Physical Geography

Florida is part of the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain region of the United States and is one of the flattest and lowest states in the Union. The surface has an average elevation of about 100 feet (30 m) above sea level.

Coastal lowlands cover most of the southern half of the state. Much of this land is poorly drained. The coastline, including all of the bays and inlets, is more than 8,400 miles (13,500 km) in length. Along the coast are sandy beaches, capes, offshore bars, and islands. Among the largest islands are Merritt, in the Atlantic, and Key Largo, one of the Florida Keys. Farther west in the Gulf of Mexico are the Dry Tortugas, a tiny group of sandy islands.

A rolling hill region, varying from 100 feet (30 m) to more than 300 feet (90 m) in elevation, extends as a narrow band across the panhandle and juts southeastward halfway down the peninsula. Much of the land is underlain by limestone, in which there are underground rivers, sinkholes, lakes, and springs. Florida's highest point, 345 feet (105 m) above sea level, is in the extreme northwest near the Alabama state line.

Although the state has few distinguishing landforms, it has a diversity of water features. Near the coast are many bays, coastal lagoons, tidal marshes, and swamps. In the south are the vast Everglades and Big Cypress swamps; in the north and extending into Georgia is Okefenokee Swamp.

More than 30,000 lakes dot the state, most of them in the hill region of northern and especially central Florida. Lake Okeechobee, in south-central Florida, is one of the largest lakes in the United States. Other large lakes include George, Istokpoga, Kissimmee, Apopka, and Tsala Apopka. Chief among the many springs is northern Florida's Silver Springs. The principal rivers include the St. Johns and St. Marys, flowing into the Atlantic Ocean; and the Escambia, Apalachicola, Suwannee, Withlacoochee, Peace, and Caloosahatchee, flowing into the Gulf of Mexico.

The climate is subtropical and humid. Summers are hot and winters are generally warm, especially on the southern peninsula. Average July temperatures vary from 80° to 84° F. (27° to 29° C.); average January temperatures range from about 52° F. (11° C.) in the northwest to 70° F. (21° C.) in the south. Because of the ocean's influence coastal areas are warmer in winter and cooler in summer than the interior. During some winters occasional cold waves of short duration enter the state from the north, causing considerable damage to crops, especially citrus fruits.

Florida has an abundance of sunshine; humidity is generally high. Annual precipitation, much of it coming as spring and summer thundershowers, ranges from 45 to 65 inches (1,140 to 1,650 mm), depending on the locality. Hurricanes occasionally strike the state.