Orlando

Industrial city and administrative headquarters of Orange County, Florida, USA; population (2000 est) 186,000. It is a winter resort and tourist centre, with Walt Disney World, Sea World, and the Epcot Center nearby. There were 39 million visitors to the city in 1999. Electronic and aerospace equipment are manufactured in the city, and citrus-fruit products are processed here. Educational institutions include the University of Central Florida. The city is also the site of the Orlando Naval Training Center (1968), a major basic-training facility.

Fort Gatlin was erected here in 1838, leading to the development of a settlement called Jernigan by 1840, whose name was changed officially to Orlando in 1857. The town was incorporated in 1875. The city was probably named after Orlando Reeves, a soldier killed in a clash with Indians, although there are other traditions.

Orlando

Opera by Handel (libretto by G Braccioli, based on Ariosto's Orlando furioso), produced at the King's Theatre in London on 27 January 1733. In the story, the knight Orlando falls in love with Angelica, but she does not return his feelings because she already loves Medoro. When Orlando discovers this he goes mad, until the magician Zoroastra (or Astolfo in the Vivaldi version) restores his reason. Orlando then blesses Angelica and Medoro's union.