State Animal: The endangered Florida panther, a cousin of the mountain lion.
State art museum: The John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art, on the estate of the late circus magnate in Sarasota.
State beverage: Orange juice. More than 90 percent of the state's oranges wind up in juice.
State bird: The mockingbird, a gray songbird that stays in Florida year-round and mimics the call of other birds.
State flag: The seal sits in the middle of diagonal red bars. The first flag is believed to have born the legend: "Let Us Alone."
State flower: The orange blossom.
State gem: The moonstone, in honor of the second moon landing, which originated from Cape Canaveral. The pearl-colored, translucent feldspar cannot be found in Florida.
Marine Mammal: The endangered manatee, or sea cow, a distant relative to the elephant.
Saltwater mammal: The dolphin, which performs for, and swims with tourists at various Florida attractions.
Nickname: The Sunshine State
Reptile: The alligator. Once endangered, it can now be hunted legally.
Seal: An indian woman strews flowers in front of a Sanibal palm. A steamer sails in the background and the sun's rays spread across the sky. The mountains were eliminated long ago.
State song: "Old Folks at Home". Legend has it that composer Stephen Foster shortened the Suwannee River to Swanee because a two-syllable name fit better.
Source: The Florida Almanac
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