U.S. state flag #9.......Florida.
Did you know that……?
Florida's state nickname is the Sunshine State.
Florida is not the southernmost state in the United States. Hawaii is farther south.
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Safety Harbor is the home of the historic Espiritu Santo Springs. Given this name in 1539 by the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto. He was searching for the legendary Fountain of Youth. The natural springs have attracted attention worldwide for their curative powers.
The United States city with the highest rate of lightning strikes per capita is Clearwater.
Fort Lauderdale is known as the Venice of America because the city has 185 miles of local waterways.
When first completed in 1989 the Dame Point Bridge became the longest cable-stayed span in the United States, the longest concrete span of its type in the Western Hemisphere, and the third longest cable-stayed bridge in the world.
The flag of Florida consists of a white base with a red diagonal cross (saltire) through it. In the center of the flag is the state seal. It consists of a Native American Seminole woman scattering flowers on the water near Florida's state tree, the sabal palmetto palm, with a steam ship sailing in the background below the suns rays.
The flag is based on the Confederate battle flag, which in turn was inspired by the cross of St Andrew; a diagonal (X-shaped) cross on which St Andrew, a disciple of Jesus, is said to have been crucified. The state seal represents the sunshine of the state.
The flag was adopted on Nov. 6, 1900. The state seal originated in 1868 and has been modified over the years. The current flag design dates from May 21, 1985. Florida is the 27th state of the union, gaining statehood on the Mar. 3, 1845.
The flag is similar to the flag of Alabama, except Florida's has the state seal on it.
The flag is also similar to the St. Andrew's cross of Scotland.