Fort Lauderdale is situated on the Atlantic coastline in the state of Florida. According to the Census of the year 2010, the city of Fort Lauderdale had a population of 165,521. Fort Lauderdale is the county seat of Broward County. In addition, it is a principal city of the South Florida Metropolitan Area. The 2010 Census listed the area as being home to 5,564,635 residents.
With more than 10.35 million tourists each year, the city of Fort Lauderdale is a popular tourist location. The city of Fort Lauderdale has been nicknamed the "Venice of America," due to its intricate and expansive canal system. The city is home to a huge yachting center. During 2006, there were 100 marinas together with 42,000 resident yachts. The city of Fort Lauderdale is situated 23 miles or 37 kms north of Miami. In the year 2006, the city of Fort Lauderdale and its surrounding area had over 4,000 restaurants and more than 120 nightclubs.
The name of the city is taken from a series of forts that were built in the Second Seminole War. These forts assumed the name of Fort Lauderdale from Major William Lauderdale, who was a commander of the soldiers who built the very first fort. The development of the city of Fort Lauderdale did not begin until 50 years after the forts were abandoned to end the conflict. Originally, 3 forts called "Fort Lauderdale," were constructed. The first one was at the fork of the New River. The 2nd fort was located at Tarpon Bend on the New River between the Rio Vista and the Colee Hammock neighborhoods. The 3rd fort was built near the Bahia Mar Marina.
The first inhabitants within the region were the Seminole Indians. In the 2nd Seminole War, New River Fort was built in the year 1838, at the location of the current Fort Lauderdale. In the year 1893, the first trading post was built in a home that served additionally as the bank, town hall and the very first post office. During the year 1911, Fort Lauderdale was officially incorporated as a town.
The economy of the city of Fort Lauderdale is mostly reliant on tourism. The city has had a reputation as a top location as a spring break destination from the late 1940s all through the 1980s. A lot of the tourism within the city of Fort Lauderdale is derived from nautical recreation and cruise ships. These days, the city of Fort Lauderdale attracts a more affluent and sophisticated crowd and is less dependent on the college atmosphere.
Fort Lauderdale serves as a key centre for the maintenance and manufacture of yachts. The county provides more than 109,000 jobs in the boating business alone. With the city's nearness to the Bahamas and the Caribbean, along with its many canals, Fort Lauderdale has become a famous yachting and vacation stop. The 3rd biggest boat show in the world, the yearly Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show is a popular event that brings more than 125,000 visitors to the area on an annual basis.