All About Florida
Florida is a constituent state of the United States of America. Admitted as the 27th state in 1845, it has an area of 58,664 square miles (151,939 square kilometres). The capital is Tallahassee, located in the northwestern panhandle. The state lies close to both the geographic and the population centres of the landmass of the Western Hemisphere, and its position not only commands one entrance to the Gulf of Mexico but also lies along a strategic crossroads between North and South America and historic routes to the European and Mediterranean worlds. Florida played a prominent role in the struggles of the European powers to control the New World, and it is fitting that St. Augustine, founded in 1565 on its northeastern coast, is the oldest European settlement within what were to become the boundaries of the continental United States.
The geographic location of Florida has been the key factor in a long and colourful development, and it helps explain the striking contemporary character of the state. The greater part of Florida lies on a peninsula that protrudes southeastward from the North American continent, separating the waters of the Atlantic Ocean from those of the Gulf of Mexico and pointing toward Cuba and the Caribbean Sea beyond. Florida shares a border with only two states, Georgia and Alabama, both to the north. The nearest foreign territory is the Bahamian island of Bimini, some 50 miles (80 kilometres) to the east of the state's tip. With the exception of Hawaii, Florida is the southernmost state of the United States, its northernmost point lying 100 miles farther south than California's southern border. The Florida Keys, a crescent of islands that forms the state's southernmost portion, lie within 1,700 miles of the equator.
Florida is a geologically young, low-lying plain, mostly less than 100 feet (30 metres) above sea level. The highest point is in Walton county, a mere 345 feet (105 metres) above sea level. Sedimentary deposits of sand and limestone cover most of the state, with areas of peat and muck marking locations where freshwater bodies once stood. The contemporary topography has been largely molded by running water, waves, ocean currents, winds, changes in sea level, and the wearing away of limestone rocks by solution. These forces have produced enough variation in the state's surface to permit classification into seven basic physiographic regions: the coastal lowlands, the Lake Okeechobee–Everglades basin, the Kissimmee lowlands, the Marianna lowlands, the central highlands, the Tallahassee hills, and the western highlands, though these divisions are scarcely apparent to the naked eye.
The coastal lowlands occupy approximately 75 percent of the surface and vary in width from 10 to 100 miles. Generally, the region is very flat and is often less than 25 feet above sea level. Much of the area is swampy, and in the eastern part of the state numerous former beach ridges parallel one another. Offshore barrier beaches (bars) rim much of the region and account for most of Florida's excellent beaches. The central highlands lie between the Suwannee River, on the eastern side of the Tallahassee hills, and the St. Johns River, which separates the highlands from the eastern coastal lowlands. The region extends southward from the Georgia border to the area of Arcadia and Sebring, a distance of some 400 miles; the width varies from 50 to 75 miles. The region is rolling and dotted with thousands of lakes, and the central and southern portions contain most of Florida's citrus acreage.
Directly or indirectly, Florida's tropical and subtropical climate affects almost every aspect of the local economy, and it can be quite justifiably considered the state's chief resource. Together with land and water - both of which have a rich potential for economic development - climate forms the basis of the state's wealth. The water resources, important to the fishing industry and tourism alike, include not only 4,424 square miles of fresh inland water but also an even larger area of adjacent salt water. In the United States only Alaska has a tidal shoreline whose length exceeds that of Florida, which totals 8,426 miles (Gulf coast, 5,095 miles; Atlantic coast, 3,331 miles). On land, forestry activities are supported by the half of the state (mostly in the north) that is wooded, and livestock raising is supported by the state's large grasslands (mostly in the central and southern areas).
Tourism is the largest income-producing activity in the state and has developed into a year-round business. The Atlantic and Gulf beaches that form the basis of the state's popular ''vacationland'' image are seldom the only destination for the Florida visitor. Other attractions include the large theme parks, professional and collegiate sporting events, golf, hunting and fishing, and an abundance of parkland, including two national parks, two national seashores, a national preserve, five national monuments and memorials, and numerous state parks.
Florida's transportation system is comprehensive, covering the entire state except for certain isolated areas in the Everglades. In general, highway arteries run across the north of the state, from Jacksonville to Pensacola; down the east coast, from Jacksonville to Miami; diagonally across the state, from Jacksonville to Tampa–St. Petersburg on the west coast, bisecting the state from Tampa–St. Petersburg to Daytona Beach; and through the southwestern portion, linking Tampa–St. Petersburg to Miami. The most heavily traveled throughways are the interstate and state turnpike systems that connect all major cities. There are several airports with regularly scheduled flights and numerous private airfields; the international terminals at Tampa, Orlando, and Miami are among the most modern in the world. An extensive rail network provides passenger and freight service to most areas. An integrated system for domestic and foreign shipping is provided by eight major deepwater ports and several lesser ports and harbours, while more than 1,000 miles of navigable channel are maintained by the federal government. Florida has a spaceport, the John F. Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, which occupies 88,000 acres. This is not only a major Florida industry but has also become a prime tourist attraction.
