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Florida is a state located in the southeastern United States. Most of the
state is a large peninsula with the Gulf of Mexico on its west and the Atlantic
Ocean on its east. It has a warm and humid subtropical climate. It was named by
Juan Ponce de León, who landed in St. Augustine on April 2, 1513, during Pascua
Florida (Spanish for "Flowery Easter," referring to the Easter season).
Florida's economy relies heavily on tourism. The capital is Tallahassee and the
largest city is Jacksonville. The largest metropolitan area and major cultural
center of the state is Miami.
Florida is situated mostly on a large peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico, the
Atlantic Ocean, and the Straits of Florida. It extends to the northwest into a
panhandle, extending along the northern Gulf of Mexico. It is bordered on the
north by the states of Georgia and Alabama, and on the west, at the end of the
panhandle, by Alabama. It is near the countries of the Caribbean, particularly
the Bahamas and Cuba. Florida's extensive coast line made it a perceived target
during World War II, so the government built airstrips all around the state.
Today approximately 400 airports are still in service due to the coastal
geography of the state. Florida is one of the largest states east of the
Mississippi. Only Alaska and Michigan are larger in water area.
At 345 feet (105 m) above mean sea level, Britton Hill is the highest point in
Florida and the lowest highpoint of any U.S. state. [19] Contrary to popular
belief, however, Florida is not entirely "flat." Some places, such as
Clearwater, feature vistas that rise 50 to 100 feet (15–30 m) above the water.
Much of the interior of Florida, typically 25 miles (40 km) or more away from
the coastline, features hills with elevations ranging from 100 to 250 feet
(30–76 m) in many locations. Lake County holds the highest point of peninsular
Florida, Sugarloaf Mountain, at 312 feet (95 m).
The state line begins in the Atlantic Ocean, traveling west, south, and north up
the thalweg of the Saint Mary's River. At the origin of that river, it then
follows a straight line nearly due west and slightly north, to the point where
the confluence of the Flint River (from Georgia) and the Chattahoochee River
(down the Alabama/Georgia line) used to form Florida's Apalachicola River.
(Since Woodruff Dam was built, this point has been under Lake Seminole.) The
border with Georgia continues north through the lake for a short distance up the
former thalweg of the Chattahoochee, then with Alabama runs due west along
latitude 31°N to the Perdido River, then south along its thalweg to the Gulf via
Perdido Bay.
Climate
Hurricane Frances near peak strength. The climate of Florida is tempered
somewhat by its proximity to water. Most of the state has a humid subtropical
climate, except for the southern tip which borders on tropical and the Florida
Keys which have a true tropical climate. Cold fronts can occasionally bring high
winds and cool to cold temperatures to the entire state during late fall and
winter. One such front swept through the peninsula on November 25, 1996,
bringing cold temperatures and winds up to 95 miles per hour (150 km/h),
knocking out power to thousands and damaging mobile homes. The seasons in
Florida are actually determined more by precipitation than by temperature with
mild to cool, relatively dry winters and autumns (the dry season) and hot, wet
springs and summers (the wet season). The Gulf Stream has a moderating effect on
the climate, and although much of Florida commonly sees a high summer
temperature over 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 °C), the mercury seldom exceeds 100
degrees Fahrenheit (39 °C). The hottest temperature ever recorded in the state
was 109 °F (43 °C), set on June 29, 1931 in Monticello. The coldest was –2°F
(−19 °C), on February 13, 1899, just 25 miles (40 km) away, in Tallahassee. Mean
high temperatures for late July are primarily in the low 90s Fahrenheit (32–35
°C). Mean low temperatures for late January range from the low 40s Fahrenheit
(4–7 °C) in northern Florida to the mid-50s (≈13 °C) in southern Florida. |
Acronyms