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Polk County, Florida
Map
Map of Florida highlighting Polk County
Location in the state of Florida
Map of the U.S. highlighting Florida
Florida's location in the U.S.
Statistics
Founded 8 February 1861
Seat Bartow
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water
2,010 sq mi (5,206 km²)
1,874 sq mi (4,854 km²)
136 sq mi (352 km²), 6. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 421 - Constantius III becomes co- Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common A county seat is a term for an Administrative center for a County, primarily used in the United States. Bartow is a city located in the US State of Florida in Central Florida east of the Tampa Bay area Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 75%
Population
 - (2006)
 - Density
561,606
259/sq mi (100/km²)
Website: www.polk-county.net

Polk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title) is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume A county is a Land area of Regional Government within a larger State. A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the As of 2000, the population was 483,924. The U. S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 561,606. [1] The county seat is Bartow, Florida[1]. A county seat is a term for an Administrative center for a County, primarily used in the United States. Bartow is a city located in the US State of Florida in Central Florida east of the Tampa Bay area Its largest city is Lakeland, Florida. Lakeland is a City in Polk County Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and The center of population of Florida is located in the town of Lake Wales. In Demographics, the center of population of a region is the geographical point nearest to all the inhabitants of that region on average Lake Wales is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 10194 at the 2000 census [2]

Contents

History

Polk County became Florida's 39th county on February 8, 1861, when the State of Florida divided Hillsborough County into eastern and western halves. The eastern half was named Polk, in honor of the 11th President of the United States, James Knox Polk. James Knox Polk ( November 2 1795&ndashJune 15 1849 was the eleventh President of the United States, serving from March 4 1845 to March 4 1849 Though not necessarily the reason for Polk County's name, Polk was sworn in as president on the day after Florida's statehood (March 3, 1845). Events 1284 - Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England 1575 - Indian Year 1845 ( MDCCCXLV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

Following the Civil War, the county commission established the county seat on 120 acres donated in the central part of the county. Bartow, the county seat, was named after Francis S. Bartow, a confederate Colonel from Georgia who was the first confederate officer to die in battle during the first battle of the Civil War. Col. Bartow was buried in Savannah, GA with military honors, and promoted posthumously to the rank of brigadier general. Fort Blount , as Bartow was then known, in a move to honor one of the first fallen heroes of the Confederacy, was one of several towns and counties in the South that changed their name to Bartow. The first courthouse built in Bartow was constructed in 1867. It was replaced twice, in 1884 and in 1908. As the third courthouse to stand on the site, the present structure houses the Polk County Historical Museum and Genealogical Library.

Economy

Polk County's economy has been historically based on three primary industries: citrus, cattle, and phosphate mining.

The discovery of phosphate rock in the Peace River, near Fort Meade, Florida in 1881, initiated the mining of the world's largest deposit of phosphate rock, known as the Bone Valley Deposit. A phosphate, an Inorganic chemical, is a salt of Phosphoric acid. The Bone Valley is a region of central Florida, encompassing portions of present-day Hardee, Hillsborough, Manatee, and Polk counties This deposit, which encompasses approximately 500,000 acres (2000 km²) in Polk, Hillsborough, Hardee, and Manatee Counties, provides approximately 75% of the nation's phosphate supply and about 25% of the world supply. Approximately 200,000 acres (800 km²) or 15. 3% of Polk County have been mined for phosphate rock. Polk continued to lead the state in 1998, with 14. 7 million tons of phosphate rock mined. However, four straight years of low prices and weak demand for phosphate fertilizer led to a loss in sales in 2002. The industry's impact on the Polk County economy will continue to decline in the 21st Century as phosphate mining moves south into Hardee and Desoto Counties.

Chemical manufacturing plants located in Polk County are used to convert the insoluble phosphate rock into soluble products, such as diammonium phosphate and monoammonium phosphate, which are used in fertilizers and other products. Diammonium phosphate (DAP (chemical formula (NH42HPO4) is one of a series of Water - Soluble Ammonium phosphate Ammonium phosphate - Molecular Mass = 14912g/mol The normal Ammonium Phosphate, (NH43PO4 is obtained as a crystalline powder There are numerous, other industries located in Polk County which support and rely on the phosphate mining industry. In October 2004, IMC Global, Inc. and Cargill Crop Nutrition merged into the Mosaic Co. Cargill Incorporated is a privately held, Multinational corporation, and is based in the state of Minnesota in the United States. This merger created the world's second largest fertilizer manufacturer with annual sales estimated at $4. 5 billion. Mosaic employs more than 3,000 workers in Polk County at five active mines, Four Corners, Fort Green, Kingsford, South Fort Meade and Hookers Prairie; and two fertilizer plants, Ridgewood and New Wales (reputed to be the largest fertilizer plant in the world).

Polk County has the 2nd largest amount of farmland in the state with an estimated 626,634 acres (2536 km²) in 2002. Polk remains the sixth most productive agricultural county in Florida . The $878 million citrus industry employs approximately 8,000 people in Polk County . Citrus is a common term and Genus of Flowering plants in the family Rutaceae, originating in tropical and subtropical southeast regions of Polk ranked first in the state for total citrus picked for the 2003-04 season with an estimated total of 42. 2 million boxes harvested. Polk also ranked first in the state in the amount of commercial citrus groves with approximately 95,050 acres (385 km²), 2004 estimate. In addition to citrus, Polk was ranked third in the state in 2004, in number of beef cattle with an estimated 105,000 head of beef and dairy cattle, according to the Florida Agricultural Statistics Service. Total receipts from the sale of crops and livestock in Polk County rose to $284. 8 million in 2002 based upon a report released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis at the U. S. Department of Commerce.

Tourism is a strong economic force in Polk County and dates back to the dedication of Bok Tower Gardens in 1929 by President Calvin Coolidge. Bok Tower Gardens (250 acres 1 square kilometer is the popular name for a site containing Botanical gardens a Carillon tower and several other facilities located In the mid-1930s, the late Dick Pope, Sr. established the world famous Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven , Florida's first theme attraction. Cypress Gardens is a theme park near Winter Haven Florida in the United States. (Polk County is also home of a roadside attraction: Spook Hill. Spook Hill is a Gravity hill (an Optical illusion where cars appear to roll uphill in Lake Wales Florida. ) Today, millions of people visit Polk County each year to enjoy these two attractions as well as Fantasy of Flight, the Sun ‘N Fun Fly-In, and many more. Fantasy of Flight is an Aviation -related attraction in Polk City, Florida, USA that takes visitors back to the pioneering days of early flight Sun 'n Fun is a " Fly-in " and Airshow held annually at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida, usually Polk County is also located within a one hour drive of the Walt Disney World resort area, Universal Studios, SeaWorld, and Busch Gardens. Walt Disney World Resort is the most visited and largest recreational resort in the world containing four Theme parks two Water parks twenty-three themed hotels Universal Orlando Resort is a Theme park Resort in Orlando Florida. SeaWorld Orlando is a Theme park near Orlando Florida. It is owned and operated by Busch Entertainment Corporation, a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch Busch Gardens Africa (also known as Busch Gardens Tampa Bay) is a 335 acre 19th century African-themed park located in Tampa Florida. In addition to these attractions, Polk is the spring training headquarters for the Detroit Tigers (Lakeland). The Detroit Tigers are a professional baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan, USA The county had an estimated total of 11,500 hotel, motel, rental condominium units and vacation rentals in 2004.

In recent years, Polk County has gained notoriety as a preferred venue for recreational and competitive sports on all levels. In 2001, the county hosted 140 sporting events that pumped in excess of $84 million into the local economy. This is in addition to $72 million generated by the Spring Training operation of the Detroit Tigers. Polk County Sports Marketing, the sports marketing arm of the Board of County Commissioners, was honored as Florida's “Sports Commission of the Year” by the Florida Sports Foundation for its success in promoting the county as a sports destination.

Today, phosphate mining, agriculture and tourism still play vital roles in the local economy. However, the county has successfully expanded and diversified its economic base in recent years. The primary mission of the Central Florida Development Council (CFDC) since its formation in 1985 by the Board of County Commissioners, has been to improve the standard of living for the citizens of Polk County by diversifying the economy through job creation in all industries. The CFDC has successfully worked with other industries to help them expand and relocate to Polk County . Polk County's central location within the large Florida marketplace has attracted numerous manufacturers and distribution centers in recent years.

Construction is a pillar of economic strength for Polk County with a record of 5,900 total permits issued for single family homes in 2004. This is an increase of approximately 68. 7% over a total of 3,498 building permits issued in 2003 for single family homes. The total number of homes sold in 2004, was 5,300, an increase of 7. 8% over a total of 4,918 homes sold in 2001.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,010 square miles (5,206 km²), of which, 1,874 square miles (4,855 km²) of it is land and 136 square miles (351 km²) of it is water. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title) is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The total area is 6. 75% water.

Polk County is the sole county in the Lakeland Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Lakeland Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area is a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA consisting of Polk County in the state of Florida in the

Adjacent counties

Nickname

In 1914, the county issued a $1. Lake County is a County located in the state of Florida, United States. Orange County is a County located in the US state of Florida and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA. Osceola County is a County located in the US state of Florida. Okeechobee County is a County located in the state of Florida. Highlands County is a County located in the US state of Florida. Hardee County is a County located in the US state of Florida. Manatee County is a County in the state of Florida. As of 2000 the population was 264002 Hillsborough County is a County located in the US state of Florida. Sumter County is a County located in the state of Florida, United States. Pasco County is a County located in the US state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 344765 5 million bond to pave a number of roads. That bond issue was considerable for those days, and allowed for 9-foot-wide roads to start from Bartow to Mulberry, Lake Wales, Fort Meade, Winter Haven, Lakeland and Auburndale. According to historical reports, then-county commission clerk W. S. Wev had the idea of erecting an arch over every paved road at its entrance to Polk County, proclaiming that the motorist was about to enter "Imperial Polk County. " The name has since remained.

Demographics

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 483,924 people, 187,233 households, and 132,373 families residing in the county. A census is the procedure of acquiring information about every member of a given population The population density was 258 people per square mile (100/km²). Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume There were 226,376 housing units at an average density of 121 per square mile (47/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 79. 58% White, 13. 54% Black or African American, 0. 38% Native American, 0. 93% Asian, 0. 04% Pacific Islander, 3. 82% from other races, and 1. 71% from two or more races. 9. 49% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 187,233 households, of which 29. 00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54. 40% were married couples living together, 12. NOTICE TO WOULD-BE ROMEOS ************** 00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29. 30% were non-families. 24. 10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11. 10% have someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2. 52 and the average family size was 2. 96.

In the county the population was spread out, with 24. 40% under the age of 18, 8. 30% from 18 to 24, 26. 40% from 25 to 44, 22. 50% from 45 to 64, and 18. 30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 96. 30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93. 10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,036, and the median income for a family was $41,442. Males had a median income of $31,396, versus $22,406 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,302. Per capita income means how much each individual receives in monetary terms of the yearly income generated in the country 12. 90% of the population and 9. 40% of families were below the poverty line. The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of Income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate Standard of living in a given country Out of the total population, 19. 10% were under the age of 18 and 8. 10% were 65 or older.

As of July 1, 2005, the U. S. Census Bureau estimated the county had 542,912 residents, making it the ninth most populous county in Florida.

Politics

For most of its history, Polk County, like most other southern counties, was dominated nominally by the Democratic Party a result of the Civil War and Reconstruction. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. The party's dominance in presidential races began to decline during the 1950s, although Polk County continued to vote reliably for Conservative Democrats in state and local races. In American politics, a conservative Democrat is a Democratic Party member with conservative political views Often, there would be no Republican Party candidate for local office, which under then current Florida law, meant the race was decided by Democrats in their primary.

What in fact existed was a non-partisan Florida political culture, best described by V. O. Key, Jr. , in the classic, "Southern Politics," (Knopf, 1950) as "every man for himself. " Coalitions gravitated around special economic interests. Polk County's role was magnified by the presence of two big-money industries, phosphate and citrus. Park Trammell, Spessard Holland, and Lawton Chiles each served in the legislature, as governor, as a U. S. senator. The county's political style, when not satisfying local industry, was small-town economic populist: building roads, schools, and parks, but wary of social liberalism.

A watershed moment in Polk County politics came with the election of Andy Ireland to Congress. Andrew Poysell (Andy Ireland (born August 23, 1930) was a US Representative from Florida Ireland was the first modern Polk politician without local roots, an outsider culturally and personally from a wealthy Ohio family and with an upper-class education at Andover and Yale. He moved to Winter Haven as a bank executive. His election reflected the growing factor of in-migrants, who were slowly weakening the deeply rooted local populist traditions. It was Ireland who set off a wave of party switching by moving from the Democratic party to the Republican party in 1984, taking career advantage of Ronald Reagan's popularity and grassroots distrust of national Democrats as the perceived party of racial integration and sexual license. Within a few years, there was a rapid switch of parties, both by many prominent political figures in the county and by the white public at large. By the early 1990s, Polk County had become one of the most reliably Republican counties in state. Native son Lawton Chiles continued to win U. S. Senate races from 1970 to 1982, and in the 90s was elected governor twice ironically without Polk's support.

Presidential elections results
Year Republican Democratic Other
2004 58. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. See also Third party (United States presidential candidates 2008 The term third party is used in the United States for a political party other than one The United States presidential election of 2004 was held on Tuesday November 2, 2004, to elect the President of the United States. 6% 40. 8% 0. 6%
2000 53. The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Democratic candidate Al Gore, then Vice President, and Republican 6% 44. 6% 1. 8%
1996 45. The United States presidential election of 1996 was a contest between the Democratic national ticket of President Bill Clinton of Arkansas and Vice 3% 44. 4% 10. 3%
1992 45. The United States presidential elections of 1992 featured a battle between incumbent President, Republican George H 2% 35. 3% 19. 5%
1988 66. -->The United States presidential election of 1988 featured an open primary for both major parties 4% 33. 0% 0. 6%

Intelligent Design Controversy

In November 2007, four Polk County School Board members interviewed by The Ledger daily newspaper said they would support a resolution advising the Florida Board of Education to revise proposed science standards to include alternative theories to evolution. The Ledger is a daily Newspaper serving Lakeland Florida and the Polk County area eVolution is the third Album by eLDee, it was due to be released in 2008 [3] Responses from the Flying Spaghetti Monster group, anti-creationist Wesley R. Elsberry, and others in the scientific community made the board retract their statements. The Flying Spaghetti Monster (also known as the FSM) is the Deity of a Dr Wesley Royce Elsberry (born January 23, 1960) is a marine biologist with an interdisciplinary background in Zoology, Computer [4]

Municipalities

Incorporated

  1. City of Auburndale
  2. City of Bartow
  3. City of Davenport
  4. Town of Dundee
  5. City of Eagle Lake
  6. City of Fort Meade
  7. City of Frostproof
  8. City of Haines City
  9. Village of Highland Park
  10. Town of Hillcrest Heights
  11. City of Lake Alfred
  12. Town of Lake Hamilton
  13. City of Lakeland
  14. City of Lake Wales
  15. City of Mulberry
  16. Town of Polk City
  17. City of Winter Haven

Unincorporated

External links

Government links/Constitutional offices

Special districts

Judicial branch

Miscellaneous

References

  1. ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes
  2. ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title) is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes

Coordinates: 27°58′N 81°42′W / 27.96, -81.70

A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system.
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