June 11, 2003
How Has the State Changed?
The emergence of the Orlando metro area after 1960 changed the economic structure of Florida. Before the 1960s the state’s regions were divided into two vertical regions, East Coast and West Coast. South Florida was centered around Miami; the western part of Central Florida, centered around Tampa and north Florida, centered around Jacksonville. Two forces, including the rapid rise of the Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and the construction of interstate highways, divided the state’s economic centers horizontally. The state is now divided into three horizontal regions: South, Central and North; Central Florida has two large MSAs, Tampa and Orlando. Central Florida is now the economic engine of the state.
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