Florida Guide > Miscellaneous
A Florida Quiz
I am sure you love Florida as much as we do, and especially the Orlando area with its wonderful theme parks, and fantastic shopping, not to mention the restaurants.
But how much do you actually know about Florida? Take this quiz and find out:
1. What does the word Florida mean?
2. What is the national fruit?
3. What is the state wildflower?
4. What is the state palm?
5. What is the state bird?
6. What is the state reptile?
7. What is the state marine mammal?
8. What is the state butterfly
9. What is the state saltwater marine mammal?
10. What is the state freshwater fish?
11. What is the state saltwater fish?
12. What is the state shell?
13. What is the state animal?
14. What is the state pie?
15. What is the state gem?
16. What is the state beverage?
17. What is the state flower?
18. What is the State capital?
19. What is Florida’s largest city?
20. What is the state motto?
Did you find it easy or difficult? Well here are the answers:
1. The word ‘Florida’ is actually Spanish for ‘flower’
2. Now I am sure you will all get this one – the state fruit is, of course, the orange – how could it be anything else? If you take a trip into the countryside around Orlando you will still see beautiful orange groves.
3. The state wildflower is the coreopsis, or ‘tickseed’, a bright yellow flower with tooth-tipped petals – look out for it along the highways.
4. The state palm is the Sabal palm, which tolerates salt spray and cold temperatures, so is ideal for coastal areas.
5. The state bird is the Mockingbird – made famous in the Harper Lee autobiographical novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.’
6. The state reptile is, of course, the American Alligator. This wonderful creature has had a bad reputation, but in reality it rarely attacks humans – and it is humans feeding them that causes the problem. So the answer is ‘don’t feed them!’
7. Now one of my favourite creatures is the West Indian Manatee, which is the state marine mammal. Docile and gentle, this endangered creature has suffered much from accidents with recreational craft. But it is winning back, and numbers are gradually increasing.
8. A difficult one this, the state butterfly is actually the Zebra Longwing Butterfly. With its striking striped wings it is easy to identify.
9. The state saltwater marine mammal is the porpoise. Sometimes mistaken for the dolphin, it has a blunter nose than its relative.
10. The freshwater fish is the Largemouth Bass, a member of the starfish family, and not technically a bass at all.
11. The state saltwater fish is the Atlantic Sailfish, which is a huge long fish with a sword-like upper jaw. If you go fishing in the Gulf you might be lucky and catch one.
12. If you have ever been down to the Keys you will know the answer to this one - the state shell is the Horse Conch. A popular seafood in the Keys, there is even a little train named after it, the Conch Train which winds its way through the narrow and delightful streets of Key West.
13. Did you know that panthers still exist in Florida? You are unlikely to see this, the state animal, as they are another endangered species, and are becoming more and more rare.
14. Anyone who has visited Key West will know the answer to this question. The state pie, as of July 2006 is the Key Lime Pie. Made with condensed milk, eggs, sugar and lime juice, this dessert is very similar in appearance to the lemon meringue pie. It’s delicious, too.
15. The moonstone, that luminous, shimmering gem is the state gem. Sometimes called a ‘lover’s stone’ it is a mysterious stone.
16. I think everyone will get this one right – its orange juice of course, and there is nothing to beat real Florida orange juice, made from freshly squeezed oranges.
17. Linked to the state beverage and the state fruit, the national flower is, of course, the orange blossom. Delicate and with a heady perfume, this delicate bloom can be found wherever there are orange groves.
18. The state capital is Tallahassee, in Leon County, and has a population of around 125,000.
19. So what is Florida’s largest city? It’s not Orlando, or even Miami – which is actually the largest metropolitan area. It is, in fact, Jacksonville, on the north east coast. You may well fly over it on your way to Orlando.
20. And finally, the state motto is ‘In God We Trust.’
I hope you enjoyed this quiz, and that you have learned a little about this wonderful state, which abounds with flora and fauna.
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