City of Tampa
Flag
Nickname: "Cigar City", "The Big Guava"
Location in Hillsborough County and the state of Florida
Coordinates: 27°56′50″N 82°27′31″W / 27.94722, -82.45861
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	Hillsborough
Government
- Mayor	Pam Iorio (D)
Area
- City	170. A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. Hillsborough County is a County located in the US state of Florida. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The political units and divisions of the United States include The 50 states (four of these being officially styled as Commonwealths) which are typically Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the ImageFlorida counties mappng|thumb|right|400px|Florida counties (clickable map poly 42 38 86 40 79 44 74 47 71 55 69 69 74 72 76 87 77 90 87 97 87 102 87 108 78 111 77 115 80 117 Hillsborough County is a County located in the US state of Florida. A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government Family Iorio has been married to Mark Woodard assistant county administrator for Pinellas County, since 1987 (she did not take her husband's last name and they have The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status 6 sq mi (441. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 9 km²)
- Land	112. To help compare different Orders of magnitude and geographical regions we list here areas between 100 km² and 1000 km² 1 sq mi (290. 3 km²)
- Water	58. 5 sq mi (151. 6 km²)
Elevation	48 ft (14. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit 6 m)
Population (2008)
- City	342,888
- Density	2,969. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 6/sq mi (1,146. 7/km²)
- Urban	2. 7 million
- Metro	4 million
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Area code(s)	813
FIPS code	12-71000[1]
GNIS feature ID	0292005[2]
Website: City of Tampa official website

Tampa is a United States city in Hillsborough County, on the west coast of Florida. A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central The Eastern Time Zone ( ET) of the Western Hemisphere falls mostly along the east coast of North America and the west coast of South America UTC−5 is the Time offset used in the North American Eastern Time Zone during Standard time and in the North American Central Time Zone during Daylight saving time ( DST The Eastern Time Zone ( ET) of the Western Hemisphere falls mostly along the east coast of North America and the west coast of South America UTC−4 is the Time offset used in the Atlantic Standard Time Zone in Canada in winter and the North American Eastern Time Zone during A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating Telephone number ranges to countries regions areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks Area code 813 is the Telephone numbering plan code for the city of Tampa Florida and surrounding areas such as Zephyrhills and Oldsmar. Federal Information Processing Standards ( FIPS) are publicly announced standards developed by the United States Federal government for use by all non-military The Geographic Names Information System ( GNIS) is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Hillsborough County is a County located in the US state of Florida. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. A county seat is a term for an Administrative center for a County, primarily used in the United States. ^[3]. The population of Tampa in 2000 was 303,447. According to the 2008 Census estimate, the city has a population of 332,888 ^[4]. The United States Census is a decennial Census mandated by the United States Constitution.

Tampa is a part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metropolitan area, most commonly referred to as the "Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA. The Tampa Bay Area, or Tampa Bay, after the body of water it surrounds is the second most populated metropolitan region in the state of Florida, the The Tampa Bay Area, or Tampa Bay, after the body of water it surrounds is the second most populated metropolitan region in the state of Florida, the " The four-county area is composed of roughly 4 million residents, making it the second largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the state, and the third largest in the Southeastern United States behind Miami and Atlanta. Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas|Table of United States Core Based Statistical AreasIn the United States, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB has produced The 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 The Tampa Bay Partnership and U. S. Census data showed an average annual growth of 2. 47 percent, or a gain of approximately 97,000 residents per year. Between 2000 and 2006, the Greater Tampa Bay Market has experienced a combined growth rate of 14. 8 percent, growing from 3. 4 million to 3. 9 million and hitting the 4 million people mark on April 1, 2007. ^[5] The Tampa Bay Designated Market Area(DMA) is the second largest media market in the state of Florida and the thirteenth largest DMA Market in the United States which includes the Greater Tampa Bay Metro market and also inland surrounding counties. A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area, DMA or simply market is a region where the Population

In 2008 Tampa was ranked as the 8th cleanest city in America by Yahoo! Real Estate ^[6] and 5th best outdoor city by Forbes. Forbes is an American Publishing and media company Its flagship publication Forbes magazine is published bi-weekly ^[7] A 2004 survey by the NYU newspaper ranked Tampa as a top city for 20-somethings. New York University ( NYU) is a private, Nonsectarian, Coeducational Research University in New York City. ^[8]

History

Main article: History of Tampa, Florida

The local Seminole Indians also named Tampa which means "Great Lighting". There is some dispute as to the origin and meaning of the name "Tampa" The word "Tampa" is believed to mean "sticks of fire" in the language of the Calusa, a Native American tribe. The Calusa, sometimes spelled Caloosa, Calos, Carlos or Caalus, were a Native American group that lived on the coast and along Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States Other historians claim the name refers to "The place to gather sticks". "Sticks of fire" may also relate to the high concentration of lightning strikes that Tampa Bay receives every year during the hot and wet summer months. Toponymist George R. Stewart writes that the name was the result of a miscommunication between the Spanish and the Indians, the Indian word being "itimpi", meaning simply "near it" (Stewart, pg. Toponymy refers to the scientific study of place-names ( toponyms) their origins meanings use and Typology. George Rippey Stewart ( May 31, 1895 – August 22, 1980) was an American Toponymist, a novelist and a professor of English 231).

Early explorations

Whatever its origins, the name first appears in the "Memoir" of Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda (1575), who had spent 17 years as a Calusa captive. Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda (c 1536 – after 1575 dates uncertain was a Spanish Shipwreck survivor who lived among the Indians of Florida He calls it "Tanpa" and describes it as an important Calusa town. While "Tanpa" is the apparent basis for the modern name "Tampa", archaeologist Jerald Milanich places the Calusa village of Tanpa at the mouth of Charlotte Harbor, the original "Bay of Tanpa". Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos Charlotte Harbor Estuary is a natural Estuary spanning the west coast of Florida from Venice to Bonita Springs on the Gulf of Mexico A later Spanish expedition failed to notice Charlotte Harbor while sailing north along the west coast of Florida and assumed that today's Tampa Bay was the bay that they had sought. Thus, the name was accidentally transferred north. ^[9]

In April of 1528, the ill-fated Narváez Expedition landed near Tampa with the intention of starting a colony. The Narváez expedition was a Spanish attempt to install Pánfilo de Narváez as Adelantado (governor of Spanish Florida during After being told by the natives of better riches to the north, they abandoned their camp after only a week. A dozen years later, a surviving member of the expedition named Juan Ortiz was rescued by Hernando de Soto's expedition. ^[10]

A peace treaty was conducted with the local Indians and a short-lived Spanish outpost was established, but this was abandoned when it became clear that there was no gold in the area, and that the local Indians were not interested in converting to Catholicism but were too skilled as warriors to easily conquer. Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79

After this point the Tampa area would be effectively ignored by its colonial owners for more than 200 years.

British rule

When Great Britain acquired Florida in 1763, the bay was named Hillsborough Bay, after Lord Hillsborough, Secretary of State for the Colonies. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Wills Hill 1st Marquess of Downshire, PC ( 30 May 1718 – 7 October 1793) was a British politician of the Georgian era The Secretary of State for the Colonies or Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet official in charge of managing the various British Colonies. Britain was more concerned with the strategically important Atlantic coast of Florida (especially St. Augustine) rather than mostly empty Gulf coast, and the Tampa area was by and large disregarded again. St Augustine is the County seat of St Johns County, Florida, in the United States.

With the native population having died from disease long before and the Seminoles still living to the north, the only (seasonal) residents of the Tampa Bay area were Cuban fishermen. The Seminole are a Native American people originally of Florida and now residing in Florida and Oklahoma. These visitors stayed in temporary settlements along the shore, catching a large haul of fish from the teeming waters of the bay to take back and sell. ^[11]

Florida becomes a U. S. Territory

Spain regained control of Florida in 1783 as part of the Treaty of Paris at the end of the American Revolution. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" Once again, the Tampa area was not a vital concern to its European owner.

The United States purchased Florida in 1821 (see Adams-Onís Treaty) to end frontier Indians raids and to stem the tide of escaped slaves fleeing to the wilds of Florida from neighboring states. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819 settled a border dispute in North America between the United States and Spain. In fact, one of the first official U. S. actions in the new territory was a raid which destroyed Angola, a village built by escaped slaves on the shores of Tampa Bay.

Frontier days

Tampa Convention Center, built at the site of Fort Brooke at the mouth of the Hillsborough River (on the far left)

Birth of a pioneer town

The Treaty of Moultrie Creek (1823) created a large Indian reservation in the interior of the peninsular Florida. The Tampa Convention Center is a mid-sized convention center located in Downtown Tampa, Florida. Fort Brooke was a historical military post situated on the east bank (at the mouth of the Hillsborough River in present-day Tampa Florida. There are at least two Rivers named the Hillsborough River: Hillsborough River (Florida, which flows through Tampa Hillsborough An Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American Tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau As part of efforts to establish control over the vast swampy wilderness, the U. A swamp is a Wetland featuring temporary or permanent inundation of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water Wilderness is generally defined as a Natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by Human activity S. government built a series of forts and trading posts throughout the new territory. "Cantonment Brooke" was established in 1823 by Colonels George Mercer Brooke and James Gadsden at the mouth of the Hillsborough River on Tampa Bay, at what is now the site of the Tampa Convention Center in Downtown Tampa. George Mercer Brooke Jr ( October 21, 1914 - June 16, 2006) was Professor Emeritus of History at the Virginia Military James Gadsden ( May 15, 1788 - December 25, 1858) Namesake of the Gadsden Purchase, in which the United States purchased from The Tampa Convention Center is a mid-sized convention center located in Downtown Tampa, Florida. Downtown Tampa, is the Central business district of Tampa, Florida and the chief financial district of the Tampa Bay Area. In 1824, the post was officially christened Fort Brooke. Fort Brooke was a historical military post situated on the east bank (at the mouth of the Hillsborough River in present-day Tampa Florida.

A few settlers soon established homesteads around the wooden fort, but growth was very slow due to difficult conditions and the constant threat of attack from the Seminole Indian population, who lived nearby in an uneasy truce. The Seminole are a Native American people originally of Florida and now residing in Florida and Oklahoma. When the Second Seminole War flared up in late 1835, Fort Brooke served as a vital military asset. The 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 After almost seven long years of vicious fighting, the war was over and the Seminoles were forced away from the Tampa region. The tiny village of Tampa soon began to grow up.

The Territory of Florida had grown enough by 1845 to become the 27th state. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the The settlement of Tampa had grown enough by 1849 to incorporate as the "Village of Tampa", which officially occurred on January 18. Events 350 - Generallus Magnentius deposes Roman Emperor Constans and proclaims himself Emperor Tampa was home to 185 inhabitants, excluding military personnel stationed at Fort Brooke. The city's first census count in 1850 listed Tampa-Fort Brooke as having 974 residents. The United States Census is a decennial Census mandated by the United States Constitution. Tampa-Fort Brooke was a single census area recorded by the United States Census Bureau during the 1850 federal census with the title Tampa including ^[12] Tampa was reincorporated as a town on December 15, 1855, and Judge Joseph B. Lancaster became the first Mayor in 1856.

Tampa during the Civil War

Barracks and tents at Fort Brooke in Tampa Bay

During the American Civil War, Florida seceded along with the rest of the South to form the Confederate States of America. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861 Fort Brooke was manned by Confederate troops and martial law was declared in Tampa in January of 1862. Martial law is the system of rules that takes effect when the military takes control of the normal administration of justice Tampa's city government ceased to operate for the duration of the war. ^[13] In late 1861, the Union navy set up a blockade around many southern ports to cut off the Confederacy from outside help, and several ships were stationed near the mouth of Tampa Bay. During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty-three A blockade is any effort to prevent supplies Troops information or aid from reaching an opposing force Tampa Bay is a large natural Harbor and Estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the western coast of Florida, comprising Old Tampa Bay However, blockade runners based in Tampa were able to repeatedly slip through the blockade to trade cattle and citrus for needed supplies, mainly with Spanish Cuba. ^[14]

Trying to put a stop to this, Union gunboats sailed up Tampa Bay to bombard Fort Brooke and the surrounding city of Tampa. The Battle of Tampa on June 30-July 1, 1862 was inconclusive, as the shells fell ineffectually and there were no casualties on either side. The Battle of Tampa was a minor engagement of the American Civil War fought June 30 &ndash July 1, 1862, between the United States Navy ^[15][16]

Much more damaging to the Confederate cause was the Battle of Fort Brooke on October 17-18, 1863. The Battle of Fort Brooke was a minor engagement fought October 12 through October 18, 1863, near Tampa Florida, during the American Two Union gunboats shelled the fort and surrounding town and landed troops, who found blockade runners hidden up the Hillsborough River and destroyed them. There are at least two Rivers named the Hillsborough River: Hillsborough River (Florida, which flows through Tampa Hillsborough ^[17]

The local militia mustered to intercept the Union troops, but they were able to return to their ships after a short skirmish and headed back out to sea.

The war ended in Confederate defeat in April 1865. Appomattox Court House is a village located three miles (5 km east of Appomattox, Virginia, USA (25 miles east of Lynchburg Virginia, in the In May, federal troops arrived in Tampa to occupy the fort and the town as part of Reconstruction. They would remain until August, 1869. ^[17]

The Lean Years

The years after the Civil War were difficult ones in Tampa. With little industry and land transportation links limited to bumpy wagon roads from the east coast of Florida, Tampa was a small sleepy fishing village with very few people and poor prospects for development.

Then came yellow fever. Yellow fever (also called yellow jack, black vomit or sometimes American Plague) is an acute viral disease Borne by mosquitos from the surrounding swampland, Tampa was hit by wave after wave of yellow fever epidemics and scares throughout the late 1860s and 1870s. The disease was little understood at the time, and many residents simply packed up and left rather than face the mysterious and deadly peril.

A telling moment occurred in 1869, when residents voted to abolish the City of Tampa government. ^[18] The population of "Tampa Town" was below 800 in the official 1870 census count and had fallen further by 1880. (see demographics, below). The little village was dying.

Another blow was to come. Fort Brooke, the seed from which Tampa had germinated, had served its purpose and was decommissioned in 1883. Except for two cannons displayed on the nearby University of Tampa campus, all traces of the fort are gone. | NOTE Throughout this article "cannon" is used as BOTH the || singular and plural The University of Tampa, or UT, is a private co-educational university in downtown Tampa Florida. In an odd nod to history, a large downtown parking garage near the old fort site is called the Fort Brooke Parking Garage. ^[19]

Phosphate, Railroads, and Cigars: Tampa Finally Prospers

Then, out of the blue, Tampa's fortunes took several sudden turns for the better. First, phosphate was discovered in the Bone Valley region southeast of Tampa in 1883. 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 The mineral, which is vital for the production of fertilizers and other products, was soon being shipped out from the Port of Tampa in ever increasing volume. Tampa is still one of the world's leading phosphate exporters.

A plaque dedicated to the founding of the cigar industry in Tampa

Henry B. Plant's railroad line reached Tampa and its port shortly thereafter, connecting the small town to the country's railroad system. Henry Bradley Plant ( October 27, 1819 - June 23, 1899) was involved with many Transportation projects mostly railroads Tampa finally had the overland transportation link that had been so sorely lacking. The railroad enabled phosphate and commercial fishing exports to go north ^[20], brought many new products into the Tampa market, and started the first real tourist industry: visitors coming in modest numbers to Henry Plant's first Tampa-area resort built literally on Tampa Bay on stilts. Commercial fishing, also known as industrial fishing, is the activity of capturing Fish and other Seafood for commercial Profit, mostly (This was not the still-standing Tampa Bay Hotel, which came a few years later).

The new railroad link enabled another important industry to come to Tampa. In 1885, the Tampa Board of Trade helped broker a land deal with Vicente Martinez Ybor to move his cigar manufacturing operations to Tampa from Key West. Vicente Martinez Ybor ( September 7, 1818 - December 1896 was a Spanish American industrialist and Cigar manufacturer best known for founding A cigar is a tightly rolled bundle of dried and fermented Tobacco which is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the smoker's mouth Key West is a city in Monroe County Florida, United States. The city encompasses Key West, the namesake island the part of Stock Island Close proximity to Cuba made imports of tobacco easy by sea, and Plant's railroad made shipment of finished cigars to the rest of the US market easy by land.

Since Tampa was still a small town at the time (population less than 5000), Ybor built hundreds of small houses around his factory to accommodate the immediate influx of mainly Cuban and Spanish cigar workers. Other cigar factories soon moved in, and Ybor City (as the 40-odd acre settlement was dubbed) quickly made Tampa a major cigar production center. Ybor City (ˈiːbɔr (EE-borh is a historic neighborhood in Tampa Florida, located just northeast of downtown; it is also known as Tampa's Latin Quarter To round out the town's population, many Italian and a few eastern European Jewish immigrants also arrived starting in the late 1880s, mainly operating businesses and shops that catered to the cigar workers. The' Italian people' are a Southern European Ethnic group located primarily in Italy, Switzerland, France and by virtue of a wide-ranging PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ The majority of Italian immigrants came from Alessandria Della Rocca and Santo Stefano Quisquina, two small Sicilian towns with which Tampa still maintains strong ties. Alessandria della Rocca ( Lisciànnira di la Rocca in Sicilian) is a small agricultural town located in west central Sicily in the northern part Santo Stefano Quisquina ( Santu Stèfanu Quisquina in Sicilian) is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Agrigento Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy.

Franklin Street, looking North, Tampa c. 1910s-1920s

The Moorish Revival Tampa Bay Hotel

In 1891, Henry B. Plant built a lavish 500+ room, quarter-mile long, Moorish Revival style luxury resort hotel called the Tampa Bay Hotel among 150 acres (0. Moorish Revival or Neo-Moorish is one of the exotic revival Architectural styles that were adopted by architects of Europe and the Americas in the wake of the Henry Bradley Plant ( October 27, 1819 - June 23, 1899) was involved with many Transportation projects mostly railroads Moorish Revival or Neo-Moorish is one of the exotic revival Architectural styles that were adopted by architects of Europe and the Americas in the wake of the The Henry B Plant Museum is located in the south wing of Plant Hall (formerly the Tampa Bay Hotel) on the University of Tampa ’s campus at 401 West Kennedy 61 km²) of manicured gardens along the banks Hillsborough River. There are at least two Rivers named the Hillsborough River: Hillsborough River (Florida, which flows through Tampa Hillsborough The eclectic structure cost $2. 5 million to build, a huge sum in those days. Plant filled his expensive playground with exotic art collectables from around the world and installed electric lights and the first elevator in town.

The resort did great business for a few years, especially during the Spanish-American War (see below). But with Plant's death in 1899, the hotel's fortunes began to fade. It closed in 1930. In 1933, however, the stately building reopened as the University of Tampa. The University of Tampa, or UT, is a private co-educational university in downtown Tampa Florida.

Mainly because of Henry Plant's connections in the War Department, Tampa was chosen as an embarkation center for American troops in the Spanish-American War. Lieutenant Colonel Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders were among the 30,000 troops who waited in Tampa for the order to ship out to Cuba during the summer of 1898, filling the town to bursting ^[21]. Theodore Roosevelt (ˈroʊzəvɛlt October 27 1858 January 6 1919 also known as T The Rough Riders was the name bestowed by the American press on the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry Regiment during the Spanish-American War Those months, while unpleasant for the troops wearing thick wool uniforms in the oppressive Florida heat, were a great boon to Tampa's growing economy. It was also the only time when Plant's Tampa Bay Hotel was full to capacity.

The founding of Ybor City, the building of Plant's railroad and hotels, and the discovery of phosphate - all within a dozen years in the late 1800s - were crucial to Tampa's development. The town suddenly expanded from sleepy backwater village to bustling town to small city. Except for temporary bumps along the way, this growth has continued unabated.

The 20th century

During the first few decades of the 20th century, the cigar making industry continued to be the backbone of Tampa's economy. The factories in Ybor City and West Tampa made an enormous number of cigars -- in the peak year of 1929, over 500,000,000 cigars were hand rolled in the city. Ybor City (ˈiːbɔr (EE-borh is a historic neighborhood in Tampa Florida, located just northeast of downtown; it is also known as Tampa's Latin Quarter ^[22] As the market for cigars began to wane during the Great Depression, other industries came to the fore, especially shipping and, of course, tourism.

In 1904, a local civic association of local businessmen dubbed themselves Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla (named after local mythical pirate Jose Gaspar), and staged an "invasion" of the city followed by a parade. Founded in 1904 Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, or YMKG, is Tampa Florida 's oldest and most prestigious Krewe, or social organization With a few exceptions, the Gasparilla Pirate Festival has been held every year since. The Gasparilla Pirate Festival is an annual celebration held in the city of Tampa, Florida.

Bolita & the Mob

Beginning in the late 1800s, illegal bolita lotteries were very popular among the Tampa working classes, especially in Ybor City. Bolita ( Spanish for Little Ball) is a type of Lottery which was popular in the latter 19th and early 20th centuries in Cuba and among Florida In the early 1920s, this small-time operation was taken over by Charlie Wall, the rebellious son of a prominent Tampa family, and went big-time. Bolita was able to openly thrive only because of kick-backs and bribes to key local politicians and law enforcement officials, and many were on the take.

Profits from the bolita lotteries and Prohibition-era bootlegging led to the development of several organized crime factions in the city. Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, also known as Noble Experiment, refers to a Sumptuary law which prohibits Alcohol "Crime syndicate" redirects here For the DC Comics group of villains see Crime Syndicate. Charlie Wall was the first major boss, but various power struggles culminated in consolidation of control by Sicilian mafioso Santo Trafficante, Sr. and his faction in the 1950s. Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. The Mafia (also known as Cosa Nostra) is a Sicilian Criminal Secret society which is believed to have first developed in the mid-19th century Santo Trafficante Sr ( 28 May 1886 in Cianciana, Sicily - 11 August 1954 in Tampa, Florida) was After his death in 1954 from cancer, control passed to his son Santo Trafficante, Jr., who established alliances with families in New York and extended his power throughout Florida and into Batista-era Cuba. Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled Santo Trafficante Jr ( November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was one of the last of the old-time Mafia bosses in the United The City of New York Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the General Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar (fulˈxensjo βaˈtista i salˈdiβar January 16, 1901 &ndash August 6, 1973) was a Cuban The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la ^[23][24]

The era of rampant and open corruption ended in the 1950s, when the Senator Kefauver's traveling organized crime hearings came to town and were followed by the sensational misconduct trials of several local officials. Carey Estes Kefauver ( July 26, 1903 – August 10, 1963) was an American Politician from Tennessee who Between 1950 and 1951 the Kefauver Committee, officially the Senate Special Committee to Investigate Crime in Interstate Commerce, held all of America's attention Though many of the worst offenders in government and the mob were not charged, the trials helped to end the sense of lawlessness which had prevailed in Tampa for decades.

Mid-Late 20th century

The University of South Florida was established in 1956, sparking development in northern Tampa and nearby Temple Terrace. The University of South Florida ( USF) known within its system as USF Tampa, is a public research University system located in Tampa, Florida Temple Terrace is a city in north-central Hillsborough County Florida.

There were four attempts to consolidate Tampa with Hillsborough County (1967, 1970, 1971, and 1972), all of which failed at the ballot box; the biggest margin was 33,160 for and 73,568 against the proposed charter in 1972. ^[25]

The biggest recent growth in the city was the development of New Tampa, which started in 1988 when the city annexed a 24-square mile (mostly rural) area between I-275 and I-75. New Tampa is an area in Florida that encompasses both a area within the corporate limits of the City of Tampa, as well as a larger land area that is in unincorporated Interstate 275 (I-275 in Florida serves the Tampa Bay Metropolitan area. Interstate 75 (I-75 is a major north-south Interstate Highway in the midwest and southeastern United States. Since then, many subdivisions and thousands of homes and businesses have filled in, accounting for much of Tampa's population growth over that time.

East Tampa, which has historically been a mostly black community, was the scene of several riots, mainly due to problems between residents and the Tampa police. The city of Tampa Florida, has experienced at least three major instances of Rioting. Police are agents or agencies usually of the executive, empowered to enforce the law and to effect public and social order through the legitimatized use of force

The 21st century

On January 5, 2002, just four months after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, 15-year-old amateur pilot Charles Bishop stole a Cessna plane and flew into the Bank of America Tower in Downtown Tampa. Events 1477 - Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is killed and Burgundy becomes part of France. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Charles Bishop may refer to Charles Reed Bishop (1822&ndash1915 Hawaiian businessman Charles Francis Bishop (1888&ndash1954 US Navy/Medal The Cessna Aircraft Company is an airplane manufacturing corporation headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. The Bank of America Tower is a 42-story Skyscraper located in Downtown Tampa and was completed in 1986 Downtown Tampa, is the Central business district of Tampa, Florida and the chief financial district of the Tampa Bay Area. Bishop died, but there were no other injuries (because the crash occurred on a Saturday, when few people were in the building). A suicide note found in the wreckage expressed support for Osama bin Laden. A suicide note is a message left by someone who later attempts or commits Suicide. Osama bin Laden, with some spelling variations is the name used in English to refer to (أسامة بن محمد بن عوض بن لادن born 10 March Bishop had been taking a prescription medicine for acne called Accutane that may have had the side effect of depression or severe psychosis. A prescription drug is a licensed medicine that is regulated by legislation to require a prescription before it can be obtained Acne vulgaris (commonly called acne) is a Skin disease caused by changes in the Pilosebaceous units (skin structures consisting of a Hair follicle Isotretinoin ( INN) (aɪsoʊtrɨˈtɪnoʊɨn or /ˌaɪsoʊtrɨˈtɪnoʊɨn/ is a Medication used for the treatment of severe acne. In Medicine, an adverse effect is a harmful and undesired effect resulting from a medication or other intervention such as Chemotherapy or Surgery. Major depressive disorder, also known as major depression, unipolar depression, unipolar disorder, clinical depression, or simply depression Psychosis (from the Greek ψυχή "psyche" for mind or soul and -οσις "-osis" for abnormal condition with adjective psychotic His family later sued Hoffman-La Roche, the company that makes Accutane, for $70 million; however, an autopsy found no traces of the drug in the teenager's system.

• See also 2002 Tampa plane crash

Geography & Climate

Tampa is located on the West coast of Florida at 27°58′15″N, 82°27′53″W (27. The 2002 Tampa plane crash was an incident that occurred on Saturday January 5, 2002. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the 970898, -82. 464640). ^[26]

Tampa Bay Landsat image.

Topography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 170. 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 6 square miles (441. 9 km²), of which 112. 1 square miles (290. 3 km²) is land and 58. 5 square miles (151. 6 km²) (34. 31%) is water. The highest point in the city is only in the forties. Tampa is bordered by two bodies of water: Old Tampa Bay and Hillsborough Bay, which both flow to form Tampa Bay, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico. Tampa Bay is a large natural Harbor and Estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the western coast of Florida, comprising Old Tampa Bay Tampa Bay is a large natural Harbor and Estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the western coast of Florida, comprising Old Tampa Bay Tampa Bay is a large natural Harbor and Estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the western coast of Florida, comprising Old Tampa Bay The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world The Hillsborough River flows out into Hillsborough Bay, passing directly in front of Downtown Tampa and supplying Tampa with its main source of water. The Hillsborough River is a River located in the state of Florida in the USA. The Palm River is a smaller river flowing from just east of the city into Hillsborough Bay. Tampa Bay is a large natural Harbor and Estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the western coast of Florida, comprising Old Tampa Bay

Climate

Tampa has a humid subtropical climate (Koppen Cfa), with hot summer days and a threat of winter frost only about every 2-3 years. Humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa or Cwa) is a climate zone characterized by hot humid summers and chilly to mild winters Highs usually range between 65 and 95 °F (18 and 35 °C) year round. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. Surprisingly to some, Tampa's official recorded high has never hit 100 °F (38 °C) - the all-time record high temperature is 99 °F (37 °C), recorded on June 5, 1985. Events 70 - Titus and his Roman Legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem in the Siege of Jerusalem Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) ^[27]

In the winter, the low rarely drops below freezing (32 °F , 0 °C), an occurrence which happens, on average, once every other year. Since the Tampa area is home to a diverse range of freeze-sensitive agriculture and aquaculture, cold snaps are a major worry. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Aquaculture is the farming of freshwater and saltwater organisms including Molluscs Crustaceans and aquatic plants The lowest temperature ever recorded in Tampa was 18 °F (-7. 8 °C) on December 13, 1962. Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[28] Usually, the highs are around 70 °F (20 - 22 °C) with sunny skies in the winter, with the occasional passage of a cold front bringing the temperature down for a few days.

The 1977 snowfall

In the Great Blizzard of 1899, Tampa suffered its one and only known blizzard, with "bay effect" snow coming off Tampa Bay. The Great Blizzard of 1899 was a unprecedented winter weather event that affected the southern United States A blizzard is a severe Winter storm condition characterized by low Temperatures strong Winds and heavy blowing Snow Blizzards are formed when Lake-effect snow is produced in the winter when cold Arctic winds move across long expanses of warmer lake water providing energy and picking up Water vapor which freezes ^[29] [3] The last measurable snow in Tampa fell on January 19, 1977. The accumulation amounted to all of 0. 2 inches (5. 1 mm), but the city, unprepared for and unaccustomed to wintry weather, came to a virtual standstill for a day. ^[30]

Temperatures are hot from around mid-May through mid-October, which coincides approximately with the rainy season. Summer days usually have highs in the low 90s °F (32-34 °C) with high humidity. Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air In daily language the term "humidity" is normally taken to mean Relative humidity. The summer nighttime temperature usually drops into the mid 70s °F (21 - 23 °C). ^[31]

Thunderstorms are a common summertime feature in Tampa. These afternoon boomers can sometimes become severe, bringing gusty winds, small hail, and torrential rain. Hail is a form of precipitation which consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice (hailstones Tornadoes are rare, but not unheard of. A tornado is a violent rotating column of air which is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a Cumulonimbus cloud or in rare cases the base of a Cumulus The biggest danger they bring is lightning.

The Tampa Bay area is recognized as the "Lightning Capital of North America". Every year, Florida averages 10 deaths and 30 injuries from lightning strikes, with several of these usually occurring in or around Tampa. ^[32] With each thunderstorm capable of unleashing thousands of individual bolts, weather safety experts recommend staying inside until the weather clears. ^[33]

The most common summertime weather pattern is for heat-produced thermals to turn puffy white cumulus clouds into threatening thunderheads over the interior of the Florida peninsula. A thermal column (or thermal) is a column of rising Air in the lower altitudes of the Earth's atmosphere. The typical wind pattern usually pushes these storms slowly westward toward the Tampa area. Sometimes they rain themselves out before making it to the coast; on many summer days in Tampa Bay, a stormy afternoon is followed by a pleasantly clear and cooler (though not exactly cool) evening. But occasionally the storms survive to move out over the Gulf of Mexico at night, where they can be seen from the beaches as spectacular light shows. The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world

A westerly or southwesterly wind flow, however, will bring even more humidity than usual into the air. On those days, rain and thunder can strike anywhere at any time around Tampa Bay.

Because of these regular summer storms, Tampa has a pronounced wet season, averaging 20. 6 inches (524 mm) between July and September, but only 6. 2 inches (157 mm) between November and January. The wettest month is August, which averages 7. 6 inches (193 mm). (August and especially September rain totals are augmented by tropical systems, which easily can dump many inches of rain in one day. ) November is Tampa's driest month, averaging only 1. 6 inches (41 mm). During the winter, most of the area's precipitation is delivered by the occasional cold front. Yearly precipitation averages 44. 8 inches (1137 mm). ^[34]

Cityscape

Main article: Cityscape of Tampa

See also: Neighborhoods in Tampa, Florida

Hillsborough Bay (foreground), Downtown Tampa skyline (top center), and parts of the Port of Tampa, including Channelside (right) as seen from Apollo Beach

The Tampa mayor as of 2008, Pam Iorio, has made the redevelopment of Tampa's downtown, especially bringing in residents to the decidedly non-residential area, a priority. Tampa Florida is home to numerous structures that are noteworthy due to their architectural characteristics or historic associations the most noteworthy being the Seminole The following is a list of recognized Neighborhoods and districts within the city limits of Tampa Florida. Family Iorio has been married to Mark Woodard assistant county administrator for Pinellas County, since 1987 (she did not take her husband's last name and they have Downtown Tampa, is the Central business district of Tampa, Florida and the chief financial district of the Tampa Bay Area. ^[35] Several residential and mixed-development high-rises are in various stages of planning or construction, and a few have already opened. Another of Mayor Iorio's initiatives is the Tampa Riverwalk, a plan which intends to make better use of the land along the Hillsborough River in downtown where Tampa began. Several museums are part of the plan, including new homes for the Tampa Bay History Center, the Tampa Children's Museum, and the Tampa Museum of Art. The Tampa Museum of Art is located in downtown Tampa Florida. ^[36] The city is divided into many neighborhoods, many of which were towns and unincorporated communities that were annexed by the growing city. Generally, the city is divided into the following areas: Downtown Tampa, New Tampa, West Tampa, East Tampa, North Tampa, and South Tampa. Downtown Tampa, is the Central business district of Tampa, Florida and the chief financial district of the Tampa Bay Area. New Tampa is an area in Florida that encompasses both a area within the corporate limits of the City of Tampa, as well as a larger land area that is in unincorporated West Tampa is one of the oldest districts within the city limits of Tampa, USA and a former incorporated city located just west of downtown Tampa The following article is about a district within the city limits of Tampa, for the community in unincorporated Hillsborough County, see East Tampa Florida. North Tampa is a neighborhood within the city limits Tampa Florida.

Some well-known communities of Tampa include Ybor City, Forest Hills, Sulphur Springs^[37], Seminole Heights, Tampa Heights, Palma Ceia, Hyde Park, Tampa Palms, College Hill and non-residential areas of Gary and the Westshore Business District

The 42-story tall Bank of America tower is Tampa's 2nd tallest skyscraper

The following are the 15 tallest completed buildings in Tampa. Ybor City (ˈiːbɔr (EE-borh is a historic neighborhood in Tampa Florida, located just northeast of downtown; it is also known as Tampa's Latin Quarter Forest Hills is a neighborhood that's partially located in the northwestern part of the city limits of Tampa Florida, with the northern portion located in unincorporated Sulphur Springs is a Neighborhood and District located within the city limits of Tampa Florida. Seminole Heights is a Neighborhood and District located in central Tampa. Tampa Heights is one of the oldest neighborhoods within the city limits of Tampa that's situated in the central part of the city Palma Ceia is a neighborhood located west of downtown Tampa Florida and is bounded (according to the Palma Ceia Neighborhood Associationby W Hyde Park is a historic Neighborhood and District located within the city limits of Tampa. Tampa Palms is a neighborhood within the New Tampa district of the city of Tampa Florida. College Hill is a neighborhood within the city limits of Tampa Florida. Gary is an Industrial section located in the southeastern part of Tampa Florida, mainly in the vicinity of Adamo Drive east of Downtown Tampa Westshore is the principal Business district of Tampa Florida, with more than of commercial office space 4000 businesses with nearly 100000 employees 32 hotels

Suburbs and Surrounding Cities

Bolded indicates principal city of the Metropolitan Area. Park Tower (formerly known as the Lykes Building) is a Skyscraper located in downtown Tampa Florida.

Landmarks

Sulphur Springs Water Tower

Tampa also has significant landmarks. Oldsmar is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. Palm Harbor is a Census-designated place and an Unincorporated community in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. Tarpon Springs is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. Lutz (ˈluːts is an unincorporated Census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. Land O' Lakes is a Census-designated place (CDP in Pasco County, Florida, in the United States. Temple Terrace is a city in north-central Hillsborough County Florida. Thonotosassa is an unincorporated Census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. Wesley Chapel is a Census-designated place (CDP in Pasco County, Florida, United States. Clearwater is a City located in Pinellas County Florida, USA, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St Largo is the third largest city in Pinellas County Florida, USA and is part of the Tampa Bay Area. Brandon is an unincorporated Census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, in the United States. Seffner is an unincorporated Census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. Valrico is an unincorporated Census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. Plant City is a city in Hillsborough County, Florida, approximately midway between Brandon and Lakeland along Interstate 4. St Petersburg (often shortened to St Pete) is a city in Pinellas County Florida, United States. Ruskin is an unincorporated Census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. Greater Sun Center (Sun City Center is an unincorporated Census-designated place located in southern Hillsborough County, Florida, United States Gibsonton is an unincorporated Census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. Boyette is an unincorporated Census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The Sulphur Springs Water Tower, a landmark in Sulphur Springs section of the city, dates back to the late 1920s. Sulphur Springs Water Tower is a landmark of Tampa, Florida. It stands tall with a foundation deep which makes it visible from nearby Interstate 275 Sulphur Springs is a Neighborhood and District located within the city limits of Tampa Florida. This era also saw the construction of Bayshore Boulevard, which parallels Hillsborough Bay from Downtown Tampa to areas in South Tampa. Bayshore Boulevard is a street in Tampa Florida, along Hillsborough Bay an arm of Tampa Bay. Downtown Tampa, is the Central business district of Tampa, Florida and the chief financial district of the Tampa Bay Area. The road has a 6-mile (9. 7 km) continuous sidewalk on the eastern end, the longest in the world. ^[53][54] Babe Zaharias Golf Course in the Forest Hills area of Tampa has been designated a Historical Landmark by the National Register of Historic Places. Mildred Ella ("Babe" Didrikson Zaharias ( June 26, 1911 &ndash September 27, 1956) was an American athlete named Forest Hills is a neighborhood that's partially located in the northwestern part of the city limits of Tampa Florida, with the northern portion located in unincorporated The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of It was bought in 1949 by the famous 'Babe', who had a residence nearby, and closed upon her death. Mildred Ella ("Babe" Didrikson Zaharias ( June 26, 1911 &ndash September 27, 1956) was an American athlete named In 1974, the City of Tampa opened the golf course to the public ^[55]

Bayshore Blvd.

The Story of Tampa, a public painting by Lynn Ash, is a 4' x 8' oil on masonite mural that weaves together many of the notable aspects of Tampa's unique character and identity. It was commissioned in 2003 by the City of Tampa's Public Art Program and can be found in the lobby of the Tampa Municipal Office Building. ^[56] Park Tower (originally the First Financial Bank of Florida), the first substantial skyscraper in Downtown Tampa. Park Tower (formerly known as the Lykes Building) is a Skyscraper located in downtown Tampa Florida. Completed in 1973, it was the tallest skyscraper in Tampa until the completion of One Tampa City Center in 1981. ^[57]

The Florida Aquarium in Channelside

One obvious feature of the skyline is the Rivergate building, a cylindrical building across from the University of Tampa. The Florida Aquarium is a 501(c(3 not-for-profit organization publicly operated institution located in Tampa, Florida. The building is affectionately known as the "Beer Can building" and was featured in the movie "The Punisher". The Punisher is a 2004 film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name starring Thomas Jane as Frank Castle and

Future landmarks may include The Tampa Riverwalk, a proposed continuous pedestrian walkway along the eastern end of the Hillsborough River. The Hillsborough River is a River located in the state of Florida in the USA. The sidewalk will extend from the Channelside district to Tampa Heights. Channelside is a district just east of Downtown Tampa, Florida, USA. Tampa Heights is one of the oldest neighborhoods within the city limits of Tampa that's situated in the central part of the city ^[58] The schedule time for completion is around 2010. ^[59].

Other landmarks within the city include the Tampa Theatre, Museum of Science and Industry (which include the IMAX dome theater), Fun-Lan Drive-In (drive-in theater), and Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. The Tampa Theater and Office Building is a historic US theater and city landmark in Downtown Tampa, Florida. IMAX (short for Image MAXimum is a Film format created by Canada 's IMAX Corporation that has the capacity to display images of far greater size and A drive-in theater is a form of cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor screen a projection booth a Concession stand and a large parking area for automobiles The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center is located downtown on a nine-acre site along the east bank of the Hillsborough River in Tampa Florida.

Downtown Tampa boasts a number of landmark high-rises, including the SunTrust Building, Sykes Building, SkyPoint Condominium, Towers of Channelside, and the Bank of America Building.

South of Tampa, spanning the southern part of Tampa Bay, is the massive steel-span Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

Culture

Parks and Recreation

Busch Gardens Africa

The city of Tampa operates over 165 parks and beaches covering 2,286 acres within city limits; 42 more in surrounding suburbs covering 70,000 acres, are maintained by Hillsborough County. These areas include the Hillsborough River State Park, just northeast of the city. Hillsborough River State Park is located in the northeast corner of Hillsborough County, Florida near Zephyrhills. Tampa is also home to a number of attractions and theme parks, including Busch Gardens Africa, Adventure Island, Lowry Park Zoo, and Florida Aquarium. Busch Gardens Africa (also known as Busch Gardens Tampa Bay) is a 335 acre 19th century African-themed park located in Tampa Florida. Adventure Island is an American Water park located northeast of Tampa, Florida across the street from Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo is a 56 acre zoo located in Tampa Florida. The Florida Aquarium is a 501(c(3 not-for-profit organization publicly operated institution located in Tampa, Florida.

Nightlife

Current popular nightlife districts include Channelside, Ybor City, SoHo, International Plaza and Bay Street, and Seminole Hard Rock. Channelside is a district just east of Downtown Tampa, Florida, USA. Ybor City (ˈiːbɔr (EE-borh is a historic neighborhood in Tampa Florida, located just northeast of downtown; it is also known as Tampa's Latin Quarter SoHo Tampa, short for " So uth Ho ward Avenue" is an entertainment district within Hyde Park section of Tampa. International Plaza and Bay Street is a large upscale Shopping mall located in the Westshore business district of Tampa Florida. Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tampa is a gaming complex and four-diamond hotel that opened in Tampa Florida in 2004 Downtown Tampa also contains some nightlife, and there are more clubs/bars to be found in other areas of the city. Downtown Tampa, is the Central business district of Tampa, Florida and the chief financial district of the Tampa Bay Area. According to Maxim, Tampa is ranked 6th in the entire nation for its party scene. Maxim is an international men's magazine based in the United Kingdom and known for its revealing pictorials featuring popular Actresses ^[60]

Events

Downtown during Gasparilla

The partially restored Centro Espanol building on Howard Ave. The El Centro Español of West Tampa is a historic site in the West Tampa neighborhood of Tampa, Florida, United States. , West Tampa.

Perhaps the most well known and celebrated event is the Gasparilla Pirate Festival, usually referred to simply as Gasparilla. The Gasparilla Pirate Festival is an annual celebration held in the city of Tampa, Florida. It has been held yearly since 1904. Gasparilla, often referred to as the Mardi Gras of Tampa, is usually held on the last Saturday of January. " Mardi Gras " ( French for Fat Tuesday) is the day before Ash Wednesday. The invasion-themed event has an attendance of over 400,000 people and impacts over 23 million dollars to the city of Tampa. The Sant'Yago Knight Parade, or Gasparilla Night Parade is usually held one week to a few weeks after. The Sant' Yago Knight Parade, also known as Gasparilla Night Parade is a celebration held in the Channel District of Tampa and Ybor City, Florida It is considered more adult-oriented.

Other notable events include the Outback Bowl, which is held New Year's Day at Raymond James Stadium. The Outback Bowl is an annual College football Bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Florida. Raymond James Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa Florida. The Florida State Fair in mid-February, also brings in an attendance of around 400,000, and Guavaween, an open street Halloween celebration with Latin flavor taking place in Ybor City. Guavaween is an annual open street Halloween celebration with Latin Flavor Halloween, or Hallowe’en, is a Holiday celebrated on the night of October 31. Ybor City (ˈiːbɔr (EE-borh is a historic neighborhood in Tampa Florida, located just northeast of downtown; it is also known as Tampa's Latin Quarter

Media

Main article: Media in Tampa Bay

See also: List of films set in Tampa

The Tampa Tribune

Major daily newspapers serving the city are The Tampa Tribune and The St. Petersburg Times. The Media of Tampa Bay serves a large population in the Tampa Bay area The following is a list of films set in Tampa Florida and surrounding areas This list is incomplete Air Force The Tampa Tribune published in Tampa Florida is one of two major Newspapers published in the Tampa Bay area second in circulation and readership The Tampa Tribune published in Tampa Florida is one of two major Newspapers published in the Tampa Bay area second in circulation and readership The St Petersburg Times is a daily Newspaper based in St Petersburg Florida, that serves the larger Tampa Bay area La Gaceta is the nation's only trilingual newspaper, written in English, Spanish and Italian. La Gaceta ( is a weekly newspaper in Tampa Florida, founded in 1922 There is also a wide variety of smaller regional newspapers, alternative weeklies and magazines, including the Florida Sentinel Bulletin^[61] (which focuses coverage on the African American community in Tampa), Creative Loafing, Tampa Bay Times, The Oracle, Tampa Bay Business Journal, and MacDill Thunderbolt^[62]. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Creative Loafing is the name of four Alternative weekly Newspapers published in four different cities by Tampa Florida -based Creative Loafing Tampa Bay Times ( tbt*) is a free daily newspaper published by the St The Oracle, the University of South Florida 's ( USF) student-run Newspaper, made history when its premier issue was published September 6 Advance Publications Inc, is an American media company owned by the descendants of S Centro Mi Diario is a free Spanish-language newspaper published by The Tampa Tribune. ^[63] SyFy Portal, SyUniverse Group Inc. SyFy Portal is an entertainment news Website focusing on Science-fiction, Fantasy and Comic book television series and films , parent corporation, is based in Tampa as is its owner. Major television affiliates include WFTS 28 (ABC), WTSP 10 (CBS), WFLA 8 (NBC), WTVT 13 (FOX), WTOG 44 (The CW), and WTTA 38 (My Network TV). WFTS ( "ABC Action News ") is the ABC affiliate for the Tampa - St The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. WTSP, channel 10 is a CBS -affiliate Television station on the west coast of Florida ( Tampa &ndash St CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. WFLA-TV is the NBC affiliate television station on the west coast of the U The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's WTVT, channel 13 is a television station in Tampa Florida. It is an Owned and operated station of the Fox Broadcasting Company, a subsdiary of the WTOG, channel 44 is a television station in St Petersburg Florida. The CW Television Network ( The CW) is a Television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006-2007 television season. WTTA, channel 38 is the MyNetworkTV -affiliated Television station for the Tampa Bay Area that is licensed to St MyNetworkTV (unofficially abbreviated MyNet or MNT) is a Television network in the United States, owned by the Fox Broadcasting Company

Music

Tampa became noted in the late 1990s for Southern hip hop music, a variant of the "Dirty South" or Southern hip hop genre. Southern hip hop is a form of American hip hop music that emerged from a club oriented vibe in the late-1990s as a popular force from cities including but not limited to Southern hip hop is a form of American hip hop music that emerged from a club oriented vibe in the late-1990s as a popular force from cities including but not limited to Several different artists from the area began to gain national recognition. These artists include Khia, Tampa Tony, Rated R and various other nobodys that were signed to national record labels but were later dropped. Khia Chambers, born Khia Shamone Finch, (better known as Khia pronounced 'Kye-Ah' is an American rapper, Songwriter, and East coast rap is still popular in Tampa although the southern hip hop has slowly taken over the radio stations.

In addition, since the mid 1980's, Tampa has been known world-wide as the unofficial birthplace of Death Metal, an extreme form of Heavy Metal. Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs fast tempos heavily distorted guitars deep growling vocals morbid lyrics Many of the genre's pioneers and foremost figures are based in and around the city. Chief among these are Deicide, Six Feet Under, Death, Obituary, & Morbid Angel. Deicide is an American Death metal band formed in 1987 The band has sold close to 500000 releases in the USA since the SoundScan era making them Six Feet Under (often abbreviated SFU) is an American Death metal band formed as a Side project in 1993 by Cannibal Corpse Death was an influential American Death metal band founded in 1983 by guitarist and vocalist Chuck Schuldiner, considered a "pioneering death An obituary is an attempt to give an account of the texture and significance of the life of someone who has recently died Morbid Angel is an American Death metal band based in Tampa Florida. Tampa's Death Metal scene had also adopted The Brass Mug, a bar that showcases local music acts, crowning it as a mecca for extreme music in the world metal community, & attracting metal fans from around the world.

Religion

Tampa's first church was the First Methodist Church, founded in a cabin by circuit rider J. Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations C. Lay in 1846. The most famous church, however, is the Sacred Heart Catholic Church which was officially opened in 1905. Sacred Heart Catholic Church was founded in 1905 in downtown Tampa Florida, and is one of the oldest churches and is the oldest Catholic church in the city of Tampa The city also contains the St. Paul A.M.E. Church which was founded by Reverend Thomas W. The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the " AME Church " is a Christian denomination founded by Bishop Richard Allen in Philadelphia Long in 1870 and is Tampa's oldest African-American congregation , and First Presbyterian Church which is housed in a Spanish mission style building from 1930. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity There are also many other churches such as St. Patrick Catholic Church and Christ the King Catholic Church.

Shopping

Several large scale malls call Tampa and its surrounding areas home. Well known shopping areas include International Plaza and Bay Street, WestShore Plaza, University Mall, Westfield Brandon, and Westfield Citrus Park. International Plaza and Bay Street is a large upscale Shopping mall located in the Westshore business district of Tampa Florida. WestShore Plaza is an enclosed Shopping mall located in the Westshore business district of Tampa Florida. University Mall, previously University Square Mall, is located near the University of South Florida, just north of the city limits of Tampa on Fowler Westfield Brandon, formerly known as Brandon Town Center and Westfield Shoppingtown Brandon, is a Shopping mall located eight miles (13 km east Westfield Citrus Park, formerly Citrus Park Town Center, is a Shopping mall in Citrus Park Florida that opened in March 1999 Well known Hyde Park Village is an upscale open-air shopping center residing in the neighborhood of Hyde Park. Hyde Park Village is an upscale open-air shopping center located in the neighborhood of Hyde Park in Tampa Florida. Hyde Park is a historic Neighborhood and District located within the city limits of Tampa. Previously, Tampa had also been home to the Floriland Mall (now an office park), Tampa Bay Center (demolished and replaced with the new Tampa Bay Buccaneers training facility, known as "One Buc Place"), and East Lake Square Mall (now an office park). The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (often shortened as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa Florida.

Sports

Current sporting venues in Tampa, Florida

The USF Sun Dome

Raymond James Stadium

St. Pete Times Forum

Tampa is represented by teams in four major professional sports leagues: the NFL, the NHL,Major League Baseball, and the Arena Football League. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (often shortened as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa Florida. American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. The National Football Conference ( NFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL Raymond James Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa Florida. The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball franchise based in St Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League ( AL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in Tropicana Field is a Domed stadium in St Petersburg Florida, which has been the home of Major League Baseball 's Tampa Bay Rays since St Petersburg (often shortened to St Pete) is a city in Pinellas County Florida, United States. The Tampa Bay Lightning is a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa Florida. Ice hockey, often referred to simply as hockey, is a team Sport played on Ice. The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America The St Pete Times Forum is an arena in Tampa, Florida, that is used for hockey games Basketball games Arena football The Tampa Bay Storm are a member franchise of the Arena Football League. This article is about the sport of Arena Football See Arena Football (video game for the EA Sports Video game of the same name The Arena Football League (AFL was founded in 1987 as an American football indoor league. The St Pete Times Forum is an arena in Tampa, Florida, that is used for hockey games Basketball games Arena football The University of South Florida ( USF) known within its system as USF Tampa, is a public research University system located in Tampa, Florida College football is American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, Colleges and military academies The National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA, often pronounced "N-C-Double-A" is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions conferences organizations The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of seventeen Universities in the northeastern southeastern and midwestern United Raymond James Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa Florida. The University of South Florida ( USF) known within its system as USF Tampa, is a public research University system located in Tampa, Florida College basketball most often refers to the American Basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA, often pronounced "N-C-Double-A" is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions conferences organizations The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of seventeen Universities in the northeastern southeastern and midwestern United The USF Sun Dome is a 55000 square-foot multi-purpose entertainment/sports facility on the campus of the University of South Florida, which is located in Tampa Florida The Bay Area Pelicans Rugby Football Club (RFC is a men's rugby club in the Tampa Bay Area. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short St Petersburg (often shortened to St Pete) is a city in Pinellas County Florida, United States. The USF Sun Dome is a 55000 square-foot multi-purpose entertainment/sports facility on the campus of the University of South Florida, which is located in Tampa Florida Raymond James Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa Florida. The St Pete Times Forum is an arena in Tampa, Florida, that is used for hockey games Basketball games Arena football The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America Three of the teams play in Tampa proper, while the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball play across the bay in St. Petersburg. The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball franchise based in St St Petersburg (often shortened to St Pete) is a city in Pinellas County Florida, United States. All of the teams are considered to represent the entire Tampa Bay metropolitan area. The Tampa Bay Area, or Tampa Bay, after the body of water it surrounds is the second most populated metropolitan region in the state of Florida, the

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers became the area's first major sports franchise in 1976, and brought the area its first major sports championship at the end of the 2002 season, winning Super Bowl XXXVII against the Oakland Raiders. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (often shortened as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa Florida. The 2002 season of the National Football League (NFL was the 83rd one played by the major professional American football league in the United Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego California to decide The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in the city of Oakland California.

The NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning was established in 1992, and currently play their games in the St. Pete Times Forum, located in the Channelside district of downtown Tampa. The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America The Tampa Bay Lightning is a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa Florida. The St Pete Times Forum is an arena in Tampa, Florida, that is used for hockey games Basketball games Arena football The team won their first Stanley Cup championship in Tampa in game 7 against the Calgary Flames at the end of the 2003-2004 NHL season. The Stanley Cup (La Coupe Stanley is an Ice hockey club championship Trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL playoffs champion The 2003–04 NHL season was the 87th Regular season of the National Hockey League.

The Rays began play in 1998 (as the Devil Rays), but have yet to be a major contender - finishing last in the American League's East Division in nine of the ten seasons they have played. The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League ( AL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in The American League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions

The Tampa Bay Storm play in the Arena Football League. The Tampa Bay Storm are a member franchise of the Arena Football League. The Arena Football League (AFL was founded in 1987 as an American football indoor league. Originally playing in Pittsburgh, the team moved to Tampa in 1991. The Storm won their first Arena Bowl championship in 1991, and have won four subsequent championships in 1993, 1995, 1996, and 2003, winning more than any other AFL team. The ArenaBowl is the Arena Football League 's championship game Since 1997, the team has played its home games in the St. Pete Times Forum. The St Pete Times Forum is an arena in Tampa, Florida, that is used for hockey games Basketball games Arena football

The University of South Florida football program, only eleven years old, became ranked for the first time in school history after the team's week 2 victory in Auburn, Alabama against the #17 ranked Tigers. The University of South Florida ( USF) known within its system as USF Tampa, is a public research University system located in Tampa, Florida Auburn is a city in Lee County, Alabama, United States. It is the largest city in eastern Alabama with a 2007 population of 54348 The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in College football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision USF was ranked 23rd. After beating The University of North Carolina, they were ranked 18th. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ( UNC, North Carolina, or simply Carolina) is a public, Coeducational Research Two weeks later on September 28, 2007, #18 USF hosted #5 ranked and Big East rival West Virginia University. The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of seventeen Universities in the northeastern southeastern and midwestern United West Virginia University is a Coeducational public Research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. The game was the first sellout in the university's short-lived football history, with 67,018 tickets sold. That day in Tampa was proclaimed "Green and Gold Day" by Tampa mayor Pam Iorio, and the downtown Tampa skyline was illuminated green and gold. Family Iorio has been married to Mark Woodard assistant county administrator for Pinellas County, since 1987 (she did not take her husband's last name and they have The University of South Florida won the biggest game in their history 21-13, and eventually were ranked 6th in the nation. The University of South Florida ( USF) known within its system as USF Tampa, is a public research University system located in Tampa, Florida After defeating cross-state rival University of Central Florida soundly two weeks later, the USF Bulls would set another school record - marking the first time ever that the school placed in the BCS Polls. The first BCS Poll of 2007 ranked the USF Bulls second in the nation, after Ohio State. Unfortunately, their winning streak came to an end the next Saturday, and USF would go on to fall out of the rankings.

The University of Tampa Spartans, located in downtown Tampa, are the oldest active sports organization in the city, having begun play in 1933. The University of Tampa, or UT, is a private co-educational university in downtown Tampa Florida. UT competes at the NCAA Division II level in the Sunshine State Conference (SSC). Membership Current members Former Members Conference Facilities National Championships The Sunshine State Conference UT is among the top schools in the SSC in both championships and student-athletes named to the Commissioner's Honor Roll.

Spartan teams have won NCAA-II titles in men's soccer (1981, 1994 and 2001), women's soccer (2007), baseball (1992, 1993, 1998, 2006 and 2007), golf (1987 and 1988), and volleyball (2006). With their win in 2007 the UT baseball team became the first team in Div. II baseball to win consecutive titles since UT won in 1992 and 1993. [1] The University of Tampa fielded a highly successful men's football team from 1933 to 1974 winning against then rivals University of Florida and other major college teams, and was the original team playing in Tampa Stadium. The University of Florida ( Florida or UF) is a public land-grant, sea-grant, space-grant major Research Tampa Stadium (known as Houlihan's Stadium from 1996 to 1998 and nicknamed "The Big Sombrero ") was a Sports venue located at

Inside the St. Pete Times Forum

Other sports teams include:

• The Bay Area Pelicans Rugby Football Club
• The Bay Area Krewe rugby union team, who play at Skyview Park
• The Tampa Bay Terminators, a women's professional football franchise

Tampa has hosted several franchises of other professional leagues over the years. The Bay Area Pelicans Rugby Football Club (RFC is a men's rugby club in the Tampa Bay Area. The Tampa Bay Area Krewe Rugby Football Club was founded in 1989 by ten Tampa Bay area professionals who had previously been members of different novice to semi-professional The first of these was the Tampa Bay Rowdies, started in 1975 as an expansion franchise of the defunct North American Soccer League (NASL). North American Soccer League (NASL was a professional soccer League with teams in the United States of America (U They played their games at Tampa Stadium. Tampa Stadium (known as Houlihan's Stadium from 1996 to 1998 and nicknamed "The Big Sombrero ") was a Sports venue located at The Rowdies won the inaugural Soccer Bowl in 1975, bringing Tampa Bay its first professional sports championship. The Soccer Bowl was the championship game of the North American Soccer League from 1974 to 1983. The NASL folded in 1984, while the Rowdies continued play in other indoor soccer leagues before folding in 1993. The Tampa Bay Bandits of the defunct United States Football League (USFL) began play in 1985, and played three seasons in Tampa Stadium before the league and the team folded. The Tampa Bay Bandits was a franchise in the United States Football League and competed in all three of the seasons of that league's existence 1983, 1984 For the proposed "New USFL" see United States Football League (2010. Coached by Steve Spurrier, their crowd-pleasing style of play was known as "Banditball". Stephen Orr Spurrier (born April 20, 1945 in Miami Beach Florida) is a former American football player and currently the head coach The Tampa Bay Mutiny of Major League Soccer began play at Tampa Stadium in 1996, and continued through 2001 before folding. The Tampa Bay Mutiny was a professional soccer club located in Tampa Florida that participated in Major League Soccer from 1996-2001 Major League Soccer ( MLS) is the top-flight professional Soccer league in the United States and Canada with 14 teams 13 in the U There were also the roller hockey Tampa Bay Tritons.

Tampa has hosted three Super Bowls: Super Bowl XVIII (1984), Super Bowl XXV (1991), and Super Bowl XXXV, which was played in the newly built Raymond James Stadium in 2001. Tampa is slated to host Super Bowl XLIII in February 2009.

Buccaneer game action at Raymond James Stadium

The Tampa Bay Area also hosts a number of Major League Baseball teams for spring training, as well as several minor league baseball teams. In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the Regular season. Part of the History of baseball series Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of Professional baseball leagues in North Playing in the spring training Florida Grapefruit League are:

• The Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball play spring training games at Al Lang Field in St. In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the Regular season. The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball franchise based in St Progress Energy Park (full name Progress Energy Park home of Al Lang Field) is a 7227 seat Baseball Stadium located on the Downtown Petersburg
• The New York Yankees of Major League Baseball play spring training games at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa
• The Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball play spring training games at Bright House Networks Field in Clearwater
• The Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball play spring training games at Knology Park in Dunedin

Minor League Baseball Florida State League (Single-A baseball) teams comprise:

• The Tampa Yankees: George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa
• The Clearwater Threshers: Bright House Networks Field in Clearwater
• The Dunedin Blue Jays: Knology Park in Dunedin

Other notable sporting events:

• The NCAA football Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium is held in Tampa each January. The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. George M Steinbrenner Field, formerly known as Legends Field, is a Baseball stadium located in Tampa Florida. The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Bright House Field (formerly Bright House Networks Field) is a Baseball stadium located in Clearwater Florida, in the United States The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Knology Park is a Baseball Field located in Dunedin Florida. The stadium was built in 1990 and holds 5509 people Part of the History of baseball series Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of Professional baseball leagues in North The Florida State League is a Class A Advanced Minor League Baseball league which operates in the state of Florida. The Tampa Yankees are a Minor league baseball team based in Tampa, Florida. George M Steinbrenner Field, formerly known as Legends Field, is a Baseball stadium located in Tampa Florida. The Clearwater Threshers are a Florida State League baseball team based in Clearwater Florida. Bright House Field (formerly Bright House Networks Field) is a Baseball stadium located in Clearwater Florida, in the United States The Dunedin Blue Jays are a Minor league baseball team based in Dunedin Florida. Knology Park is a Baseball Field located in Dunedin Florida. The stadium was built in 1990 and holds 5509 people The Outback Bowl is an annual College football Bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Florida. Raymond James Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa Florida.
• The USHRA holds an event every January at Raymond James Stadium. The United States Hot Rod Association ( USHRA) is an organization owned by Feld Entertainment that markets various motorsports History Raymond James Financial (NYSE-RJF is a Florida-based diversified holding company providing financial services to individuals corporations and municipalities through its

Economy

Service, retail, finance, insurance, and real estate play a vital role in the area's economy. Insurance, in Law and Economics, is a form of Risk management primarily used to hedge against the Risk of a contingent loss Real estate is a legal term (in some jurisdictions notably in the USA, United Kingdom ^[64] Hillsborough County alone has an estimated 740,000 employees, a figure which is projected to increase to 922,000 by 2015. ^[65] Many corporations, such as large banks and telecommunications companies, maintain regional offices in Tampa. Several Fortune 1000 companies are headquartered in the metropolitan area, based on 2007 rankings:^[66]

• OSI Restaurant Partners (the parent company of Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill, and Bonefish Grill) (Fortune 535)
• WellCare Health Plans, Inc. which provides national Medicare and Medicaid health plans (Fortune 551)
• TECO which provides energy for the surrounding area (Fortune 582)
• Walter Industries, a conglomorate with home building, financing, industrial products, coal and natural gas interests (fortune 634)
• Raymond James Financial, the namesake of Buccaneers home field Raymond James Stadium (Fortune 769)

City Hall in Downtown

Downtown Tampa is undergoing significant development and redevelopment in line with a general national trend toward urban residential development. Please do not add the complete list of fortune 1000 companies OSI Restaurant Partners LLC is a Hospitality company that owns several Casual dining restaurant chains Outback Steakhouse is an American Casual dining Restaurant chain based in Tampa Florida, with over 900 locations in 21 countries throughout Carrabba's Italian Grill is a chain of over 200 Italian-style restaurants in 27 US states Bonefish Grill is a seafood Restaurant chain that is owned and operated by OSI Restaurant Partners. TECO Energy Inc ( is an S&P 500 electrical power company located in Tampa, Florida. History Raymond James Financial (NYSE-RJF is a Florida-based diversified holding company providing financial services to individuals corporations and municipalities through its Raymond James Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa Florida. The Tampa Downtown Partnership notes development proceeding on 20 residential, hotel, and mixed-use projects as of April 2007. ^[67] Many of the new downtown developments are nearing completion in the midst of a housing market slump, which has caused numerous projects to be delayed or revamped,^[68] and some of the 20 projects TDP lists have not broken ground and are being refinanced. Nonetheless several developments are nearing completion, which city leaders hope will make downtown into a 24-hour neighborhood instead of 9 to 5 business district. 9 to 5 (see also Day job) is a phrase used to describe a conventional and possibly tedious job ^[69]

A cruise terminal in Channel District

Tampa's port is now the seventh largest in the nation and Florida’s largest tonnage port, handling nearly half of all seaborne commerce that passes through the state. Tampa currently ranks second in the state behind Miami in terms of cruise ship travel. Besides smaller regional cruise ships such as Yacht Starship and SunCruz Casino, Tampa also serves as a port of call for three cruise lines: Holland America's MS Veendam, Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas, and Carnival's Legend and Inspiration. ^[70]

The main server farm for Wikipedia and other Wikimedia Foundation projects is located in Tampa, with additional servers in Amsterdam and Seoul. A server farm or server cluster is a collection of Computer servers usually maintained by an enterprise to accomplish server needs far beyond the capability ***************************************************************************************** * * The Wikimedia Foundation Inc is a Non-profit charitable organization headquartered in San Francisco, California, United States, Amsterdam (pronounced) is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west Seoul ( soʊl is the Capital and largest City of South Korea. ^[71]

Government

Tampa is governed under the strong mayor form of government. The Mayor-Council government system sometimes called the Mayor-Commission government system is one of two variations of Government used for the most part in modern The Mayor of Tampa is the chief executive officer of city government. This is a list of mayors of Tampa Florida. Joseph B Lancaster (February 14 1856 - November 25 1856 died in office Darwin Austen Branch The City Council is a legislative body served by seven members, in which four are elected from specific areas of town and the other three are At-Large (serving citywide). The Tampa City Council, the legislative body of Tampa Florida, consists of seven members three of which are elected at large ^[72] Pam Iorio is the mayor of Tampa as of 2008. Family Iorio has been married to Mark Woodard assistant county administrator for Pinellas County, since 1987 (she did not take her husband's last name and they have

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 303,447 people, 124,758 households, and 71,236 families residing in the city. A census is the procedure of acquiring information about every member of a given population The population density was 2,707. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 8 people per square mile (1,045. 4/km²). There were 135,776 housing units at an average density of 1,211. 6/sq mi (467. 8/km²).

The racial makeup of the city was 46. 22% White (51. 0% White Non-Hispanic), 26. 07% Black or African American, 0. Black is the Color of objects that do not emit or Reflect Light in any part of the Visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of 38% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2. Alaska Natives are Indigenous peoples of the Americas native to the state of Alaska within the United States. 15% Asian, 0. 09% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 4. "Kanaka" redirects here For the Tamil actress see Kanaka (actress. 17% from other races, and 2. 92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19. 29% of the population.

There were 124,758 households out of which 27. 6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36. 4% were married couples living together, 16. NOTICE TO WOULD-BE ROMEOS ************** 1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42. 9% were non-families. 33. 7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10. 2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2. 36 and the average family size was 3. 07.

In the city the population was spread out with 24. 6% under the age of 18, 10. 0% from 18 to 24, 32. 3% from 25 to 44, 20. 5% from 45 to 64, and 12. 5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34. 7 years old. For every 100 females there were 95. 3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92. 1 males.

In 2006, the median income for a household in the city was $39,602, and the median income for a family was $45,823. Males had a median income of $40,461 versus $29,868 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,522. Per capita income means how much each individual receives in monetary terms of the yearly income generated in the country 20. 1% of the population and 16. 4% 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 31% of those under the age of 18 and 13. 6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty level.

As of 2000, English spoken as a first language accounted for 77. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States A first language (also mother tongue, native language, arterial language, or L1) is the language a human being learns from birth 43% of all residents, while 22. 56% spoke other languages as their mother tongue. A first language (also mother tongue, native language, arterial language, or L1) is the language a human being learns from birth The most significant was Spanish speakers who made up 17. 76% of the population, while French came up as the third most spoken language, which made up 0. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people 63%, and Italian was at fourth, with 0. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. 56% of the population. ^[73]

A 2006 study by UCLA suggests that Tampa has one of the highest GLBT populations per capita with 6. The University of California Los Angeles (generally known as UCLA) is a public research university located in Westwood Los Angeles, California, United LGBT (also GLBT) is an initialism referring collectively to Lesbian, Gay, bisexual, and Transgender / transsexual 1% of citizens polled identifying as gay, lesbian, or bisexual. The Tampa Bay metropolitan area also ranks 5th of all major metropolitan areas with 5. 9% being GLBT^[74].

Education

Colleges and Universities

University of Tampa

University of South Florida, is located in Tampa, within close proximity to the city of Temple Terrace and Busch Gardens Africa. The University of Tampa, or UT, is a private co-educational university in downtown Tampa Florida. The University of South Florida ( USF) known within its system as USF Tampa, is a public research University system located in Tampa, Florida Temple Terrace is a city in north-central Hillsborough County Florida. Busch Gardens Africa (also known as Busch Gardens Tampa Bay) is a 335 acre 19th century African-themed park located in Tampa Florida. It is currently ninth in the nation in terms of enrolled students, with a total of 44,891 students for the 2007 academic year. Its mascot is the bull, with green and gold as its colors.

University of Tampa, located across the Hillsborough River from Downtown Tampa, is a private, co-educational university. The University of Tampa, or UT, is a private co-educational university in downtown Tampa Florida. There are at least two Rivers named the Hillsborough River: Hillsborough River (Florida, which flows through Tampa Hillsborough It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools ( SACS) is a regional Educational accreditation agency for over 13000 public and private educational institutions UT has over 5,500 students attending. Its mascot is the Spartan, with scarlet, black, and gold as its school colors. Spartan may refer to pertaining to Sparta Spartan hoplite, heavy infantryman in the Spartan army Spartan Black is the Color of objects that do not emit or Reflect Light in any part of the Visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79

Other colleges and universities

• Florida Metropolitan University
• Hillsborough Community College (Multiple locations)
• Southwest Florida College
• Stetson University
• Strayer University
• The Art Institute
• South University (satellite campus in Tampa)
• Tampa

Public Education

Further information: Hillsborough County Public Schools

Henry B. Plant High School

Public primary and secondary education is operated by Hillsborough County Public Schools, officially known as the School District of Hillsborough County (SDHC). 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 Hillsborough Community College ( HCC) is a two-year Community college, located in Hillsborough County Florida. Stetson University is an independent private co-educational liberal arts University that consistently earns high rankings in national college guides Strayer University, formerly Strayer College of Washington DC This article is about the chain of for-profit art schools For the stand-alone art college in Boston see The Art Institute of Boston; for the stand-alone art college in South University is a private university based in Savannah, Georgia. Hillsborough County Public Schools Florida is a School district headquartered in Tampa, Florida. HB Plant High School was opened in 1926 on South Himes Avenue in Tampa Florida. Hillsborough County Public Schools Florida is a School district headquartered in Tampa, Florida. It is ranked the eighth largest school district in the United States, with around 189,469 enrolled students. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the SDHC runs 206 schools, 133 being elementary, 42 middle, 25 High Schools, 2 K-8's, and 4 Career centers. There are 73 additional schools in the district that are charter, ESE, alternative, etc. 12 out of 25 High schools in the SDHC are included in Newsweek's list of America's Best High Schools. Newsweek is an American weekly Newsmagazine published in New York City.

Libraries

Tampa's library system is operated by the Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library System. THPLS operates 28 libraries throughout Tampa and Hillsborough County, including the John F. Germany Main Library in Downtown Tampa. The Tampa library system first started in the early 1900s, with the West Tampa Library, which was made possible with funds donated by Andrew Carnegie. Andrew Carnegie (properly kɑrˈneɪgi but commonly /ˈkɑrnɨgi/ or /kɑrˈnɛgi/ (25 November 1835 – 11 August 1919 was a Scottish -born American Industrialist

Infrastructure

Roads

Channelside Drive near Downtown

Three motor vehicle bridges cross Tampa Bay to Pinellas County: the Howard Frankland Bridge (I-275), the Courtney Campbell Causeway (SR-60) and the Gandy Bridge (US 92). A bridge is a Structure built to span a Gorge, Valley, Road, railroad track, River, Body of water Tampa Bay is a large natural Harbor and Estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the western coast of Florida, comprising Old Tampa Bay Pinellas County is a county located in the US state of Florida. The Howard Frankland Bridge carries Interstate 275 over Old Tampa Bay. Interstate 275 (I-275 in Florida serves the Tampa Bay Metropolitan area. The Courtney Campbell Causeway is the northernmost bridge across Old Tampa Bay, carrying State Road 60 between Clearwater and Tampa. Memorial Causeway Bridgejpg|thumb|Memorial Causeway Bridge looking left from under the bridge toward Clearwater Beach The Gandy Bridge spans Tampa Bay from St Petersburg Florida, USA to Tampa Florida. US Route 92 is a 177 mile (285 km intrastate US Route in the U The old Gandy Bridge was completely replaced by new spans during the 1990s, but a span of the old bridge was saved and converted into a pedestrian and biking bridge renamed The Friendship Trail. It is the longest overwater recreation trail in the world. ^[75]

There are two major expressways bringing traffic in and out of Tampa. The Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway (SR-618) (also known as the Crosstown Expressway), connects to downtown Tampa from suburban Brandon as its eastern terminus and neighborhoods in South Tampa (near MacDill Air Force Base) as its western terminus. The Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway is a fifteen-mile limited access Toll road in Hillsborough County Florida, It connects the bedroom community of Brandon is an unincorporated Census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, in the United States. MacDill Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base under the claimancy of the Air Mobility Command ( AMC) The Veterans Expressway (SR-589), meanwhile connects Tampa International Airport and the bay bridges to the northwestern suburbs as Carrollwood, Northdale, and near Land O' Lakes. The Veterans Expressway and Suncoast Parkway ( State Road 589) is a north-south Toll road near the Florida Gulf Coast. Tampa International Airport is a public Airport located six miles (10 km) west of the Central business district of Tampa, in Hillsborough Carrollwood is a unincorporated planned community in northwest Hillsborough County Florida. Greater Northdale is an unincorporated Census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. Land O' Lakes is a Census-designated place (CDP in Pasco County, Florida, in the United States.

Three interstate highways run through the city. The Dwight D Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly called the Interstate Highway System (or simply the Interstate System) Interstate 4 and Interstate 275 cut across the city and intersect near downtown. Interstate 4 (I-4 is a 13230-mile (21291 km intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the state of Florida, United States. Interstate 275 (I-275 in Florida serves the Tampa Bay Metropolitan area. Interstate 75 runs along the east side of town for much of its route through Hillsborough County until veering to the west to bisect New Tampa. Interstate 75 is one of the interstate highways in the midwest and southeastern United States and the primary north-south interstate highway along the west coast and southern Hillsborough County is the name of two counties in the United States: Hillsborough County Florida, including Tampa Hillsborough County

Along with highways, major surface roads serves as main arteries of the city. These roads are Hillsborough Avenue, Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, Dale Mabry Highway, Busch Boulevard, Nebraska Avenue, Kennedy Boulevard, Adamo Drive, and Dr. Hillsborough Avenue is a major east-west Arterial Road in Hillsborough County Florida, also designated as State Road 580, U Bruce B Downs Boulevard is a major north-south Arterial Road in Hillsborough County Florida, also designated as State Road 581 or Dale Mabry Highway is a north-south road in Tampa Florida. The majority of its length consists of three lanes each direction plus a central turn-lane and often includes US Route 41 is a north-south United States Highway that runs from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to Miami Florida. Memorial Causeway Bridgejpg|thumb|Memorial Causeway Bridge looking left from under the bridge toward Clearwater Beach Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Airports

Tampa International Airport. Tampa International Airport is a public Airport located six miles (10 km) west of the Central business district of Tampa, in Hillsborough

Tampa has a long history of air travel. Just ten years after the historic first flight by the Wright Brothers in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the St. Petersburg Tampa Bay Airboat Line of Tony Jannus became the first passenger airline in the world. The first flight was on January 1, 1914. The airline flew from roughly what is now St. Petersburg Clearwater International Airport in St. Petersburg, Florida, across the bay to just south of where Tampa International Airport sits today. There is a memorial in Tampa International Airport commemorating this event. Tampa International Airport is a public Airport located six miles (10 km) west of the Central business district of Tampa, in Hillsborough Also for this reason, nearby St. Petersburg has earned the distinction as the "Birthplace of Scheduled Air Transportation".

• Tampa International Airport (IATA: TPA, ICAO: KTPA) is the city's main airport and, as of 2005, is ranked as the 27th-busiest in the US. Tampa International Airport is a public Airport located six miles (10 km) west of the Central business district of Tampa, in Hillsborough An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier, is a three-letter code designating many The ICAO (ˌaɪˌkeɪˈoʊ Airport code or location indicator is a four-letter Alphanumeric Code designating each airport around ^[76] In March 2003, Condé Nast Traveler magazine ranked the airport #1 in the US and #3 in the world for its creativity and interior design. Condé Nast Traveler is an American Magazine published by Condé Nast Publications, started in 1987 and specializing in luxury ^[77]
• Peter O. Knight Airport (IATA: TPF, ICAO: KTPF)is a small general aviation terminal located on Davis Islands near downtown. Peter O Knight Airport is an Airport on Davis Island, five minutes from downtown Tampa Florida. An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier, is a three-letter code designating many The ICAO (ˌaɪˌkeɪˈoʊ Airport code or location indicator is a four-letter Alphanumeric Code designating each airport around
• Vandenberg Airport (IATA: VDF, ICAO: KVDF) is another option for general aviation fliers. Vandenberg Airport, located in unincorporated Hillsborough County, Florida 6 mi (10 km east of Tampa, is a General aviation Airport An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier, is a three-letter code designating many The ICAO (ˌaɪˌkeɪˈoʊ Airport code or location indicator is a four-letter Alphanumeric Code designating each airport around
• St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport (IATA: PIE, ICAO: KPIE) is across the bay and offers another option for air travelers. St Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport is a joint civil-military Airport located in unincorporated Pinellas County Florida, six miles (10 km north An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier, is a three-letter code designating many The ICAO (ˌaɪˌkeɪˈoʊ Airport code or location indicator is a four-letter Alphanumeric Code designating each airport around

Train stations

Amtrak services Tampa via the Tampa Union Train Station, located in a historic building near the port between downtown and Ybor City. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Doing business as Amtrak, is a Government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971

Seaports

Since Tampa Bay was first spotted by Spanish explorers in the 1500s, sailors have admired its wide, sheltered beauty. However, its shallow nature has always presented a navigability problem; the bay is less than 30 feet (9. 1 m) deep almost everywhere and considerably less than that in many places near the coast, including the approach to the small town of Tampa. ^[78]. By the late 1800s, typical cargo ships had grown large enough that they were not able to navigate upper Tampa Bay and reach the ports of Tampa at all.

In 1899, however, the US Congress authorized the dredging of a 27' deep channel to Port Tampa, Henry Plant's rail-to-ship facility just west of Tampa. In 1917, another channel was dredged out to the Port of Tampa proper, instantly making Tampa an important shipping location. The Port of Tampa is located on the western coast or Suncoast of Florida, approximately 25 miles from open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. ^[79]

The bay bottom is very sandy, and the ship channels need constant dredging to keep them navigable to the largest modern cargo ships. Every year, the US Army Corps of Engineers dredge up enough sediment from the bay to fill Raymond James Stadium 10 times. The United States Army Corps of Engineers ( USACE) is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 34600 Civilian and 650 Military personnel Raymond James Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa Florida. ^[80]

Today, the Port of Tampa is the largest port in Florida in throughput tonnage, making it one of the busiest commercial ports in North America. ^[81] Traditionally, the largest bulk of shipments passing through the port have been phosphate and related materials, but petroleum products recently took over the mantle with an annual tonnage of over 19 million tons. ^[82]

Several cruise ships also make use of the Port of Tampa. A 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 Tampa's cruise ship terminals, located in the Channel District, are home to several Carnival Cruise Lines ships which regularly depart on Mexican and Caribbean sailings. Channelside is a district just east of Downtown Tampa, Florida, USA. Carnival Cruise Lines is a Cruise line operating a large number of Cruise ships.

Mass transit

HART logo

The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) operates streetcars as well as the bus system. Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (also known as the Hillsborough Transit Authority ( HART) provides public transportation for Hillsborough County A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train HART has a signed transit deal with the University of South Florida, allowing students to ride for free on most bus routes. The University of South Florida ( USF) known within its system as USF Tampa, is a public research University system located in Tampa, Florida ^[83] In addition, students from several other colleges and universities can purchases passes at half price from their school. ^[84]

A TECO streetcar picking up passengers in Ybor City. Ybor City (ˈiːbɔr (EE-borh is a historic neighborhood in Tampa Florida, located just northeast of downtown; it is also known as Tampa's Latin Quarter

The TECO Line Streetcar System, which links Ybor City, the Channel District and Downtown Tampa, began operating on Saturday, October 19, 2002. The TECO Line Streetcar System is a Streetcar line in Tampa Florida, run by the Hillsborough Area Regional Transportation Authority and managed by Ybor City (ˈiːbɔr (EE-borh is a historic neighborhood in Tampa Florida, located just northeast of downtown; it is also known as Tampa's Latin Quarter Channelside is a district just east of Downtown Tampa, Florida, USA. Downtown Tampa, is the Central business district of Tampa, Florida and the chief financial district of the Tampa Bay Area. Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Despite the system's limited reach and comparatively slow speed (about 10-15 mph), the air-conditioned cars do offer a nostalgic method of getting around in far greater comfort than was possible a century ago. The line is intentionally reminiscent of Tampa's extensive early twentieth-century streetcar network, albeit much smaller in scope at present (2007). Currently, the line has 10 stops along its 2. 4 mile (3. 9 km) route. ^[85]

On July 1, 2007, an intermodal transportation authority was created to serve the seven county Tampa Bay area. "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Tampa Bay Area, or Tampa Bay, after the body of water it surrounds is the second most populated metropolitan region in the state of Florida, the The Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority (TBARTA) was formed to develop bus, rapid transit, and other transportation options for the region. The Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority, or TBARTA, is a Transportation agency of the U A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway

MacDill Air Force Base

Main article: MacDill Air Force Base

MacDill Air Force Base, located in south Tampa, was constructed as MacDill Field just prior to World Wra II. MacDill Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base under the claimancy of the Air Mobility Command ( AMC) During the 1950s and 1960s, it was a Strategic Air Command base for B-47 and B-52 bombers. The Strategic Air Command (SAC was both a major command and a "specified command" in the U WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout In the 1960s, it transitioned to a Tactical Air Command installation for F-4 Phantom II fighters, followed by F-16s in the 1980s. Tactical Air Command (TAC it an inactive United States Air Force organization It is currently an Air Mobility Command installation, home to the 6th Air Mobility Wing, and includes both the 310th Airlift Squadron, flying the C-37, and the 91st Air Refueling Squadron, flying the KC-135. Air Mobility Command (AMC is a Major Command (MAJCOM of the U The United States Air Force 's 6th Air Mobility Wing (6 AMW is the host wing for MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout MacDill AFB is also home to the headquarters for two of the U. S. military's joint warfighting commands: Headquarters, United States Central Command (CENTCOM), and Headquarters, United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM). The United States Central Command ( USCENTCOM) is a theater -level Unified Combatant Command unit of the U The United States Special Operations Command ( USSOCOM or SOCOM) is the Unified Combatant Command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations Both commands are independent from one another and each is commanded by a respective 4-star general or admiral. Like Tampa's seaport, MacDill AFB could also potentially be a target for terrorism.

The MacDill AFB flight line was temporarily closed and the 56th Fighter Wing transferred to Luke AFB, Arizona following the 1991 round of base closings under the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) discussions; at the time, the base was used for F-16 fighter training and operations and increasing level of civilian air traffic in the Tampa Bay area was considered detrimental to training. The United States Air Force 56th Fighter Wing (56 FW is the host wing for Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. Luke Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located seven miles (11 km west of the Central business district of Glendale, in Maricopa County The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. Base Realignment and Closure (or BRAC) is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed The noise produced by the fighter aircraft was also considered inappropriate in a densely populated area. However, despite committee recommendations, the base remained open to house and support CENTCOM and SOCOM under the cognizance of the newly-activated 6th Air Base Wing. With the disestablishment of Tactical Air Command a few months later, claimancy for MacDill passed to the newly-created Air Combat Command. Air Combat Command ( ACC) is a major command (MAJCOM of the United States Air Force.

The MacDill flight line was initially reopened in 1992 to temporarily support F-16 aircraft from the 31st Fighter Wing and the Air Force Reserve's 482d Fighter Wing, following the destruction of their home station, Homestead AFB, Florida in the wake of Hurricane Andrew. The 31st Fighter Wing ( 31 FW) is a wing of the United States Air Force stationed at Aviano Air Base in Italy. The Air Force Reserve Command ( AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM of the U The 482d Fighter Wing ( 482 FW) is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida. Hurricane Andrew is the second most powerful and the last of three Category 5 hurricanes that made U In 1993, the MacDill flightline was permanently reopened for NOAA WP-3D "hurricane hunter" operations, which had relocated from Miami International Airport. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA) is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the Miami International Airport is a public Airport located eight miles (13 km) northwest of the Central business district of Miami, in unincorporated

In 1996, the 91st Air Refueling Squadron moved to MacDill from Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, the 6th Air Base Wing was renamed the 6th Air Refueling Wing (later 6th Air Mobility Wing) and the installation officially came under the Air Mobility Command. Malmstrom Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base and Census-designated place (CDP in Cascade County, Montana, United States Montana ( is a state in the Western United States. One-third of the state in the western part contains numerous mountain ranges (approximately 77 named of the northern Air Mobility Command (AMC is a Major Command (MAJCOM of the U

Approximately 14,000 people work at MacDill Air Force Base, with a significant number of military personnel and their families living on base in military housing, while remaining servicemembers and military families live off base in the Tampa Bay area. MacDill AFB is a significant contributor to Tampa's economy and the city is very supportive of the military community. In 2001 and 2003, the Tampa Bay area was awarded the Abilene Trophy, which annually honors the most supportive Air Force city in Air Mobility Command. See also ''Abilene Chamber of Commerce'' Air Mobility Command Air Mobility Command (AMC is a Major Command (MAJCOM of the U

MacDill also hosts an annual air show that is enjoyed by thousands of spectators each year. However, there were no shows in 2002 and 2003 due to 9/11. ^[86] The 2006 show was also canceled due to security concerns on base. ^[87]

Sister cities

See also: List of sister cities in Florida

Tampa has formallized sister city agreements with the following cities:^[88]

See also

• Neighborhoods in Tampa
• Famous people from Tampa, Florida
• Mayors of Tampa, Florida
• International Arts and Film Foundation (IAFF Official Site)
• United States cities by population
• Largest metropolitan areas in the Americas
• Metropolis

References

Further reading

• Brown, Cantor. Tampa Before the Civil War. University Press of Florida. The University Press of Florida is the scholarly publishing arm of the State University System of Florida representing all eleven universities and is charged by the Florida
• Deitche, Scott M. Cigar City Mafia : A Complete History of the Tampa Underworld (2004), Barricade Books ISBN 1-56980-266-1.
• Lastra, Frank. Ybor City: The Making of a Landmark Town. 2006. University of Tampa Press.
• Stewart, George R. Names on the Land, Houghton Mifflin Company: Boston (1967). George Rippey Stewart ( May 31, 1895 – August 22, 1980) was an American Toponymist, a novelist and a professor of English Houghton Mifflin Company is a leading educational Publisher in the United States.

External links

• City of Tampa Web site
• Tampa Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Tampa Chamber of Commerce
• Tampa Bay History Center
• Tampa-Hillsborough County Storytelling Festival

• Tampa, Florida is at coordinates 27°58′15″N 82°27′53″W / 27.970898, -82.46464 (Tampa, Florida)Coordinates: 27°58′15″N 82°27′53″W / 27.970898, -82.46464 (Tampa, Florida)