History of Orlando, Florida
Orlando is the county seat of Orange County, Florida. According to the United States 2000 census the city population was 185,951. A 2006 U.S. Census population count gave the city population as 224,223 making it the sixth largest city in Florida. It is also the principal city of Orlando-Kissimmee, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Orlando-Kissimmee MSA is Florida's third-largest metropolitan area, behind Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach and Tampa Bay Area Petersburg-Clearwater.
The city is best known for the many tourist attractions in the area, in particular the nearby Walt Disney World Resort, which is located in Lake Buena Vista, FL (outside Orlando city limits). Other notable area attractions include SeaWorld and Universal Orlando Resort. The region sees an estimated 52 million tourists a year. Orlando is the second largest city in the country for number of hotel rooms and a one of the busiest American cities for conferences and conventions, with the Orange County Convention Center the country's third largest in square footage. It is also known for its wide array of golf courses, with numerous courses available for any level of golfer. Despite being far from the main tourist attractions, downtown Orlando is undergoing major redevelopment with a number of residential and commercial towers. Talks are currently underway to build a new performing arts center, Orlando Arena, and a refurbishment of the Florida Citrus Bowl. Its symbol is the fountain of Lake Eola. The current mayor is Buddy Dyer.
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