Florida is a state located in extreme southeastern region of the United States, it is bordered on the north by Alabama and Georgia; on the east by the Atlantic Ocean; on the south by the Straits of Florida; and on the west by the Gulf of Mexico and Alabama. It is near several Caribbean countries, particularly the Bahamas and Cuba.
Much of the land mass of the state form a large peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The total area of Florida is 151,939 sq km. Florida is the 2nd largest state after Georgia, and ranks 22nd in size among the 50 states.
Florida is one of the largest states east of the Mississippi River. The Florida peninsula is a permeable plateau of karst limestone sitting atop bedrock. An extended system of underwater caves with many flowing provides with drinkable water to the inhabitants.
Florida has more than 1,700 rivers, streams, and creeks. The longest river is the St. Johns at east of Jacksonville. Other major rivers are the Suwannee, which flows south from Georgia through Florida and empties into the Gulf of Mexico. Also exist more than 4,500 islands in the mainland, best known as Florida Keys.
Generally, Florida has seven floral zones: Flatwoods, scrublands, grassy swamps, savannas, salt marshes, hardwood forests and pinelands. Flatwoods consist of open forests and an great quantity of flowers, including more than 60 varieties of orchid, water lettuce, American lotus and water hyacinth and also for its wide variety of palms, but only 15 are native, common types include royal and coconut.
Florida has a best fauna in The U.S. like deer, wild hog, gray fox, raccoon, squirrels and swamp rabbits remain common. Florida's bird population includes many local and migratory species. Among game birds are the bobwhite quail, wild turkey, and at least 30 duck species. Several varieties of heron are found, as well as coastal birds such as gulls, pelicans, and frigates.
Farming and the lumbering and naval stores industries, all concentrated in northern Florida, were early mainstays of the economy. Tourism makes up the largest sector of the state economy. Warm weather and hundreds of miles of beaches attract over 60 million visitors to the state every year. Enjoyment parks, especially in the Orlando area, make up a significant portion of tourism.
The Walt Disney World Resort is the largest vacation resort in the world; the resort, Universal Orlando Resort, Busch Gardens, Sea World, and other major parks drive state tourism. Many beach towns are also popular tourist destinations, mainly in the winter months.
The second largest industry is agriculture. Citrus fruit, especially oranges, are a major part of the economy, and Florida produces the majority of citrus fruit grown in the U.S. also produce tangerines and grapefruit. Other products include sugarcane, strawberries, tomatoes and celery.
Phosphate mining, concentrated in the Bone Valley, is the state's third-largest industry. The state produces about 75 percent of the phosphate required by farmers in the United States and 25 percent of the world provide, with about 95 percent used for agriculture and 5 percent used for other products.
In addition, the state has seen a recent boom in medical and bio-tech industries throughout its major metropolitan areas. Orlando was recently chosen as the official site for the new headquarters of the Burnham Institute, a major bio-tech and medical research company.
The climate of Florida is tempered somewhat by the fact that no part of the state is very far from the ocean. The prevalent climate is humid subtropical climate, while south of the lake has a true tropical climate. High temperatures in the state seldom exceed 38 °C, with much of Florida commonly seeing a high summer temperature 32 °C.
Cold fronts can irregularly bring high winds and colder temperatures to the entire state during late fall and winter. The seasons in Florida are determined more by precipitation than by temperature, with the hot, wet springs and summers making up the wet season, and mild to cool, and the relatively dry winters and autumns, making the dry season.
Florida has the highest average precipitation of any state, in large part because afternoon thunderstorms are common in most of the state from late spring until early autumn. Florida is the state more inclined to suffer hurricanes. It is rare for a hurricane season to pass without any impact in the state by at least a tropical storm. August to October is the probably period for a hurricane in Florida.