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The word "Tampa" is believed to mean "sticks of fire" in the language of the Calusa, a Native American tribe that once lived south of today’s Tampa Bay. This might be a reference to the many lightning strikes that the area receives during the summer months. Other historians claim the name means "the place to gather sticks".

Toponymist George R. Stewart writes that the name was the result of a miscommunication between the Spanish and the Indians, the Indian word being "itimpi", meaning simply "near it". Whatever its origins, the name first appears in the "Memoir" of Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda (1575), who had spent 17 years as a Calusa captive. He calls it "Tanpa" and describes it as an important Calusa town. While "Tanpa" is the apparent basis for the modern name "Tampa", archaeologist Jerald Milanich places the Calusa village of Tanpa at the mouth of Charlotte Harbor, the original "Bay of Tanpa". A later Spanish expedition failed to notice Charlotte Harbor while sailing north along the west coast of Florida and assumed that today's Tampa Bay was the bay that they had sought. Thus, the name was accidentally transferred north.

Culture and contemporary life
Current popular nightlife districts include Channelside, Ybor City, SoHo, International Plaza and Bay Street, and Seminole Hard Rock. Downtown Tampa also contains some nightlife, and there are more clubs/bars to be found in other areas of the city. According to Maxim, Tampa is ranked 6th in the entire nation for its party scene.

Tourism
 
The city of Tampa operates over 165 parks and beaches covering 2,286 acres (925 ha) within city limits; 42 more in surrounding suburbs, covering 70,000 acres (28,000 ha), are maintained by Hillsborough County. These areas include the Hillsborough River State Park, just northeast of the city. Tampa is also home to a number of attractions and theme parks, including Busch Gardens, Adventure Island, Lowry Park Zoo,Florida Aquarium, and M.O.S.I.
 
The partially restored Centro Espanol building on Howard Ave., West Tampa.Perhaps the most well known and celebrated event is the Gasparilla Pirate Festival, usually referred to simply as Gasparilla. It has been held yearly since 1904. Gasparilla, often referred to as the Mardi Gras of Tampa, is usually held on the last Saturday of January. The invasion-themed event has an attendance of over 400,000 people and impacts over 23 million dollars to the city of Tampa. The Sant'Yago Knight Parade, or Gasparilla Night Parade is usually held one week to a few weeks after. It is considered more adult-oriented. Other notable events include the Outback Bowl, which is held New Year's Day at Raymond James Stadium. The Florida State Fair in mid-February, also brings in an attendance of around 400,000, and Guavaween, an open street Halloween celebration with Latin flavor taking place in Ybor City.

Several large scale malls call Tampa and its surrounding areas home. Well known shopping areas include International Plaza and Bay Street, WestShore Plaza, University Mall, Westfield Brandon, and Westfield Citrus Park. Well known Hyde Park Village is an upscale open-air shopping center residing in the neighborhood of Hyde Park. Previously, Tampa had also been home to the Floriland Mall (now an office park), Tampa Bay Center (demolished and replaced with the new Tampa Bay Buccaneers training facility, known as "One Buc Place"), and East Lake Square Mall (now an office park).

Education

Colleges and Universities
 
University of South Florida, is located in Tampa, within close proximity to the city of Temple Terrace and Busch Gardens. It is currently ninth in the nation in terms of enrolled students, with a total of 44,891 students for the 2007 academic year. Its mascot is the Brahman Bull, with green and gold as its colors.

University of Tampa, located across the Hillsborough River from Downtown Tampa, is a private, co-educational university. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. UT has over 5,500 students attending. Its mascot is the Spartan, with scarlet, black, and gold as its school colors.

Other colleges and universities
Florida Metropolitan University
Hillsborough Community College (Multiple locations)
Southwest Florida College
Stetson University College of Law
Strayer University
The Art Institute
South University (satellite campus in Tampa)
International Academy of Design & Technology

Public Education
Further information: Hillsborough County Public Schools
 
Henry B. Plant High SchoolPublic primary and secondary education is operated by Hillsborough County Public Schools, officially known as the School District of Hillsborough County (SDHC). It is ranked the eighth largest school district in the United States, with around 189,469 enrolled students. SDHC runs 206 schools, 133 being elementary, 42 middle, 25 High Schools, 2 K-8's, and 4 Career centers. There are 73 additional schools in the district that are charter, ESE, alternative, etc. 12 out of 25 High schools in the SDHC are included in Newsweek's list of America's Best High Schools.

Libraries
Tampa's library system is operated by the Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library System. THPLS operates 28 libraries throughout Tampa and Hillsborough County, including the John F. Germany Main Library in Downtown Tampa. The Tampa library system first started in the early 1900s, with the West Tampa Library, which was made possible with funds donated by Andrew Carnegie

Nearby Tampa Hotels

• InterContinental TAMPA
• Quorum Hotel Tampa
• Embassy Suites Hotel® Tampa-Airport/Westshore
• Clarion Hotel Tampa Westshore
• SpringHill Suites by Marriott Tampa Westshore
• Doubletree® Hotel Tampa Westshore Airport
• The Westshore Hotel
• Sheraton Suites Tampa Airport
• Marriott Tampa Westshore
• Hampton Inn Tampa-Int'l Airport/Westshore
• AmeriSuites Tampa Airport / Westshore
• ExtendedStay Tampa / Westshore
• TownePlace Suites Tampa Westshore
• La Quinta Inn Tampa Bay Airport 
• Marriott Tampa Airport  
  
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