Fort Lauderdale
[key], residential, commercial, and resort city (2020 pop. 182,760), seat
of Broward co., SE Fla., on the Atlantic coast; settled around a fort built
(c.1837) in the Seminole War,
inc. 1911. On the New River and a navigable canal to Lake Okeechobee, the city is interwoven
with more than 270 mi (435 km) of natural and artificial waterways. It has
one of the largest marinas in the world and one of the most popular beaches
in the country; tourism and recreation are economic mainstays. The city's
manufactures include boats and yachts, and there is a wide variety of small
businesses. A large retired community is there. Among Fort Lauderdale
institutions are the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, the Museum of
Art, the Museum of Discovery and Science, Nova Southeastern Univ., and a
campus of Florida Metropolitan Univ. Nearby Port Everglades is a major
artificial port with heavy passenger and freight traffic.
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