In 1513, Ponce de León, seeking the mythical “Fountain of Youth,”
discovered and named Florida, claiming it for Spain. Later, Florida would
be held at different times by Spain and England until Spain finally sold it to
the United States. Florida's history in 19th century was marked by wars with the
Seminole Indians, which did not end until 1842.
Florida has a semi-tropical climate which becomes quite warm and rather humid
during the months of June, July and August. The most pleasant weather is usually
found during winter months. Hurricane season "officially" lasts from
August through late October. Excellent weather forecasting though helps
considerably and 24 hours later, the sky is blue again.
An archipelago of thousands of small islands, known as "the Keys"
stretch along coral reefs over 150 miles below the southern tip of Florida. It
is possible to drive "over the ocean" on 42 bridges and causeways
connecting the keys until you reach Key West 119 miles out on the Gulf of
Mexico.Over 1000 square miles of swampy grassland, known as the Everglades
National Park, cover the lower tip of the peninsula, teeming with tropical
birds, animals and fishes.
Major tourist attractions are Miami Beach, Palm Beach, St. Augustine (founded
in 1565, thus the oldest permanent city in the U.S.), Daytona Beach, and Fort
Lauderdale on the East Coast; Sarasota, Tampa, and St. Petersburg on the West
Coast. The Orlando area, where Disney World is located, is Florida's most
popular tourist destination. Many visitors are drawn to the NASA Kennedy Space
Center's Spaceport USA.
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