The state of Florida is located on the peninsula of the same name, and it is the most southeastern state of the United States. Another name for Florida is the Sunshine State. It is the hottest winter destination, the land of oranges, beaches and world-famous theme parks such as Disney World and Universal Studios.
The west coast of Florida, washed by the Gulf of Mexico, stretches for 1000 km. The east coast, 660 km long, is washed by the Atlantic Ocean. Each coast has its own specifics: the east is a paradise for surfers, the west is perfect for families, including those with small children.
Florida is divided into four regions. The first is the Florida panhandle, where the state capital and Pensacola, the famous base of military pilots, are located. North Florida is dominated by cosmopolitan and vibrant Jacksonville; the college town of Gainesville and historic St. Augustine are also of interest here. Central Florida is the theme park capital of the world, home to Kennedy Space Center, Cyprus Gardens, Daytona International Speedway, and SeaWorld, in addition to those mentioned above. And finally, South Florida is Miami and Palm Beach, the Everglades swamps and the beautiful Florida Keys.
- Countryaah – Cities in Florida: List of all municipalities in the state of Florida, including cities and towns of Florida.
The largest cities are Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville.
How to get there
Most travelers arrive in Florida by plane or car. The main airports are in Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Miami, Orlando and Tampa. And the main operator for long-distance bus services is Greyhound.
Rail service is provided by Amtrak’s Silver Meteor and Silver Star trains, which run from New York to Miami, passing Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale.
And since Florida is almost completely surrounded by ocean, it is also a major cruise ship port. Fort Lauderdale is considered the largest transatlantic harbor in the United States.
Weather in Florida
The local climate is considered one of the warmest and most favorable in the country, so it is comfortable to relax in Florida at any time of the year. The average temperature in winter is +18…+20 °C.
Florida beaches
The best beaches in Florida are Panama City Beach, Daytona Beach and West Palm Beach.
Panama City Beach with numerous hotels and white sand offers beach activities for everyone: swimming pools, parasailing, water skiing and boating, sailing. In 1995, the beach grabbed the fifth place among all the beaches in the world, and in 2000 – the fourth among the beaches of America.
Daytona Beach, on the east coast of central Florida, is best known for hosting motorsport events, including The Great American Race.
West Palm Beach is 27 km of the Atlantic coast with white sand.
Entertainment and attractions in Florida
The state’s most popular beach resort is by far Miami. In addition, many tourists, especially families with children, come to Florida to visit Orlando with Disney World park complexes, Sea World Marine Park, Wet and Wild Water Park, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Discovery Cove and Busch Gardens.
Also of interest is the Space Exposition at the Center. Kennedy, Gatorland in Orlando, the Salvador Dali Museum in the center of St. Petersburg (considered the largest collection of Dali’s works outside Europe), the Sunshine Skyway Bridge – the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world, Seminole and Miccosukee Indian reservations.
On the island of Key Largo (Key Largo), which is a 90-minute drive from Miami in the Florida Keys (Florida Keys), is the first underwater park in the United States – John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. In December 2010, he celebrates his 50th birthday. Here you can see a 3-meter bronze sculpture of Christ weighing 1.8 tons, at a depth of 6 meters under water (a copy of the statue of the same name, which is located in the Mediterranean Sea near Italian Genoa).
“Species” railway track Florida National Scenic Trail stretches through the entire territory of Florida. The most interesting route is around Lake Okeechobee.
Jacksonville
Jacksonville is the largest and most populous Florida city with more than 850,000 inhabitants. The entire metropolitan agglomeration has a population of 1.348 million. Overall, it is the 13th most populous city in the United States. Jacksonville is the seat of Duval County and covers an area of 2,264.5 km2 on the banks of the St. Louis River. John´s River.
The town was founded in 1791 as a settlement called Cowford, and was renamed in 1822. The town got its new name after the then Florida governor and seventh American president Andrew Jackson. Although Jacksonville is more of a city of industry today, big profits also come from tourism. Public transport in the city is provided by buses and one monorail monorail line.
A special unit called the Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron, abbreviated HITRON, has been based in Jacksonville since 1998. It was established here as part of the Coast Guard – one of the components of the US Armed Forces. HITRON is the first American air unit with the Airborne Use of Force weapon system, which is the collective name for a set of powerful firearms.