Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale is an important city in Florida, in the South Eastern portion of the state. It is the main city in Broward County. According to the 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city had an approximate population of 183,606 people. It is part of the South Florida metropolitan area, which stretches from Miami on the South and North to Palm Beach County. The metro area is home to over 5.4 million people.

Fort Lauderdale is an extremely popular tourist destination, they city had more than 10 million visitors in 2006. Fort Lauderdale is sometimes called the “Venice of America” because of its abundence of canals that run throughout the city. The city is a major yachting center, with over 42,000 yachts and 100 marinas and boatyards. Fort Lauderdale is a major cruise port with numerous cruise ships deparing from the Fort Lauderdale Port.

Fort Lauderdale is 23 miles north of Miami, Florida. Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding area has over 4100 restaurants and 120 nightclubs.

Fort Lauderdale is named after a series of forts built by the United States during the Second Seminole War. The forts got their name from Major William Lauderdale, who was the commander of the detachment of soldiers who built the first fort. However, development of the city did not begin until 50 years after the forts were abandoned at the end of the conflict. Three forts named “Fort Lauderdale” were constructed; the first was at the fork of the New River, the second at Tarpon Bend, in what is now known as the Sailboat Bend neighborhood, and the third near the site of the Bahia Mar Marina.