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Clinical Training
County Profiles
Charlotte County: First settled by Hernando DeSoto in 1536, Charlotte County was recently voted Money Magazine’s “Best place to live in the South.” And it’s no wonder. This unique harbor and beach community and its barrier islands are easy to get to from Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers. Once you arrive, you have access to129 square miles of sparkling waters and aquatic preserves. 12 miles of soft, sandy beaches.
DeSoto County: DeSoto County is named for the Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto. It was divided from Manatee County in April 1887. Until 1921 DeSoto was one of the largest counties in the state, but residents complained of the vast distances between home and courthouse and it was subdivided to create Hardee, Charlotte, Highlands, and Glades Counties.
Manatee: Manatee County is located on the Gulf Coast of Southwest Florida. The estimated population in 2005 was 306,779 people. When Hernando DeSoto landed at Shaw's Point, near the mouth of Tampa Bay in 1539, what is now Manatee County was the southern boundary for the Tocobagan tribe. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge now connects Manatee County to St. Petersburg. Although the slowest growing of the three counties that front Tampa Bay, it also now has some of the best real estate bargains.
Sarasota: The name may derive from a Spanish term, "sarao sota," meaning, "a place of dancing." In 1921, Sarasota County divided itself from Manatee County, with the city of Sarasota designated the county seat. In the Florida land boom of 1924-1927, the population doubled, tourist hotels and recreation facilities sprouted up, a causeway was built across the bay and the offshore islands started to be developed. Sarasota County today has trendy shops in Venice and on St. Armand's Key, luxurious retirement homes, a bustling rehabilitated Main Street shopping and business district in Sarasota, acre upon acre of orange groves in the interior, and a growing base of environmentally sensitive commerce.
For more information, contact:
Tiffany Prater
Clinical Training Coordinator
(941) 361-6602
