Tampa

Tampa, city, Florida, United States. The city is a major seaport serving a region in which cattle, citrus fruits, vegetables, and phosphates are produced. It is also a commercial, financial, and service centre and is one of Florida's leading manufacturing centres; products include processed foods, electronic components, printed materials, communications equipment, and construction materials. A large shrimp fleet is based in the port. Because of its subtropical climate, Tampa is a winter resort and retirement centre; it has many beaches and parks. The city is served by an international airport and is the seat of the University of Tampa (1931), Tampa College (1890), and the University of South Florida (1956). Of interest is Ybor City (laid out in 1885), the picturesque Latin quarter where the cigar industry was located. The city has a variety of performing arts organizations and several museums. Also located here are Busch Gardens and Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers American football team.

Tampa Bay was explored by the Spanish soldier Pánfilo de Narváez in 1528. The site, however, was not settled until 1823, when a plantation was established. Fort Brooke was built here the next year. Growth of the community was spurred by the discovery of phosphates in 1883, the arrival of the railway in 1885, and the establishment of the cigar-making industry in 1886. During the Spanish-American War the city was an army training camp and was the embarkation point for Cuba of Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders. In 1953, the city greatly increased its area and population by the incorporation of surrounding suburbs. The name Tampa is probably derived from a Caloosa Native American term meaning “sticks of fire”. Population 325,989 (2005 estimate).