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Florida: State Resource Guide

This guide provides access to digital materials related to the state of Florida at the Library of Congress, as well as links to external websites and a selected print bibliography.

Introduction

Florida became the twenty-seventh state in the United States on March 3, 1845. Florida is the most populous of the southeastern states and the second most populous Southern state after Texas. The capital is Tallahassee, located in the northwestern panhandle.

The climate and scenery of the "Sunshine State" have long attracted enormous numbers of visitors. Tourism has surpassed agriculture and manufacturing as the main component of Florida’s economy, and the prospect of employment in the state's rapidly growing service sector has simultaneously drawn many immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Consequently, Florida has regularly ranked among the states with the fastest-growing immigrant population.

This guide compiles links to digital materials related to Florida such as books, government documents, manuscripts, maps, motion pictures, photographs, sheet music, and sound recordings that are available throughout the Library of Congress website. In addition, it provides links to external websites focusing on Florida and a bibliography containing selected works for both general and younger readers.