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Jacksonville, Florida

Jacksonville, Florida

Jacksonville is a city located in Duval County, Florida, USA. It is the county seat of Duval County . As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 777,704[http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2004-04-12.xls]. It is the principal city on the First Coast region of Florida. Geographically, it is the largest city in the contiguous 48 states of the United States in terms of land area. It is also the largest city in Florida in terms of population in the city proper (ultimately ranking 13th in the country). By this measure, Jacksonville also has the distinction of being the largest city in the South outside of Texas. The Jacksonville metropolitan area reached over one million residents in 1996. Jacksonville and Duval County are consolidated. All areas of Duval County are considered to be part of Jacksonville, but the communities of Baldwin, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach and Jacksonville Beach have their own municipal governments as well. The total area of Jacksonville is 874.3 square miles (2,264.5 km²). Jacksonville was originally named Cowford because the St. Johns River is narrow there, allowing cattlemen to ford (herd cows across the river). The city was renamed in 1822 for the first territorial governor of Florida and the future 7th U.S. President, Andrew Jackson. Jacksonville is sometimes abbreviated as Jax, which comes from the abbreviation on luggage tags attached to baggage entering Jacksonville International Airport.

History

The history of Jacksonville, like most cities, is long and complex. The first evidence of habitation is from over 6,000 years ago by the Timucua. In 1562, the French Huguenot explorer Jean Ribault explored the area around the St. Johns River, the first European expedition to the area. The first permanent settlement was founded as "Cow Ford" in 1791. Florida became a territory of the United States in 1821, and Cow Ford soon acquired the name "Jacksonville" after then-President Andrew Jackson. The charter for a town government was approved by the Florida Legislative Council on February 9, 1832. Jacksonville was blockaded by the Union during the Civil War. It changed hands several times, although never with a battle. The closest civil war site is Olustee. However, Jacksonville was left in a position of considerable disrepair after the war. During Reconstruction and afterward, Jacksonville and nearby St. Augustine became popular winter resorts for the rich and famous. Visitors arrived by steamboat and later by railroad. This ended eventually as the rail lines were extended even farther south to Miami and Palm Beach. Tourism, and the city as a whole, was dealt another blow by major yellow fever outbreaks in 1886 and 1888. In the absence of scientific knowledge concerning the causes of yellow fever, nearly half of the city's panicked residents fled despite the imposition of quarantines. As if to further exacerbate the problem, on May 2, 1901, hot ash from a shantyhouse's chimney landed on the drying moss at Cleaveland's Fiber Factory. At half past noon most of the Cleaveland workers were at lunch, but by the time they returned the entire city block was engulfed in flames. The fire destroyed the business district and rendered 10,000 residents homeless in the course of eight hours. The fire is known as the "Great Fire of 1901". Famed New York architect Henry Klutho helped rebuild the city after the devastation. Despite this, the motion picture industry took a liking to Jacksonville in the early 1900s. This was spurred by the warm climate, excellent rail access, and the lack of tourists (most visited Miami by this time) meant prices and labor were cheap. The city earned the title of the "Winter Film Capital of the World". By the early 1910s, Jacksonville hosted over 30 studios employing over 1000 actors. However, an unfavorable political climate forced the industry out of Jacksonville to California, where it largely still operates today. During World War II, Naval Air Station Jacksonville ("NAS Jax") on the westside, the first navy installation in the city, was used as a major training center. Over 20,000 pilots and aircrewmen were being trained there. After the war, the Navy's Blue Angels were established at NAS Jax. Today, NAS Jax is the third largest navy installation in the country and employs over 23,000 civilian and active-duty personnel. Jacksonville has a history of racial segregation and violence. This came to a head on an event known as "Ax Handle Saturday" on August 27, 1960. A group of white men (who allegedly were also members of the Ku Klux Klan) armed with baseball bats and ax handles attacked civil rights protesters conducting sit-ins at segregated downtown restaurants. The violence spread, and the white mob started attacking all African-Americans in sight. The police did not make an attempt to stop the violence until the "blacks started holding their own." On June 1, 2003, John Peyton became Mayor of Jacksonville after defeating the African American Sheriff Nat Glover.

Geography and climate

Geography

Jacksonville is located at 30°19'10" North, 81°39'36" West (30.319406, -81.659999). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2,264.5 km² (874.3 mi²). 1,962.4 km² (757.7 mi²) of it is land and 302.1 km² (116.7 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 13.34% water.

Climate

Jacksonville has mild weather during winters and hot weather during summers. High temperatures average 50 to 90°F (10-32°C) throughout the year. High heat indices are not uncommon for the summer months in the Jacksonville area. High Temperatures can reach mid to high 90s with heat index ranges of 105-115 °F. Conversely, the area can experience many freezes and hard freezes during the night at winter's peak. Very rarely, the area will see snow, though when this happens the snow will usually melt before it touches the ground. Jacksonville is one of the few cities on the Eastern coast that have been spared from the wrath of hurricanes. The only hurricane to directly hit the city was Hurricane Dora in 1964 with winds that had just barely diminished to 110 mph, making it a strong Category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. However, the city has been affected by storms that have crossed the state and exited at Jacksonville. Rainfall averages around 52 inches a year, with the wetter months being June through September.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 735,617 people, 284,499 households, and 190,614 families residing in the city. The population density is 374.9/km² (970.9/mi²). There are 308,826 housing units at an average density of 157.4/km² (407.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 64.48% White, 29.03% Black or African American, 0.34% Native American, 2.78% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.33% from other races, and 1.99% from two or more races. 4.16% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 284,499 households out of which 33.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% are married couples living together, 16.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% are non-families. 26.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.53 and the average family size is 3.07. In the city, the population is spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.6 males. The median income for a household in the city is $40,316, and the median income for a family is $47,243. Males have a median income of $32,547 versus $25,886 for females. The per capita income for the city is $20,337. 12.2% of the population and 9.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 16.7% of those under the age of 18 and 12.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Economy

Jacksonville is the home of several companies, the most noteable being:
- CSX Transportation CSX Transportation
- Winn-Dixie (the parent of Save Rite)
- TNT Logistics
- Gate Petroleum
- Tiger Telematics (makers of the Gizmondo)
- Stein Mart See also: Famous businesses native to Jacksonville, Florida

Government

History

After World War II, the government of the City of Jacksonville began to increase spending to fund new building projects in the boom that occurred after the war. Mayor Haydon Burns' "Jacksonville Story" resulted in the construction of a new city hall, civic auditorium, public library and other projects that created a dynamic sense of civic pride. However, the development of suburbs and a subsequent wave of "white flight" left Jacksonville with a much poorer population than before. Much of the city's tax base dissipated, leading to problems with funding education, sanitation, and traffic control within the city limits. In addition, residents in unincorporated suburbs had difficulty obtaining municipal services such as sewage and building code enforcement. In 1958, a study recommended that the City of Jacksonville begin annexing outlying communities in order to create the needed tax base to improve services throughout the county. Voters outside the city limits rejected annexation plans in six referendums between 1960 and 1965. In the mid 1960s, corruption scandals began to arise among many of the city's officials, who were mainly elected through the traditional good ol' boy network. After a grand jury was convened to investigate, several officials were indicted and more were forced to resign. Consolidation, led by Sheriff Dale Carson, began to win more support during this period, from both inner city blacks (who wanted more involvement in government) and whites in the suburbs (who wanted more services and more control over the center city). Lower taxes, increased economic development, unification of the community, better public spending and effective administration by a more central authority were all cited as reasons for a new consolidated government. A consolidation referendum was held in 1967, and voters approved the plan. On October 1, 1968, the governments merged to create the Consolidated City of Jacksonville.

Structure

Jacksonville uses the Mayor-Council form of city government. The mayor is the Chief Executive and Administrative officer, called the Strong-Mayor form. He holds veto power over all resolutions and ordinances made by the city council. He also has the power to hire and fire the head of various city departments. The city council has nineteen members, fourteen of whom are elected from districts, and five who are elected at-large. Four municipalities within Duval County voted not to join the consolidated government. These communities consist of only 6% of the total population within the county. The municipalities are Baldwin, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach and Jacksonville Beach. Not all city services were merged, making for a less-than-full consolidation of the city-county. Several authorities remain independent of the combined city-county government, including the school board, electric authority, port authority, and airport authority. Fire, police, health and welfare, recreation, public works, and housing and urban development were all combined under the new government. The four separate communities provide their own services, while maintaining the right to contract the consolidated government to provide services for them. Under the new government structure, anyone living in Duval County is eligible to run for Mayor of the City of Jacksonville, even those living in the four separate municipalities.

Education

Public high schools

Jacksonville, along with the standard district schools, is home to two International Baccalaureate ("IB") schools. They are Stanton College Preparatory School and the newer Paxon School for Advanced Studies. As well as IB schools, there is a Performing arts high school located in Jacksonville, Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. See also: List of high schools in Jacksonville

Higher education

List of high schools in Jacksonville Jacksonville is home to Brewer Christian College, Edward Waters College, Jacksonville University, University of North Florida, Florida Community College at Jacksonville, Trinity Baptist College, Jones College, Florida Technical College, Logos Christian College, and Florida Coastal School of Law. Former mayor John Delaney (predecessor of current mayor John Peyton) has been president of the University of North Florida since July 2003, parlaying his widespread popularity in the city into a highly coveted spot of leadership in the state university system.

Attractions and Points of Interest

Jacksonville gathers significant natural beauty from the St. Johns River and Atlantic Ocean. The Jacksonville Beaches area is a center of recreation and nightlife, and the many parks around the city have received international recognition. The city center includes the Jacksonville Landing shopping center and the Riverwalk. Downtown Jacksonville has a memorable skyline with the tallest building being the Bank of America Building, constructed in 1990 with a height of 617ft (188m). Other notable structures include the Modis Building (once the defining building in the Jacksonville skyline, owned by Independent Life) with its distinctive flared base and the Riverplace Tower, which is the tallest pre-cast, post-tension concrete structure in the world.

Annual Music Events


- The city's biggest cultural event is the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, an annual event featuring many of the biggest names in jazz. Jacksonville also features two art museums: the Cummer Gallery of Art and the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art. The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra makes regular performances at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts near downtown. The newly built Veterans Memorial Arena has quickly grown in popularity with many acts since it has been built. KISS, Aerosmith, Elton John, Green Day, Metallica, Britney Spears, and many other acts have performed there.
- Jacksonville also hosts an annual concert event known as "Come Together Day," which is held every spring at Metro Park, adjacent to ALLTEL Stadium, on the banks of the St. John's River. The largest names in the Hip Hop/R&B genre make their way to Jacksonville to perform in front of thousands of spectators. The event is sponsored by local radio stations. Past performers include: Monica, Ying Yang Twins, Master P, Trina, David Banner, Trick Daddy, Destiny's Child, and a large host of other prominent hip-hop legends. Crowds from all across the region converge on Jacksonville for one of the largest hip hop events of the year. The event was originally created as a way of drawing the black community together in the sense of a family reunion. Come Together Day has since grown to a major event welcoming tourists from all across the southeast.
- Jacksonville Beach is the host of the Springing the Blues Festival. On the springingtheblues.com website this was stated: Springing The Blues is a free outdoor blues music festival designed to celebrate America's indigenous musical form and promote support of the arts. The three-day oceanfront event features a number of renowned blues performers as well as numerous displays and activities geared for the entire family. It is held at Jacksonville Beach, Florida's Oceanfront SeaWalk Pavilion on the 1st weekend of April each year.

Holiday Events

Citizens of Jacksonville and surronding counties make their the way to the Jacksonville Riverwalk to be dazzled by fireworks. On the Fourth of July, with weather permitting, the city is the site of one of the largest fireworks displays in the nation. Thousands gather at Metro Park, which is also the site of a Happy Birthday America Concert. On the night of New Year's Eve Jacksonville puts on a major fireworks-concert on the banks of the River to usher in the new year. The cities' urban core is jammed pack with crowds and partiers who are poised to attend the Gator Bowl the next day. These fireworks shows makes use of Jacksonville's beautiful downtown skyscrapers and its numerous colorful lit bridges as barges to create a festive atmosphere.

Jacksonville Zoological Gardens

The Jacksonville Zoological Gardens boast the second largest animal collection in the state. The zoo features elephants, lions, jaguars (with a new exhibit, Range of the Jaguar, hosted by the owners of the Jacksonville Jaguar owners, Delores and Wayne Weaver), a multitude of reptile houses, free flight aviaries, and many other animals.

Museums


- Museum of Science and History (MOSH)is an interactive museum for people of all ages. The museum includes the Alexander Brest Planetarium where one can star gaze or learn about astronomy. The museum also hosts daycamps, camp-ins, and birthday parties. MOSH is located on the Southbank in downtown Jacksonville.
- The Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art (JMOMA) has various exhibitions and education programs. JMOMA is located in downtown Jacksonville on North Laura Street near the new main library.
- The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens holds a large collection of European and American paintings. The beauty of The Cummer comes from its location on the St. Johns River and the gardens which surround the museum. The gardens are comprised of two acres of English and Italian style gardens. The Cummer is located just south of downtown in Riverside on the banks of the St. Johns River. Other points of interest in the city include:
- Palm and Cycad Arboretum at Florida Community College at Jacksonville
- [http://www.freshministries.org/us/main-street-initiative The Klutho Building] at 1830 Main Street
- [http://www.cwpowellins.com/BuildingHistory.htm The Old Morocco Temple Building]

Sports

Florida Community College at Jacksonville Jacksonville is home to a number of professional sports teams, the most famous of which is the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. The Jacksonville Suns is a minor league baseball affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The ice hockey team is the Jacksonville Barracudas. Jacksonville was named as the site for Super Bowl XXXIX, becoming the third city in the state of Florida (Miami and Tampa being the others) to host the event. The game was held on February 6, 2005 and featured halftime entertainment by former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney. The Jacksonville area also boasts many excellent golf courses. In Ponte Vedra lies the Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass, one of the most famous golf courses in the world and home to the annual PGA TPC (The Player's Championship) tournament. Nearby St. Augustine is home to the World Golf Village and World Golf Hall of Fame. World Golf Hall of Fame Professional tennis is in town each year when the WTA holds the Bausch & Lomb Championships at Amelia Island Plantation near Fernandina Beach, just north of Jacksonville. Other sports events include the annual Kingfish Tournament held in July, the Florida-Georgia football game, commonly known as "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" held every October, the ACC Championship, and the Gator Bowl held in early January. University of North Florida, Jacksonville University and Edward Waters College also field athletic teams in a number of sports.

Media

Edward Waters College The Florida Times-Union is the major daily newspaper in Jacksonville. Another daily newspaper is The Daily Record. Popular magazines include Folio Weekly, Jacksonville Free Press, Jacksonville Business Journal, The Jacksonville Advocate, and the The Florida Star. There is also a monthly publication called the Jacksonville Magazine. Jacksonville is served by television stations affiliated with major American networks including WTLV (NBC), WJXX (ABC), WTEV (CBS), WAWS (FOX/UPN), and WJWB (WB). PBS has two members stations in Jacksonville, WUFT and WJCT. Some households also get WXGA, a PBS affiliate based in Waycross, Georgia. WJXT is a former longtime CBS affiliate that turned independent in 2002. The two most popular radio stations in regard to contemporary hits are WAPE 95.1 and WFKS 97.9. WJBT 92.7 is a hip-hop/R&B station, WPLA 93.3 is a modern rock and alternative music station, WQIK 99.1 is a country station, WBGB 106.5 plays contemporary Christian music, WHJX 105.7 is a soul station, WFJO 92.5 plays music in Spanish like salsa, merengue, and reggaeton, and WJCT 89.9 is a local public radio station. See Radio Stations in Jacksonville, Florida for more radio stations in Jacksonville.

Transportation

Interstate Highways 10 and 95 intersect in Jacksonville. Interstate Highway 10 ends at this intersection (the other end being in Los Angeles). The eastern terminus of US-90 is in nearby Jacksonville Beach near the Atlantic Ocean. Additionaly, several other roads as well a major local expressway, J. Turner Butler Boulevard (SR 202) also connect Jacksonville to the beaches. Public transportation is provided by the Jacksonville Transportation Authority. The city has the Jacksonville Skyway monorail, which travels through the central business district and is fairly cheap to use. However, there are very few Skyway stations and as such, traffic is quite light. The Skyway has been criticized in that it goes from "nowhere to nowhere" along its limited route, which encompasses only downtown and such is no use to most commuters. monorail Interstate 95 has a bypass route, with I-295, which bypasses the city to the west, and SR-9A, bypassing the city to the east. I-295 and SR-9A circumvent the Jacksonville downtown as North-South routes around the city. Jacksonville is also home to the world headquarters of CSX Transportation, and they own a large bulding downtown that is significant part of the skyline. There are also numerous bridges over the St. Johns River at Jacksonville. They include (starting from furthest downstream) the Dames Point Bridge, the Mathews Bridge, the Isaiah D. Hart Bridge, the Main Street Bridge, the Acosta Bridge, the Fuller Warren Bridge (which carries I-95 traffic) and the Buckman Bridge (which carries I-295 traffic). Major commercial air service in Jacksonville operates out of Jacksonville International Airport. Smaller planes can fly to Craig Airport on the southside and Herlong Airport on the westside. The city also operates an airfield at Cecil Commerce Center that is intended for aerospace manufacturing companies. Amtrak passenger railroad serves Jacksonville from a station on Clifford Lane in the Northwest section of the city. In 2003, the JAXPORT Cruise Terminal opened, providing cruise service to Key West, Florida, the Bahamas, and Mexico.

Famous native individuals and groups

Mexico
- James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938) leading African American activist
- John Rosamond Johnson (1873-1954) musical composer, brother of James Weldon
- A. Philip Randolph (1889-1979) African American civil rights activist
- Merion C. Cooper (1893-1973) Hollywood director, producer & writer
- Rosalie King Simpson (1902-199?) - stage actress and singer
- Frankie Manning (1914-) dancer and choreographer
- Charles E. Merrill (1885-1956) co-founder of Merrill, Lynch & Company
- John Archibald Wheeler (1911-) physicist
- Alan Stephenson Boyd (1922-) the first United States Secretary of Transportation
- Arthur "Blind" Blake (1893-1933) influential blues guitarist
- G. M. Palmer (born 1978) Poet and Editor Strong Verse
- Ma$e (born 1978) hip hop star
- Yellowcard (formed 1997) Pop Punk band
- Fred Durst (1970-)the lead singer of the rap rock band, Limp Bizkit, also from Jacksonville
- Rena Mero (Sable) WWE Diva Jacksonville is also the birthplace of many businesses that are based there.

Sister cities

Jacksonville has several sister cities [http://www.jsca.org/]. They are:
- Bahia Blanca, Argentina (since 1967)
- Murmansk, Russia (1975)
- Masan, South Korea (1983)
- Nantes, France (1984)
- Yingkou, China (1990)
- Port Elizabeth, South Africa (2000) In 2000, The Sister Cities International awarded Jacksonville the Innovation Arts & Culture Award for the city's program with Nantes.

See also


- Orange Park
- Duval County, Florida

Further reading


- Andino, Alliniece T. (August 25, 2000). [http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/082500/met_axhandle.html 40 years ago this weekend, Jacksonville gave itself a national reputation for violence]. The Florida Times-Union.
- DeCamp, David (May 3, 2003). [http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/050303/met_glover.shtml Racial graffiti found at Glover's headquarters]. The Florida Times-Union.
- Foley, Bill; Wood, Wayne (2001). The great fire of 1901 (1st ed.). Jacksonville, Florida: The Jacksonville Historical Society. ISBN 0971026106

External links

Government Resources
- [http://www.coj.net City of Jacksonville Official Website]
- [http://www.educationcentral.org/ Duval County Public Schools]
- [http://www.jacksonvillestory.com/ jacksonvillestory.com (a website regarding Jacksonville history)]
- [http://www.myjaxchamber.com/ Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce]
- [http://www.jacksonvillesuperbowl.com Jacksonville Super Bowl Host Committee] Non-Profits and Social Services
- [http://www.freshministries.org Fresh Ministries]
- [http://www.clarawhitemission.org Clara White Mission]
- [http://www.dignityuwear.com Dignity U Wear]
- [http://www.crucial1.com Crucial Ministries]
- [http://www.habijax.com Habijax]
- [http://www.jackoffville.com Jacksonville Humor Site]
- [http://www.builderscare.org Builders Care] Higher Education
- [http://www.ewc.edu Edward Waters College]
- [http://www.jacksonville.edu Jacksonville University]
- [http://www.unf.edu University of North Florida]
- [http://www.fccj.edu Florida Community College at Jacksonville]
- [http://www.tbc.edu Trinity Baptist College]
- [http://www.fcsl.edu Florida Coastal School of Law]
- [http://www.jones.edu Jones College]
- [http://www.logos.edu Logos Christian College] Category:Cities in Florida Category:Duval County, Florida
- ja:ジャクソンビル

Florida

Florida is a Southern state in the United States, situated upon a large peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Straits of Florida. "Florida" is a Spanish adjective which means "flowery." The peninsula was discovered and settled by Juan Ponce de León on Easter Sunday, March 27, 1513, which is known as Pascua Florida in Spanish. Its U.S. Postal abbreviation is FL while its traditional abbreviation is Fla.

History

1513 Archaeological finds indicate that Florida had been inhabited for many thousands of years prior to any European settlements. Of the many indigenous people, the largest tribes were the Calusa, Tequesta, Timucuan, and the Tocobago tribes. Juan Ponce de León, a Spanish navigator, named this new land in honor of his discovery of the land on Easter Sunday, March 27, 1513, which is called by Spaniards Pascua Florida, "Holy Day of Flowers." From that date forward, the land became known as "La Florida." Over the following century, the Spanish and French both established settlements in Florida, with varying degrees of success. Spanish Pensacola was established by Don Tristan de Luna as the first European settlement in the current United States in 1559 (its settlement was interrupted by a hurricane). Six years later, in 1565, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés established Saint Augustine as the first permanent European settlement. These two cities would come to be the capitals of the British and Spanish colonies of East and West Florida. The area of Florida diminished with the establishment of British colonies to the north and French colonies to the west. Control of parts of Florida passed among Spanish, British, and American control. Spain finally ceded Florida to the United States with the Adams-Onís Treaty in 1819, in exchange for the U.S. renouncing any claims on Texas. On March 3, 1845, Florida became the 27th state of the United States of America. Florida seceded from the Union on January 10, 1861 and was one of the founding members of the Confederate States of America (CSA, also known as the Confederacy). Florida joined the CSA on February 10, 1861. After the fall of the Confederacy in 1865, Florida was readmitted into the Union on June 25, 1868. Until the mid-twentieth century, Florida was the least populous Southern state. However, migration from the Rust Belt combined with Florida's warm climate made it a haven for newcomers. Today, Florida is the second most populous state in the South (behind Texas and the fourth most populous state in the United States. The USS Florida was named in honor of this state.

Law and government

USS Florida The basic structure, duties, function, and operations of the Government of the State of Florida are defined and established by the Florida Constitution, which also establishes the basic law of the state and guarantees various rights and freedoms of the people. The state government consists of three separate branches, the judicial, executive and legislative. The Florida Legislature enacts legislation, such as those in the Florida Statutes, which are signed into law by the Governor of Florida. The Florida Legislature has a Senate of 40 members and a House of 120 members. The current governor is Republican Jeb Bush, brother of President George W. Bush and son of former President George H. W. Bush. Though Florida has traditionally been a Democratic state, in recent years explosive population growth has brought with it many Republicans, leaving the state approximately evenly split between the two parties. Despite this demographic parity, Republicans control the governorship and most other statewide elected offices, both houses of the state legislature, 18 of the state's 25 seats in the House of Representatives, and one of the state's two Senate seats. The 2000 Presidential election in Florida was extremely close. As such, and because of its high population and large number of electoral votes, Florida is considered by political analysts to be a key swing state in Presidential elections. The Tampa area, once a major center of Democratic union support, is now almost evenly split between registered Republicans and Democrats, making it part of the important I-4 Corridor swing region.

Taxation

Florida is one of the nine states which do not impose a personal income tax (list of others). The state sales tax rate is 6 (six) percent. Local governments may levy an additional local option sales tax of up to 1.5 percent. A locale's use tax rate is the same as its sales tax rate, including local options if any. Use taxes are payable for purchases made out of state and brought into Florida within 6 months of the purchase date. Other taxes are mostly levied on businesses. They include the following taxes: Corporate Income, Communication Services, Intangibles, Unemployment, Solid Waste, Documentary Stamps, Insurance Premium, Pollutants, and various fuel taxes. For more information visit the Florida Department of Revenue website at [http://www.myflorida.com/dor].

Geography

Florida consists of the Panhandle extending along the northern Gulf of Mexico and the large Peninsula with the Atlantic Ocean as its eastern border and the Gulf of Mexico as its western border. It is bordered on the north by the states of Georgia and Alabama and on the west, at the end of the panhandle, by Alabama. It is near the countries of the Caribbean, particularly the Bahamas and Cuba. At 345 feet (105 metres) above mean sea level, Britton Hill is the highest point in Florida. This is also the lowest highpoint of any U.S. state. Contrary to popular belief, however, Florida is not an entirely "flat" state. Some places, such as Clearwater, feature relatively high vistas rising 50 to 100 feet above the water. Much of the interior of Florida, typically 25 miles or more away from the coastline, features rolling hills with elevations ranging from 100 to 250 feet in many locations. Lake County holds the highest point of peninsular Florida, Sugarloaf Mountain , at 312 feet. The amount of topographical change will surprise many visitors.

Boundaries

The state line begins at the Atlantic, traveling west, south, and north up the thalweg of the Saint Mary's River. At the origin of that river, it then follows a straight line nearly due-west and slightly north, to the point where the confluence of the Flint River (from Georgia) and the Chattahoochee River (down the Alabama/Georgia line) used to form Florida's Apalachicola River. (This point is now under Lake Seminole since Woodruff Dam was built.) The border with Georgia continues north through the lake for a short distance up the former thalweg of the Chattahoochee, then with Alabama runs due west along latitude 31°N to the Perdido River, then south along its thalweg to the Gulf via Perdido Bay.

Climate

Perdido Bay Perdido Bay.]] The climate of Florida is tempered somewhat by its proximity to water. Most of the state has a humid subtropical climate with the extreme tip of Florida and the Florida Keys bordering on a true tropical climate. However, Florida averages 300 days of full sunshine a year. The seasons in Florida often called "Hot and Hotter" are actually determined more by precipitation than by temperature with warm, relatively dry winters and autumns (the dry season) and hot, wet springs and especially the summers (the wet season). The Gulf Stream has a moderating effect on Florida climate and although it is common for much of Florida to see a high summer temperature over 90 degrees Fahrenheit, it is not common for the mercury to go above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Florida. The hottest temperature ever recorded in the state was 109 °F set on June 29, 1931 in Monticello. The coldest was 2 °F below zero, on February 13, 1899 just 25 miles away, in Tallahassee. Mean high temperatures for late July are primarily in the low 90's. Mean low temperatures for late January range from the low 40's in North Florida to the mid-50's in South Florida. While Florida's nickname is the "Sunshine State", severe weather is a common occurrence in Florida. Central Florida is known as the Lightning capital of the U.S. as it experiences more lightning strikes than anywhere else in the country. Statewide, Florida has the highest average precipitation of any state, due in large part to afternoon thunderstorms which are common throughout most of the state from late spring until the early autumn. However, a sunny day may be interrupted with a storm only to return to regular gorgeous weather. These thunderstorms, which are caused by airflow from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean colliding over the peninsula, seemingly "pop up" in the early afternoon and can often bring heavy downpours, high winds and sometimes tornadoes. This is frequently due to "onshore flow," or a collision of sea breezes from the east and west coasts. Florida leads the nation in tornadoes per square mile, although the tornadoes in Florida do not get as large as those in the Midwest or Great Plains. Hail is not an uncommon occurrence in some of the more severe thunderstorms. Snow is a rare occurrence in Florida. During the Great Blizzard of 1899, Florida experienced blizzard conditions for possibly the first time since explorers had arrived. During that time, the Tampa Bay area had "Gulf effect" snow, similar to lake effect snowfall. The Great Blizzard of 1899 was also the only time the temperature has fallen below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, registering -2° F in Tallahassee on February 13, 1899. The most widespread snowfall in Florida history happened in February 1978 with snow falling over much of the state in different times of the month, extending as far south as Homestead. Snow flurries fell on Miami Beach for the only time in recorded history. In 1989, there was a severe hard freeze that created lots of ice and also caused minor flurries in sections of the state and resulted in rolling blackouts due to power failures caused by massive demands on the power grid for heating. Although some storms have formed out of season, hurricanes pose a threat during hurricane season, which is from June 1 to November 30. Florida saw a slew of destruction in 2004 when it was hit by a record four hurricanes. Hurricanes Charley (August 13), Frances (September 4-5), Ivan (September 16), and Jeanne (September 25-26) cumulatively cost forty-two billion dollars to the state. In 2005, Hurricane Dennis (July 10) became the fifth storm to strike Florida within 11 months. Later, Hurricane Katrina (August 25) passed through South Florida and Hurricane Rita (September 20) swept through the Florida Keys. Hurricane Wilma made landfall in Florida in the early morning of October 24 as a category 3 hurricane, with storm's eye hitting near Cape Romano, just south of Marco Island, according to National Hurricane Center. Florida was also the site of the second most costly single weather disaster in U.S. history, Hurricane Andrew, which caused more than twenty-five billion dollars ($25,000,000,000) in damage when it struck on August 24, 1992. Among a long list of other infamous hurricane strikes were the 1926 Great Miami Hurricane, the Lake Okeechobee Hurricane of 1928, the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, Hurricane Donna in 1960, and Hurricane Opal in 1995.

Economy

1995 The gross state product of Florida in 2003 was $550 billion. The per capita personal income was $30,098, ranking 26th in the nation. Florida's economy is heavily based on tourism. Warm weather most of the year and hundreds of miles of beach provide a thriving vacation spot for travelers from around the world. The large Walt Disney World Resort with four theme parks and over twenty hotels plus countless water parks, shopping centers and other facilities, located in Lake Buena Vista drives the economy of that area, along with more recent entries into the theme park arena such as the Universal Orlando Resort. The great amount of sales and tourist tax revenue is what allows the state to be one of the few to not levy a personal income tax. Other major industries include citrus fruit and juice production, banking, and phosphate mining within the Bone Valley region. With the arrival of the space program at Kennedy Space Center in the 1960s, Florida has attracted a large number of aerospace and military industries to the state. Florida did not have any state minimum wage laws until November 2, 2004, when voters passed a Constitutional Amendment requiring inflationary increases to the minimum wage every six months. Historically, Florida's economy was based upon cattle farming and agriculture (especially sugar cane, citrus, tomatoes, and strawberries). As land speculators discovered Florida in the early 1900's, and when Plant and Flagler developed the railway systems, more people moved in, drawn by the usually good weather. From then on, tourism boomed, fueling a cycle of development and tourism that overwhelmed a great deal of farmland. Other key industries, commercial fishing and water-based tourist activities (sports fishing and diving) are threatened by severe Red Tide outbreaks in 2004 and 2005 off the west coast.

Demographics

As of 2004, the state's population was estimated to be 17,397,161.

Race and ancestry

  White65.4%
Hispanic 16.8%
Black14.6%
Asian1.7%
Native American0.3%
Mixed Race2.4%
The largest reported ancestries in the 2000 Census were German (11.8%), Irish (10.3%), English (9.2%), American (8%) and Italian (6.3%). Blacks, who during the cotton and sugar plantation era made up fully 50 percent of the state's population, have a large presence in the deeply southern middle Florida region of North Florida and in the cities of Jacksonville, Gainesville, and Fort Lauderdale. Transplanted Northerners are prominent on the West Coast, particularly in the Tampa suburbs. Floridians of British ancestry are dominant in most coastal cities, while Floridians of white American ancestry dominate the culturally Southern areas of inland North Florida. Florida's large and diverse Hispanic community consists particularly of Cubans in Miami and Tampa, Puerto Ricans in Tampa and Orlando as well as Dominicans in the latter, and Mexican migrant workers in inland West-Central and South Florida. There is also a number of Haitian Americans in Miami and other parts of Florida. Native Floridians, especially those who have descended from long-time Florida families, are affectionately referred to as "Crackers." This is because many early settlers were cattle farmers, and used bullwhips to "crack" over the cattle to move them during the annual cattle drives westward across the central part of the state to the port of Tampa, as well as to kill rattlesnakes economically, thereby preventing the numerous rattlesnakes from killing cattle on the long cattle drives. Florida is one of the only states in which Hispanics predominantly vote Republican. This descrepancy arises because people classified as "Hispanic" come from widely diverse backgrounds. People whose race is identified as "Hispanic" in Florida are mostly of Cuban descent, as opposed to Mexican descent (who live largely in the southwest of the U.S.) or Puerto Rican descent (who live largely in the northeast of the U.S.). Florida's fast-growing Hispanic population is heaviest in Miami, Orlando, and the Gulf Coast. Black Floridians are overwhelmingly Democratic voters. Blacks comprise a large fraction of the populations of North Florida, Fort Lauderdale, and the Tampa Bay Area.

Languages

As of 2000, 76.9% of Florida residents age 5 and older speak English at home and 16.5% speak Spanish. French is the third most spoken language at 2.2%, followed by German at 0.6% and Italian at 0.4%. Article II, Section 9 of the Florida Constitution provides that "English is the official language of the State of Florida." This was adopted in 1988 by a vote following an Initiative Petition.

Religion

Florida is mostly Protestant, but with a growing Roman Catholic community due to immigration. There is also a sizable Jewish community in some parts of Florida which makes Florida unique among Southern states (no other Southern state has a large Jewish community). Florida's current religious affiliations are shown in the table below:
- Christian – 82%
  - Protestant – 54%
    - Baptist – 19%
    - Methodist – 6%
    - Presbyterian – 4%
    - Episcopal – 3%
    - Lutheran – 3%
    - Pentecostal – 3%
    - Other Protestant – 16%
  - Roman Catholic – 26%
  - Other Christian – 2%
- Jewish – 4%
- Other Religions – 1%
- Non-Religious – 13%

Important cities, towns, and communities

Jewish] Jewish] Jewish] Jewish] Jewish] Jewish]
Metropolitan Area Population > 5,000,000
- Miami-Ft.Lauderdale Metropolitan Area Population > 2,500,000
- Tampa-St. Petersburg Metropolitan Area Population > 1,000,000
- Jacksonville
- Orlando
- West Palm Beach Metropolitan Area Population > 400,000
- Cape Coral-Fort Myers
- Daytona Beach
- Lakeland
- Melbourne-Titusville
- Pensacola
- Port Saint Lucie-Fort Pierce-Stuart
- Sarasota-Bradenton City Population > 200,000
- Hialeah
- Jacksonville
- Miami
- Orlando
- St. Petersburg
- Tampa City Population > 100,000
- Cape Coral
- Clearwater
- Coral Springs
- Fort Lauderdale
- Gainesville
- Hollywood
- Miami Gardens
- Pembroke Pines
- Miramar
- Port Saint Lucie
- Pompano Beach
- Tallahassee 		City Population > 75,000
- Boca Raton
- Brandon
- Davie
- Deltona
- Kendall
- Lakeland
- Miami Beach
- Palm Bay
- Plantation
- Sunrise
- West Palm Beach City Population > 50,000
- Boynton Beach
- Bradenton
- Daytona Beach
- Deerfield Beach
- Delray Beach
- Fort Myers
- Fountainbleau
- Kendale Lakes
- Kissimmee
- Largo
- Lauderhill
- Lehigh Acres
- Margate
- Melbourne
- North Miami
- North Miami Beach
- Palm Harbor
- Pensacola
- Sarasota
- Spring Hill
- Tamarac
- Tamiami
- Town 'n' Country
- Weston 		City Population > 25,000
- Altamonte Springs
- Aventura
- Apopka
- Bonita Springs
- Coconut Creek
- Cooper City
- Coral Gables
- Dunedin
- East Lake
- Egypt Lake-Leto
- Fort Pierce
- Greater Carrollwood
- Greenacres
- Hallandale Beach
- Homestead
- Jupiter
- Kendall West
- Lake Magdalene
- Lake Worth
- Lauderdale Lakes
- North Fort Myers
- North Lauderdale
- Ocala
- Ocoee
- Oakland Park
- Ormond Beach
- Oveido
- Palm Beach Gardens
- Panama City
- Pinellas Park
- Plant City
- Port Orange
- Port Charlotte
- Riviera Beach
- Sanford
- Titusville
- University
- Wellington
- Westchester
- Winter Haven
- Winter Park
- Winter Springs

Miscellaneous information

Winter Springs
- Nickname: "The Sunshine State"
- State Bird: Mockingbird
- State Flower: Orange blossom - (Citrus sinensis)
- State Insect: Zebra Longwinged Butterfly
- State Song: "Old folks at home (Suwannee River)" by Stephen C. Foster
- State Tree: Sabal Palm
- State Reptile: American Alligator
- State Animal: The Florida Panther
- State Saltwater Mammal: The Manatee
- State Drink: Orange Juice
- State Fruit: Orange
- State Shell: The Horse Conch (The great band shell)
- State Saltwater Fish: The Sailfish
- State Freshwater Fish: Florida Largemouth Bass
- Highest Point: Britton Hill; 345 feet, 50th
- State Motto: None
- State Wildflower: Tickseed (unofficial)

Transportation

Tickseed

Highways

Florida's interstates, state highways and U.S. Highways are maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation. Florida's interstate highways include:
- I-4, which bisects the state, connecting Tampa, Lakeland, Orlando, and Daytona Beach
- I-10, which traverses the panhandle, connecting Jacksonville, Lake City, Tallahassee, and Pensacola
- I-75, which enters the state near Lake City and continues southward through Gainesville, Ocala, and Tampa's eastern suburbs to Naples, where, as a toll road it crosses the "Alligator Alley" to Ft. Lauderdale
- I-95, which enters the state near Jacksonville and continues along the Atlantic Coast through Daytona Beach, Melbourne, Palm Bay, West Palm Beach, and Ft. Lauderdale before terminating near Miami
- I-110, a spur from I-10 into downtown Pensacola.
- I-175, which connects I-275 to southern downtown St. Petersburg
- I-195
- I-275
- I-295, a beltway in Jacksonville
- I-375, which connects I-275 to northern downtown St. Petersburg
- I-395
- I-595, which connects I-75, I-95, and the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
- I-795, proposed near Jacksonville Florida's interstate highway system contains 1,473 miles of highway, and there are 9,934 miles of non-interstate highway in the state, such as Florida state highways and U.S. Highways. Florida has several toll roads. The state has 515 miles of toll roads in the state highway system. The section of Interstate 75 passing through the Everglades is a toll road. The Florida Turnpike, which begins off of Interstate 75 just south of Ocala, continues southeast to Orlando, and down to West Palm Beach is also a toll road. Connecting I-75 to the southwest Tampa area is the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway.

Intercity Rail

In 2000, voters approved a constitutional amendment to construct a high speed rail system to interconnect Florida's major cities. A committee was formed by the Florida Legislature to oversee the project. However, Jeb Bush and other lawmakers pushed for an amendment in 2004 to remove the amendment, which succeeded. They stated that the cost would have been too high to construct the system; however, proponents of the system have said the claims regarding high cost were exaggerated and taken out of context, compared with the cost of building roads, maintaining automobiles, and so forth. Amtrak service exists in Florida, but it is considered by many not to be extensive or convenient enough for anything but vacation travel.

Public Transportation

Public transportation systems exist in many major cities. Miami has a monorail system as well as a metro system, and most cities have bus service. Greyhound provides bus service between different cities in Florida.

Airports

Major international airports in Florida, with passenger traffic over 20 million annually, are Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Miami International Airport, Orlando International Airport and Tampa International Airport. Secondary airports, with annual passenger traffic over 7 million annually include Jacksonville International Airport and Southwest Florida International Airport. There are many other smaller regional airports including those in Daytona Beach, Key West, Sarasota, St. Petersburg, and Naples.

Education and culture

Florida's public school revenue per student and spending per $1000 of personal income usually ranks in the bottom 25% of U.S. states. Average teacher salaries rank near the middle of U.S. states. Florida public schools have consistently ranked in the bottom 25% of many national surveys and average test score rankings. It should be noted that many education surveys are not scientific, but do measure prestige. Governor Jeb Bush has been criticized by many Florida educators for a program that penalizes underperforming schools (as indicated by standardized tests, such as the FCAT) with fewer funding dollars. Major testing organizations frequently discount the use of state average test score rankings, or any average of scaled scores, as a valid metric (see psychometrics for more details on scaled test scores). In 2000, Governor Bush and the state legislature acted to abolish the Board of Regents that governed the State University System of Florida. Instead, each public university is now controlled by its own Board of Trustees who are directly appointed by the governor. As is typical of executive-appointed government boards, the appointees so far have been overwhelmingly Republican. This has not been without controversy. [http://www.sptimes.com/News/050801/State/Bush_s_trustees_mostl.shtml] In 2002, Democratic Senator Bob Graham started a ballot referendum designed to revert to the Board of Regents system.

Colleges and universities

Bob Graham Bob Graham

Sports

Professional sports teams in Florida

Spring training

Florida is the traditional home for Major League Baseball spring training, with teams informally organized into the "Grapefruit League." As of 2004, Florida hosts the following major league teams for spring training:
- Atlanta Braves at Walt Disney World
- Baltimore Orioles in Fort Lauderdale
- Boston Red Sox in Fort Myers
- Cincinnati Reds in Sarasota
- Cleveland Indians in Winter Haven
- Detroit Tigers in Lakeland
- Florida Marlins in Jupiter
- Houston Astros in Kissimmee
- Los Angeles Dodgers in Vero Beach
- Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers
- New York Mets in Port St. Lucie
- New York Yankees in Tampa
- Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater
- Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton
- Saint Louis Cardinals in Jupiter
- Tampa Bay Devil Rays in St. Petersburg
- Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin
- Washington Nationals in Viera

Minor-league teams

Florida also hosts the following minor league baseball teams:

External links


- [http://www.fla.us/ Discover Florida] Information, Maps, Vacation Planning
- [http://www.myflorida.com The Official Portal of the State of Florida]
- [http://www.floridamemory.com/ Florida Memory Project] Over 300,000 photographs and documents from the State Library & Archives of Florida
- [http://www.magicmomentproductions.com Florida Entertainment]
- [http://www.floridazest.com Florida Information]
- [http://ecofloridamag.com Florida Nature Travel/Ecotourism]
- [http://www.mediatico.com/en/newspapers/northamerica/usa/florida/ Florida Newspapers]
- [http://obit.obitlinkspage.com/fl.htm Florida Obituary Links Page]
- [http://www.floridarivers.org/ Florida Rivers Discussion Forum]
- [http://www.flsouthern.edu Florida Southern College]
- [http://www.fsu.edu Florida State University]
- [http://www.flausa.com Florida Tourism]
- [http://www.floridavisiting.com Florida Visiting]
- [http://www.genealogybuff.com/fl/ GenealogyBuff.com - Florida Library of Files]
- [http://www.iespana.es/Miami la Voie de Miami News]
- [http://roamingfeet.com/id22.htm Palm trees in Florida]
- [http://www.terragalleria.com/america/florida/ Photos of Florida - Terra Galleria]
- [http://www.anhinga.info/florida/index.html Roundtrips with a lot of pictures]
- [http://www.ufl.edu University of Florida]
- [http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/12000.html U.S. Census Bureau]
- [http://www.floridacountiesmap.com/index.html Florida Counties Maps]
- [http://www.blinkbits.com/rssfeeds/wikipedia.php?w=Florida Wikipedia Florida RSS Feed - Externally hosted]
- Category:States of the United States ko:플로리다 주 ms:Florida ja:フロリダ州 simple:Florida th:มลรัฐฟลอริดา

County seat

A county seat is an administrative center for a county. In the U.S. New England states and the Canadian Maritime Provinces, the term "shire town" is also used, but officially so only in Vermont. In England, Wales and Ireland, the term county town is used. This term is probably still used colloquially in Scotland and Northern Ireland, but today neither are divided into counties - instead being divided, respectively, into regions and districts. Counties are called "parishes" in Louisiana and Alaska is divided into "boroughs" (here, meaning a very large district or region of the state). Their seats of county government are called "parish seat" and "borough seat," respectively. The Canadian province of Ontario, in addition to counties, also has territorial districts, regional muncipalities, and at least one metropolitan municipality, which are effectively different types of counties in that they perform county government functions. In America as in England and Canada, a county is an administrative division of a state which has no sovereign jurisdiction of its own, so it would not be correct to say that a county seat is equivalent to a capital city since it's just an administrative centre. (See also the article, Counties of the United States.) Counties administer state or provincial law at the local level as part of the decentralisation of state/provincial authority. In many U.S. states, state government is further decentralised by dividing counties into townships, to provide local government services to residents of the county who do not live in incorporated cities or towns. A county seat is often, but not always, an incorporated municipality. The county courthouse and county administration are usually located in the county seat, but some functions may also be conducted in other parts of the county, especially if it is geographically large. Most counties have only one county seat. However, some counties in Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Mississippi have two or more county seats, usually located on opposite sides of the county. An example is Harrison County, Mississippi, which lists both Biloxi and Gulfport as county seats. The practice of multiple county towns dates from the days when travel was difficult. There have been few efforts to eliminate the two-seat arrangement since a county seat is a source of pride (and jobs) for the towns involved. In Virginia, all cities are independent cities, which are legally distinct from the counties that surround them. An independent city interacts with the commonwealth (state) government directly whereas villages and other local government authorities do so through the county government apparatus. However, many of Virginia's independent cities act as the county seat for their neighbouring counties. For example, the City of Fairfax is separate from Fairfax County, but is still the county's seat. Uniquely, because it was formerly part of the District of Columbia, Arlington County, Virginia, which is the smallest county in the United States, has no county seat - because it has no muncipalities within its boundaries. Prior to their retrocession to Virginia during the nineteenth century, Arlington and the neighboring independent city of Arlington were, respectively, Arlington County and Alexandria County - two of the three counties of the District of Columbia. The District as currently drawn was coextensive with the County of Washington, which disappeared in the twentieth century following the amalgamation of Tenley, Anacostia and the other rural and semi-rural towns and villages of Washington County, D.C., to the City of Washington.

References

Category:Capitals Category:U.S. counties ja:郡庁所在地

2004

2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. It was designated the:
- International Year of Rice (by the United Nations)
- International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO)
- 2004 World Health Day topic was Road Safety (by World Health Organization)
- Year of the Monkey (by the Chinese calendar) See the world in 2004 for a description of the state of the world in this year. See also Wikipedia's almanac of events for this year.

Events

January


- January 1 - Pervez Musharraf gets a vote of confidence from an electoral college consisting of Parliament and the provincial assemblies, confirming him as President of Pakistan until 2007.
- January 3 - Flash Airlines Flight 604 crashes into the Red Sea off the coast of Egypt, killing all 148 aboard.
- January 4 - Mikhail Saakashvili wins the presidential elections in Georgia.
- January 4 -NASA's MER-A (Spirit) lands on Mars.
- January 8 - Queen Elizabeth II christens the RMS Queen Mary 2 cruise liner, currently the largest ocean liner in the world.
- January 13 - An Uzbekistan Airways plane crashes in Uzbekistan's capital of Tashkent, killing 37.
- January 22 - The European Union bans the import of poultry from Thailand, as bird flu spreads throughout Southeast Asia.
- January 24 - NASA's MER-B (Opportunity) lands on Mars.
- January 27 - The British government narrowly wins a House of Commons vote on the proposed introduction of tuition top-up fees in British universities.
- January 28 - The findings of the Hutton Inquiry are published in London. The British Government is found not to have falsified information in the "sexed up dossier". The report criticises the BBC's role in the death of David Kelly, a weapons expert on Iraq.
- January 28 - At a hearing of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, it is revealed that the September 11, 2001, terrorists used Mace (a brand of tear gas) or pepper spray in overpowering the flight crew of American Airlines Flight 11.

February


- February 1 - A hajj stampede in Mina, Saudi Arabia, kills 251 pilgrims.
- February 3 - The CIA admits that there was no imminent threat from weapons of mass destruction before the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
- February 6 - A suicide bomber kills 41 people on a metro car in Moscow.
- February 7 - Several leaders of Abnaa el-Balad arrested in Israel.
- February 10 - At least 50 people killed in a car bomb attack on a police recruitment centre south of Baghdad.
- February 10 - The French National Assembly votes to pass a law banning religious items and clothing from schools.
- February 12 - Same sex marriage in the United States: The City and County of San Francisco begins issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples as an act of civil disobedience.
- February 13 - Scientists in South Korea announce the cloning of 30 human embryos.
- February 14 - Riots break out between New South Wales Police and Aboriginal residents of Redfern, a suburb of Sydney, Australia.
- February 18 - A train carrying a convoy of petrol, fertiliser, and sulfur derails and explodes in Iran, killing 320 people.
- February 20 - Conservatives win a majority in the Iranian parliament election.
- February 24 - 6.5 Richter scale earthquake in Northern Morocco hits in the Rif mountains near the city of Al Hoceima - over 400 dead. Ait Kamara is destroyed. 517 dead.
- February 25- Ash Wednesday. Also, the religious docudrama, The Passion of the Christ was released.
- February 26 - The United States lifts a ban on travel to Libya, ending travel restrictions to the nation that had lasted for 23 years.
- February 26 - Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski is killed in a plane crash near Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- February 29 - 2004 Haiti rebellion: Jean-Bertrand Aristide resigns as president of Haiti. The chief justice of the Haitian Supreme Court, Boniface Alexandre, is sworn in as interim president.
- February 29 - The film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King directed by Peter Jackson wins 11 Academy Awards in every category it was nominated.

March


- March 2 - John Kerry effectively clinches the 2004 U.S. Democratic Party presidential nomination by winning nine out of 10 "Super Tuesday" primaries and caucuses.
- March 2 - NASA announces that the Mars rover MER-B (Opportunity), has confirmed that the area of Mars they landed in was once drenched in water.
- March 10 - Five British men released from detention at Camp Delta, Guantanamo Bay land at RAF Brize Norton. Four are immediately arrested for questioning.
- March 11 - Simultaneous explosions on rush hour trains in Madrid kill 190 people.
- March 12 - Following the terrorist attacks in Madrid on March 11, millions of protesters take to the streets of Spanish cities against terrorism.
- March 14 - Two suicide bombers kill eleven Israeli civilians in Ashdod, Israel.
- March 14 - The Spanish parliamentary elections of 2004 take place. The incumbent government led by José María Aznar is defeated by the Socialist José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.
- March 14 - Presidential elections in Russia are held. Vladimir Putin easily wins a second term.
- March 15 - A trio of astronomers announce they have discovered a large trans-Neptunian object, the largest object found in the solar system since Pluto was discovered in 1930. Initially designated 2003 VB12, it was named 90377 Sedna in late September.
- March 15 - The new Spanish government announces that it will withdraw Spain's 1,300 troops in Iraq.
- March 17 - Organized violence breaks out over two days in Kosovo. Nineteen people are killed, 139 Serbian homes are burned, schools and businesses are vandalized, and over 30 orthodox monasteries and churches are burned and destroyed.
- March 19 - The UN launches a corruption investigation due to the scandal over its Iraqi Oil for Food program.
- March 20 - President Chen Shui-bian wins the Taiwanese presidential election by 0.2% of the vote. The day before, he and Vice President Annette Lu were 'shot'. Lien Chan refuses to concede and demands a recount. A controversial 'peace referendum' opposed by the People's Republic of China is invalidated.
- March 21 - The 2004 Malaysian general election takes place. The incumbent Barisan Nasional party wins 198 out of 219 seats in the Malaysian Parliament.
- March 21 - Tony Saca is elected President of El Salvador (inauguration June 1).
- March 22 - Palestinians protest in the streets after an Israeli helicopter gunship fires a missile at the entourage of Ahmed Yassin in Gaza City, killing Yassin and 7 others.
- March 25 - British Prime Minister Tony Blair visits Libyan leader Colonel Muammar al-Qaddafi, in return for the dismantling of Libya's WMD programme in December 2003 - the first time a major western leader has visited the nation in several decades.
- March 28 - In France, the government of Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin suffers a stunning and unprecedented defeat in regional elections. The first ever South Atlantic Hurricane makes landfall in South Brazil on the state of Santa Catarina, the Hurricane is dubbed Hurricane Catarina.
- March 29 - The Republic of Ireland bans smoking in all enclosed work places including: restaurants, pubs and bars.
- March 29 - Largest expansion of NATO to date, allowing Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia into the organization.
- March 31 - Four American private military contractors working for Blackwater USA, are killed and their bodies mutilated after being ambushed in Fallujah, Iraq.

April


- April 1 - Faroese Prime Minister's Office announces that from then on the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister's Office would use a new version of the Faroese Coat of Arms. The colours were inspired from the Merkið (flag) and yellow/gold was added. The new Coat of Arms depicts a Ram on a blue shield ready to defend. It can be used by the Government Ministries and by Faroese embassies, but some still use older versions of the Coat of Arms. Coat of Arms
- April 3 - A bomb explosion in a Madrid flat kills a Spanish policeman and five terrorists suspected of responsibility for the Madrid train bombings on March 11.
- April 4 - Serious fighting breaks out in Najaf, Sadr City, and Basra in Iraq as Shia insurgents supporting Muqtada al-Sadr rise against coalition forces.
- April 5 - Queen Elizabeth II begins a state visit to France to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale.
- April 8 - Darfur conflict: The Humanitarian Ceasefire Agreement is signed by the Sudanese government and two rebel groups.