Facts About Tampa
- Tampa is located on Florida’s west coast and is the third-largest city in the state, after Jacksonville and Miami.
- The city is known for its pleasant weather and is also known as the “Sunshine City” or the “Cigar City.”
- Tampa used to manufacture Cuban cigars. Many people associate Cuban cigars with the island nation of Cuba. However, for many years, Tampa’s Ybor City was home to the world’s largest cigar factory. There is still one small cigar factory in operation today. So, if you’re in Tampa, don’t pass up the opportunity to buy a few hand-rolled cigars for your friends.
- The world-famous Busch Gardens theme park, which combines thrilling rides with a zoo with over 2,000 animals, is located in Tampa.
- The city is also well-known for its annual Gasparilla Pirate Festival, which honours the legend of José Gaspar, a fictitious pirate who allegedly operated in the Tampa Bay area during the 18th and 19th centuries.
- On March 3, 1845, Florida became the 27th state. Tampa was officially incorporated on January 18, 1849, as the “Village of Tampa.” On December 15, 1855, Tampa was reincorporated as a town.
- Tampa is one of the largest ports in the United States, and it is vital to the shipping industry. It transports a wide range of commodities, including petroleum, phosphate, and citrus fruits.
- With over 50,000 students, the University of South Florida in Tampa is one of the largest universities in the United States.
- Tampa is home to several professional sports teams, including the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, and the MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays.
- The city has a rich Cuban heritage, and Ybor City, a historic neighbourhood, was once known as the “Cigar Capital of the World” due to its thriving cigar industry in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
- People from Tampa are generally known as “Tampans”, “Tampanians”, or “Tampeños”.
- Tampa is also well-known for its thriving arts and culture scene. The Tampa Museum of Art, the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, and the Henry B. Plant Museum are among the city’s museums.
- The city has a total area of 175.3 square miles, of which 113.4 square miles is land and 61.8 square miles is water. The city’s highest point is only 48 feet above sea level.
- The birthplace of commercial aviation in the United States is Tampa. Tony Jannus piloted the first scheduled commercial airline flight from St. Petersburg to Tampa in 1914.
- The Columbia Restaurant, the world’s largest Spanish restaurant, is located in the Tampa Bay area. It first opened in Ybor City in 1905 and is still in business today.
- Tampa has formalized sister city agreements with Agrigento, Italy; Ashdod, Israel; Barranquilla, Colombia; Boca del Río, Mexico; Le Havre, France; Heraklion, Greece; İzmir, Turkey; Lanzhou, China; Oviedo, Spain; Porto Alegre, Brazil; South Dublin County, Ireland & Veracruz, Mexico.
- Tampa’s population is diverse, with a strong Cuban influence. The neighbourhood is well-known for its delectable Cuban sandwiches and authentic Cuban coffee.
- The iconic Tampa Theatre, which opened in 1926, is a historic movie palace that is still in operation today. It’s famous for its stunning architecture, which includes a Mediterranean courtyard and a ceiling covered in twinkling stars.
- J.C. Newman Cigar Company, one of the world’s largest cigar manufacturers, is headquartered in Tampa. Since 1895, the company has been producing cigars in Tampa and is still family-owned and operated.
- The Tampa Bay area is a major military hub. The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) and the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) are based at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.
