Each WEEK Metro Orlando welcomes an estimates ...

... $564.9 million in retail sales
... 1,249 new adult residents
... 640,935 air travellers
... 654 residential building permits
... 34 new businesses establishing
... 756 new jobs
... 917,289 visitors
Source: Orlando Sentinel Communications, 2005 Datebook 

Some historians date Orlando's name to around 1836 when a soldier named Orlando Reeves allegedly died in the area, during the war against the Seminole Indian tribe. It seems, however, that Orlando Reeves (sometimes Rees) operated a sugar mill and plantation about 30 miles (50 km) to the north at Spring Garden in Volusia County, and pioneer settlers simply found his name carved into a tree and assumed it was a marker for his grave site. They then referred to the area as "Orlando's grave" and later simply "Orlando."

The city of Orlando is a major city in central Florida and the county seat of Orange County, Florida. According to the 2000 census, the city population was 185,951. A 2006 U.S. Census population estimate gave the city population as 220,186 [1], making it the sixth largest city in Florida. It is also the principal city of Greater Orlando. The Orlando-Kissimmee MSA is Florida's third-largest metropolitan area, behind Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater. Orlando is also home to the University of Central Florida, which is the second largest university in Florida and has the 6th largest campus in the nation.

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 about 20 miles (32 km) south of Orlando city limits via Interstate 4. Other notable area attractions include SeaWorld and Universal Orlando Resort. The region sees an estimated 52 million tourists a year. Orlando has the second largest number of hotel rooms in the country (after Las Vegas, Nevada), and is one of the busiest American cities for conferences and conventions with the Orange County Convention Center, the country's second 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 several miles away from the main tourist attractions, downtown Orlando is undergoing major redevelopment with a number of residential and commercial towers. It is now official that Orlando will build a new performing arts center, Orlando Arena, and a refurbishment of the Florida Citrus Bowl.

Source: Wilkipedia, the free encyclopedia

Local Attractions:

• Magic Kingdom
• EPCOT
• Animal Kingdom
• Universal Studios
• MGM Studios
• Sea World
• Discovery Cove
• Cirque du Soleil
• Cape Kennedy Space Center
• Central Florida golf information

Local Tourism:

• Walt Disney World Live Web Camera
• Orlando Weather Channel 2 News
• Florida’s Official Travel Planning Web-site
• International Drive Resort Area Chamber Of Commerce
• The Central Florida Hotel Lodging Association
• International Drive Official Visitors Guide
• Orange County Convention Center
• Orlando Area Information