Orlando, Florida
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the city in the state of Florida. There are other meanings of the word "Orlando" listed here: Orlando (disambiguation)
Orlando is a large city in the center of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the city of government for Orange County. It contains 199,336 people as of 2004. It is number six among cities in Florida by number of people. The current mayor, or leader, of Orlando is Buddy Dyer.
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[edit] History
Orlando was created in 1836 when someone found a tree where the name "Orlando Reeves" was carved. Thinking it was a place of burial, they named the site "Orlando's grave". It was cut to Orlando later.
Before the American Civil War, Orlando was a center of trade in cattle. After the war, many people came to the town. Orlando became a city in 1875. Before 1900, Orlando was a center of orange farming. After 1900, it became a popular place for visitors.
Orlando was an important base for the military during World War II, as home of Pinecastle Army Air Field. Lockheed Martin (once Martin Marietta) opened a manufacturing site in Orlando in 1956.
In 1965, Walt Disney said that he would build a large amusement park southwest of the city. That place, Walt Disney World Resort, opened in 1971. Other amusement parks would open after it, like SeaWorld (1973) and Universal Orlando (1990). Orlando is now very popular as a tourism city, attracting millions of visitors each year from every place in the world.
Three hurricanes moved over Orlando in 2004, causing billions of U.S. dollars of damage.
[edit] Weather
Orlando is hot during the summer and mild during the winter. Summer high temperatures are usually near 90°F. Winter high temperatures move from 60°F to 80°F. It is very hot. Rain falls often from June through September. Snow never falls in Orlando.
[edit] Transport
A major road in Orlando is Interstate 4. Another major road is State Road 408. They meet downtown. Florida's Turnpike also meets Interstate 4 southwest of the city.
Orlando International Airport is one of the biggest airports in the United States.
Amtrak trains and Greyhound buses also go to Orlando.
[edit] Sport
The Orlando Magic are a basketball team with the NBA in Orlando. They play at TD Waterhouse Centre.
The Orlando Predators are an arena football team with the Arena Football League in Orlando. They play at the TD Waterhouse Centre.
