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The beaches and man-made wonders are all well known; among the surprises are wildlife preserves, battlefields, and archeological digs.
The Sunshine State seems an unlikely place for the reestablishment of the buffalo – a prototypical symbol of the western plains. But at Payne’s Prairie the living evidence can be seen on the hoof. At Bone Valley Museum another kind of evidence recalls animals that can’t be
reintroduced such as the mastodon, the three-toed sloth, and the saber-toothed tiger. Among other highlights are some fine parks, wildlife preserves, and memorials to a prolific inventor and a much-loved writer.
Florida’s destiny has been molded by water. Jutting into the Atlantic for 450 miles, this most celebrated of America’s peninsulas has no point more than 60 miles from its coastline. Rainfall averages more than 50 inches a year, making Florida one of the wettest states. As a result, some 30,000 lakes are scattered throughout its interior, ranging from pint-sizes ponds to the
700-square-mile Lake Okeechobee, the second largest natural freshwater body entirely within the United States after Lake Michigan. Water draining from Okeechobee flows slowly southward, creating the vast marshlands of the Everglades. A ribbon of islands, sandbars, and coral reefs festoons the coast, culminating 150 miles off the southern shore at the tip of the Keys.
These warm and sheltered waters attract one of the most astounding
arrays of wildlife found anywhere in the world. Alligators,
crocodiles, manatees, sea turtles, more than 350 species of fish can
be found in or around Florida’s ponds and coastal waters. Since the
turn of the century, Florida has also attracted another sort of
inhabitant, whose numbers constantly grow.
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More than 40 million tourists now savor the state each year, most of
them headed for the good life on its sunny coast.
Curving 1,350 miles down the Atlantic and back up the Gulf of Mexico, Florida’s coastline expands to over 8,00 miles when the shores of islands, bays, and lagoons are included.
The protected waters between these islands and the shore make an ideal habitat for wildlife, especially fish-eating birds such as herons, ibises, and pelicans. Coastal swamps, estuaries, and saltwater marshes create inviting environments for crabs, conches, clams, and oysters. Fertile shoals yield shrimps, lobsters, and scallops. Offshore waters also offer some of the world’s best deep-sea-fishing.
The Gulf Stream bestows its favors on Florida. A subtropical climate reigns over the southern end of the peninsula and the Keys, while the rest of the state is temperate. The climate has also made Florida a spectacular year-round playground and a magnet for business. As a result, Florida has become one of the fastest growing states.
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v Black River State park
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