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Thursday, May 9, 2013

Great Facts about the State of Florida

By Jony Mozen


The Everglades is a seasonally flooded marshy river that moves fresh floodwater from Lake Okeechobee to the coast, where it drains. The river through which the large volume of water must flow is a large and fragile ecosystem unlike any other. Certain species of flora and fauna have adapted to survival in the ebb and flow of the Everglades and conservationists work energetically to control the commercial growth that threatens the ecosystem. Most images of the Everglades show people gliding on airboats along stretches of flooded saw grass, but it's much more important than just an exciting ride for tourists. It's a unique geographic ecosystem.

Other things you may not have known about your future retirement state: The phrase "cool as a cucumber" originated in Florida. On a hot Florida day, the pulp of a cucumber can be up to 10 degrees cooler than the surrounding air. The Seminole Tribe of Florida was a pioneer in Indian gaming, opening the country's first large-stakes bingo hall on the Hollywood Reservation in 1979. Tallahassee, Florida's capitol city, was the only southern capitol east of the Mississippi River to remain in southern hands for the duration of the Civil War. Santa Rosa County's Blackwater River State Forest area offers over a million acres of protected wilderness with miles of hiking trails and canoeing routes, dubbed the "Canoe Capitol of Florida."

In 1937, Amelia Earhart took off from Miami for an around-the-world flight and was never seen again. There are 13,983,816 ways to combine six of those bouncing Florida lottery balls. More than 100 episodes of Sea Hunt starring Lloyd Bridges were filmed at Silver Springs between 1958 and 1961. A crypt in Key West is inscribed "I told you I was sick". The actress, Delta Burke, represented Orlando and became Miss Florida in 1974. Dick Pope, founder of Cypress Gardens, is known as the "Father of Florida Tourism."

Neil Smith and his brother of Montverde developed the first Snapper riding lawn mower Key West has the highest average temperature in the United States. The Saint John's River is one of the few rivers that flows north instead of south. The largest lake in Florida is Lake Okeechobee. May 20, 1970 Florida lawmakers passed and sent to the Governor a bill adopting the moonstone as the official state gem, yet the moonstone is not found naturally in Florida...nor was it found on the moon. In 1987 the Florida legislature designated the American alligator as the official state reptile. Long an unofficial symbol of the state, the alligator originally symbolized Florida's extensive untamed wilderness and swamps.

The first reusable spacecraft, the space shuttle Columbia, was launched on its maiden voyage on April 12, 1981 from Cape Canaveral, America's launch pad for space flights. Greater Miami is the only metropolitan area in the United States whose borders encompass two national parks. You can hike through pristine Everglades National Park or ride on glass-bottom boats across Biscayne National Park. The name Punta Gorda, which means, "fat point" when translated from Spanish. The moniker was given to the city because a broad part of the land in Punta Gorda juts into Charlotte Harbor. The harbor itself is somewhat unique, as it is the point where the Peace River meets the ocean.

Islamorada is billed as the Sports fishing Capital of the World. Key Largo is known as the Dive Capital of the World, Marathon is home to Crane Point Hammock, a 63.5-acre land tract that is one of the most important historical and archaeological sites in the Keys. The area contains evidence of pre-Colombian and prehistoric Bahamian artifacts, and once was the site of an entire Indian village. Fort Zachary Taylor in Key West was built between 1845 and 1866. Controlled by the Union during the Civil War, the fort was the home base for a successful blockade of Confederate ships that some historians say shortened the conflict by a full year. The fort also was active during the Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II. Florida. It's not just a destination. It's a whole new way of life. Come join the fun in the sun.




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