I.

Introduction

Tampa, city on the west coast of Florida, seat of Hillsborough County. It is the central city of the Tampa-Saint Petersburg-Clearwater metropolitan area focused around Tampa Bay. Tampa is a major industrial center and seaport, and since 1980 the city and its surrounding metropolitan region have become one of Florida’s most important hubs of commerce and finance.

Tampa lies at the mouth of the Hillsborough River at the head of Tampa Bay, the largest inlet of the Gulf of Mexico on the Florida Peninsula. Tampa is often associated with Saint Petersburg, which lies across the bay to the southwest. However, Tampa’s focus on industry and business distinguishes it from its sister city, a leading tourist destination.

Tampa’s climate is humid subtropical. Its weather, moderated by the Gulf of Mexico, is characterized by generally pleasant temperatures, although winter freezes occasionally occur. Average high temperature in January is 21°C (70°F) and the average low is 10°C (50°F); the average high in July is 32°C (90°F) and the average low is 24°C (75°F). Tampa annually receives 1,140 mm (45 in) of precipitation; most rain falls from June through September in late afternoon thunderstorms. In fact, the Tampa Bay area experiences more days of thunderstorms each year than any other location in the United States. The frequent thunderstorms gave the city its name: Tampa is derived from a Calusa Native American word meaning “lightning.”