Florida

C

Coastline

Florida has the longest marine coastline of all the states after Alaska. The coastline is 2,173 km (1,350 mi) long, but, including all indentations and islands, it measures 13,560 km (8,426 mi). The Atlantic coast, or eastern coast, has few indentations. There is an outer arc of sandy Sea Islands, many of which have been developed as tourist resorts. Behind the beaches lie long, narrow saltwater lagoons, which are called rivers on parts of the Atlantic Coast. The longest such lagoon is Indian River, near Cape Canaveral. Indian River is sheltered from the ocean by the offshore barrier Sea Islands, and it forms part of the Intracoastal Waterway, which is used by small coastal vessels and pleasure boats. The best harbor on the Atlantic coast in Florida is the estuary of the Saint Johns River, near Jacksonville. Just south of Miami is Biscayne Bay. South of the bay lie the Florida Keys, separated from the mainland by Florida Bay.

The Gulf coast, or western coast, of Florida is deeply indented. Mangrove swamps, uninhabited islands, and miles of beach fringe the coast south of Naples. A number of sandy barrier islands extend from Fort Myers to Tarpon Springs. The islands reappear farther north, just west of Apalachee Bay, and they continue westward to the Alabama line. Behind them lie extensive stretches of swamp and marsh. Hillsborough Bay at Tampa forms the state’s finest harbor. It is protected from the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico by a long line of offshore sandbars and islands. Other harbors similarly protected behind the barrier islands include Pensacola Bay, Choctawhatchee Bay, and Charlotte Harbor.

D

Climate

Florida’s climate has been called the state’s most valuable natural resource. Most of the state has a humid subtropical type of climate, but the southern tip of the peninsula has a more tropical climate. The climate attracts millions of tourists and permanent residents who seek sunshine and warmth all year, but particularly in winter. It is also important to growers of crops that are easily damaged by frost, such as citrus fruit and sugarcane.

D

1

Temperature

In the wintertime southern Florida is one of the warmest places on the U.S. mainland. Average January temperatures there range from about 18° to 21°C (about 64° to 70°F). Daytime temperatures in winter are generally in the lower 20°s C (70°s F) at Miami and other southern coastal resorts. In northern Florida average January temperatures range from about 11° to 13°C (about 52° to 56°F). However, temperatures vary considerably from day to day, occasionally reaching well below freezing.

---

---

Summers are hot throughout the state. However, temperatures are generally no higher than in many northern cities, and ocean breezes tend to modify the climate in southernmost Florida. During summer, Miami has an average temperature in the upper 20°s C (lower 80°s F). Although the south is closer to the tropics, it has fewer very hot days each summer than does the north.

D

2

Precipitation

Rainfall ranges from more than 1,500 mm (60 in) in the Everglades and the northwest to about 970 mm (about 38 in) at Key West. However, rainfall varies considerably from year to year, and severe droughts and floods often occur. Most rain falls in summer, often during brief but heavy thundershowers. Snow rarely falls in the north and is almost unknown in the south.

Hurricanes frequently strike the state. Winds of hurricane force, accompanied by heavy rains and high seas, can cause widespread damage, especially in the south, where so much of the land is at or near sea level. However, modern construction techniques and an alert weather watch for potentially dangerous storms have helped reduce the losses of life and property caused by hurricanes. The risk is not gone, however; in August 1992 Hurricane Andrew ripped through southeastern Florida, killing 41. Cities in the area reported property damages in excess of $20 billion. In Homestead, near Miami, 90 percent of the city’s buildings sustained damage from the hurricane. In 2004 Florida experienced four hurricanes, the first time that many hurricanes have affected a state in a single season since Texas in 1886, according to the National Hurricane Center. The hurricane season lasts from late June to early November, but hurricanes occur most frequently in September.

D

3

Growing Season

Florida has one of the longest growing seasons, or frost-free periods, of all the states. It lasts all year at Key West, and it varies between 310 and 365 days on the peninsula south of New Smyrna Beach. Farther north it decreases to about 250 days in the hills of the panhandle.

	More from Encarta
	•  Presidential Myths Quiz •  Coffee break: Recharge your brain