Orlando is a major city in the central region of the U.S. state of
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
. It is the
county seatA county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...
of
Orange CountyOrange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2007 Census Bureau estimates, the population was 1,066,113. The county seat is Orlando....
and the center of the
Greater OrlandoGreater Orlando, alternatively known as the Orlando Area or Metro Orlando, is the third most populated metropolitan region in the state of Florida, and contains the 27th-largest metro area in the United States within the 16th largest Combined Statistical Area...
metropolitan region. According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
the estimated population of the city is approximately 230,514; and of the metropolitan area, 2,054,574 making it the 3rd largest metropolitan area after Miami and
TampaTâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city....
as well as the 5th largest metropolitan area in the
Southeastern United StatesThe US Southeast is the eastern portion of the Southern United States, but the Census Bureau does not provide a standard definition of a "Southeast" region of the United States, and organizations that need to subdivide the US are free to define a "Southeast" region to fit their needs...
. It is the fifth largest city in Florida by city proper population. It was incorporated on July 31, 1875, and became a city in 1885.
Originally the center of a major citrus-growing region, Orlando is now best known as the home of amusement attractions, including the
Walt Disney World ResortWalt Disney World Resort is the largest and most visited recreational resort in the world, containing four theme parks; two water parks; 23 themed hotels; and numerous shopping, dining, entertainment and recreation venues. Owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts segment of The Walt...
, the
Universal Orlando ResortUniversal Orlando Resort is a theme park resort in Orlando, Florida. It is a joint partnership between NBC Universal and the Blackstone Group. The resort consists of two theme parks , Universal CityWalk , and three Loews Hotels...
, and
SeaWorldSeaWorld is a United States chain of marine mammal parks owned by Anheuser-Busch. The parks feature captive orca, sea lion, and dolphin shows and zoological displays featuring various other marine animals. The parks' icon is Shamu, the Orca. There are operations in Orlando, Florida; San Diego,...
. These destinations helped make Orlando the third most visited American city among travelers in the year 2007. Since the establishment of destination tourism in the 1970s, the local economy has diversified, and today the region is the center of operations for companies servicing
Central FloridaCentral Florida is the central region of the United States state of Florida, on the East Coast. The region enjoys a hot but stormy climate, with many thunderstorms, and hurricanes threatening often....
. Orlando is also home to the
University of Central FloridaThe University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
, the largest university campus by student enrollment in the state of Florida and among the largest in the United States.
History
Historians date Orlando's name to around 1837, when a soldier named
Orlando ReevesAccording to one tale on the origin of the name of Orlando, Florida, Sentinel Orlando Reeves was an American soldier who was killed during the Seminole War, when he was about to fire a warning shot to his fellow soldiers....
allegedly died in the area during the
Second Seminole WarThe Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between various groups of Native Americans collectively known as Seminoles and the United States, part of a series of conflicts called the Seminole Wars...
. It seems, however, that Orlando Reeves (sometimes Rees) operated a sugar mill and
plantationA plantation is a large farm or estate, usually in a tropical or subtropical country, where crops are grown for sale in distant markets, rather than for local consumption. The term plantation is informal and not precisely defined....
about 30 miles (50 km) to the north at
Spring Garden-United States:* Spring Garden, California* Discovery-Spring Garden, Maryland, two communities combined in a Census-designated place* Spring Garden, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a neighborhood in Philadelphia...
in Volusia County, and pioneer settlers simply found his name carved into a tree and assumed it was a marker for his grave site. They then referred to the area as "Orlando's grave" and later simply Orlando. A memorial beside
Lake EolaLake Eola is a small lake in Downtown Orlando, Florida, located at in Lake Eola Park. The lake is actually a sinkhole and is famous for its fountain. The sinkhole is located north of the fountain and goes to a depth of approximately . The fountain changes colors at night like a light show. The...
designates the spot where the city's namesake fell.
During the Second Seminole War, the
U.S. ArmyThe United States Army is the branch of the United States Military responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military and is one of seven uniformed services...
established an outpost at Fort Gatlin, a few miles south of the modern downtown, in 1838. But it was quickly abandoned when the war came to an end.
Prior to being known as its current name, Orlando was known as Jernigan, after the first permanent settler, cattleman
Aaron JerniganAaron David Jernigan was the first settler of what is now Orange County, Florida. Originally from Georgia, he lived for a time in the Tallahassee area before moving to Orange County in 1843...
, who acquired land along Lake Holden by the terms of the
Armed Occupation ActThe Florida Armed Occupation Act of 1842 was passed as an incentive to populate Florida. The Act granted 160 acres of unsettled land south of the line separating townships 9 and 10 South. to...
of 1842. But most pioneers did not arrive until after the Third Seminole War in the 1850s. Most of the early residents made their living by cattle ranching.
After Mosquito County was divided in 1845, Orlando became the county seat of the new Orange County in 1856. It remained a rural backwater during the
Civil WarThe American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America...
, and suffered greatly during the
Union blockadeThe Union Blockade refers to the actions between 1861 and 1865, during the American Civil War, in which the Union Navy maintained a massive effort on the Atlantic and Gulf Coast of the Confederate States of America designed to prevent the passage of trade goods, supplies, and arms to and from the...
. The Reconstruction Era brought a population explosion, which led to Orlando's incorporation as a town on July 31, 1875, and as a city in 1885.
The period from 1875 to 1895 is remembered as Orlando's Golden Era, when it became the hub of Florida's
citrusCitrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the family Rutaceae, originating in tropical and subtropical southeast regions of the world. The most well known examples are the orange, the lemon, the grapefruit, and the lime. The Latin word citrus was borrowed from ancient Greek kedros...
industry. But the
Great FreezeThe Great Freeze refers to the winter of 1894-1895, especially in Florida where the brutally cold weather destroyed much of the nation's citrus crop....
of 1894–95 forced many owners to give up their independent
grovePeople, places, and things commonly known as grove include:* Grove , a small group of trees* Sacred grove, a small group of trees used as a place of pagan worshipGrover the Great- People :* Amanda Grove, Court TV personality...
s, thus consolidating holdings in the hands of a few "citrus barons" who shifted operations south, primarily around
Lake WalesLake Wales is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 10,194 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 11,802 . It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area. The center of population of...
in
Polk CountyPolk County is a county located in the U.S. in Florida. As of 2000, the population was 483,924. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimates the county population to be 561,606. The county seat is Bartow. Its largest city is Lakeland...
.
There were a couple of notable homesteaders in the area, including the Curry family. Through their property in east Orlando flowed the
Econlockhatchee RiverThe Econlockhatchee River means winding river of turtles and is a north-flowing blackwater tributary of the St. Johns River that flows through Orange, Seminole, and Osceola counties...
, which travelers crossed by
fordingA ford is a place in a watercourse that is shallow enough to be crossed by wading, on horseback, or in a wheeled vehicle...
. This would be commemorated by the street's name, Curry Ford Road. Also, just south of the airport in the Boggy Creek area was of property homesteaded in the late 1800s by the Ward family. This property is still owned by the Ward family, and can be seen from flights out of MCO southbound immediately on the south side of SR-417.
Orlando, as Florida's largest inland city, became a popular resort during the years between the
Spanish-American WarThe Spanish–American War was an armed military conflict between Spain and the United States that took place between April and August 1898, over the issues of the liberation of Cuba. The war began after American demands for the resolution of the Cuban fight for independence were rejected by Spain...
and
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
.
In the 1920s, Orlando experienced extensive housing development during the Florida Land Boom. Land prices soared. During this period several neighborhoods in downtown were constructed, endowing it with many
bungalowA bungalow is a type of single-story house that originated in India. The word derives from the Gujarati બંગલો baṅgalo, which in turn derives from the Hindi बंगला baṅglā, meaning "Bengali" and used elliptically for a "house in the Bengal style"...
s. The boom ended when several hurricanes hit Florida in the late 20s, along with the
Great DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
During
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, a number of Army personnel were stationed at the Orlando Army Air Base and nearby Pinecastle Army Air Field. Some of these servicemen stayed in Orlando to settle and raise families. In 1956 the aerospace/defense company
Martin MariettaMartin Marietta Corporation was founded in 1961 through the merger of The Martin Company and American-Marietta Corporation. The combined company became a leader in aggregates, cement, chemicals, aerospace, and electronics.-History:...
(now
Lockheed MartinLockheed Martin is a multinational aerospace manufacturer, global security and advanced technology company formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed with Martin Marietta. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Lockheed Martin employs 146,000 people...
) established a plant in the city. Orlando AAB and Pinecastle AAF were transferred to the
United States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the U.S. armed forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on 18 September 1947 under the National Security Act of 1947 - 80 P.L....
in 1947 when it became a separate service and were redesignated as Air Force Bases (AFB). In 1958, Pinecastle AFB was renamed
McCoy Air Force BaseMcCoy Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located 10 miles south of Orlando, Florida. It was a training base during World War II...
after Colonel Michael N.W. McCoy, a former commander of the 320th Bombardment Wing at the installation, killed in the crash of a B-47 Stratojet bomber north of Orlando. In the 1960s, the base subsequently became home to the 306th Bombardment Wing of the
Strategic Air CommandThe Strategic Air Command was both a major command in the United States Air Force and a "specified command" in the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
(SAC), operating
B-52 StratofortressThe Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered, strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since 1955....
and KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft, in addition to detachment operations by EC-121 and
U-2The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady", is a single-engine, very high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency. It provides day and night, very high-altitude , all-weather surveillance...
aircraft.
Orlando is close enough to
Patrick Air Force BasePatrick Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located between Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach, in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It was named in honor of Major General Mason Patrick. An Air Force Space Command base, it is home to the 45th Space Wing...
,
Cape Canaveral Air Force StationThe Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is an installation of the Air Force Space Command's 45th Space Wing , headquartered at nearby Patrick Air Force Base. Located on Cape Canaveral in the State of Florida, CCAFS is the primary Launch Head of the Eastern Range...
, and
Kennedy Space CenterThe John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA space vehicle launch facility and Launch Control Center on Merritt Island, Brevard County, Florida, United States. The site is near Cape Canaveral, midway between Miami and Jacksonville, Florida. It is long and around wide, covering . A total of...
for residents to commute to work from the city's suburbs. It also allows easy access to
Port CanaveralPort Canaveral is a cruise, cargo and naval port in Brevard County, Florida. It is one of the busiest cruise ports in the world with nearly 1.3 million multi-day cruise passengers passing through during 2007. As deep water cargo port, it has a high volume of traffic. Over of bulk cargo moves...
, an important
cruise shipA cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience. Cruising has become a major part of the tourism industry, with millions of passengers each year...
terminal. Because of its proximity to the
Space CoastThe Space Coast is a region in the U.S. state of Florida around Kennedy Space Center, where the U.S. Air Force and NASA frequently launch rockets and Space Shuttles into space...
near the
Kennedy Space CenterThe John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA space vehicle launch facility and Launch Control Center on Merritt Island, Brevard County, Florida, United States. The site is near Cape Canaveral, midway between Miami and Jacksonville, Florida. It is long and around wide, covering . A total of...
, many high-tech companies have shifted to the Orlando area.
Perhaps the most critical event for Orlando's economy occurred in 1965 when
Walt DisneyWalter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon and philanthropist. Disney is famous for his influence in the field of entertainment during the twentieth century. As the co-founder Walter Elias...
announced plans to build Walt Disney World. Although Disney had considered the regions of Miami and
TampaTâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city....
for his park, one of the major reasons behind his decision not to locate there was due to hurricanes— Orlando's inland location, although not free from hurricane damage, exposed it to less threat than coastal regions. The famous vacation resort opened in October 1971, ushering in an explosive population and economic growth for the Orlando metropolitan area, which now encompasses
OrangeOrange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2007 Census Bureau estimates, the population was 1,066,113. The county seat is Orlando....
,
SeminoleSeminole County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and part of the Orlando-Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area . It is located in the central part of Florida between Orlando to the south and DeLand/Daytona Beach to the north. As of 2000, the population was 365,196. The U.S....
,
OsceolaOsceola County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 172,493. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 244,045 , making it the 17th fastest-growing county in the United States. Its county seat is Kissimmee.- History :Osceola County was...
, and
LakeLake County is a county located in the state of Florida, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the population was 210,528. The Census Bureau estimated the population in 2008 to be 307,243. Its county seat is Tavares, Florida...
counties. As a result,
tourismTourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for more than twenty-four hours and not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other...
became the centerpiece of the area's economy. Orlando is consistently ranked as one of the top vacation destinations in the world, and now boasts more theme parks and entertainment attractions than anywhere else in the world.
Another major factor in Orlando's growth occurred in 1962, when the new Orlando Jetport, the precursor of the present day
Orlando International AirportOrlando International Airport is a major international airport located six nautical miles southeast of the central business district of Orlando, a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is the busiest airport in the state of Florida....
, was built from a portion of the
McCoy Air Force BaseMcCoy Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located 10 miles south of Orlando, Florida. It was a training base during World War II...
. By 1970, four major airlines (
Delta Air LinesDelta Air Lines, Inc. is a United States airline based and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Delta operates an extensive domestic and international network, spanning North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and Australia...
,
National AirlinesNational Airlines was used by several airlines including:*National Airlines based in the United States*National Airlines based in the United States*National Airlines based in the United States...
, Eastern Airlines and
Southern AirwaysSouthern Airways was a regional airline operating in the United States from its founding by Frank Hulse in 1949 until 1979 when it merged with North Central Airlines to become Republic Airlines, which on October 1, 1986 became part of Northwest Airlines, which in 2008 became a part of Delta Air...
) were providing scheduled flights.
McCoy Air Force BaseMcCoy Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located 10 miles south of Orlando, Florida. It was a training base during World War II...
officially closed in 1975, and most of it is now part of the airport. The airport still retains the former Air Force Base airport code (MCO).
In addition to
McCoy Air Force BaseMcCoy Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located 10 miles south of Orlando, Florida. It was a training base during World War II...
, Orlando also had a
navalThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
presence with the establishment of Naval Training Center Orlando on the former Orlando AFB in 1968. The newest of three Naval Training Centers in the United States providing training to recruits, as well as being a base for selected post basic training programs for enlisted personnel, NTC Orlando also conducted nuclear power training for commissioned officers and the base had a prominent presence in the area. In 1993, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission ordered that NTC Orlando be closed, along with a companion installation, NTC San Diego. NTC Orlando continued in a diminished capacity until the base closed for good in 1999 with the last graduates of the base's Naval Nuclear Power School leaving in December 1998. The former base has been developed into tracts for upscale housing called
Baldwin ParkBaldwin Park is the name of some places in the United States:* Baldwin Park, California* Baldwin Park, Missouri* An upscale housing project in Orlando, Florida*Baldwin Park...
. Other than Reserve and National Guard activities, the Orlando area's remaining military presence is the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division/Naval Support Activity Orlando, located just east of the city limits in the
Central Florida Research ParkThe Central Florida Research Park, abutting the main campus of the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida, USA, is a university-related research park...
. The U.S. Army's Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO-STRI), the
United States Army Research, Development and Engineering CommandThe United States Army Research, Development and Engineering Command is a major subordinate command of the Army Materiel Command, and is charged with "integrating, maturing and demonstrating emerging technologies to field the right equipment, in the shortest time, for our Soldiers." It performs...
's, Simulation and Training Technology Center (STTC), the
U.S. Marine Corps'The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for providing force projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
Program Manager for Training Systems (PMTRASYS) and the U.S. Air Force's Agency for Modeling and Simulation are also collocated at this location.
The SunTrust Center, the tallest building in Orlando at 441 ft (134 m), was built in 1988. The second tallest building is the VUE at Lake Eola (2008, tall, but with 35 stories it will have more stories than the SunTrust Center. The third tallest is the
Orange County CourthouseThe Orange County Courthouse, located in Orlando, Florida, United States, comprises the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida and its associated offices, including Orange County's County Court. "The [courthouse] complex includes a 23-level courthouse tower, two five-story office buildings for the...
(1997, . The next tallest buildings are
the
Bank of AmericaBank of America Corporation , based in Charlotte, North Carolina is one of the largest financial services companies, largest bank by assets, largest commercial bank by deposits and is the second largest by market capitalization in the United States. The company holds 12.2% of all U.S. deposits...
Center (Formerly
BarnettBarnett Bank, founded in 1877, eventually became the largest commercial bank in Florida. It was purchased by NationsBank in 1997, but even before signs on Barnett's branches were changed, NationsBank merged with BankAmerica Corp. in 1998, creating Bank of America.Barnett Bank was founded by Bion...
Plaza), built in 1988, , Solaire at the Plaza, 2006, and the
Orlando International AirportOrlando International Airport is a major international airport located six nautical miles southeast of the central business district of Orlando, a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is the busiest airport in the state of Florida....
ATCAir traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
Tower (2002, . The
SeaWorldSeaWorld is a United States chain of marine mammal parks owned by Anheuser-Busch. The parks feature captive orca, sea lion, and dolphin shows and zoological displays featuring various other marine animals. The parks' icon is Shamu, the Orca. There are operations in Orlando, Florida; San Diego,...
SkyTower, at tall, is the tallest tower in Orange County outside Orlando proper. There are also several tall transmission towers in Orange County, the tallest of which is the
WFTVWFTV is the ABC-affiliated television station for Central Florida that is licensed to Orlando. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter between Bithlo and Christmas. The station can also be seen on Bright House Networks channel 7 and HD channel 1090, and...
transmission tower in
ChristmasChristmas is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,162 at the 2000 census. Christmas is home to the world's largest alligator, measuring at just over...
at 1,617 ft (491.6 m) tall.
In the hurricane season of 2004,
Hurricanes CharleyHurricane Charley was the third named storm, the second hurricane, and the second major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. Charley lasted from August 9 to August 15, and at its peak intensity it attained 150 mph winds, making it a strong Category 4 hurricane on the...
,
FrancesHurricane Frances was the sixth named storm, the fourth hurricane, and the third major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. The system crossing the open Atlantic during mid to late August, moving to the north of the Lesser Antilles while strengthening. Its outer bands affected Puerto...
, and
JeanneHurricane Jeanne was the tenth named storm, the seventh hurricane, and the fifth major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. It was also the third hurricane and fourth named storm of the season to landfall in Florida. Jeanne formed as a tropical depression east-southeast of Guadeloupe...
battered the Orlando area, causing widespread damage and
floodA flood is an overflow or accumulation of an expanse of water that submerges land. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide....
ing and impeding tourism to the area.
Topography
Orlando is located at (28.533513, -81.375789).
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the city has a total area of 261.5 km² (101 mi²). 242.2 km² (93.5 mi²) of it is land and 19.3 km² (7.5 mi²) of it (7.39%) is water. Orlando is, on average, above sea level.
Climate
Orlando has a warm and
humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and cool winters. This climate type covers a broad category of climates, and the term "subtropical" may be a misnomer for the winter climate....
, and there are two major seasons each year. One of those seasons is hot and rainy, lasting from the break of June until late September (roughly coinciding with the Atlantic hurricane season). The other is the dry season (October through May) that brings more moderate temperatures and less frequent rainfall. The area's warm and humid climate is caused primarily by its low elevation and its position relatively close to the
Tropic of CancerThe Tropic of Cancer, or the Northern tropic, is one of five major degree measures or major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. It is the northmost latitude at which the sun can appear directly overhead at noon...
, and many characteristics of its climate are a result of its proximity to the
Gulf StreamThe Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico, exits through the Strait of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland...
.
During the height of Orlando's very humid summer season, temperatures rarely fall below 70 °F (21 °C), and daytime highs average in the 90s (32-37 °C). Although the city rarely records temperatures over 100 °F (38 °C), extreme humidity can push the
heat indexThe heat index is an index that combines air temperature and relative humidity in an attempt to determine the human-perceived equivalent temperature — how hot it feels, termed the felt air temperature. The human body normally cools itself by perspiration, or sweating, which evaporates and carries...
to over 110 °F (45 °C). The city's highest recorded temperature is 101 °F (39 °C), set July 2, 1998. During these months, strong afternoon thunderstorms occur almost daily. These storms are caused by air masses from the
Gulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest body of water in the world. Considered a smaller part of the Atlantic Ocean, it is an ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United...
and the
Atlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
colliding over Central Florida. They are highlighted by spectacular
lightningLightning is an atmospheric discharge of electricity accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
and can also bring heavy rainfall (sometimes several inches per hour) and powerful
windsWINDS , is a Japanese communication satellite. Launch was originally scheduled for 2007. The launch date was eventually set for 15 February 2008, however a problem detected in a second stage manoeuvring thruster delayed it to 23 February...
as well as occasional damaging
hailHail is a form of solid precipitation which consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, that are individually called hail stones. Hail stones on Earth consist mostly of water ice and measure between 5 and 150 millimeters in diameter, with the larger stones coming from severe and dangerous...
.
During the cooler seasons, humidity is lower and temperatures are more moderate, and can fluctuate more readily. Average nighttime lows in January are around 50 °F (10 °C), and average daytime highs are about 72 °F (22 °C). Temperatures rarely dip below 32 °F (0 °C). Because the winter season is dry and rare freezing temperatures occur after cold fronts (and their accompanying precipitation) have passed, Orlando experiences no significant snowfall (only once has measurable snow accumulated since recording began at the airport in 1948). Very rarely do the ingredients come together for flurries to occur, commonly
ocean effect snowLake-effect snow is produced in the winter when cold winds move across long expanses of warmer lake water, providing energy and picking up water vapor which freezes and is deposited on the windward shores. The same effect over bodies of salt water is called ocean effect snow, sea effect snow, or...
. The area around Orlando recorded up to 6" (15 cm) in 1977 during a snowstorm (which partly contributed to the idea of Disney's blizzard Beach Water Park 20 years later). Reports of flurries in the Central Florida area include December 23, 1989, January 24, 2003, November 24, 2006, and January 3, 2008.
The average annual rainfall in Orlando is 50.1 in. (128 cm), most of it occurring in the period from June to September. The months of October through May are Orlando's driest season. During this period (especially in its later months), there is often a wildfire hazard. During some years, fires have been severe. In 1998, a strong
El NiñoEl Niño-Southern Oscillation is a periodic change in the atmosphere and ocean of the tropical Pacific region. It is defined in the atmosphere by the sign of the pressure difference between Tahiti and Darwin, Australia, and in the ocean by warming or cooling of surface waters of the tropical central...
caused an unusually wet January and February, followed by drought throughout the spring and early summer, causing a record wildfire season that created numerous air quality alerts in Orlando.
Orlando has a considerable hurricane risk, although it is not as high as it is in South Florida's urban corridor or other coastal regions. Since the city is located 42 miles (68 km) inland from the Atlantic and 77 miles (124 km) inland from the Gulf of Mexico, hurricanes usually weaken before arriving. Storm surges are not a concern since the region is 100 ft (30 m) above sea level. Despite its location, the city does see strong hurricanes. During the notorious
2004 hurricane seasonThe 2004 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 2004, and lasted until November 30, 2004. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin...
, Orlando was hit by three hurricanes that caused significant damage, with
Hurricane CharleyHurricane Charley was the third named storm, the second hurricane, and the second major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. Charley lasted from August 9 to August 15, and at its peak intensity it attained 150 mph winds, making it a strong Category 4 hurricane on the...
the worst of these. The city also experienced widespread damage during
Hurricane DonnaHurricane Donna in the 1960 Atlantic hurricane season was a Cape Verde-type hurricane which moved across the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispanola, Cuba, The Bahamas, and every state on the East Coast of the United States...
in 1960.
Demographics
According to the 2005–2007 American Community Survey estimates, the city's population was 58.8% White, 45.2% non-Hispanic White, 30.3% Black, 20.7% Hispanic, 13.6% Hispanic White, 2.7% Asian, 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 9.6% from some other race, and 2.1% from two or more races.
30.1% of the city's population had a Bachelor's degree or higher.
As of the
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 185,951 people (2007 estimate counted 227,907 people), 80,883 households, and 42,382 families residing in the city. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 767.9/km² (1,988.9/mi²). There were 188,486 housing units at an average density of 365.4/km² (946.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 61.10% White, 26.70% African American, 1.43% Asian, 0.34% Native American, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 5.41% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.54% from two or more races. 17.79% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. Non-Hispanic Whites made up 50.8% of the population.
There were 80,883 households out of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.4% were married couples living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.6% were non-families. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.0% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 37.3% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,732, and the median income for a family was $40,648. Males had a median income of $30,866 versus $25,267 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the city was $21,216. About 13.3% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.0% of those under age 18 and 12.6% of those age 65 or over.
Orlando is also home to one of the nation's highest population percentage of
LGBTLGBT is an initialism referring collectively to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. In use since the 1990s, the term “LGBT” is an adaptation of the initialism “LGB” which itself started replacing the phrase “gay community” which many within LGBT communities felt did not represent...
people. According to a study by UCLA, 7.7% of Orlando's population is gay, lesbian, or bisexual and with 5.7% of the entire metropolitan population, it ranks 9th in the nation.
Crime
In 2006, based on the Department of Justice's FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division, Orlando reported 4,300 violent crimes including 49 murders, a record number since 36 in 1982. Crime in Orlando has been up 329% since 2006. Based on the
Morgan QuitnoMorgan Quitno Press is a research and publishing company based in Lawrence, Kansas. They compile books with statistics of crime rates, health care, education, and other categories, ranking cities and states in the United States...
Press "Safest and Most Dangerous Cities of 2008", Orlando ranked as the 18th most dangerous city in the country.
Crime is being attacked by Orlando authorities with the installation of security cameras in Orlando. Traffic lights are merged with cameras capable of detecting out of ordinary activity. Once a smart camera detects this activity, it will zoom in on people of interest in an effort to identify them, and can also zoom in on a license plate.
In 2008, 123 people were slain in Orlando and unincorporated Orange County, a new record. In 2009 Forbes magazine named Orlando the nation's sixth most dangerous city in the United States. Forbes reports its data showed the Orlando-Kissimmee metropolitan area has a population of 2,020,346 with 845 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
Languages
As of 2000, 75.43% of all residents speak
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
as their
first languageA first language is the language a human being learns from birth...
, while 16.60% speak
SpanishSpanish or Castilian is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that originated in northern Spain and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile, evolving into the principal language of government and trade in the Iberian peninsula...
, 1.93% speak Haitian Creole, 1.33% speak
FrenchFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
, and 0.99% of the population speak
PortuguesePortuguese is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia and northern Portugal. It is derived from the Latin spoken by the romanized Pre-Roman peoples of the Iberian Peninsula around 2000 years ago...
as their mother language.
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Orlando is the hub city of the
Orlando-Kissimmee, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical AreaGreater Orlando, alternatively known as the Orlando Area or Metro Orlando, is the third most populated metropolitan region in the state of Florida, and contains the 27th-largest metro area in the United States within the 16th largest Combined Statistical Area...
, colloquially known as "Greater Orlando" or "Metro Orlando". The area encompasses four counties (
OrangeOrange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2007 Census Bureau estimates, the population was 1,066,113. The county seat is Orlando....
,
OsceolaOsceola County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 172,493. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 244,045 , making it the 17th fastest-growing county in the United States. Its county seat is Kissimmee.- History :Osceola County was...
,
SeminoleSeminole County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and part of the Orlando-Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area . It is located in the central part of Florida between Orlando to the south and DeLand/Daytona Beach to the north. As of 2000, the population was 365,196. The U.S....
and
LakeLake County is a county located in the state of Florida, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the population was 210,528. The Census Bureau estimated the population in 2008 to be 307,243. Its county seat is Tavares, Florida...
), and is currently the 27th-largest metro area in the United States with a 2007 Census-estimated population of 2,032,496.
When
Combined Statistical AreaThe United States Office of Management and Budget defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more counties...
s were instituted in 2000, Orlando was initially joined together with
The Villages, FloridaThe Villages is a census-designated place in Sumter County, Florida, United States. The Villages had a population of 8,333 at the 2000 census...
, Micropolitan Statistical Area, to form the Orlando-The Villages, Florida,
Combined Statistical AreaThe United States Office of Management and Budget defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more counties...
. In 2006, the metropolitan areas of
DeltonaDeltona is a city located in southwestern Volusia County, Florida. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 85,921; it is the largest city in Volusia County. Deltona is a principal city of the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical...
(
Volusia CountyVolusia County is a county located in the state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county was 496,575 . Although Daytona Beach is Volusia County's best-known city, its county seat is DeLand, and its most populous city is currently Deltona.Volusia County is the sole county of...
) and
Palm CoastThe Palm Coast, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area is a Metropolitan Statistical Area consisting of Flagler County in the state of Florida in the USA. The principal city in the MSA is Palm Coast. The Palm Coast, Florida MSA was first defined as a Metropolitan Statistical Area on 2006-12-18....
(
Flagler CountyFlagler County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2000 census, the population was 49,832. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 83,084 , its 66.7% growth since the 2000 Census making it the fastest-growing county in the United States by percentage of 2000...
) were added to create the
Orlando-Deltona-Daytona Beach, Florida, Combined Statistical Area. This new larger CSA has a total population (as of 2007) of 2,693,552, and includes three of the 25 fastest-growing counties in the nation—Flagler ranks 1st; Osceola, 17th; and Lake, 23rd.
Economy
Metro Orlando has a rapidly growing $13.4 billion technology industry employing 53,000 people, and is a nationally recognized cluster of innovation in digital media, agritechnology, aviation, aerospace, and software. More than 150 international companies, representing approximately 20 countries, have facilities in Metro Orlando.
A vital part of the Orlando area economy is involved in the tourist industry, with the city being known for its wide range of its attractions including
Walt Disney World ResortWalt Disney World Resort is the largest and most visited recreational resort in the world, containing four theme parks; two water parks; 23 themed hotels; and numerous shopping, dining, entertainment and recreation venues. Owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts segment of The Walt...
,
Universal Orlando ResortUniversal Orlando Resort is a theme park resort in Orlando, Florida. It is a joint partnership between NBC Universal and the Blackstone Group. The resort consists of two theme parks , Universal CityWalk , and three Loews Hotels...
, and Sea World Orlando. Over 48 million visitors came to the Orlando region in 2004. The convention industry is also critical to the region's economy. The
Orange County Convention CenterThe Orange County Convention Center is the primary public convention center for the Central Florida region. The center currently ranks as the second largest convention center in the United States . The center currently offers 7 million ft² of total space...
, expanded in 2004 to over two million square feet (200,000 m²) of exhibition space, is now the second-largest convention complex in terms of space in the United States, trailing only
McCormick PlaceMcCormick Place is a large convention center made up of four interconnected buildings sited on and near the shore of Lake Michigan, about 4 km south of downtown Chicago, Illinois, USA. McCormick Place hosts numerous trade shows, including the Chicago Auto Show, held every February.-History:As...
in
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
. The city vies with Chicago and
Las VegasLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, fine dining, and entertainment. Las Vegas, which bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, is famous for the number of...
for hosting the most convention attendees in the United States.
Metro Orlando has the 7th largest research park in the country
Central Florida Research ParkThe Central Florida Research Park, abutting the main campus of the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida, USA, is a university-related research park...
with over 1,025 acres. It is home to over 120 companies, employs more than 8,500 people, and is the hub of the nation’s military simulation and training programs. Metro Orlando is home to the simulation procurement commands for the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.
Orlando is a major industrial and hi-tech center. Lockheed-Martin has a large manufacturing facility for missile systems, aeronautical craft and related high tech research. Other notable engineering firms have offices or labs in Metro Orlando: KDF,
General DynamicsGeneral Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. The company has changed markedly in the post-Cold War era of defense consolidation. The company has four main business segments:...
,
HarrisHarris Corporation is an international communications equipment company that produces wireless equipment, electronic systems, and both terrestrial and spaceborne antennas for use in the government, defense, and commercial sectors. It is also the largest private-sector employer in Brevard County, FL...
,
Mitsubishi Power SystemsThe , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese conglomerate consisting of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...
,
SiemensSiemens AG is Europe's largest engineering conglomerate. Siemens' international headquarters are located in Berlin and Munich, Germany. The company is a conglomerate of three main business sectors: Industry, Energy and Healthcare with a total of 15 Divisions.Worldwide, Siemens and its subsidiaries...
,
VeritasIn Roman mythology, Veritas was the goddess of truth, a daughter of Saturn and the mother of Virtue. It was believed that she hid in the bottom of a holy well because she was so elusive. Her image is shown as a young virgin dressed in white...
/
SeagateSeagate is a manufacturer of hard drives and storage solutions. Founded in 1979 as Shugart Techologies, Seagate has nominal headquarters at the Ugland House in the Cayman Islands and has a large operational office in Scotts Valley, California....
, multiple USAF facilities, Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (
NAWCTSDThe Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division of the US Navy is located in Orlando, Florida in the University of Central Florida's Central Florida Research Park. The land and main buildings on which the main NAWCTSD facility is located inside the Research Park is a U.S. Government...
),
Delta ConnectionDelta Connection is the name under which a number of individually owned regional airlines and three wholly owned regional carriers operate short and medium haul routes in association with Delta Air Lines Inc...
Academy,
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical UniversityEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical University is a private, coeducational university with a history dating from the early days of aviation. Students are enrolled in one of two residential campuses located in Daytona Beach, Florida and Prescott, Arizona or in Embry-Riddle Worldwide, composed of over 130...
,
GEGê are the people who spoke Ge languages of the northern South American Caribbean coast and Brazil, their society is or was highly egalitarian and anti-authoritarian, because of which they resisted the Incas as well as the Spaniards...
, Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation (AFAMS), U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation (PEO STRI),
United States Army Research, Development and Engineering CommandThe United States Army Research, Development and Engineering Command is a major subordinate command of the Army Materiel Command, and is charged with "integrating, maturing and demonstrating emerging technologies to field the right equipment, in the shortest time, for our Soldiers." It performs...
United States Army Simulation and Training Technology CenterThe United States Army Simulation and Training Technology Center provide the United States Department of Defense and United States Department of Homeland Security with state-of-the-art applied research to develop simulation technologies, build on current simulation knowledge, and understand system...
(STTC),
AT&TAT&T Inc. is the largest provider of local, long distance telephone services in the United States, and also serves digital subscriber line Internet access. AT&T is the second largest provider of wireless service in the United States, with over 77 million wireless customers, and more than 150...
,
BoeingThe Boeing Company is a major aerospace and defense corporation, founded by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Its international headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois, since 2001...
, CAE Systems Flight & Simulation Training,
HPHewlett-Packard Company , commonly referred to as HP, is a technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, United States. HP has its United States offices at the former old Compaq Campus in unincorporated Harris County, Texas, Latin America offices in Miami-Dade County, Florida,...
, Institute for Simulation and Training,
National Center for SimulationThe National Center for Simulation is an association of primarily defense industry companies.It was created in 1993 to support collaboration among the defense industry, government, and academia....
,
Northrop GrummanNorthrop Grumman Corporation is an American aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth largest defense contractor in the world in 2008, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over 122,000...
, and
RaytheonRaytheon Company is a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in defense systems and defense and commercial electronics. It was previously involved in corporate and special-mission aircraft until early 2007...
Systems. The Naval Training Center until a few years ago was one of the two places where nuclear engineers were trained for the US Navy. Now the land has been converted into the
Baldwin ParkBaldwin Park is the name of some places in the United States:* Baldwin Park, California* Baldwin Park, Missouri* An upscale housing project in Orlando, Florida*Baldwin Park...
development.
Another developing sector is the film, television, and electronic gaming industries, aided by the presence of
Universal StudiosUniversal Studios Florida is an American amusement park located in Orlando, Florida. Opened on June 7, 1990, the park's theme is the entertainment industry, in particular movies and television. Universal Studios Florida inspires its guests to "ride the movies," and it features numerous attractions...
,
Disney's Hollywood StudiosDisney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Spanning 135 acres in size, its theme is show business, drawing inspiration from the heyday of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s...
,
Full SailFull Sail University is a private, for-profit university located in Winter Park, Florida. Full Sail awards associate's, bachelor's degrees, and master's degrees in a variety of entertainment and media-related fields...
School, the
Florida Interactive Entertainment AcademyThe Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy is a graduate school of the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Central Florida located in Orlando, Florida, USA...
, and other entertainment companies and schools. Numerous office complexes for large corporations have popped up along the
Interstate 4Interstate 4 is a 132.30-mile intrastate Highway located entirely within the state of Florida, United States. It goes from Interstate 275 in Tampa, Florida to Interstate 95 at Daytona Beach, Florida...
corridor north of Orlando, especially in
MaitlandMaitland is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States, part of the Greater Orlando area. The population was 12,019 at the 2000 census. As of 2006, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 14,172...
,
Lake MaryLake Mary is a city in Seminole County, Florida, United States. The population was 11,456 at the 2000 census. As of 2006, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 14,718. ...
and
HeathrowHeathrow is a census-designated place and an unincorporated suburban community in Seminole County, Florida, United States. Heathrow is located on the I-4 Corridor in Central Florida, 19 miles Northeast of Orlando and 38 miles Southwest of Daytona Beach...
. The U.S.
modeling, simulation, and trainingThe Institute for Simulation and Training is a research institute of the University of Central Florida located in Orlando, Florida, USA. The director of the school is Randall Shumaker....
(MS&T) industry is centered around the Orlando region as well, with a particularly strong presence in the
Central Florida Research ParkThe Central Florida Research Park, abutting the main campus of the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida, USA, is a university-related research park...
adjacent to
UCFThe University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
. Nearby
MaitlandMaitland is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States, part of the Greater Orlando area. The population was 12,019 at the 2000 census. As of 2006, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 14,172...
is the home of Tiburon, a division of the video game company
Electronic ArtsElectronic Arts is an international developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers responsible...
. Originally Tiburon Entertainment, it was acquired by EA in 1998 after years of partnership, particularly in the famous
Madden NFLMadden NFL is an American football video game series developed by Electronic Arts Tiburon for EA Sports. The game is named after Pro Football Hall of Famer John Madden, a well-known former Super Bowl-winning coach and color commentator....
series and
NCAA Football seriesThis article is for the video game series; for the sport, see College Football.NCAA Football is a football video game series in which you play as any current Division I FBS college team. This game is developed by EA Sports in an exclusive license with the NCAA.Because of NCAA rules, current...
of video games.
Orlando is the home base of
Darden RestaurantsDarden Restaurants, Inc. is a multi-brand restaurant operator. The firm owns several casual dining restaurant chains, most notably Olive Garden and Red Lobster. Darden owns and operates more than 1,700 restaurant locations throughout North America and has more than 157,000 employees...
, the parent company of
Red LobsterRed Lobster is a U.S. chain of seafood restaurants. It also operates in Canada and Japan. It is aimed at the mid-level "casual dining" segment of the market. The menu includes a variety of specialty seafood and non-seafood entrees, appetizers, salads, and desserts.-Company growth and franchises:Red...
and
Olive GardenOlive Garden is a casual dining American restaurant chain specializing in Italian-American cuisine. The company is owned by Darden Restaurants and is based in Orlando, Florida.- History :...
and the largest operator of restaurants in the world by revenue. They are building a new world headquarters and central distribution facility on John Young Parkway.
Orlando has two non-profit hospital systems:
Orlando HealthOrlando Health is one of Florida's most comprehensive private, not-for-profit healthcare networks serving the Greater Orlando area. The system was founded in 1918 when the first hospital, Orange General Hospital, was opened. In 1946 the hospital name changed to Orange Memorial Hospital in honor of...
and
Florida HospitalThe Adventist Health System is a non-profit health care organisation which operates facilities within the Southern and Southwestern regions of the United States...
. Orlando Health's
Orlando Regional Medical CenterOrlando Regional Medical Center , is a 581-bed hospital in downtown Orlando, Florida, which specializes in trauma, critical care, emergency care, cardiology, orthopedics and neurosciences...
is home to Central Florida's only Level I
trauma centerA trauma center is a hospital equipped to provide comprehensive emergency medical services to patients suffering traumatic injuries. Trauma centers were established as the medical establishment realized that traumatic injuries often require complex and multi-disciplinary treatment, including...
, and
Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and BabiesThe Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies is an obstetrics hospital located in Orlando, Florida, United States. A part of the Orlando Health system and supported by the Arnold Palmer Medical Center Foundation, it is located on the campus of Orlando Regional Medical Center south of Downtown...
and
Florida Hospital OrlandoLocated in Orlando, Florida, Florida Hospital Orlando treats over 32,000 inpatients and 53,600 outpatients annually. This 900+ bed, acute-care community hospital also serves as a major tertiary facility for much of the Southeast...
have the area's only Level III
neonatal intensive care unitA neonatal intensive care unit, usually shortened NICU and also called a newborn intensive care unit, intensive care nursery , and special care baby unit , is a unit of a hospital specializing in the care of ill or premature newborn infants...
s. Florida Hospital's main campus is ranked as one of the best hospitals in the nation, and has a renowned
brain attackA stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by thrombosis or embolism or due to a hemorrhage...
facility. Orlando's medical leadership will be further advanced with the completion of
UCFThe University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
's College of Medicine and a new
VA HospitalThe Veterans Health Administration is the component of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs that implements the medical assistance program of the VA through the administration and operation of numerous VA outpatient clinics, hospitals, medical centers and longterm healthcare...
, both of which will be located in a new medical district in the Lake Nona area of the city.
Historically, the unemployment rate in Greater Orlando was low, which resulted in growth that led to
urban sprawlUrban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs over rural land and to its outskirts. The problem of urban sprawl is that it is costly to initiate the development of new infrastructure adequate enough to support its residents...
in the surrounding area and, in combination with the 2007 Subprime mortgage financial crisis, to the rising cost of home prices. Today, according to
Workforce Central FloridaWorkforce Central Florida is the Central Florida region’s workforce board, responsible for workforce planning, programs, and the labor market for five Florida counties including Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Sumter...
, the March 2009 unemployment rate in Central Florida has increased to 9.9 percent
Sentinel. Housing prices in Greater Orlando went up 34% in one year, from an average of $182,000 in August 2004 to $245,000 in August 2005, and eventually to a record $255,000 in February 2007. They are tapering off, however, down to $211,000 in April 2008.
Tourism
- For tourist information, see Wikitravel:Orlando.
The Orlando area is home to a wide variety of tourist attractions, including the
Walt Disney World ResortWalt Disney World Resort is the largest and most visited recreational resort in the world, containing four theme parks; two water parks; 23 themed hotels; and numerous shopping, dining, entertainment and recreation venues. Owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts segment of The Walt...
,
Universal Orlando ResortUniversal Orlando Resort is a theme park resort in Orlando, Florida. It is a joint partnership between NBC Universal and the Blackstone Group. The resort consists of two theme parks , Universal CityWalk , and three Loews Hotels...
,
SeaWorld OrlandoSeaWorld Orlando is a theme park near Orlando, Florida. It is owned and operated by Busch Entertainment Corporation, a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev...
and
Holy Land ExperienceThe Holy Land Experience is both a themed exhibit and a biblical museum located on in Orlando, Florida, at the intersection of Interstate 4 and Conroy Road...
. The Walt Disney World resort is the area's largest attraction with its many facets such as the
Magic KingdomThe Magic Kingdom is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. The first park built at the resort, it opened on October 1, 1971. The park saw an estimated 17 million visitors in 2008, making it the most visited theme park in the world....
,
EpcotEpcot is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. The park is dedicated to international culture and technological innovation. The second park built at the resort, it opened on October 1, 1982 and was named EPCOT Center until 1994....
,
Disney's Hollywood StudiosDisney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Spanning 135 acres in size, its theme is show business, drawing inspiration from the heyday of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s...
,
Disney's Animal KingdomDisney's Animal Kingdom is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. The fourth park built at the resort, it opened on April 22, 1998, and it is the largest single Disney theme park in the world, covering more than 500 acres . It is also the first Disney theme park to be themed entirely around...
, Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, and
Downtown DisneyDowntown Disney is an outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment complex located at the Walt Disney World Resort. Downtown Disney is open to the public, requires no admission fee and offers entirely free parking and transportation to all Disney resorts. The large outdoor complex is divided into...
. SeaWorld Orlando is a large park that features numerous zoological displays and marine animals alongside an amusement park with roller coasters and water park. Universal Orlando, like Walt Disney World, is a multi-faceted resort comprising
Universal Studios FloridaUniversal Studios Florida is an American amusement park located in Orlando, Florida. Opened on June 7, 1990, the park's theme is the entertainment industry, in particular movies and television. Universal Studios Florida inspires its guests to "ride the movies," and it features numerous attractions...
,
CityWalkCityWalk may refer to the following.*Universal CityWalk: entertainment and retail districts located adjacent to the theme parks of Universal Parks & Resorts, United States.*Citywalk, Hong Kong: a shopping centre in Tsuen Wan, New Territories, Hong Kong....
, and the
Islands of AdventureUniversal's Islands of Adventure is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. It opened May 28, 1999 as part of an expansion that, along with CityWalk and the Portofino Bay and Hard Rock hotels, converted Universal Studios Florida into the Universal Orlando Resort...
theme park. Orlando attractions also significantly appeal to many locals who want to enjoy themselves close to home.
Orlando has the second largest number of hotel rooms in the country (after
Las VegasLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, fine dining, and entertainment. Las Vegas, which bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, is famous for the number of...
,
NevadaNevada is a state located in the western region of the United States. The capital is Carson City and the largest city is Las Vegas. The state's nickname is Silver State, due to the large number of silver deposits that were discovered and mined there...
), and is one of the busiest American cities for conferences and conventions with the
Orange County Convention CenterThe Orange County Convention Center is the primary public convention center for the Central Florida region. The center currently ranks as the second largest convention center in the United States . The center currently offers 7 million ft² of total space...
, the country's second largest in square footage. It is also known for its wide array of golf courses, with numerous courses available for any level of golfer. Located several miles away from the main tourist attractions,
Downtown OrlandoDowntown Orlando is the central business district of Orlando, Florida, United States; it is not in proximity to tourist areas, which are southwest of the city....
is undergoing major redevelopment with a number of residential projects, commercial towers, and major public works projects including the Amway Center and the
Dr. P. Phillips Orlando Performing Arts CenterThe Dr. P. Phillips Orlando Performing Arts Center is a proposed new performing arts center to be built in Downtown Orlando, Florida, United States. It will replace the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre, originally built in 1926. The new performing arts center is scheduled to open in 2012...
. Orlando ranks as the fourth most popular city, based on where people want to live, according to a 2009 Pew Research Center study.
Entertainment and performing arts
The
hip hop musicHip hop music is a musical genre which developed alongside hip hop culture, and is commonly based on concepts of loop, rapping, freestyle, DJing, scratching, sampling and beatboxing. The music is used to express concerns of political, social, and personal issues...
scene,
metalHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in England and the United States...
scene,
rock musicRock music is a genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the 1960s. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country music and also drew on folk music, jazz and classical music....
scene,
reggaetonReggaeton is a form of urban music that became popular with Latin American youth in the early 1990s. After its mainstream exposure in 2004, it spread to North American, European and Asian audiences. Reggaeton's predecessor was originated in Panama as reggae en español...
and
LatinoThe demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American or Spanish-speaking descent."* "A Latin American."...
scene, are all active within the city, which is largely home to the
Florida BreakbeatFlorida breaks, also referred to as Florida breakbeat, Funky Breaks, and Tampa Breaks, is a genre of breakbeat music which, as the name suggests, is most popular in the areas around the US state of Florida but it is reconized as a unique one of a kind sound around the world...
movement. Orlando has also been called Hollywood East because of numerous cinematic enterprises in the area.
Until recently, Walt Disney Feature Animation operated a studio out of
Disney's Hollywood StudiosDisney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Spanning 135 acres in size, its theme is show business, drawing inspiration from the heyday of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s...
at the
Walt Disney World ResortWalt Disney World Resort is the largest and most visited recreational resort in the world, containing four theme parks; two water parks; 23 themed hotels; and numerous shopping, dining, entertainment and recreation venues. Owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts segment of The Walt...
. Feature Animation-Florida was primarily responsible for the films Mulan, Lilo & Stitch, and the early stages of Brother Bear and contributed on various other projects.
Universal StudiosUniversal Studios , a subsidiary of NBC Universal, is one of the six major American movie studios. Its main motion picture production/distribution arm is called Universal Pictures. Its production studios are located at 100 Universal City Plaza Drive in Universal City, California...
's Soundstage 21 is home to The TNA Impact Zone. Nickelodeon Studios, which through the 90s produced hundreds of hours of GAK-filled game shows targeted at children, no longer operates out of Universal Studios Florida. The Florida Film Festival in nearby Maitland is one of the most respected regional film festivals in the country and attracts budding filmmakers from around the world. In addition, the implosion of Orlando's previous City Hall was filmed for the movie
Lethal Weapon 3Lethal Weapon 3 is a 1992 buddy cop action comedy film directed by Richard Donner and starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo and Stuart Wilson. It is a sequel to Lethal Weapon and Lethal Weapon 2, and it is part of the Lethal Weapon film series.The movie is set in 1992, six years...
. Orlando's indie film scene has been picking back up since Haxan Film's The Blair Witch Project (1999) and a few years later with Charlize Theron winning her Academy Award for Monster (2003). A Florida state film incentive has also helped increase the amount of films being produced in Orlando and the rest of the state.
The Orlando Metropolitan Area is also home to a substantial theatre population. Several professional and semi-professional houses and many community theaters dot the area including
Orlando Shakespeare TheaterThe Orlando Shakespeare Theater began its first season with two Shakespearean productions in 1989. Based in Florida in Orlando's Loch Haven Park, Orlando Shakes has performed 41 mainstage productions of Shakespeare's works...
, Orlando Repertory Theatre (Central Florida's only Professional Theatre for Young Audiences), Orlando Theatre Project, Mad Cow Theatre, Theatre Downtown, The Osceola Center for the Arts, Winter Park Playhouse, Theatre Winter Haven, and IceHouse Theatre. Disney also a cast theater company known as S.T.A.G.E. as well as Encore, a cast choir and orchestra whose annual charity concerts have raised thousands of dollars. Additionally, both
University of Central FloridaThe University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
and
Rollins CollegeRollins College is a liberal arts college located in Winter Park, Florida, United States, a suburb of Orlando, Florida. Its current president is Lewis Duncan...
(Winter Park) are home to well respected Theatre Departments that provide an influx of young artists to the local area.
In addition, the
Bob Carr Performing Arts CentreThe Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre is a major performing arts auditorium in Orlando, Florida and seats 2,518. It is part of the larger Orlando Centroplex organization which manages several facilities....
brings national tours through town on a regular basis. This venue, built in 1926, will be replaced by the
Dr. P. Phillips Orlando Performing Arts CenterThe Dr. P. Phillips Orlando Performing Arts Center is a proposed new performing arts center to be built in Downtown Orlando, Florida, United States. It will replace the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre, originally built in 1926. The new performing arts center is scheduled to open in 2012...
in 2012.
Each spring, local theaters and downtown venues play host to the
Orlando International Fringe Theater FestivalThe Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival is a 12 day annual arts festival held during the month of May in Orlando, Florida. The festival includes theater, music, dance, and art...
, which draws touring companies from all around the world as well as readings and fully staged productions of new and unknown plays by local artists. Also in the spring, there is The Harriett Lake Festival of New Plays, hosted by Orlando Shakespeare Theater.
Shopping malls
Orlando has become one of the fastest growing retail markets in the USA with at least five major upscale department stores opening in 2008 alone and more than of shopping space in Central Florida.
- The Florida Mall
The Florida Mall is a large enclosed shopping mall in Orlando, Florida. It opened its doors in 1986. It is located on the southeast corner of Orange Blossom Trail and Sand Lake Road. The mall has over 250 stores, including its anchors Macy's, Dillard's, Sears, J. C. Penney, Saks Fifth Avenue,...
is the largest mall in Orlando, one of the largest single-story malls in the USA at over with over 250 stores, seven anchor department stores, and the Florida Mall Hotel & Conference Center Tower.
- The Mall at Millenia
The Mall at Millenia is an upscale contemporary indoor shopping mall located in Orlando, Florida just off of Interstate 4 at Conroy Road near the northern end of International Drive. Opened in 2002, it has over 150 stores, and is anchored by Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Neiman Marcus...
is a contemporary two-level upscale shopping mall, including the world-famous department stores of Bloomingdale'sBloomingdale's "like no other store in the world" is an upscale, full-line American department store owned by Macy's, Inc. , which is also the parent company of Macy's...
, Macy'sMacy's is a chain of mid-to-high range American department stores. Its selection of merchandise can vary significantly from location to location, resulting in the exclusive availability of certain brands in only higher-end stores...
, and Neiman MarcusNeiman Marcus is a luxury specialty retail department store, operated by the Neiman Marcus Group in the United States. The company is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and competes with other exclusive department stores such as Barneys New York, Bloomingdale's, and Saks Fifth Avenue...
. IKEAIKEA is a privately-held, international home products retailer that sells flat pack furniture, accessories, and bathroom and kitchen items in their retail stores around the world...
Orlando opened adjacent to the mall on November 14, 2007.
- Orlando Fashion Square
The Orlando Fashion Square Mall is a two-story indoor shopping mall located in Orlando, Florida. The mall's close proximity to Downtown Orlando has allowed the mall to enjoy great success and high attendance among local shoppers...
is the nearest indoor shopping mall to Downtown OrlandoDowntown Orlando is the central business district of Orlando, Florida, United States; it is not in proximity to tourist areas, which are southwest of the city....
. The mall features 4 anchor department stores and a 14-screen Premiere Cinema theater.
- Festival Bay Mall
Festival Bay Mall is an enclosed shopping mall located on International Drive in Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened in 2002 as a property of the Belz Factory Outlets, it is owned by BT Orlando Limited Partnership and managed by General Growth Properties of Chicago, Illinois...
on International Drive is home to stores, a skate park, and a theater.
Sports
Orlando is the home city of the
Orlando MagicThe Orlando Magic are a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
NBAThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
team and the
UCF KnightsThe University of Central Florida Knights, commonly referred to as the UCF Knights, comprise 17 varsity sports teams at the University of Central Florida. These teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the NCAA's Division I and in Conference USA.Men's sports include Baseball, Basketball,...
college athletics teams. It has also been home to several successful minor league sports teams which have won two Arena Bowls, two titles in
ice hockeyIce Hockey is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a puck into the opposing team's goal. It is a fast-paced and physical sport...
, three titles in
minor league baseballMinor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in North America that compete at levels below that of Major League Baseball. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses, and many are members of Minor League Baseball, an umbrella organization for leagues...
, one title in soccer, one title in
American footballAmerican football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, and often as Gridiron or Tackle football outside North America, is a competitive team sport known for combining strategy with physical play. The objective of the game is to score points by advancing the ball into the...
, and one title in
roller hockeyRoller hockey is a form of hockey played on a dry surface using skates with wheels. The term "Roller Hockey" is often used interchangeably to refer to two variant forms chiefly differentiated by the type of skate used. There is traditional "Roller Hockey," played with quad roller skates, and...
.
Orlando has produced several major athletes, such as baseball players A.J. Pierzynski and
Johnny DamonJohnny David Damon is a Major League Baseball outfielder and plays for the New York Yankees. Since the season, through 2008, he was 3rd among active major leaguers in runs , and 7th in hits and stolen bases...
, football players
Warren SappWarren Harrison Sapp is a retired American football player who played defensive tackle in the National Football League. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders during his 13 year professional career, and college football for the University of Miami Hurricanes...
,
Daunte CulpepperDaunte Richard Culpepper is an American football quarterback for the Detroit Lions in the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Central Florida....
,
Brandon MeriweatherBrandon Meriweather is an American football safety for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Patriots 24th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Miami.-Early years:...
,
Deacon JonesDavid D. "Deacon" Jones is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers, and the Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.Jones specialized in quarterback sacks, a term attributed to him...
,
Brandon SilerBrandon Siler is an American football linebacker for the San Diego Chargers in the NFL.- College career :A star at Orlando's Evans High School, Siler chose the Florida Gators over the Tennessee Volunteers and the Maryland Terrapins. His impact came early, as he started six games as a freshman...
,
Mike WalkerMike Walker is the name of:*Mike Walker , gossip columnist for the National Enquirer*Mike Walker , jazz guitar player from Salford in England*Mike Walker , American football player...
,
Brandon MarshallBrandon Marshall , nicknamed "The Beast," is an American football wide receiver for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was selected by the Broncos out of the University of Central Florida, with the 119th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft.Marshall is known...
, and
Kevin SmithKevin Smith is an American football running back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Central Florida.-Early years:Smith attended Southridge High School...
, basketball players Amar'e Stoudemire and Darius Washington, and soccer player
Michelle AkersMichelle Akers is a former leading American association football player and played in the historic 1999 Women's World Cup victory by the U.S.. She is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.-Early life:...
. Orlando is also home to many current and notable former athletes as well, including baseball players
Carlos PeñaCarlos Felipe Peña is a left-handed first baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays.-Early life:Peña is the eldest of four children born to Felipe and Juana Peña...
,
Frank ViolaFrank John Viola, Jr. is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Minnesota Twins , New York Mets , Boston Red Sox , Cincinnati Reds and Toronto Blue Jays...
,
Ken Griffey, Jr.George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey, Jr. is a Major League Baseball outfielder and designated hitter, for the Seattle Mariners....
, and
Jonathan AldridgeJonathan Aldridge is an American professional baseball player, actor, fashion model, producer, and entrepreneur best known for his appearance in the Hershey Company Swoops Commercial campaign of 2004...
, basketball player
Shaquille O'NealShaquille Rashaun O'Neal , frequently referred to simply as "Shaq", is an American professional basketball player, rapper, and actor. He is widely perceived as one of the most dominant players in the history of the NBA. Standing at 7 feet 1 inch, 325 pounds, he is one of the largest players to...
, and many golfers, including
Tiger WoodsEldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Currently the World No...
,
Mark O'MearaMark Francis O'Meara is an American professional golfer who was a prolific tournament winner on the PGA Tour and around the world from the mid 1980s to the late 1990s...
and
Arnold PalmerArnold Daniel Palmer is an American golfer who is generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men's professional golf. He has won numerous events on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, dating back to 1955...
.
Government
Orlando is governed via the mayor-council system. The mayor is elected in a citywide vote. The six members of the city council are each elected from districts.
State and federal representation
The
United States Postal ServiceThe United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States. It is one of the few government agencies explicitly authorized by the United States Constitution. Within the United States, it is commonly...
operates post offices in Orlando. The Orlando Main Post Office is located at 10401 Post Office Boulevard, adjacent to
Orlando International AirportOrlando International Airport is a major international airport located six nautical miles southeast of the central business district of Orlando, a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is the busiest airport in the state of Florida....
.
Education
Public primary and secondary education is handled by
Orange County Public Schools- School board :The superintendent of OCPS is Ronald Blocker. The position of superintendent is appointed by the school board. The district is overseen by the Orange County School Board, a body of seven elected officers, each board member sitting for a particular geographic district. School Board...
. Some of the private schools include
Orlando Lutheran AcademyThe Orlando Lutheran Academy is a private Lutheran school, grades 6-12, located on 550 N. Econlockhatchee Trail in Orlando, Florida. It is a member of FHSAA and currently has slightly less than 200 students...
, The Geneva School,
Forest Lake AcademyForest Lake Academy is a private high school outside Orlando, Florida. It is owned and operated by the Florida Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.-History:...
,
The First AcademyThe First Academy is a small Christian private school in Orlando, Florida. The school was founded by the First Baptist Church of Orlando in 1987. It currently enrolls about 1000 students.-History:...
,
Trinity Preparatory SchoolTrinity Preparatory School of Florida is an independent college preparatory day-school for students in grades 6 to 12, located east of Winter Park, Florida, a suburb of Orlando. It is affiliated with the Episcopal Church and was founded in 1966 by Canon A. Rees Hay and local community leaders...
,
Lake Highland Preparatory SchoolLake Highland Preparatory School is a private school in Orlando, Florida that was founded in 1970. It is the largest private school in Orlando. Its budget in 2004 was USD $24.6M. Lake Highland Preparatory School is a Pre-K through 12, coeducational, private, day school situated on a campus on...
,
Bishop Moore High SchoolBishop Moore Catholic High School is a Roman Catholic high school in the College Park neighborhood of Orlando, Florida. It remains the only Catholic high school in Greater Orlando. It is located in the Diocese of Orlando. The school was built in 1954 and was named after Bishop John Moore; he was...
Pine Castle Christian Academy and
Orlando Christian PrepOrlando Christian Prep is an independent, coeducational PK-12 Baptist day school located in Orlando, Florida. It is an extension of the work of Orlando Baptist Church...
.
State universities
- University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
- Florida A&M University College of Law
State colleges
- Valencia Community College
Valencia Community College is a multi-campus college located in Orlando, Florida in the United States, and is third-largest institution of the Florida College System....
- Seminole State College of Florida (Sanford
Sanford is a city in and the county seat of Seminole County, Florida, United States. The population was 38,291 at the 2000 census. As of 2006, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 49,124. An older agricultural and resort area, Sanford is home to the Delta Connection Academy,...
, OviedoOviedo is a city in Seminole County, Florida, United States. The population was 26,316 at the 2000 census. As of 2006, the population recorded by the U.S...
, and Altamonte SpringsAltamonte Springs is a city in Seminole county in the U.S. state of Florida. Located primarily in Seminole County, the city is a northern suburb of the Orlando–Kissimmee, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the United States Census Bureau estimated had a population of 2,032,496 in...
)
Private universities, colleges, and others
- Asbury Theological Seminary
Asbury Theological Seminary is a multi-denominational, graduate institution that offers a variety of master degree and postgraduate degree programs through the schools of Biblical Interpretation and Proclamation, Theology and Formation, Practical Theology, World Missions and Evangelism, and...
, Orlando Campus
- Columbia College
Columbia College may refer to one of several institutions of higher education in North America:In Canada* Columbia College , in Calgary* Columbia College , a two-year liberal arts institution in Vancouver...
, Orlando Campus
- DeVry University
DeVry University and DeVry Institute of Technology are divisions of DeVry, Inc. , a publicly held, for-profit higher education organization that is also the parent organization for Ross University, Apollo College, Western Career College, Chamberlain College of Nursing, Becker Professional Review,...
, Orlando campus
- Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law
The Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law is an ABA accredited law school located in Orlando, Florida. The school is an academic college of Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida. The school's mission is to educate students to become responsible lawyers, trained to assume an active role in the legal...
- Florida Institute of Technology
Florida Institute of Technology, also known as Florida Tech, is a private, independent technical university located in Melbourne, Florida...
, Orlando campus
- Florida Metropolitan University
Everest University, formerly Florida Metropolitan University is a system of for-profit universities with most of their campuses located in the state of Florida in the United States. The Everest University System also has campuses located throughout the United States and Canada, making it one of...
, Orlando campus
- Full Sail University (in Winter Park
Winter Park is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 24,090 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 28,083. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area...
)
- Herzing College
Herzing College is a private, for profit, career focused institution of higher education that awards diplomas, associate degrees and bachelor degrees in a variety of disciplines. It was founded by Henry and Suzanne Herzing in 1965 as a computer programming school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin...
(in Winter Park)
- Hindu University of America
The Hindu University of America is a U.S. non-profit educational institution based in Orlando, Florida. It provides masters and doctoral level degrees in Yoga, meditation, Hinduism and several other related fields.-External links:*...
- International Academy of Design & Technology-Orlando
The International Academy of Design and Technology in Orlando, which was founded in 1977, offers students the opportunity to obtain a Bachelor’s or Associate degree...
- Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University, commonly referred to as NSU or Nova, is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian, research university located in Broward County, Florida, with its' main campus in the town of Davie...
, Orlando campus
- Reformed Theological Seminary
Reformed Theological Seminary is a non-denominational, evangelical Protestant seminary dedicated to training current and future leaders to be pastors, missionaries, educators, and Christian counselors. It maintains a belief in the inerrancy of the Bible and follows the Reformed tradition,...
, Orlando campus
- Rollins College
Rollins College is a liberal arts college located in Winter Park, Florida, United States, a suburb of Orlando, Florida. Its current president is Lewis Duncan...
(in Winter Park)
- Strayer University
Strayer University, formerly Strayer College of Baltimore, Maryland, is a private, for-profit educational institution. The Strayer University campuses are owned by Strayer Education, Inc., headquartered in Arlington, Virginia....
, Orlando campus
- University of Florida
The University of Florida is a public land-grant, sea-grant, space-grant major research university located on a campus located in Gainesville, Florida, in the United States. The university traces its origins to 1853, and has continuously operated on its present Gainesville campus since the fall...
College of PharmacyThe University of Florida College of Pharmacy is an American pharmacy school founded in 1923 and located in Gainesville, Florida. The Doctor of Pharmacy program is fully accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education....
(in ApopkaApopka is a city located in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 26,969 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2006, the city grew to 53,563. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area...
)
- University of Phoenix
The University of Phoenix is a private for-profit institution of higher learning. As the university with the largest student body in North America, it has a current enrollment of 420,700 undergraduate students and 78,000 graduate, or 224,880 full-time equivalent students. The school was founded...
, Orlando campus
- Webster University
Webster University is an American private university in Webster Groves, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Webster University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools....
, Orlando Campus
Airports
- The Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport is a major international airport located six nautical miles southeast of the central business district of Orlando, a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is the busiest airport in the state of Florida....
(MCO) is Orlando's primary airport, currently the busiest airport in the State of Florida. The airport was ranked by passengers as the #1 airport in the nation according to J.D. Power & Associates. The airport features 2 terminals with radiating air-side terminals, flyers are transported via elevated trams. The airport also houses an on-site Hyatt Regency hotel.
- The Orlando Sanford International Airport
Orlando-Sanford International Airport is a public commercial air service airport in Sanford, Florida, near Orlando. It was originally constructed as a military installation known as Naval Air Station Sanford that was in operation as a Master Jet Base for carrier-based attack and reconnaissance...
(SFB) located in Sanford, FL (northern suburb) serves as a secondary airport, mainly for European discount carriers and charters.
- The Orlando Executive Airport
Orlando Executive Airport is a public-use airport located three nautical miles east of the central business district of Orlando, a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is owned by the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority...
located near Downtown Orlando serves primarily executive jets, flight training schools, and general small-aircraft aviation.
Major highways
- Interstate 4
Interstate 4 is a 132.30-mile intrastate Highway located entirely within the state of Florida, United States. It goes from Interstate 275 in Tampa, Florida to Interstate 95 at Daytona Beach, Florida...
is Orlando's primary interstate highway. Orlando is 2nd largest city serviced by one interstate, preceding Austin, TX and is the largest metropolitan area in the US serviced by a single interstate expressway as well. The interstate begins in Daytona BeachDaytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. According to 2006 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 64,421. Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the census bureau estimated had a...
and travels across the mid-section of the state directly through Orlando ending in TampaTampa is a Gulf Coast city in Hillsborough County, on the west coast of the state of Florida in the United States. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. The population of Tampa in 2000 was 303,447...
. As a key connector to Orlando's suburbs, downtown, area attractions, and both coasts; I-4 commonly experiences heavy traffic and congestion. I-4 is also known as State Road 400.
- East-West Expressway (Toll 408) is a major highway managed by the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority
The Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority is an expressway authority responsible for construction, maintenance and operation of toll roads in Orange County, Florida, United States, which includes the city of Orlando. It was founded in 1963 for the purpose of building the Bee Line Expressway,...
. The highway intersects with I-4 in Downtown OrlandoDowntown Orlando is the central business district of Orlando, Florida, United States; it is not in proximity to tourist areas, which are southwest of the city....
providing a key artery for residents commuting from eastern and western suburbs including the University of Central FloridaThe University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
area. The highway also intersects with the Central Florida Greeneway (Toll 417) and Florida's TurnpikeFlorida's Turnpike , which has carried the Ronald Reagan Turnpike legislative designation since 1998, is a north-south toll road that runs through 11 counties in the Florida peninsula, from U.S...
. In late 2006 the I-4/408 interchange finished undergoing a major overhaul that created multiple fly-over bridges and connectors to ease heavy traffic flows. In addition, lane expansions, new toll plazas, and sound barriers are being added throughout the highway.
- Beachline Expressway (Toll 528) provides key access to the Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport is a major international airport located six nautical miles southeast of the central business district of Orlando, a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is the busiest airport in the state of Florida....
and serves as a gateway to the Atlantic coast, specifically Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral.
- Central Florida Greeneway (Toll 417) is a key highway for East Orlando, the highway is also managed by the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority
The Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority is an expressway authority responsible for construction, maintenance and operation of toll roads in Orange County, Florida, United States, which includes the city of Orlando. It was founded in 1963 for the purpose of building the Bee Line Expressway,...
and serves as Orlando's eastern beltway. The highway intersects with the East-West Expressway (Toll 408), the Beachline Expressway (Toll 528), and begins and ends on Interstate 4. The highway is often praised for its green scenery and generally light traffic, however, recently the highway has seen a rapid rise in drivers during rush hours.
- Florida's Turnpike
Florida's Turnpike , which has carried the Ronald Reagan Turnpike legislative designation since 1998, is a north-south toll road that runs through 11 counties in the Florida peninsula, from U.S...
(Toll 91) is a major highway that connects northern Florida with Orlando and Miami. It is the gateway to Miami.
- Daniel Webster Western Beltway (Toll 429) serves as Orlando's western beltway. The highway serves as a new "back entrance" to Walt Disney World from Orlando's northwestern suburbs including Apopka.
Rush hours and traffic
According to a recent national study by the Texas Transportation Institute, the average Orlando resident spends about 54 hours per year waiting in traffic. Heavy traffic is unpredictable; however, rush hours (peak traffic hours) are usually weekday mornings (after 7am) and afternoons (after 4pm). There are various traffic advisory resources available for commuters including dialing
5-1-15-1-1, initially designated for road weather information, is a transportation and traffic information telephone hotline in some regions of the United States and Canada...
(a free automated traffic advisory system provided by the
Florida Department of TransportationThe Florida Department of Transportation is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the state of Florida. The department was formed in 1969. It absorbed the powers of the State Road Department and the Florida State Turnpike...
, available by cellphone or landline by dialing 511), visiting the Florida 511 Web site, listening to traffic reports on major radio stations, and reading electronic traffic advisory displays (also called Dynamic Message Signs, information is also provided by FDOT) on the major highways and roadways.
The Orlando Regional Traffic Management Center (or Orlando RTMC for short) serves as the central hub for traffic operations in the region. It monitors traffic conditions on
Interstate 4Interstate 4 is a 132.30-mile intrastate Highway located entirely within the state of Florida, United States. It goes from Interstate 275 in Tampa, Florida to Interstate 95 at Daytona Beach, Florida...
,
Interstate 95Interstate 95 is the main highway on the East Coast of the United States, paralleling the Atlantic Ocean from Maine to Florida and serving some of the most populated urban areas in the country, including Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Miami. It is one of the...
, The OOCEA Toll Roads, and other major surface streets throughout the DOT's District 5 and relays the information to motorists through the use of Dynamic Message Signs and the Florida 5-1-1 system.
There is also a free roadside assistance service on Interstate 4 provided by
LYNXLYNX is a bus system run by the Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority, serving the Orlando, Florida region. Bus routes are referred to as Links. Standard adult one-way fare is $2.00 with free single transfers valid for 90 minutes...
called I-4 Road Rangers. These road rangers patrol during the weekdays looking to help stranded motorists who are in need of tire changing, a tow, or gas. Road Rangers also assist in debris removal on highways and traffic diversion during vehicle crashes. These trucks are highly identifiable by the red and white paint scheme and their FDOT Seals. Recently,
State Farm InsuranceState Farm Insurance is a group of insurance and financial services companies. State Farm has remained the largest automobile insurer in the United States continuously since 1942 and insures more cars and homes in the United States than any other insurer....
company has taken over funding and sponsorship of the program. Each truck is also equipped with large light up message board on its roof, usually displaying an arrow or urgent message. The toll roads have a similar service provided through OOCEA which is funded on toll fares.
Florida's Turnpike Enterprise operates its own separate Road Ranger program. Road rangers from I-4 or the OOCEA Toll Road network will not respond to motorists on State Road 91 otherwise known as
Florida's TurnpikeFlorida's Turnpike , which has carried the Ronald Reagan Turnpike legislative designation since 1998, is a north-south toll road that runs through 11 counties in the Florida peninsula, from U.S...
.
Rail
The Orlando area is served by one through railroad,
CSX TransportationCSX Transportation is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the CSX Corporation and headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. It is one of the three Class I railroads serving most of the East Coast, the other two being the Norfolk Southern Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway...
's A line (formerly the
Atlantic Coast Line RailroadThe Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was an American railroad that existed between 1898 and July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, its long-time rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. The company was headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida...
's main line), and some spurs, mostly operated by the
Florida Central RailroadThe Florida Central Railroad is one of several short line railroads run by the Pinsly Railroad Company. Its only interchange point is with CSX in downtown Orlando, Florida; it has trackage rights from there south to Taft Yard...
.
AmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a blend of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union Station...
passenger service runs along the CSX A line. See also a map of these railroads.
The following major railroad stations have existed in Orlando:
- Amtrak Orlando station
The Orlando Amtrak station lies south of Downtown Orlando, about a mile south of the old stations at Church Street and Central Boulevard. It was built in 1926 by M. A. Griffith and W. T. Hadlow for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in the Spanish Mission style, and used by the Seaboard Coast Line...
(originally built by ACL to replace Church Street Station, the only one still in use)
- Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Orlando station
Church Street Station is a commercial development in downtown Orlando, Florida, spanning both sides of Church Street and both sides of CSX's A Line tracks, just east of I-4. At least one of the buildings was formerly used by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad for their Orlando station. Amtrak now...
(now Church Street Station, a tourist attraction)
- Seaboard Air Line Railroad Orlando station (Central Avenue Station)
Commuter rail
In 2005, Federal and state funding was granted for the establishment of
SunRailSunRail is a proposed commuter rail system in the Central Florida area. The proposal has been rejected by the Florida Legislature in 2008 and 2009 is currently under revision by supporters in hope of having it approved in 2010...
, a local commuter rail service, to operate on the CSX A line tracks between
DeLandDeLand is the county seat of Volusia County, Florida. In 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population to be 24,375. It is part of the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 436,575 in 2006...
and
PoincianaPoinciana is a census-designated place in Osceola and Polk counties in the U.S. state of Florida. It lies southwest of Kissimmee and about 14 miles east of Haines City. It is the largest unincorporated master-planned community in the United States...
, passing through the downtown area and surrounding urban neighborhoods along the way. The service was expected to substantially reduce traffic congestion along the I-4 corridor, especially between Downtown Orlando and the suburban communities in Seminole and Volusia Counties. The Federal and state funds would have covered approximately 80% of the estimated $400 million cost for track modifications and construction of stations along the route. The counties involved had approved local matching funds in 2007 and the line was projected to begin operations in 2011. However, the project was ultimately voted down by Florida State Senate in 2008 and again in 2009 due to an amendment that would have approved a $200 million insurance policy for the system. Although there has been growing concern the system may be scrapped, a deadline extension combined with a new insurance arrangement with CSX has brought new hope that SunRail will be completed after all.
Attempts to establish a smaller
light railLight rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
service for the Orlando area were also considered at one time, but were also met with much resistance and opposition.
High speed rail
Orlando is being considered as a major hub for the proposed
Florida High Speed RailFlorida High Speed Rail is a proposed high-speed rail network in Florida.-Original referendum:The system was originally authorized by a 2000 referendum of Florida voters but repealed by 64% of Florida voters in a 2004 referendum...
system, which was mandated by state referendum in 2000 – but repealed in 2004. Nonetheless, the Florida High Speed Rail Authority continues to meet and communicate with the
Governor of Florida.
Regional
Orlando is served by
LYNXLYNX is a bus system run by the Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority, serving the Orlando, Florida region. Bus routes are referred to as Links. Standard adult one-way fare is $2.00 with free single transfers valid for 90 minutes...
; it provides local transit service covering a five-county area:
OrangeOrange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2007 Census Bureau estimates, the population was 1,066,113. The county seat is Orlando....
,
SeminoleSeminole County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and part of the Orlando-Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area . It is located in the central part of Florida between Orlando to the south and DeLand/Daytona Beach to the north. As of 2000, the population was 365,196. The U.S....
,
OsceolaOsceola County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 172,493. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 244,045 , making it the 17th fastest-growing county in the United States. Its county seat is Kissimmee.- History :Osceola County was...
,
LakeLake County is a county located in the state of Florida, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the population was 210,528. The Census Bureau estimated the population in 2008 to be 307,243. Its county seat is Tavares, Florida...
, and
VolusiaVolusia County is a county located in the state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county was 496,575 . Although Daytona Beach is Volusia County's best-known city, its county seat is DeLand, and its most populous city is currently Deltona.Volusia County is the sole county of...
. Bus route schedules and maps can be found at
LYNX Official Website.
National
Additionally,
Greyhound LinesGreyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, USA, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States and Canada, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and incorporated...
offers intercity bus service from Orlando to multiple locations across the country. The Orlando Greyhound Station is located west of Downtown Orlando.
Sister cities
Orlando has nine International Sister Cities as listed by the City of Orlando Office of International Affairs.
http://www.cityoforlando.net/international/sistercities.htm
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! style="background: #FFFFFF; color: #000000" ! | ESP>
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. [The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
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Valladolid ||-||} is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, upon the Pisuerga River and within the Ribera del Duero wine-making region. It is the capital of the province of Valladolid and of the autonomous community of Castile and Leon.- Etymology :...
! style="background: #FFFFFF; color: #000000" ! | Castile and León |
Castile and León Castile and León , known formally as the Community of Castile and León, is one of the 17 autonomous communities of Spain. It was constructed from Old Castile and León in 1983...
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! style="background: #FFFFFF; color: #000000" ! | BRA>
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
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CuritibaCuritiba is the capital city of the Brazilian state of Paraná. The city has the largest population and also the largest economy in Southern Brazil...
! style="background: #FFFFFF; color: #000000" ! | Paraná |
ParanáParaná is one of the states of Brazil, located in the South of the country, bordered on the north by São Paulo state, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Santa Catarina state and the Misiones Province of Argentina, and on the west by Mato Grosso do Sul and the republic of Paraguay,...
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People's Republic of ChinaThe People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the most populous in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately one-fifth of the world's population...
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GuilinGuilin is a prefecture-level city in China, situated in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on the west bank of the Li River. Its name means "forest of Sweet Osmanthus", owing to the large number of fragrant Sweet Osmanthus trees located in the city...
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GuangxiThis article is about a region of China. For the sociological concept, see Guānxi.Guangxi is a Zhuang autonomous region of the People's Republic of China....
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RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
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OrenburgOrenburg is a city on the Ural River and the administrative center of Orenburg Oblast in the Volga Federal District of Russia. It lies 1,478 km southeast of Moscow, very close to the border with Kazakhstan. Population: 542,700 ; 549,361 . Highest point: 154.4 m. International dialing...
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OrenburgOrenburg Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Orenburg.-Time zone:Orenburg Oblast is located in the Yekaterinburg Time Zone...
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! style="background: #FFFFFF; color: #000000" ! | ISL>
IcelandThe Republic of Iceland is a European island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km². Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík, whose surrounding area is home to approximately two thirds of the national population...
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Reykjanesbær Reykjanesbær is a municipality on the Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland, it is made up of the towns Keflavík, Njarðvík and Hafnir. The municipality was created in 1995 when the inhabitants of the three towns voted to merge them into one....
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SouthwestIceland is divided into 6 constituencies for the purpose of selecting representatives to the Alþingi . The current division was established by a 1999 constitution amendment and was an attempt to balance the weight of different districts of the country whereby voters in the rural districts have...
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! style="background: #FFFFFF; color: #000000" ! | FRA>
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
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Marne-la-Vallée Marne-la-Vallée is a new town located near Paris, France.Disneyland Resort Paris and Val d'Europe are located in Marne-la-Vallée.-Status:Marne-la-Vallée has been gradually built up since the first plans in 1965 and now covers an area of over 15,000 hectares and includes 26 communes, in the...
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Seine-et-Marne Seine-et-Marne is a French department, named after the Seine and Marne rivers, and located in the Île-de-France region.- History:Seine-et-Marne is one of the original 83 departments, created on March 4, 1790 during the French Revolution in application of the law of December 22, 1789...
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TaiwanThe Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, is a state in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition and jurisdiction over China into a democratic state with limited international recognition and jurisdiction only over Taiwan and minor islands, though it...
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Tainan CityTainan City is the fourth largest city in Taiwan after Taipei, Kaohsiung, and Taichung. By the end of 2010 the city and the adjacent Tainan County will merge to form a single municipality....
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! style="background: #FFFFFF; color: #000000" ! | JPN>
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
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Urayasu is a city located in western Chiba, Japan, on the border with Tokyo. It is best known as the home of the Tokyo Disney Resort and the headquarters of The Oriental Land Company....
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Chibais a prefecture of Japan located in the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
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! style="background: #FFFFFF; color: #000000" ! | MEX>
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
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MonterreyMonterrey Monterrey Monterrey (also known as "Sultana del Norte" (Sultan of the North), is the capital city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León It has the third largest metropolitan area in Mexico, after Mexico City and Guadalajara. In 2005, the city...
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Nuevo LeonNuevo León is a state located in northeastern Mexico. It borders the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east and San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León accounts for a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
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! style="background: #FFFFFF; color: #000000" ! | Palestine>
Palestine Palestine is a conventional name used, among others, to describe a geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands.As a geographical term, Palestine can also refer to 'ancient Palestine,' an area...
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Bethlehem Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank, approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
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West BankThe West Bank is a landlocked territory and is the eastern part of the Palestinian territories; on the west bank of the River Jordan in the Middle East. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel, which maintains the security of this area. To the east,...
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Marne La Vallée, Anaheim, and Urayasu are connected to Orlando as homes of other Disney theme parks (
Disneyland Resort ParisDisneyland Paris is a holiday and recreation resort in Marne-la-Vallée, a new town in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. The complex is located from the centre of Paris and lies for the most part on the territory of the commune of Chessy....
,
Disneyland ResortThe Disneyland Resort is a recreational resort complex, that opened in 1955, in Anaheim, California. The resort is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks and Resorts division and is home to two theme parks, three hotels and a shopping, dining, and entertainment area.Known...
, and
Tokyo Disneylandis a 115 acre theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, near Tokyo. It was the first Disney park to be built outside of the United States and was opened on April 15, 1983. The park was constructed by Walt Disney Imagineering in the same style as Disneyland in...
, respectively).
Foreign consulates
Given Orlando's status as a busy international tourist destination,
MexicoThis is a list of diplomatic missions of Mexico, excluding honorary consulates. Mexico's foreign service started in 1822, the year after the signing of the Treaty of Cordoba which marked the beginning of Mexico's independence...
and the United Kingdom opened consulates in Orlando.
See also
External links