Florida is a state located in the Southeastern and South Atlantic regions of the United States. It occupies a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, bordering Alabama to the northwest, Georgia to the north, and The Bahamas to the southeast. Spanning 65,758 square miles, it ranks 22nd in area among the states and is the only state that borders both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.
The state possesses the longest coastline in the contiguous United States, spanning approximately 1,350 miles. With a population exceeding 23 million, Florida is the third-most populous state in the country. Major population centers include the Miami metropolitan area—the state's largest metro area—as well as Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, Orlando, Cape Coral, and the state capital of Tallahassee.