Florida Keys

Florida Keys, chain of islands, islets, and reefs, southern Florida, between the Straits of Florida and Florida Bay, extending southwest and west from Virginia Key, south of Miami Beach to the Dry Tortugas, for 309 km (192 mi). The keys are chiefly limestone and coral formations. The larger islands of the group are Key West, Key Largo, Sugarloaf Key, and Boca Chica Key. The keys, distributed between Miami-Dade and Monroe counties for administrative purposes, were devastated in a 1935 hurricane. Several of the islands are popular vacation resorts, and fishing and tourism are the leading industries. A causeway extends from the mainland to Key West, the southernmost city of the conterminous United States.