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Tampa is situated on the west coast of Florida and is about 200 miles northwest of the better-known Miami. Its growth was fueled by its harbor and the Hillsborough River. Tampa is a new city dating back to 1824 when its first American settlers arrived. Within months the U.S. army established a fort to protect the strategically important harbor. In 1886 a Vincente Martinez Ybor established a cigar factory - which became famous for its tobacco products created with the help of many Cuban immigrants drawn to the area. This led to the development of a thriving Latin quarter that is now known as Ybor city and is a popular tourist destination. The discovery of sponges off the coast fueled a wave of Greek immigrants who had experience in sponge fishing. The Greek community has burgeoned so much that Greece has created a consulate in the city. Such developments has ensured that the city has a thriving ethnic base which in turn has led to the development of a myriad of ethnic eating establishments. The location of the city in one of the U.S.'s sunnier states has led to the development of a thriving year-round tourist industry (be aware of the regular spectacular, and refreshing rain drenched thunderstorms). Attractions are typically outdoors in nature and comprise everything from adventure parks to well serviced beaches. Visitors may opt to view sponge diving, take up sky diving (with qualified instructors) or perhaps check out the county's wide variety of animal and marine life. Tampa is also located in a sports mad country and is an ideal opportunity to check out many of the well attended spectator sports - experience the adrenalin of a stock car rally, eat a hot dog at one of America's great sporting institution - the baseball game. Tampa has also ambitions of being a major 'City of the Arts.' The drive is partially economic in nature - the arts are seen as a vibrant method of attracting investment but also as a way of enriching the lives of tourists and residents by creating a city that is pleasant to live in. If you include film, radio, advertising, design n the arts category, then Tampa has well over 4000 arts businesses. The result of so much activity has seen the growth of many public sculptures, arts, theatre and comedy clubs, while Ybor city has developed a thriving cultural scene. |