalo Championship Wrestling · Lucha Libre USA · Maryland Championship Wrestling · Memphis Wrestling · Ohio Valley Wrestling · Pro Wrestling Alliance · Pro Wrestling Guerrilla · Real Championship Wrestling · United Wrestling Federation · World Xtreme Wrestling · World League Wrestling · Wrestling Retribution Project Women: ChickFight · Professional Girl Wrestling Association · Shimmer Women Athletes · Women Superstars Uncensored · Wrestlicious

Governing bodies and interpromotional alliances	Global Professional Wrestling Alliance · National Wrestling Alliance

Defunct promotions

National promotions	World Championship Wrestling (Jim Crockett Promotions) · Extreme Championship Wrestling · American Wrestling Association

Notable former independent promotions and wrestling territories	Men: American Wrestling Federation · Championship Wrestling from Florida · Continental Championship Wrestling · Continental Wrestling Association · Deep South Wrestling · Georgia Championship Wrestling · Global Wrestling Federation · Hardcore Homecoming · Heart of America Sports Attractions/Central States Wrestling · Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South · International Championship Wrestling · International (World Class) Championship Wrestling · Major League Wrestling · Memphis Championship Wrestling · National Wrestling Federation · Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts · Pacific Northwest Wrestling/Portland Wrestling · Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling · Pro Wrestling USA · Smoky Mountain Wrestling · United States Wrestling Association · Universal Wrestling Federation (Bill Watts)/Mid-South Wrestling · Universal Wrestling Federation (Herb Abrams) · Windy City Pro Wrestling · World Wrestling Association (Indianapolis) · World Class Championship Wrestling · Wrestling Society X · Xcitement Wrestling Federation · Xtreme Pro Wrestling Women: Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling · Ladies Major League Wrestling · Ladies Professional Wrestling Association · Powerful Women of Wrestling · Women of Wrestling · Women's Extreme Wrestling · World Women's Wrestling

Governing bodies and interpromotional alliances	Pro Wrestling USA · Wrestling Superstars Live

http://wn.com/Championship_Wrestling_from_Florida

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