Jacksonville FL

Jacksonville is a city in the northeast part of Florida in the Southeastern region of the United States.http://www.travelmath.com/city/Jacksonville,+FL It is the most populous city in Florida and is the largest city by area in the continental United States.http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2008-01.csvhttp://www.census.gov/statab/ccdb/cit1010r.txt It is also the seat of Duval County, and in 1968 the county government merged with the city government of Jacksonville to provide consolidated services for residents.http://jaxhistory.com/journal11.html

Jacksonville has the largest urban park system in the United States.http://www.coj.net/About+Jacksonville/Quick+Facts.htm There are four seaports in Jacksonville, including a port for cruise ships.http://www.coj.net/About+Jacksonville/Quick+Facts.htm 9.4 percent of all businesses in Jacksonville are in the transportation or warehousing sectors, taking advantage of the city’s ports, interstates, three railways and international airport. http://www.coj.net/Departments/Jacksonville+Economic+Development+Commission/Business+Development/Jacksonville+Business+Overview/Targeted+Industries.htm More than 10 percent of workers in Jacksonville are employed in the financial or insurance sectors.http://www.coj.net/Departments/Jacksonville+Economic+Development+Commission/Business+Development/Jacksonville+Business+Overview/Targeted+Industries.htm Leading employers include Blue Cross Insurance, CSX, Citibank and Bank of America.http://www.coj.net/Departments/Jacksonville+Economic+Development+Commission/Business+Development/Jacksonville+Business+Overview/Targeted+Industries.htm

Jacksonville was originally inhabited by the Timuca tribe of Native Americans.http://www.nps.gov/timu/historyculture/timucua.htm In 1564, France established the colony of La Caroline, the country's first permanent settlement in North America.http://www.nps.gov/timu/historyculture/foca_foothold.htm The city was also under the control of England and Spain before Florida was acquired from Spain by the United States in 1821.http://www.jaxhistory.com/Jacksonville%20Story/Main%20Page%20French,%20Spanish,%20and%20British.htm The town is named after President Andrew Jackson, who was the first military governor of the Florida Territory.http://www.coj.net/About+Jacksonville/More+Jax+Facts.htm

Jacksonville is located at latitude 30° 20'N and longitude 81° 40'W and takes up 841 square miles.http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=411http://www.coj.net/About+Jacksonville/Geography+and+Demography.htm It is roughly 125 north of Orlando and 287 miles southeast of Atlanta.http://www.travelmath.com/cities-near/Jacksonville,+FL The city sits on both sides of the St. Johns River, which reaches the Atlantic Ocean about 20 miles from downtown Jacksonville.http://www.coj.net/About+Jacksonville/Geography+and+Demography.htm The climate is subtropical, although it is cooler than the southern part of Florida. http://www.coj.net/About+Jacksonville/Jacksonvilles+Climate.htm High temperatures average 92F in July while low temperatures dip to 38F in January.http://www.coj.net/About+Jacksonville/Jacksonvilles+Climate.htm Jacksonville receives 51.3 inches of precipitation annually, with the largest amounts coming from July through September.http://www.coj.net/About+Jacksonville/Jacksonvilles+Climate.htm

• Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens: More than 1,400 animal species and 1,000 varieties of plants are on display at this 93-acre complex. Featured attractions include stingrays, sharks and penguins. http://www.visitjacksonville.com/listings/index.cfm?action=display&listingID=2527&hit=1
• Jacksonville Landing: The large, outdoor mall hosts concerts, holiday tree lightings and other special events along with being a destination for shopping, dining and nightlife.http://www.jacksonvillelanding.com/about
• Museum of Science & History: The most visited museum in Jacksonville, the Museum of Science & History has interactive and multimedia displays exploring the region’s history and different areas of scientific study.http://www.coj.net/About+Jacksonville/Museums.htm
• Cummer Museum of Art: The museum has more than 5,500 objects in its permanent collection. Exhibition pieces range from 2100 B.C. to works of modern art.http://www.coj.net/About+Jacksonville/Museums.htm
• Everbank Field: The 73,000-seat stadium is home to the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, the Gator Bowl and was the host site of Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005.

• Pat Boone: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004769/
• Elizabeth Edwards: Author and attorneyhttp://www.news4jax.com/news/26059540/detail.html
• Ashley Greene: Actresshttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm2230865/
• Tim Tebow: Former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterbackhttp://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=183484
• Ronnie Van Zant: Lead singer, Lynyrd Skynyrdhttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0888353/