FACTBOX: Floridians to vote in Republican primary

(Reuters) - Voters in Florida will cast ballots on Tuesday in a primary that could narrow the race to become the Republican Party candidate in the November U.S. presidential election.

Here are some facts about the state.

* Florida is the largest and most diverse state to vote so far in the 2008 presidential contest, with a population of 18 million, 20 percent of which is Hispanic and 16 percent black.

* Along with California, Florida was hit hardest by the U.S. housing market slump. Its market is suffering from the biggest condominium glut in decades and Florida leads the nation in mortgage fraud, according to the Mortgage Asset Research Institute. The state is also reeling from huge increases in insurance premiums since eight hurricanes crossed Florida in 2004 and 2005, when insurers paid out about $35 billion in claims.

* Florida is home to scores of retirees from colder climates, including New York City, whose former mayor, Rudy Giuliani, hopes to make his mark on the Republican race in the state. It has 3 million people over age 65, according to U.S. Census figures. The Florida Republican primary will be the first in which Giuliani, who is trailing in polls, has invested much time and effort, as he bypassed earlier contests.

* Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who finished a surprising first place in Iowa but lost in following contests, will seek the votes of religious and social conservatives in parts of the diverse state.

* Sen. John McCain of Arizona, a Vietnam veteran who beat Huckabee in the Republican primary in South Carolina, could benefit from Florida's concentration of military veterans. He picked up the endorsement of Florida Gov. Charlie Crist on Saturday. McCain narrowly leads former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in polls ahead of Florida's vote.

* The state was a battleground in the 2000 U.S. presidential election with hotly contested results that gave George W. Bush the edge over former Vice President Al Gore.

* In 2008, Democratic candidates pledged not to compete in Florida's primary because the national party has said it will not count Florida's primary vote to punish the state for violating party rules by moving its contest up to January 29.

On Friday, Clinton said she wanted the Democratic Party to reinstate and count delegates in Florida and Michigan, a state she won as the only candidate on the ballot that was also barred by the national party.

(Compiled by Doina Chiacu, Editing by Peter Cooney)