title: Asia

text: Also, Mother Teresa of India and Shirin Ebadi of Iran were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their significant and pioneering efforts for democracy and human rights, especially for the rights of women and children. Ebadi is the first Iranian and the first Muslim woman to receive the prize. Another Nobel Peace Prize winner is Aung San Suu Kyi from Burma for her peaceful and non-violent struggle under a military dictatorship in Burma. She is a nonviolent pro-democracy activist and leader of the National League for Democracy in Burma (Myanmar) and a noted prisoner of conscience. She is a Buddhist and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for "his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China" on 8 October 2010. He is the first Chinese citizen to be awarded a Nobel Prize of any kind while residing in China. In 2014, Kailash Satyarthi from India and Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education".


title: Asia

text: Sir C.V. Raman is the first Asian to get a Nobel prize in Sciences. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics "for his work on the scattering of light and for the discovery of the effect named after him".


title: Asia

text: Amartya Sen, (born 3 November 1933) is an Indian economist who was awarded the 1998 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to welfare economics and social choice theory, and for his interest in the problems of society's poorest members.


title: Asia

text: Other Asian Nobel Prize winners include Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, Abdus Salam, Malala Yousafzai, Robert Aumann, Menachem Begin, Aaron Ciechanover, Avram Hershko, Daniel Kahneman, Shimon Peres, Yitzhak Rabin, Ada Yonath, Yasser Arafat, José Ramos-Horta and Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo of Timor Leste, Kim Dae-jung, and 13 Japanese scientists. Most of the said awardees are from Japan and Israel except for Chandrasekhar and Raman (India), Abdus Salam and Malala Yousafzai, (Pakistan), Arafat (Palestinian Territories), Kim (South Korea), and Horta and Belo (Timor Leste).


title: Asia

text: In 2006, Dr. Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for the establishment of Grameen Bank, a community development bank that lends money to poor people, especially women in Bangladesh. Dr. Yunus received his PhD in economics from Vanderbilt University, United States. He is internationally known for the concept of micro credit which allows poor and destitute people with little or no collateral to borrow money. The borrowers typically pay back money within the specified period and the incidence of default is very low.


title: Asia

text: The Dalai Lama has received approximately eighty-four awards over his spiritual and political career. On 22 June 2006, he became one of only four people ever to be recognized with Honorary Citizenship by the Governor General of Canada. On 28 May 2005, he received the Christmas Humphreys Award from the Buddhist Society in the United Kingdom. Most notable was the Nobel Peace Prize, presented in Oslo, Norway on 10 December 1989.


title: Asia

text: Within the above-mentioned states are several partially recognized countries with limited to no international recognition. None of them are members of the UN:


title: Chester Bennington

text: Chester Charles Bennington (March 20, 1976 – July 20, 2017) was an American singer and songwriter who was best known as the lead vocalist of rock band Linkin Park. He was also the lead vocalist of the bands Grey Daze, Dead by Sunrise, and Stone Temple Pilots.


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington first gained prominence as a vocalist following the release of Linkin Park's debut album, "Hybrid Theory" (2000), which was a worldwide commercial success. The album was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2005, making it the best-selling debut album of the decade, as well as one of the few albums ever to achieve that many sales. Linkin Park's following studio albums, from "Meteora" (2003) to "One More Light" (2017), continued the band's success.


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington formed his own band, Dead by Sunrise, as a side project in 2005. The band's debut album, "Out of Ashes", was released on October 13, 2009. He became the lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots in 2013 to release the extended play record "High Rise" on October 8, 2013, via their own record label, Play Pen, but left in 2015 to focus solely on Linkin Park. As an actor, he appeared in films such as "Crank" (2006), "" (2009), and "Saw 3D" (2010).


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington struggled with depression and substance abuse for most of his life, starting in his childhood. On July 20, 2017, he was found dead at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, California; his death was ruled a suicide by hanging. "Hit Parader" magazine placed Bennington at number 46 on their list of the "Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time". Bennington has been credited by several publications as one of the greatest rock vocalists of his generation. Writing for "Billboard", Dan Weiss stated that Bennington "turned nu-metal universal".


title: Chester Bennington

text: Chester Charles Bennington was born on March 20, 1976, in Phoenix, Arizona. His mother was a nurse, while his father was a police detective who worked on child sexual abuse cases. Bennington took an interest in music at a young age, citing the bands Depeche Mode and Stone Temple Pilots as his earliest inspirations, and dreamed of becoming a member of Stone Temple Pilots, which he later achieved when he became their lead singer. Bennington was a victim of sexual abuse from an older male friend when he was seven years old. He was afraid to ask for help because he did not want people to think he was gay or lying, and the abuse continued until he was 13 years old. Years later, he revealed the abuser's identity to his father, but chose not to press charges.


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington's parents divorced when he was 11 years old. The abuse and his situation at home affected him so much that he felt the urge to "kill everybody and run away". To comfort himself, he drew pictures and wrote poetry and songs. After the divorce, Bennington's father gained custody of him. Bennington started abusing alcohol, marijuana, opium, cocaine, meth, and LSD. He was physically bullied in high school. In an interview, he said that he was "knocked around like a rag doll at school, for being skinny and looking different". At the age of 17, Bennington moved in with his mother. He was banned from leaving the house for a time when his mother discovered his drug activity. He worked at a Burger King branch before starting his career as a professional musician.


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington first began singing with a band called Sean Dowdell and His Friends? and together they released an eponymous three-track cassette in 1993. Later, Dowdell and Bennington moved on to form a new band, Grey Daze, a post-grunge band from Phoenix, Arizona. The band recorded a demo in 1993 and two albums: "Wake Me" in 1994, and "...No Sun Today" in 1997. Bennington left Grey Daze in 1998.


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington had been frustrated and nearly quit his musical career altogether when Jeff Blue, the vice president of artists and repertoire at Zomba Music in Los Angeles, offered him an audition with the future members of Linkin Park (then 'Xero'). Bennington quit his day job at a digital services firm and traveled to California, for the audition, in which he successfully won a place in the band. He left his own birthday party early to record his audition.


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington and Mike Shinoda, the band's other vocalist, made significant progress together, but failed to find a record deal. After the band had faced numerous rejections, Blue, now a vice president of artists and repertoire at Warner Bros. Records, intervened again to help the band sign with Warner.


title: Chester Bennington

text: On October 24, 2000, Linkin Park released their debut album, "Hybrid Theory", through Warner Bros. Records. Bennington and Shinoda wrote the lyrics to "Hybrid Theory" based on some early material. Shinoda characterized the lyrics as interpretations of universal feelings, emotions, and experiences, and as "everyday emotions you talk about and think about." Bennington later described the songwriting experience to "Rolling Stone" magazine in early 2002, "It's easy to fall into that thing – 'poor, poor me', that's where songs like 'Crawling' come from: I can't take myself. But that song is about taking responsibility for your actions. I don't say 'you' at any point. It's about how I'm the reason that I feel this way. There's something inside me that pulls me down."


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington primarily served as Linkin Park's lead vocalist, but he occasionally shared the role with Shinoda. "All Music Guide" described Bennington's vocals as "higher-pitched" and "emotional", in contrast to Shinoda's hip-hop-style delivery. Both members also worked together to write lyrics for the band's songs.


title: Chester Bennington

text: "Hybrid Theory" (2000) was certified diamond by the RIAA in 2005. The band's second album, "Meteora" (2003), reached number one on the "Billboard" 200 album chart, as did its third album, "Minutes to Midnight" (2007). Linkin Park has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide. The band has won two Grammy Awards, six American Music Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards and three World Music Awards. In 2003, MTV2 named Linkin Park the sixth-greatest band of the music video era and the third-best of the new millennium. "Billboard" ranked Linkin Park No. 19 on the Best Artists of the Decade chart. In 2012, the band was voted as the greatest artist of the 2000s in a Bracket Madness poll on VH1.


title: Chester Bennington

text: In 2005, Bennington co-founded Dead by Sunrise, an electronic rock band from Los Angeles, California, with Orgy and Julien-K members Amir Derakh and Ryan Shuck. Dead by Sunrise made their live debut in May 2008, performing at the 13th anniversary party for Club Tattoo in Tempe, Arizona.


title: Chester Bennington

text: In February 2013, Stone Temple Pilots parted ways with long-time lead singer Scott Weiland. The band recruited Bennington to replace Weiland in May 2013. On May 18, 2013, Bennington took the stage at KROQ's Weenie Roast with the band. The setlist included original Stone Temple Pilots songs, as well as their first single with Bennington on vocals called "Out of Time", which debuted on May 19 and was available for free download via their official website. It was later announced by Bennington and the band in an exclusive KROQ interview that he was officially the new frontman of Stone Temple Pilots and discussed the possibility of a new album and tour. The song "Out of Time" is featured on their EP "High Rise", which was released on October 8, 2013.


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington reflected on joining Stone Temple Pilots, stating, "Every band has its own kind of vibe. Stone Temple Pilots has this sexier, more classic rock feel to it. Linkin Park is a very modern, very tech-heavy type of band. I grew up listening to these guys. When this opportunity came up, it was just like a no-brainer." Bennington stated in interviews that singing lead vocals in Stone Temple Pilots was his lifelong dream. He left the band on good terms due to his commitments with Linkin Park in 2015 and was replaced two years later by Jeff Gutt.


title: Chester Bennington

text: In 2005, Bennington appeared on "Walking Dead", the lead single from turntablist Z-Trip's debut album "Shifting Gears". Bennington also made a surprise guest appearance during Z-Trip's performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2005. Bennington re-recorded the Mötley Crüe song "Home Sweet Home" as a duet with the band as a charity single for the victims of Hurricane Katrina in the fall of 2005. He also joined Alice in Chains and performed the song "Man in the Box" at KROQ's Inland Invasion Festival in 2006. Bennington performed with Kings of Chaos during their six-show 2016 concert tour.


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington recorded a track for Slash's 2010 eponymous debut solo album entitled "Crazy" but it was blocked from release. Slash rerecorded it with Lemmy on vocals and the retitled "Doctor Alibi" was added instead. In May 2021, a snippet of the original Bennington track was finally released.


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington had a son, Jaime (born May 12, 1996), from his relationship with Elka Brand. In 2006, he adopted Brand's other son, Isaiah (born November 8, 1997). He married his first wife, Samantha Marie Olit, on October 31, 1996. They had one child together, Draven Sebastian (born April 19, 2002). Bennington's relationship with his first wife declined during his early years with Linkin Park, and they divorced in 2005.


title: Chester Bennington

text: In 2006, he married Talinda Ann Bentley, a former "Playboy" model with whom he had three children: Tyler Lee Bennington (born March 16, 2006) and twins Lily and Lila (born November 9, 2011). Chester and Talinda Bennington were harassed by a cyberstalker, who was later found guilty of tampering with the couple's email and other personal information, as well as sending threatening messages, and was sentenced to two years in prison.


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington was a tattoo enthusiast. He had done work and promotions with Club Tattoo, a tattoo parlor in Tempe, Arizona. Club Tattoo is owned by Sean Dowdell, Bennington's friend since high school with whom he played in two bands.


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington was a fan of the Phoenix Suns, Arizona Cardinals, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Arizona Coyotes.


title: Chester Bennington

text: In a January 2011 interview, in response to the 2011 Tucson shooting, Bennington said, "There's a non-violent way to express yourself and get your point across – regardless of what you're saying or what your point is. In a free society, people have a right to believe whatever they want to believe. That's their business and they can speak their mind. But "nobody", even in a free society, has the right to take another person's life. Ever. That's something that we really need to move beyond."


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington was a critic of U.S. president Donald Trump. On January 29, 2017, he tweeted that Trump was "worse than terrorism". This tweet resurfaced in July 2020 after Linkin Park sent Trump a cease and desist order for using "In the End" in an ad for his re-election campaign that year.


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington was plagued with poor health during the making of "Meteora", and struggled to attend some of the album's recording sessions. In the summer of 2003, he began to suffer from extreme abdominal pain and gastrointestinal issues while filming the music video for "Numb" in Prague. He was forced to return to the United States for surgery, and filmed the remainder of the music video in Los Angeles.


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington sustained a wrist injury in October 2007 while attempting to jump off a platform during a show in Melbourne at the Rod Laver Arena. Despite the injury, he continued to perform the entire show with a broken wrist, before heading to the emergency room where he received five stitches.


title: Chester Bennington

text: In 2011, Bennington fell ill again, and Linkin Park was forced to cancel three shows and reschedule two from the A Thousand Suns World Tour. He injured his shoulder during the band's tour in Asia and was advised by doctors to have immediate surgery, cancelling their final show at Pensacola Beach, Florida, and ending their tour.


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington struggled with depression and substance abuse. He overcame his drug addiction and would go on to denounce drug use in future interviews. He later battled with alcoholism during his tenure with Linkin Park, which he overcame following an intervention from his bandmates. In 2011, he said he had quit drinking, noting, "I just don't want to be that person anymore."


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington injured his ankle in January 2015 during a basketball game. He attempted to cope with the injury and perform with the aid of crutches and a knee scooter. Linkin Park later canceled the remainder of their tour to allow Bennington to undergo surgery and recover.


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington was a close friend of Chris Cornell. They became friends during a tour they shared in the mid-2000s. The chemistry between the two had strengthened during the 2007–2008 Projekt Revolution Tour when Bennington joined Cornell on stage to sing Temple of the Dog's "Hunger Strike", and then Cornell joined Linkin Park to sing "Crawling". He was also the godfather of Cornell's son Christopher.


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington had commented on Cornell's death on Instagram, stating that he could not imagine a world without Cornell in it. Shinoda noted that Bennington was very emotional when the band performed "One More Light" in Cornell's honor on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", and Bennington could not finish singing the song during rehearsal because he started getting choked up. The band was due to record a live performance of their single "Heavy" on the show, but Bennington decided instead to play "One More Light" after hearing the news about Cornell's death, since the song is about the loss of a friend. Bennington kept his composure throughout the performance, only faltering slightly toward the end due to his emotional connection with Cornell.


title: Chester Bennington

text: On May 26, 2017, a week after his "Kimmel" performance, Bennington sang Leonard Cohen's song "Hallelujah" at Cornell's funeral in Los Angeles.


title: Chester Bennington

text: While on vacation in Arizona with his wife and family, Bennington returned home alone, saying he had work to do. Shortly before 9:00 a.m. PDT on July 20, 2017, Bennington was found dead by his housekeeper at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, California. His death was ruled as suicide by hanging. Bennington left no suicide note. Bandmate and close friend Mike Shinoda confirmed his death on Twitter, writing, "Shocked and heartbroken, but it's true. An official statement will come out as soon as we have one." On July 21, Brian Elias, the chief of operations for the office of the medical examiner-coroner, confirmed that a half-empty bottle of alcohol was found at the scene, but no drugs were present. A toxicology report released in December reported "a trace amount" of alcohol in Bennington's system at the time of death.


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington's death occurred on what would have been Chris Cornell's 53rd birthday. Cornell's death was also ruled as suicide by hanging two months earlier. After Bennington's death, Linkin Park canceled the rest of their One More Light Tour and refunded tickets.


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington's funeral was held on July 29 at South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes, California. In addition to his family members and close friends, many musicians who toured or played with Linkin Park also attended. The service also included a full stage for musical tributes.


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington filmed an episode of Carpool Karaoke six days before his death. Bennington's family allowed the episode to be aired on October 12, 2017. On August 27, during the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards ceremony, Jared Leto received media attention for his tribute to Bennington and Chris Cornell. Some of his former bandmates from Dead by Sunrise and Grey Daze united to perform a tribute for Bennington during a concert on September 2 in Las Vegas. Linkin Park also hosted a public tribute for Bennington in Los Angeles on October 27, titled . The event featured the band's first performance following his death, along with performances from Blink-182, members of System of a Down, Korn, Avenged Sevenfold, Bring Me the Horizon, Yellowcard, and the singer Kiiara, among others.


title: Chester Bennington

text: Rapper Jay-Z paid tribute to Bennington on several occasions by performing "Numb/Encore" live. Jay-Z and Bennington (with Linkin Park) collaborated on the song. Coldplay's Chris Martin paid tribute to Bennington during the band's North American tour concert at MetLife Stadium, playing an acoustic version of "Crawling" on piano. Several other artists, including Muse, Ryan Key (formerly of Yellowcard), rapper Machine Gun Kelly, Imagine Dragons, Billy Talent and Godsmack, also either covered Linkin Park songs (usually "Crawling") or played their own songs during concerts as tribute to Bennington in the days and months following his death. During the 60th Annual Grammy Awards's annual in memoriam tribute, rapper Logic performed the song "1-800-273-8255" live alongside Alessia Cara and Khalid as a tribute to both Cornell and Bennington. The song's title is the phone number of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.


title: Chester Bennington

text: Producer Markus Schulz made a trance remix of the Linkin Park song "In the End" as tribute to Bennington after his death which he debuted at Tomorrowland.


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington and other late musicians were honored in the music video for "Hold on to Memories" by Disturbed.


title: Chester Bennington

text: Following Bennington's death, singer Fred Durst said that Bennington "had a way of making anyone he spoke to feel heard, understood and significant. His aura and spirit were contagious and empowering. Often those types of people have so much pain and torture inside that the last thing they want is to contaminate or break the spirit of others... As real and transparent as our conversations would be, he was always the one projecting light on the shadows".


title: Chester Bennington

text: Linkin Park entered a hiatus following Bennington's death. Mike Shinoda stated in April 2022 that the band has no plans of recording a new album or touring.


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington possessed a three-octave tenor vocal range, beginning at the lowest note of G2, and reaching its peak at the highest note of G5. His vocals showed tremendous durability for the entirety of his career. Althea Legaspi of "Rolling Stone" wrote: "Bennington's voice embodied the anguish and wide-ranging emotions of the lyrics, from capturing life's vulnerable moments to the fury and catharsis found in his belted screams, which he would often move between at the turn of a dime."


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington stated that he was influenced by Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains, Arcade Fire, Circle Jerks, Descendents, Deftones, Jane's Addiction, Metallica, Fugazi, Refused, Ministry, Minor Threat, Misfits, The Naked and Famous, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Skinny Puppy, Soundgarden, and A Tribe Called Quest. Bennington also considered himself as "a huge Madonna fan", crediting her for making him grow up wanting to be a musician.


title: Chester Bennington

text: Several publications have commented on the musical legacy Bennington left behind. While describing the success of Bennington and Linkin Park, Allmusic's Andrew Leahey said, "Although rooted in alternative metal, Linkin Park became one of the most successful acts of the 2000s by welcoming elements of hip-hop, modern rock, and atmospheric electronica into their music ...focusing as much on the vocal interplay between singer Chester Bennington and rapper Mike Shinoda". Writing for "Billboard", Dan Weiss stated that Bennington "turned nu-metal universal," as he was "clearly an important conduit for his far-ranging audience".


title: Chester Bennington

text: Fred Durst, lead singer of Limp Bizkit, stated that if it were not for Bennington's voice and his words, nu metal "would never have reached the masses and affected so many lives."


title: Chester Bennington

text: "The New York Times" Jon Caramanica commented that Bennington's ability to "pair serrated rawness with sleek melody" separated him from other contemporary singers, and also from the artists he was influenced by. Caramanica noted, "He was an emo sympathizer in a time when heavy metal was still setting the agenda for mainstream hard rock, and a hip-hop enthusiast who found ways to make hip-hop-informed music that benefited from his very un-hip-hop skill set". As Bennington acquired influences from industrial and hardcore punk acts, the journalist believed this was the factor that made Linkin Park survive the "rise and precipitous fall of the rap-rock era", calling the musician "a rock music polymath". Mikael Wood of the "Los Angeles Times" argued, "Perhaps more than Linkin Park's influential sound, Bennington's real artistic legacy will be the message he put across – the reassurance he offered from the dark".


title: Chester Bennington

text: BBC's Steve Holden called Bennington the "voice of a generation", saying his voice was arguably Linkin Park's greatest asset. Jonathan McAloon of "The Daily Telegraph" commented, "Bennington’s death will have an impact on many millennials because his voice was the sound of their millennium". While talking about Linkin Park's popularity, Corey Apar, of AllMusic, commented, "Bennington's oft-tortured vocals became one of the most distinctive in the alternative rock scene". Writing for "The Guardian", Ben Beaumont-Thomas noted "Bennington’s decision to sing clearly and openly was, therefore, more radical than he is given credit for, and indeed more socially valuable". The journalist continued to discuss Bennington's impact, commenting,


title: Chester Bennington

text: James Hingle echoed this sentiment, writing for "Kerrang!" he said that Bennington "was one of the most honest vocalists out there when it came to his mental health". In the same topic, William Goodman from "Billboard" said Bennington and fellow musicians Chris Cornell and Scott Weiland "helped define a generation of the hard rock sound, who were tied together artistically and personally".


title: Chester Bennington

text: "The Straits Times" music correspondent Eddino Abdul Hadi stated Bennington was an inspiration to many artists in the Singapore music scene. Calum Slingerland, editor of the Canadian periodical "Exclaim!", expressed, "[H]is influence has been felt in the worlds of rock, metal, rap, and beyond".


title: Chester Bennington

text: After Bennington's death, his widow Talinda Bennington launched a campaign called 320 Changes Direction in honor of her husband to help break the stigma surrounding mental illness.


title: Chester Bennington

text: In 2020, during a Twitch live-stream, Mike Shinoda confirmed the existence of an unreleased Linkin Park song, titled "Friendly Fire", which features vocal tracks Bennington recorded during the "One More Light" sessions. At the time of his death, Bennington just finished a collaboration with Lamb of God guitarist Mark Morton for Morton's solo album "Anesthetic" entitled "Cross Off"; Morton later said in interviews that Bennington was "very, very excited about the idea of screaming and doing something heavier than what he's been doing lately". The music video for "Cross Off" later featured an empty microphone as a tribute to Bennington.


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington executive-produced the 2012 debut EP "Us–You" for Los Angeles hard rock band Hellflower, which is fronted by his long-time friend and Director of Activities (D.O.A.) Church.


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington made a cameo appearance in the 2006 film "Crank" as a customer in a pharmacy. He later appeared as a horse-track spectator in the film's 2009 sequel, "". Bennington also played the role of the ill-fated racist Evan in the 2010 film "Saw 3D". He was one of several rock musicians who spoke about the industry on Jared Leto's 2012 documentary, "Artifact".


title: Chester Bennington

text: Bennington was working with Church on developing an upcoming television show, "Mayor of the World", with executive producer Trip Taylor.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: Kendall Nicole Jenner (born November 3, 1995) is an American model, media personality, and socialite. She is a daughter of Kris Jenner and Caitlyn Jenner, and rose to fame in the reality television show "Keeping Up with the Kardashians." Jenner began modelling at the age of 14. After working in commercial print ad campaigns and photoshoots, she had breakout seasons in 2014 and 2015, walking the runways for high-fashion designers during the New York, Milan, and Paris fashion weeks. Jenner has appeared in campaigns, editorials, and cover shoots for "LOVE" and various international "Vogue" editions, and is a brand ambassador for Estée Lauder.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: Jenner made her debut at No. 16 on "Forbes" magazine's 2015 list of top-earning models, with an estimated annual income of . In 2017 Jenner was named the world's highest-paid model by "Forbes", ousting model Gisele Bündchen who had been leading the list since 2002.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: Kendall Nicole Jenner was born on November 3, 1995, in Los Angeles, California to former Olympic decathlete champion Caitlyn Jenner (then known as Bruce Jenner) and television personality and businesswoman Kris Jenner (née Houghton). Jenner's middle name was a tribute to Kris' best friend Nicole Brown Simpson, who was murdered just before Jenner was conceived.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: Jenner has a younger sister, Kylie, and eight older half-siblings. From Caitlyn's side of the family, she has three older half-brothers―Burt, Brandon, and Brody Jenner―and one older half-sister Casey Marino. From Kris' side of the family, Jenner has three older half-sisters―Kourtney, Kim, Khloé―and one older half-brother Rob Kardashian.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: Jenner was raised with her sister and the Kardashians in Calabasas, an upscale suburb west of Los Angeles. Jenner attended Sierra Canyon School before switching to homeschooling in order to pursue modeling. She graduated in 2014. In May 2014, Jenner purchased a two-bedroom, 2.5-bath condominium in Los Angeles for .


title: Kendall Jenner

text: In 2007, Jenner, along with her parents and siblings, Kylie, Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, and Rob, began appearing in the reality television series "Keeping Up with the Kardashians", which chronicles the personal and professional lives of their family members. The series was successful for its network, E!, and has resulted in the creation of numerous spin-offs including "Kourtney and Kim Take Miami", "Khloé & Lamar", "Kourtney and Kim Take New York", and "Kourtney and Khloé Take The Hamptons", in which Jenner has made multiple guest appearances.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: Jenner began modeling at age 13 when Wilhelmina Models signed her on July 12, 2009. Cinematographer Nick Saglimbeni directed the photoshoot for Jenner's Wilhelmina portfolio. Jenner's first modeling job was the "Rocker Babes with a Twist" campaign for Forever 21 in December 2009 and January 2010. Jenner featured in a "Teen Vogue" Snapshot on April 19, 2010.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: In September 2011, Jenner walked for Sherri Hill during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. By the end of 2012, Jenner had covers on "American Cheerleader", "Teen Prom", "Looks", "Raine", "GenLux", "Lovecat", and "Flavour Magazine". and booked campaigns for White Sands Australia, Leah Madden, and Agua Bendita.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: In November 2012, Jenner teamed with Victoria's Secret photographer Russell James for editorial work and joint projects. Over the course of 2013 and 2014, their work together surfaced in "Kurv", "Miss Vogue Australia", and "Harper's Bazaar Arabia." Jenner featured in James' "Nomad Two Worlds: Australia" book launches in Sydney and Los Angeles. Jenner's editorial work signaled a change of direction to high fashion, and Jenner signed with The Society Management on November 21, 2013.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: Jenner walked her first Society Management bookings for Marc Jacobs, Giles Deacon, Givenchy, Chanel, Donna Karan, Diane von Fürstenberg, Tommy Hilfiger, Fendi, Ports 1961, Bottega Veneta, Pucci, Dolce & Gabbana; Sonia Rykiel, and Balmain. Jenner participated in two Chanel public relations events in 2014: one, a feminist rally-themed Chanel event; and two, the company's Metiers D'Art in Salzburg. Jenner shot covers and editorials for "Interview" "LOVE", and "Teen Vogue". Jenner was cast in campaigns for Givenchy and a December-themed "LOVE" advent calendar promotion with Doug Inglish. In November 2014, Jenner became an official Estée Lauder representative. Jenner was hailed as "the 'It Girl' of the season" by "LOVE" editor Katie Grand.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: In 2015, Jenner walked for Chanel, Alexander Wang, Diane von Fürstenberg, Donna Karan, Vera Wang, Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta, Giles Deacon, Fendi, N°21, H&M, Balmain, the annual Dosso Dossi Fashion Show in Antalya, Turkey, Givenchy, Elie Saab, and Ports 1961. Jenner took part in publicity campaigns for Balmain x H&M and walked in the 2015 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Jenner shot covers and editorials with "Marie Claire Indonesia", "Harper's Bazaar", "GQ", "Vogue China", "LOVE", and "Vogue" issues in Japan, France and America. Jenner featured in campaigns for Marc Jacobs, Karl Lagerfeld, Fendi, Balmain, Estée Lauder, a political campaign for Rock The Vote/Independent Journal Review voter registration, and a second "LOVE" advent calendar. Jenner signed contracts with Calvin Klein Jeans in March and Penshoppe in May.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: In 2016, Jenner and Cara Delevingne were recreated as wax figures for Madame Tussaud's London Fashion Week Experience event. Jenner walked for Chanel, Diane Von Fürstenberg, Vera Wang, Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, Fendi, Versace, Bottega Veneta, Balmain, Dior, Elie Saab, and Miu Miu. Jenner shot covers and editorials in "Vogue Brazil", "W Korea", "LOVE", "Vanity Fair", "V", "Self Service Magazine", and "Harper's Bazaar". Vogue's editors devoted a special edition editorial supplement to Jenner in April.. Jenner had campaign features for Mango, CPS Chaps, Calvin Klein, Rock The Vote/Independent Journal Review, and Denimlab. Jenner announced her signing to Chilean retail chain París in April.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: Jenner's 2017 campaign for La Perla caused some controversy when she had to cancel a previously scheduled appearance as a Victoria's Secret model due to her new affiliation with La Perla.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: Jenner made her debut at No. 16 on "Forbes" magazine's 2015 list of top-earning models, with an estimated annual income of . In 2017, Jenner was named the world's highest-paid model by "Forbes", ousting model Gisele Bündchen, who had been leading the list for more than 14 years since 2002.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: Jenner created two signature nail lacquers for the 2011 Nicole by OPI Kardashian Kolors nail polish line, for which the Jenner sisters eventually earned a combined in endorsement profit. On March 16, 2012, the Jenner sisters were named Creative Directors of the "Gillette Venus Gets Ready with Kendall & Kylie Jenner" webisode series, which was originally aired on Gillette's Facebook page. In July 2013, the Jenner sisters formed a partnership with Pascal Mouawad's Glamhouse to create the "Metal Haven by Kendall & Kylie" jewelry collection. In February 2014, the Jenner sisters launched a shoe and handbag line under Steve Madden's "Madden Girl" line for Nordstrom.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: The Jenner sisters previewed "The Kendall & Kylie Collection" with PacSun on November 15, 2012; the collection launched in February 2013. On February 3, 2015, the Jenner sisters confirmed "Kendall + Kylie" collaboration with Topshop, which they unveiled in November 2015 at the Chadstone Shopping Centre in Melbourne, Australia. The collection launched in New York on February 8, 2016. On April 27, 2016, the Jenner sisters previewed a summer swimwear collection.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: In September 2015, each of the Jenner and Kardashian sisters released paid subscription mobile app websites in collaboration with Whalerock Industries. Jenner's website was nominated for an International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences 2016 Webby Award in April of that year. The Jenner sisters partnered with Glu Mobile to develop an app spinoff of ""; the "Kendall and Kylie" app launched February 17, 2016.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: In June 2017, Kendall and Kylie, launched a line of "vintage" T-shirts on their website for their lifestyle brand, Kendall + Kylie. The shirts retailed at $125 and featured logos or images of famous musicians or bands (Tupac Shakur, The Doors, Metallica, Pink Floyd, and The Notorious B.I.G.) with bright images or logos associated with the Jenners superimposed over them. The shirts were met with criticism from the public, as well as several cease and desist letters from the estates of the musicians and artists that were featured without permission. The photographer whose portrait of Tupac Shakur was used has since sued the Jenner sisters for copyright infringement. The sisters pulled the shirts from their website and issued a joint apology, "to anyone that has been upset and/or offended, especially to the families of the artists." In June 2020, the Jenners sisters addressed reports that their fashion brand Kendall + Kylie has failed to pay factory workers in Bangladesh as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. It was reported that Global Brands Group (GBG) previously listed the Kendall + Kylie brand on its website. As a result, the Jenners stated that their company is owned by a separate entity known as 3072541 Canada Inc. even though they say that their brand "has worked with CAA-GBG in the past, in a sales and business development capacity only" and that they "do not currently have any relationship at all with GBG".


title: Kendall Jenner

text: Jenner has partnered with Moon, an oral-care brand created by Shaun Neff of Neff Headwear. Jenner helped create one product for the brand, the Kendall Jenner Teeth Whitening Pen in April 2019., In 2019, Jenner made a partnership with the skin-care company Proactiv. In January 2020, she confirmed that a cosmetics line in collaboration with Kylie Cosmetics was in the process. Kylie Cosmetics launched Kendall Jenner x Kylie Cosmetics on June 26, 2020. In October 2020, she launched a stain-removal toothpaste in collaboration with Moon and designer Heron Preston on a limited edition orange stain-removal toothpaste, with just 350 units available on online marketplace StockX. This collaboration simultaneously marking StockX's debut into the personal care/beauty realm.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: Beginning 2015, Jenner featured in a series of commercial ads for various products including Jenner's signature Pure Color Envy Matte Sculpting Lipstick. In February 2016, Jenner and beauty blogger Irene Kim became guest editors for the Estée Edit, accompanied by a signature Eyeshadow Palette.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: In 2016, Jenner began a career as a photographer, her first published work was photographing and styling Kaia Gerber, daughter of supermodel Cindy Crawford, for the sixteenth anniversary issue of "LOVE".


title: Kendall Jenner

text: In 2010, Jenner was cast in boy band One Call's "Blacklight" video along with Ashley Benson and Kevin McHale. In 2012, Jenner appeared as AJ on the "Hawaii Five-0" episode "I Ka Wa Mamua". Jenner did voiceover for the character Strawberry in "The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange" episode "Shakesparagus Speare", which aired on January 20, 2014. In August 2014, Jenner appeared in singer PartyNextDoor's video "Recognize" with sister Kylie Jenner and rapper Drake.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: "Seventeen" magazine featured Kendall and Kylie Jenner as Style Stars of 2011 and selected them as "Style Ambassadors" for the magazine. In 2014, the Jenner sisters co-authored novel "" with ghostwriter Maya Sloan. On May 24, 2016, the Regan Arts division of Phaidon Press announced that the Jenner sisters, Elizabeth Killmond-Roman, and Katherine Killmond created "Time Of The Twins" as a sequel to "Rebels: City Of Indra".


title: Kendall Jenner

text: Jenner started dating NBA player Blake Griffin in summer 2017. The two broke up in April 2018. Jenner was in an on-again-off-again relationship with NBA player Ben Simmons from June 2018 to February 2020. From June 2020 to October 2022, Jenner was in a relationship with NBA player Devin Booker.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: In November 2020, Jenner faced large public criticism after having a birthday party with a hundred plus attendance during the coronavirus pandemic. The party was attended by many celebrities, including Justin and Hailey Bieber, the Weeknd, and Winnie Harlow, despite Los Angeles County having a Safer-at-Home order in effect. Jenner's mother responded to the criticism, telling Andy Cohen, "we are really responsible, and we make sure that everyone in our family and our closest friends are tested religiously. So, you know, we do what we can, we, we try to follow the rules."


title: Kendall Jenner

text: Jenner was named as one of "People" magazine's 50 most beautiful people in the world on April 9, 2014. "Time" magazine named the Jenner sisters as two of the 30 Most Influential Teens 2014 and 2015. On December 16, 2014, Google named Jenner as the second most Googled model in the world. Jenner debuted at No. 2 on "FHM"'s annual 100 Sexiest Women in the World list at the end of April 2015. Tumblr named Jenner as its most reblogged model for 2015. In November 2017, "Forbes" listed Jenner as the No.1 highest-paid model in the world.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: Jenner's rapid career ascent led "Dazed" magazine's editors to rank her "top creative to watch out for" in 2015 on their annual Dazed 100 list, Jenner collaborated with the editors of "Dazed" on a "Mean Girls"-inspired "Burn Book" parody, responding to her online critics and industry detractors. The video was later shortlisted in September 2015 for the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences' annual Lovie Awards in the Internet Viral Video category.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: The rapid rise of the "Instagirls" has accelerated a decade-long reassessment of the interaction between fashion and social media. Jenner's adeptness at connecting with Millennials online has given her access to a large demographic market, with the ability to further segment her fan base and find ideal clients. Designer Sally LaPorte claimed Jenner's approval of her line helped the designer identify the characteristics of her ideal buyers. Former Calvin Klein women's creative director Francisco Costa praised Jenner's social cachet: "Her social media reach is just incredible […] As a house, you become part of the culture by embracing someone like her." Jenner's ongoing participation in Calvin Klein promotions has proven to be profitable, as parent company the Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation announced a 13% increase in net sales over the previous year's first quarter in May 2016, with the financials also indicating a 10.5% increase in revenue. According to CEO Emanuel Chirico, increased earnings resulted from the restructuring of the company's global creative strategy for Calvin Klein and its associated "#MyCalvins" ad campaigns.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: Consequently, other brands have adapted to the potential impact of high-profile influencers on promotional strategies. Dear Frances footwear brand creative Jane Frances engineered an open-door branding strategy in such a way that her brand is able to successfully do promotional work either with or without influencer input. European ice cream company Magnum moved aggressively into online branding initiatives by featuring Suki Waterhouse and Jenner as company spokesmodels. Even without a sponsorship deal, Jenner's fashion choices can have an impact, as seen by fashion brand Rat & Boa, who had a boost to sales when Jenner wore a pair of their shorts at the Coachella festival.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: In the midst of these changes, tech entrepreneur Frank Spadafora designed his company's D'Marie app as a fashion industry-specific Q Score alternative in order to effectively measure the monetary imprint fashion influencers and brand ambassadors are able to attain. The app's deployment worked to Jenner's advantage; she ranked as D'Marie's #1 fashion influencer across all categories as of February 19, 2016, with the ability to earn between and for a single update to her social media platforms.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: On February 10, 2016, lawyers representing Jenner Inc. filed a $10 million lawsuit against esthetic medical company Cutera at the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Jenner's legal team objected to the company using her brand without authorization. Cutera had featured Jenner in ad campaigns for its Laser Genesis acne treatment. In May 2016, Jenner's attorneys dropped the charges.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: In 2017, Kendall Jenner was paid $275,000 for an Instagram post announcing that some members of the G.O.O.D. Music record label would be performing at Fyre Festival, and that her followers could buy tickets using a discount code she provided. The post, which has since been deleted, was not tagged as an #ad despite Jenner's compensation and the Federal Trade Commission law which requires paid posts on social media to be disclosed transparently. Fyre Festival was a fraudulent "luxury music festival" founded by Billy McFarland, CEO of Fyre Media Inc, and rapper Ja Rule. Three months after Netflix and Hulu released incriminating documentaries revealing the corrupt and unorganized preparations behind Fyre Festival, Jenner apologized for her involvement during an interview with the New York Times. Jenner said, "You get reached out to by people to, whether it be to promote or help or whatever, and you never know how these things are going to turn out, sometimes it's a risk, I definitely do as much research as I can, but sometimes there isn't much research you can do because it's a starting brand and you kind of have to have faith in it and hope it will work out the way people say it will. You never really know what's going to happen."


title: Kendall Jenner

text: The trustee for the Fyre Festival bankruptcy sued Jenner, along with other artists and influencers associated with the festival, alleging that payments to influencers were part of the scheme to defraud investors. Jenner settled for $90,000.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: In April 2017 Pepsi cast Jenner as the star for the commercial advertisement in a role in which she used the beverage to make peace between police officers and protesters. This ad was criticized for trivializing the protests against police brutality, particularly as it affects African Americans. Pepsi pulled the ad within a day, and apologized to Jenner for putting her in this position. She was reportedly "devastated" by the ad, although she "had the right to approve the ad before it was released". According to the same source, Jenner's contract with Pepsi prohibited her from commenting on the fallout.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: In May 2021 Jenner was criticised for culturally appropriating Mexican culture after sharing the campaign shoot for her tequila company, 818 Tequila, on Instagram. The advertisement featured scenes of Jenner on a horse in an agave field where native farmers were harvesting the agave, before raising a glass with them. Jenner shortly disabled comments on the post following complaints and her representatives declined to comment when contacted.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: In August 2021 Jenner was sued for $1.8 million by Italian fashion company Liu Jo for allegedly breaching her contract. The suit claimed that Jenner had caused "great expense" for the company by only completing one of two photoshoots for which she had already been paid $1.35 million of the total $1.5 million, in addition to 20% service fees she had been offered. The brand claimed that Jenner had completed the photoshoot for the Spring/Summer 2020 campaign but, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, could not complete the one intended for the Fall/Winter 2020 campaign. The company states that they offered to postpone the shoot but Jenner "repeatedly failed to provide [them] with definitive responses to [their] proposals, proposed no reasonable alternatives, and ultimately turned down all of their "good-faith offers of compromise". The suit claims that Jenner cited health concerns and told the brand she could not travel to Italy for the shoot but then did so for another designer, whilst also travelling for numerous "non-essential trips and hosting large parties with her friends". Jenner herself did not comment, but a representative for her stated that the suit was meritless and that Jenner had offered the fashion company alternative dates for the second photoshoot and "willingly offered to complete services honouring her commitments".


title: Kendall Jenner

text: Jenner set up an eBay account where she auctions old clothing to raise money for Children's Hospital Los Angeles. The Kardashian and Jenner sisters used eBay in this way to raise money for their charities in 2013. Jenner joined her family in a charity yard sale on November 10, 2013. Proceeds from the sale were donation-matched and sent to Share Our Strength: No Kid Hungry and the Greater Los Angeles Fisher House Foundation. Jenner and Kim Kardashian attended a Christmas Eve visit with the kids at Children's Hospital Los Angeles on Tuesday December 24, 2013.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: Jenner joined Khloe Kardashian, Lil Twist, and The Game at PINZ bowling alley in Studio City, California, for a charity bowling game on January 19, 2014. The event was held to raise money for The Robin Hood Foundation, a nonprofit for which The Game pledged to raise US$1 million in donations. Jenner. with her sister, Kylie, participated in singer Chris Brown's two Kick'n It For Charity celebrity kickball games in Glendale, California, in 2014 and on August 16, 2014. Jenner, Ansel Elgort, Gigi Hadid, and Jenner's agent Ashleah Gonzales encountered unhoused model/actor John Economou in Venice Beach during a fashion shoot in 2015, a meeting which led to Economou being signed to a Two Management contract by company president Luc Brinker. On February 14, 2015, Jenner appeared at Marc Jacobs' Bookmarc store in New York City for the launch of "Love" issue 13. She posed in a limited-edition T-shirt sale to raise proceeds for Designers Against AIDS.


title: Kendall Jenner

text: On her birthday in 2017, Jenner launched a birthday campaign and invited fans to donate $22 in honor of her turning 22 to , a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing countries. In 2020, Jenner, with her brand, Zaza World, launched merchandise to benefit Coronavirus relief efforts; net profits went to Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks which supports shelters, soup kitchens, and underserved communities.


title: Florida

text: Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to the south by the Straits of Florida and Cuba; it is the only state that borders both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Spanning , Florida ranks 22nd in area among the 50 states, and with a population of over 21 million, it is the third-most populous. The state capital is Tallahassee, and the most populous city is Jacksonville. The Miami metropolitan area, with a population of almost 6.2 million, is the most populous urban area in Florida and the ninth-most populous in the United States; other urban conurbations with over one million people are Tampa Bay, Orlando, and Jacksonville.


title: Florida

text: Various Native American groups have inhabited Florida for at least 14,000 years. In 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León became the first known European to make landfall, calling the region "La Florida" (] for its lush greenery and the Easter season ("Pascua Florida" in Spanish). Florida subsequently became the first area in the continental U.S. to be permanently settled by Europeans, with the Spanish colony of St. Augustine, founded in 1565, being the oldest continuously inhabited city. Florida was repeatedly contested by Spain and Great Britain before being ceded to the U.S. in 1819; it was admitted as the 27th state on March 3, 1845. Florida was the principal location of the Seminole Wars (1816–1858), the longest and most extensive of the Indian Wars in U.S. history. The state seceded from the Union on January 10, 1861, becoming one of the seven original Confederate States, though rejoined the union after the Civil War on June 25, 1868.


title: Florida

text: Since the mid-20th century, Florida has experienced rapid demographic and economic growth. Its economy, with a gross state product (GSP) of $1.0 trillion, is the fourth-largest of any U.S. state and the 16th-largest in the world; the main sectors are tourism, hospitality, agriculture, real estate, and transportation. Florida is world-renowned for its beach resorts, amusement parks, warm and sunny climate, and nautical recreation; attractions such as Walt Disney World, the Kennedy Space Center, and Miami Beach draw tens of millions of visitors annually. Florida is a popular destination for retirees, seasonal vacationers, and both domestic and international migrants; it hosts nine out of the ten fastest-growing communities in the U.S. The state's close proximity to the ocean has shaped its culture, identity, and daily life; its colonial history and successive waves of migration are reflected in African, European, Indigenous, Latino, and Asian influences. Florida has attracted or inspired writers such as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Ernest Hemingway, and Tennessee Williams, and continues to attract celebrities and athletes, particularly in golf, tennis, auto racing, and water sports. Florida was also heavily noted for being a battleground state in American presidential elections, particularly those in 2000, 2016, and 2020.


title: Florida

text: About two-thirds of Florida occupies a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. It has the longest coastline in the contiguous United States, spanning approximately 1,350 miles (2,170 km), not including its many barrier islands. Florida has 4,510 islands that are ten acres (4 ha) or larger in area, the second highest number after Alaska. Much of the state is at or near sea level, and is characterized by sedimentary soil. Florida is the flattest state in the country, with the lowest high point of any U.S. state, at just 345 feet (105 meters). Florida's largest freshwater lake, Lake Okeechobee, is the second-largest located entirely within the contiguous 48 states and often referred to as an inland sea. Several beaches in Florida have turquoise and emerald-colored coastal waters.


title: Florida

text: Florida's climate varies from subtropical in the north to tropical in the south. It is the only state besides Hawaii to have a tropical climate, and is the only continental state with both a tropical climate (at the lower tip of the peninsula) and a coral reef. Consequently, Florida has several unique ecosystems, most notably Everglades National Park, the largest tropical wilderness in the U.S. and among the largest in the Americas. Unique wildlife include the American alligator, American crocodile, American flamingo, Roseate spoonbill, Florida panther, bottlenose dolphin, and manatee. The Florida Reef is the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States, and the third-largest coral barrier reef system in the world after the Great Barrier Reef and Belize Barrier Reef.


title: Florida

text: People, known as Paleo-Indians, entered Florida at least 14,000 years ago. By the 16th century, the earliest time for which there is a historical record, major groups of people living in Florida included the Apalachee of the Florida Panhandle, the Timucua of northern and central Florida, the Ais of the central Atlantic coast, and the Calusa of southwest Florida.


title: Florida

text: Florida was the first region of what is now the contiguous United States to be visited and settled by Europeans. The earliest known European explorers came with the Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León. Ponce de León spotted and landed on the peninsula on April 2, 1513. He named it "La Florida" in recognition of the verdant landscape and because it was the Easter season, which the Spaniards called "Pascua Florida" (Festival of Flowers). The following day they came ashore to seek information and take possession of this new land. The story that he was searching for the Fountain of Youth is mythical and appeared only long after his death.


title: Florida

text: In May 1539, Conquistador Hernando de Soto skirted the coast of Florida, searching for a deep harbor to land. He described a thick wall of red mangroves spread mile after mile, some reaching as high as , with intertwined and elevated roots making landing difficult. The Spanish introduced Christianity, cattle, horses, sheep, the Castilian language, and more to Florida. Spain established several settlements in Florida, with varying degrees of success. In 1559, Don Tristán de Luna y Arellano established a settlement at present-day Pensacola, making it the first attempted settlement in Florida, but it was mostly abandoned by 1561.


title: Florida

text: In 1564–65 there was a French settlement at Fort Caroline, in present Duval County, which was destroyed by the Spanish.


title: Florida

text: In 1565, the settlement of St. Augustine (San Agustín) was established under the leadership of admiral and governor Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, creating what would become one of the oldest, continuously occupied European settlements in the continental U.S. and establishing the first generation of Floridanos and the Government of Florida. Spain maintained strategic control over the region by converting the local tribes to Christianity. The marriage between Luisa de Abrego, a free black domestic servant from Seville, and Miguel Rodríguez, a white Segovian, occurred in 1565 in St. Augustine. It is the first recorded Christian marriage in the continental United States.


title: Florida

text: Some Spanish married or had unions with Pensacola, Creek or African women, both slave and free, and their descendants created a mixed-race population of mestizos and mulattos. The Spanish encouraged slaves from the Thirteen Colonies to come to Florida as a refuge, promising freedom in exchange for conversion to Catholicism. King Charles II of Spain issued a royal proclamation freeing all slaves who fled to Spanish Florida and accepted conversion and baptism. Most went to the area around St. Augustine, but escaped slaves also reached Pensacola. St. Augustine had mustered an all-black militia unit defending Spanish Florida as early as 1683.


title: Florida

text: The geographical area of Spanish claims in "La Florida" diminished with the establishment of English settlements to the north and French claims to the west. English colonists and buccaneers launched several attacks on St. Augustine in the 17th and 18th centuries, razing the city and its cathedral to the ground several times. Spain built the Castillo de San Marcos in 1672 and Fort Matanzas in 1742 to defend Florida's capital city from attacks, and to maintain its strategic position in the defense of the Captaincy General of Cuba and the Spanish West Indies.


title: Florida

text: In 1738, the Spanish governor of Florida Manuel de Montiano established Fort Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose near St. Augustine, a fortified town for escaped slaves to whom Montiano granted citizenship and freedom in return for their service in the Florida militia, and which became the first free black settlement legally sanctioned in North America.


title: Florida

text: In 1763, Spain traded Florida to the Kingdom of Great Britain for control of Havana, Cuba, which had been captured by the British during the Seven Years' War. The trade was done as part of the 1763 Treaty of Paris which ended the Seven Years' War. Spain was granted Louisiana from France due to their loss of Florida. A large portion of the Florida population left, taking along large portions of the remaining indigenous population with them to Cuba.<ref name="http://fcit.usf.edu/Florida/docs/f/florbrit.htm"></ref> The British soon constructed the King's Road connecting St. Augustine to Georgia. The road crossed the St. Johns River at a narrow point called "Wacca Pilatka," or the British name "Cow Ford", reflecting the fact that cattle were brought across the river there.


title: Florida

text: The British divided and consolidated the Florida provinces ("Las Floridas") into East Florida and West Florida, a division the Spanish government kept after the brief British period. The British government gave land grants to officers and soldiers who had fought in the French and Indian War in order to encourage settlement. In order to induce settlers to move to Florida, reports of its natural wealth were published in England. A number of British settlers who were described as being "energetic and of good character" moved to Florida, mostly coming from South Carolina, Georgia and England. There was also a group of settlers who came from the colony of Bermuda. This was the first permanent English-speaking population in what is now Duval County, Baker County, St. Johns County and Nassau County. The British constructed good public roads and introduced the cultivation of sugar cane, indigo and fruits, as well as the export of lumber.


title: Florida

text: The British governors were directed to call general assemblies as soon as possible in order to make laws for the Floridas, and in the meantime they were, with the advice of councils, to establish courts. This was the first introduction of the English-derived legal system which Florida still has today, including trial by jury, habeas corpus and county-based government. Neither East Florida nor West Florida sent any representatives to Philadelphia to draft the Declaration of Independence. Florida remained a Loyalist stronghold for the duration of the American Revolution.


title: Florida

text: Spain regained both East and West Florida after Britain's defeat in the Revolutionary War and the subsequent Treaty of Versailles in 1783, and continued the provincial divisions until 1821.


title: Florida

text: Defense of Florida's northern border with the United States was minor during the second Spanish period. The region became a haven for escaped slaves and a base for Indian attacks against U.S. territories, and the U.S. pressed Spain for reform.


title: Florida

text: Americans of English and Scots-Irish descent began moving into northern Florida from the backwoods of Georgia and South Carolina. Though technically not allowed by the Spanish authorities and the Floridan government, they were never able to effectively police the border region and the backwoods settlers from the United States would continue to immigrate into Florida unchecked. These migrants, mixing with the already present British settlers who had remained in Florida since the British period, would be the progenitors of the population known as Florida Crackers.


title: Florida

text: These American settlers established a permanent foothold in the area and ignored Spanish authorities. The British settlers who had remained also resented Spanish rule, leading to a rebellion in 1810 and the establishment for ninety days of the so-called Free and Independent Republic of West Florida on September 23. After meetings beginning in June, rebels overcame the garrison at Baton Rouge (now in Louisiana), and unfurled the flag of the new republic: a single white star on a blue field. This flag would later become known as the "Bonnie Blue Flag".


title: Florida

text: In 1810, parts of West Florida were annexed by the proclamation of President James Madison, who claimed the region as part of the Louisiana Purchase. These parts were incorporated into the newly formed Territory of Orleans. The U.S. annexed the Mobile District of West Florida to the Mississippi Territory in 1812. Spain continued to dispute the area, though the United States gradually increased the area it occupied. In 1812, a group of settlers from Georgia, with de facto support from the U.S. federal government, attempted to overthrow the Floridan government in the province of East Florida. The settlers hoped to convince Floridians to join their cause and proclaim independence from Spain, but the settlers lost their tenuous support from the federal government and abandoned their cause by 1813.


title: Florida

text: Traditionally, historians argued that Seminoles based in East Florida began raiding Georgia settlements, and offering havens for runaway slaves. 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. The United States now effectively controlled East Florida. Control was necessary according to Secretary of State John Quincy Adams because Florida had become "a derelict open to the occupancy of every enemy, civilized or savage, of the United States, and serving no other earthly purpose than as a post of annoyance to them."


title: Florida

text: More recent historians describe that after U.S. independence, settlers in Georgia increased pressure on Seminole lands, and skirmishes near the border led to the First Seminole War (1816–19). The United States purchased Florida from Spain by the Adams-Onis Treaty (1819) and took possession in 1821. The Seminole were moved out of their rich farmland in northern Florida and confined to a large reservation in the interior of the Florida peninsula by the Treaty of Moultrie Creek (1823). Passage of the Indian Removal Act (1830) led to the Treaty of Payne's Landing (1832), which called for the relocation of all Seminole to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). Some resisted, leading to the Second Seminole War, the bloodiest war against Native Americans in United States history. By 1842, however, most Seminoles and Black Seminoles, facing starvation, were removed to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River. Perhaps fewer than 200 Seminoles remained in Florida after the Third Seminole War (1855–1858), having taken refuge in the Everglades, from where they never surrendered to the US. They fostered a resurgence in traditional customs and a culture of staunch independence.


title: Florida

text: Florida had become a burden to Spain, which could not afford to send settlers or troops due to the devastation caused by the Peninsular War. Madrid, therefore, decided to cede the territory to the United States through the Adams–Onís Treaty, which took effect in 1821. President James Monroe was authorized on March 3, 1821, to take possession of East Florida and West Florida for the United States and provide for initial governance. Andrew Jackson, on behalf of the U.S. federal government, served as a military commissioner with the powers of governor of the newly acquired territory for a brief period. On March 30, 1822, the U.S. Congress merged East Florida and part of West Florida into the Florida Territory.


title: Florida

text: By the early 1800s, Indian removal was a significant issue throughout the southeastern U.S. and also in Florida. In 1830, the U.S. Congress passed the Indian Removal Act and as settlement increased, pressure grew on the U.S. government to remove the Indians from Florida. Seminoles offered sanctuary to blacks, and these became known as the Black Seminoles, and clashes between whites and Indians grew with the influx of new settlers. In 1832, the Treaty of Payne's Landing promised to the Seminoles lands west of the Mississippi River if they agreed to leave Florida. Many Seminole left at this time.


title: Florida

text: Some Seminoles remained, and the U.S. Army arrived in Florida, leading to the Second Seminole War (1835–1842). Following the war, approximately 3,000 Seminole and 800 Black Seminole were removed to Indian Territory. A few hundred Seminole remained in Florida in the Everglades.


title: Florida

text: On March 3, 1845, only one day before the end of President John Tyler's term in office, Florida became the 27th state, admitted as a slave state and no longer a sanctuary for runaway slaves. Initially its population grew slowly.


title: Florida

text: As European settlers continued to encroach on Seminole lands, the United States intervened to move the remaining Seminoles to the West. The Third Seminole War (1855–58) resulted in the forced removal of most of the remaining Seminoles, although hundreds of Seminole Indians remained in the Everglades.


title: Florida

text: The first settlements and towns in South Florida were founded much later than those in the northern part of the state. The first permanent European settlers arrived in the early 19th century. People came from the Bahamas to South Florida and the Keys to hunt for treasure from the ships that ran aground on the treacherous Great Florida Reef. Some accepted Spanish land offers along the Miami River. At about the same time, the Seminole Indians arrived, along with a group of runaway slaves. The area was affected by the Second Seminole War, during which Major William S. Harney led several raids against the Indians. Most non-Indian residents were soldiers stationed at Fort Dallas. It was the most devastating Indian war in American history, causing almost a total loss of population in Miami.


title: Florida

text: After the Second Seminole War ended in 1842, William English re-established a plantation started by his uncle on the Miami River. He charted the "Village of Miami" on the south bank of the Miami River and sold several plots of land. In 1844, Miami became the county seat, and six years later a census reported there were ninety-six residents in the area. The Third Seminole War was not as destructive as the second, but it slowed the settlement of southeast Florida. At the end of the war, a few of the soldiers stayed.


title: Florida

text: American settlers began to establish cotton plantations in north Florida, which required numerous laborers, which they supplied by buying slaves in the domestic market. By 1860, Florida had only 140,424 people, of whom 44% were enslaved. There were fewer than 1,000 free African Americans before the American Civil War.


title: Florida

text: On January 10, 1861, nearly all delegates in the Florida Legislature approved an ordinance of secession, declaring Florida to be "a sovereign and independent nation"—an apparent reassertion to the preamble in Florida's Constitution of 1838, in which Florida agreed with Congress to be a "Free and Independent State." The ordinance declared Florida's secession from the Union, allowing it to become one of the founding members of the Confederate States.


title: Florida

text: The Confederacy received little military help from Florida; the 15,000 troops it offered were generally sent elsewhere. Instead of troops and manufactured goods, Florida did provide salt and, more importantly, beef to feed the Confederate armies. This was particularly important after 1864, when the Confederacy lost control of the Mississippi River, thereby losing access to Texas beef. The largest engagements in the state were the Battle of Olustee, on February 20, 1864, and the Battle of Natural Bridge, on March 6, 1865. Both were Confederate victories. The war ended in 1865.


title: Florida

text: Following the American Civil War, Florida's congressional representation was restored on June 25, 1868, albeit forcefully after Reconstruction and the installation of unelected government officials under the final authority of federal military commanders. After the Reconstruction period ended in 1876, white Democrats regained power in the state legislature. In 1885, they created a new constitution, followed by statutes through 1889 that disfranchised most blacks and many poor whites.


title: Florida

text: In the pre-automobile era, railroads played a key role in the state's development, particularly in coastal areas. In 1883, the Pensacola and Atlantic Railroad connected Pensacola and the rest of the Panhandle to the rest of the state. In 1884 the South Florida Railroad (later absorbed by Atlantic Coast Line Railroad) opened full service to Tampa. In 1894 the Florida East Coast Railway reached West Palm Beach; in 1896 it reached Biscayne Bay near Miami. Numerous other railroads were built all over the interior of the state.


title: Florida

text: Historically, Florida's economy has been based primarily upon agricultural products such as citrus fruits, strawberries, nuts, sugarcane and cattle. The boll weevil devastated cotton crops during the early 20th century.


title: Florida

text: Until the mid-20th century, Florida was the least-populous state in the southern United States. In 1900, its population was only 528,542, of whom nearly 44% were African American, the same proportion as before the Civil War. Forty thousand blacks, roughly one-fifth of their 1900 population levels in Florida, left the state in the Great Migration. They left due to lynchings and racial violence and for better opportunities in the North and the West. Disfranchisement for most African Americans in the state persisted until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s gained federal legislation in 1965 to enforce protection of their constitutional suffrage.


title: Florida

text: In response to racial segregation in Florida, a number of protests occurred in Florida during the 1950s and 1960s as part of the Civil Rights Movement. In 1956–1957, students at Florida A&M University organized a bus boycott in Tallahassee to mimic the Montgomery bus boycott and succeeded in integrating the city's buses. Students also held sit-ins in 1960 in protest of segregated seating at local lunch counters, and in 1964 an incident at a St. Augustine motel pool, in which the owner poured acid into the water during a demonstration, influenced the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.


title: Florida

text: Economic prosperity in the 1920s stimulated tourism to Florida and related development of hotels and resort communities. Combined with its sudden elevation in profile was the Florida land boom of the 1920s, which brought a brief period of intense land development. In 1925, the Seaboard Air Line broke the FEC's southeast Florida monopoly and extended its freight and passenger service to West Palm Beach; two years later it extended passenger service to Miami. Devastating hurricanes in 1926 and 1928, followed by the Great Depression, brought that period to a halt. Florida's economy did not fully recover until the military buildup for World War II.


title: Florida

text: In 1939, Florida was described as "still very largely an empty State." Subsequently, the growing availability of air conditioning, the climate, and a low cost of living made the state a haven. Migration from the Rust Belt and the Northeast sharply increased Florida's population after 1945. In the 1960s, many refugees from Cuba fleeing Fidel Castro's communist regime arrived in Miami at the Freedom Tower, where the federal government used the facility to process, document and provide medical and dental services for the newcomers. As a result, the Freedom Tower was also called the "Ellis Island of the South." In recent decades, more migrants have come for the jobs in a developing economy.


title: Florida

text: With a population of more than 18million, according to the 2010 census, Florida is the most populous state in the southeastern United States and the third-most populous in the United States. The population of Florida has boomed in recent years with the state being the recipient of the largest number of out-of-state movers in the country as of 2019. Florida's growth has been widespread, as cities throughout the state have continued to see population growth.


title: Florida

text: In 2012, the killing of Trayvon Martin, a young black man, by George Zimmerman in Sanford drew national attention to Florida's stand-your-ground laws, and sparked African-American activism nationally, including the Black Lives Matter movement.


title: Florida

text: After Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in September 2017, a large population of Puerto Ricans began moving to Florida to escape the widespread destruction. Hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans arrived in Florida after Maria dissipated, with nearly half of them arriving in Orlando and large populations also moving to Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach.


title: Florida

text: A handful of high-profile mass shootings have occurred in Florida in the 21st century. In June 2016, a gunman killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando. It is the deadliest incident in the history of violence against LGBT people in the United States, as well as the deadliest terrorist attack in the U.S. since the September 11 attacks in 2001, and it was the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman in U.S. history until the 2017 Las Vegas shooting. In February 2018, 17 people were killed in a school shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, leading to new gun control regulations at both the state and federal level.


title: Florida

text: On June 24, 2021, a condominium in Surfside, Florida, near Miami collapsed, killing at least 97 people. The Surfside collapse is tied with the Knickerbocker Theatre collapse as the third-deadliest structural engineering failure in United States history, behind the Hyatt Regency walkway collapse and the collapse of the Pemberton Mill.


title: Florida

text: Much of Florida is 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 Georgia and Alabama, and on the west, at the end of the panhandle, by Alabama. It is the only state that borders both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Florida also is the southernmost of the 48 contiguous states, Hawaii being the only one of the fifty states reaching farther south. Florida is west of The Bahamas and north of Cuba. Florida is one of the largest states east of the Mississippi River, and only Alaska and Michigan are larger in water area. The water boundary is offshore in the Atlantic Ocean and offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.


title: Florida

text: At above mean sea level, Britton Hill is the highest point in Florida and the lowest highpoint of any U.S. state. Much of the state south of Orlando lies at a lower elevation than northern Florida, and is fairly level. Much of the state is at or near sea level. However, some places such as Clearwater have promontories that rise above the water. Much of Central and North Florida, typically or more away from the coastline, have rolling hills with elevations ranging from . The highest point in peninsular Florida (east and south of the Suwannee River), Sugarloaf Mountain, is a peak in Lake County. On average, Florida is the flattest state in the United States.


title: Florida

text: The climate of Florida is tempered somewhat by the fact that no part of the state is distant from the ocean. North of Lake Okeechobee, the prevalent climate is humid subtropical (Köppen: "Cfa"), while areas south of the lake (including the Florida Keys) have a true tropical climate (Köppen: "Aw", "Am", and "Af"). 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 north Florida to above from Miami on southward. With an average daily temperature of , it is the warmest state in the U.S.


title: Florida

text: In the summer, high temperatures in the state rarely exceed . 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. South Florida, however, rarely encounters below freezing temperatures. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Florida was , which was set on June 29, 1931, in Monticello. The coldest temperature was , on February 13, 1899, just away, in Tallahassee.


title: Florida

text: Due to its subtropical and tropical climate, Florida rarely receives measurable snowfall. However, on rare occasions, a combination of cold moisture and freezing temperatures can result in snowfall in the farthest northern regions like Jacksonville, Gainesville or Pensacola. Frost, which is more common than snow, sometimes occurs in the panhandle. The USDA Plant hardiness zones for the state range from zone 8a (no colder than ) in the inland western panhandle to zone 11b (no colder than ) in the lower Florida Keys. Fog also occurs all over the state or climate of Florida.


title: Florida

text: 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. Florida has one of the highest average precipitation levels of any state, in large part because afternoon thunderstorms are common in much 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.


title: Florida

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


title: Florida

text: Hurricanes pose a severe threat each year from June1 to November 30, particularly from August to October. Florida is the most hurricane-prone state, with subtropical or tropical water on a lengthy coastline. Of the category4 or higher storms that have struck the United States, 83% have either hit Florida or Texas.


title: Florida

text: From 1851 to 2006, Florida was struck by 114 hurricanes, 37 of them major—category3 and above. It is rare for a hurricane season to pass without any impact in the state by at least a tropical storm.


title: Florida

text: In 1992, Florida was the site of what was then the costliest weather disaster in U.S. history, Hurricane Andrew, which caused more than $25billion in damages when it struck during August; it held that distinction until 2005, when Hurricane Katrina surpassed it, and it has since been surpassed by six other hurricanes. Andrew is currently the second-costliest hurricane in Florida's history.


title: Florida

text: Florida also has more than 500 nonnative animal species and 1,000 nonnative insects found throughout the state. Some exotic species living in Florida include the Burmese python, green iguana, veiled chameleon, Argentine black and white tegu, peacock bass, mayan cichlid, lionfish, White-nosed coati, rhesus macaque, vervet monkey, Cuban tree frog, cane toad, Indian peafowl, monk parakeet, tui parakeet, and many more. Some of these nonnative species do not pose a threat to any native species, but some do threaten the native species of Florida by living in the state and eating them.


title: Florida

text: There are about 3,000 different types of wildflowers in Florida. This is the third-most diverse state in the union, behind California and Texas, both larger states. In Florida, wild populations of coconut palms extend up the East Coast from Key West to Jupiter Inlet, and up the West Coast from Marco Island to Sarasota. Many of the smallest coral islands in the Florida Keys are known to have abundant coconut palms sprouting from coconuts deposited by ocean currents. Coconut palms are cultivated north of south Florida to roughly Cocoa Beach on the East Coast and the Tampa Bay Area on the West Coast.


title: Florida

text: On the east coast of the state, mangroves have normally dominated the coast from Cocoa Beach southward; salt marshes from St. Augustine northward. From St. Augustine south to Cocoa Beach, the coast fluctuates between the two, depending on the annual weather conditions. All three mangrove species flower in the spring and early summer. Propagules fall from late summer through early autumn. Florida mangrove plant communities covered an estimated in Florida in 1981. Ninety percent of the Florida mangroves are in southern Florida, in Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties.


title: Florida

text: The Florida Reef is the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States. It is also the third-largest coral barrier reef system in the world, after the Great Barrier Reef and the Belize Barrier Reef. The reef lies a little bit off of the coast of the Florida Keys. A lot of the reef lies within John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, which was the first underwater park in the United States. The park contains a lot of tropical vegetation, marine life, and seabirds. The Florida Reef extends into other parks and sanctuaries as well including Dry Tortugas National Park, Biscayne National Park, and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Almost 1,400 species of marine plants and animals, including more than 40 species of stony corals and 500 species of fish, live on the Florida Reef. The Florida Reef, being a delicate ecosystem like other coral reefs, faces many threats including overfishing, plastics in the ocean, coral bleaching, rising sea levels, and changes in sea surface temperature.


title: Florida

text: Florida is a low per capita energy user. , it is estimated that approximately 4% of energy in the state is generated through renewable resources. Florida's energy production is 6% of the nation's total energy output, while total production of pollutants is lower, with figures of 6% for nitrogen oxide, 5% for carbon dioxide, and 4% for sulfur dioxide. Wildfires in Florida occur at all times of the year.


title: Florida

text: All potable water resources have been controlled by the state government through five regional water authorities since 1972.


title: Florida

text: 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. Red tide is now killing off wildlife or Tropical fish and coral reefs putting all in danger.


title: Florida

text: The Florida panther is close to extinction. A record 23 were killed in 2009, mainly by automobile collisions, leaving 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. Manatees are also dying at a rate higher than their reproduction. American flamingos are rare to see in Florida due to being hunted in the 1900s, where it was to a point considered completely extirpated. Now the flamingos are reproducing toward making a comeback to South Florida since it is adamantly considered native to the state and also are now being protected.


title: Florida

text: Much of Florida has an elevation of less than , including many populated areas. Therefore, it is susceptible to rising sea levels associated with global warming. The Atlantic beaches that are vital to the state's economy are being washed out to sea due to rising sea levels caused by climate change. The Miami beach area, close to the continental shelf, is running out of accessible offshore sand reserves. Elevated temperatures can damage coral reefs, causing coral bleaching. The first recorded bleaching incident on the Florida Reef was in 1973. Incidents of bleaching have become more frequent in recent decades, in correlation with a rise in sea surface temperatures. White band disease has also adversely affected corals on the Florida Reef.


title: Florida

text: The Florida peninsula is a porous plateau of karst limestone sitting atop bedrock known as the Florida Platform.


title: Florida

text: The largest deposits of potash in the United States are found in Florida. The largest deposits of rock phosphate in the country are found in Florida. Most of this is in Bone Valley.


title: Florida

text: 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. While there are sinkholes in much of the state, modern sinkholes have tended to be in West-Central Florida. Everglades National Park covers , throughout Dade, Monroe, and Collier counties in Florida. The Everglades, an enormously wide, slow-flowing river encompasses the southern tip of the peninsula. Sinkhole damage claims on property in the state exceeded a total of $2billion from 2006 through 2010. Winter Park Sinkhole, in central Florida, appeared May 8, 1981. It was approximately 350 feet (107m) wide and 75 feet (23m) deep. It was notable as one of the largest recent sinkholes to form in the United States. It is now known as Lake Rose. The Econlockhatchee River (Econ River for short) is an north-flowing blackwater tributary of the St. Johns River, the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida. The Econ River flows through Osceola, Orange, and Seminole counties in Central Florida, just east of the Orlando Metropolitan Area (east of State Road 417). It is a designated Outstanding Florida Waters.


title: Florida

text: The largest metropolitan area in the state as well as the entire southeastern United States is the Miami metropolitan area, with about 6.06million people. The Tampa Bay Area, with more than 3.02million, is the second largest; the Orlando metropolitan area, with more than 2.44million, is third; and the Jacksonville metropolitan area, with more than 1.47million, is fourth.


title: Florida

text: Florida has 22 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Forty-three of Florida's 67 counties are in an MSA.


title: Florida

text: The legal name in Florida for a city, town or village is "municipality". In Florida there is no legal difference between towns, villages and cities.


title: Florida

text: The U.S. Census Bureau estimated that the population of Florida was 21,477,737 on July 1, 2019, a 14.24% increase since the 2010 United States census. The population of Florida in the 2010 census was 18,801,310. Florida was the seventh fastest-growing state in the U.S. in the 12-month period ending July 1, 2012. In 2010, the center of population of Florida was located between Fort Meade and Frostproof. The center of population has moved less than to the east and approximately to the north between 1980 and 2010 and has been located in Polk County since the 1960 census. The population exceeded 19.7million by December 2014, surpassing the population of the state of New York for the first time, making Florida the third most populous state. The Florida population was 21,477,737 residents or people according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2019 Population Estimates Program. By the 2020 census, its population increased to 21,538,187.


title: Florida

text: In 2010, undocumented immigrants constituted an estimated 5.7% of the population. This was the sixth highest percentage of any U.S. state. There were an estimated 675,000 illegal immigrants in the state in 2010. Florida has banned sanctuary cities.


title: Florida

text: In 2010, 6.9% of the population (1,269,765) considered themselves to be of only American ancestry (regardless of race or ethnicity). Many of these were of English or Scotch-Irish descent; however, their families have lived in the state for so long they choose to identify as having "American" ancestry or do not know their ancestry. In the 1980 United States census, the largest ancestry group reported in Florida was English with 2,232,514 Floridians claiming they were of English or mostly English American ancestry. Some of their ancestry dated to the original thirteen colonies.


title: Florida

text: , those of (non-Hispanic white) European ancestry accounted for 57.9% of Florida's population. Out of the 57.9%, the largest groups were 12.0% German (2,212,391), 10.7% Irish (1,979,058), 8.8% English (1,629,832), 6.6% Italian (1,215,242), 2.8% Polish (511,229), and 2.7% French (504,641). White Americans of all European backgrounds are present in all areas of the state. In 1970, non-Hispanic whites constituted nearly 80% of Florida's population. Those of English and Irish ancestry are present in large numbers in all the urban/suburban areas across the state. Some native white Floridians, especially those who have descended from long-time Florida families, may refer to themselves as "Florida crackers"; others see the term as a derogatory one. Like whites in most other states of the southern U.S., they descend mainly from English and Scots-Irish settlers, as well as some other British American settlers.


title: Florida

text: As of 2010, those of Hispanic or Latino ancestry accounted for 22.5% (4,223,806) of Florida's population. Out of the 22.5%, the largest groups were 6.5% (1,213,438) Cuban, and 4.5% (847,550) Puerto Rican. Florida's Hispanic population includes large communities of Cuban Americans in Miami and Tampa, Puerto Ricans in Orlando and Tampa, and Mexican/Central American migrant workers. The Hispanic community continues to grow more affluent and mobile. Florida has a large and diverse Hispanic population, with Cubans and Puerto Ricans being the largest groups in the state. Nearly 80% of Cuban Americans live in Florida, especially South Florida where there is a long-standing and affluent Cuban community. Florida has the second-largest Puerto Rican population after New York, as well as the fastest-growing in the nation. Puerto Ricans are more widespread throughout the state, though the heaviest concentrations are in the Orlando area of Central Florida. Florida has one of the largest and most diverse Hispanic/Latino populations in the country, especially in South Florida around Miami, and to a lesser degree Central Florida. Aside from the dominant Cuban and Puerto Rican populations, there are also large populations of Mexicans, Colombians, Venezuelans and Dominicans, among numerous other groups, as most Latino groups have sizable numbers in the state.


title: Florida

text: , those of African ancestry accounted for 16.0% of Florida's population, which includes African Americans. Out of the 16.0%, 4.0% (741,879) were West Indian or Afro-Caribbean American. During the early 1900s, black people made up nearly half of the state's population. 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 to 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. By 1960, the proportion of African Americans in the state had declined to 18%. Conversely, large numbers of northern whites moved to the state. Today, large concentrations of black residents can be found in northern and central Florida. Aside from blacks descended from African slaves brought to the southern U.S., there are also large numbers of blacks of West Indian, recent African, and Afro-Latino immigrant origins, especially in the Miami/South Florida area. Florida has the largest West Indian population of any state, originating from many Caribbean countries, with Haitian Americans being the most numerous.


title: Florida

text: In 2016, Florida had the highest percentage of West Indians in the United States at 4.5%, with 2.3% (483,874) from Haitian ancestry, 1.5% (303,527) Jamaican, and 0.2% (31,966) Bahamian, with the other West Indian groups making up the rest.


title: Florida

text: As of 2011, Florida contains the highest percentage of people over 65 (17.3%) in the U.S. There were 186,102 military retirees living in the state in 2008. About two-thirds of the population was born in another state, the second-highest in the U.S.


title: Florida

text: In 2020, Hispanic and Latinos of any race(s) made up 26.5% of the population, while Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders made up 0.1% of all Broward County residents.


title: Florida

text: In 1988, English was affirmed as the state's official language in the Florida Constitution. Spanish is also widely spoken, especially as immigration has continued from Latin America. About twenty percent of the population speak Spanish as their first language. Twenty-seven percent of Florida's population reports speaking a mother language other than English, and more than 200 first languages other than English are spoken at home in the state.


title: Florida

text: Florida is mostly Christian (70%), although there is a large irreligious and relatively significant Jewish community. Protestants account for almost half of the population, but the Catholic Church is the largest single denomination in the state mainly due to its large Hispanic population and other groups like Haitians. Protestants are very diverse, although Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals and nondenominational Protestants are the largest groups. Smaller Christian groups include The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Jehovah's Witnesses. There is also a sizable Jewish community in South Florida. This is the largest Jewish population in the southern U.S. and the third-largest in the U.S. behind those of New York and California.


title: Florida

text: In 2010, the three largest denominations in Florida were the Catholic Church, the Southern Baptist Convention, and the United Methodist Church.


title: Florida

text: 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 law.