Watch: Introduction to Florida
Florida is one of 50 states that make up the USA. It sits at the south-east corner of the country along the Atlantic coast and it’s largely made up of a peninsula, which is a piece of land that sticks out into the sea. And an archipelago which is a group of islands.
I love the warm tropical and subtropical climate but I’m not so keen on the hurricanes that pass through here during hurricane season.
It’s home to a whole host of rare wildlife such as the graceful manatee, and the elusive Florida panther, the American crocodile and the Florida snapping turtle.
If you’ve had all you can take of the wildlife you can visit cities like Orlando, Jacksonville and Miami; a city that has grown from just 300 people in the 1800s to over 5 million today!
Florida has a long tradition of farming, growing crops like tomatoes and sugar cane as well as supplying most the country’s orange juice.
But these days it also makes a lot of its money from tourism with visitors coming to enjoy its sandy beaches and warm, clear waters, as well as over 20 amusement parks.
And if you’re after adventure that’s truly out of this world, there’s Cape Canaveral, where NASA launched its space shuttles as well as the Apollo 11 rocket, which took humans to the Moon!
With its colourful mix of wildlife and people, Florida has a rich and varied past. And it looks like it will play a big part in our future too!
Where is Florida?
Florida is in the south-east corner of the United States of America (USA). It sticks out into the sea and has water on three sides, making it a peninsula.
The Atlantic Ocean is to the east and south, and the Gulf of Mexico to the west.
At the southern tip of Florida is a chain of islands called the Florida Keys.
What is Florida like?
The land in Florida is very flat. It is very warm and humid almost all year round. It is called the 'Sunshine state'. Most of Florida has a wet season and a dry season.
Florida is at risk from hurricanes in summer and autumn. These are very strong storms that can create lots of damage to buildings and land.
In Florida, it rains heavily. The large amounts of rainfall have created places such as the Everglades in the south - a wet marshy area where alligators, turtles and snakes live.
What are Florida's main industries?
Florida’s main industries are:
- farming - tomatoes, strawberries and oranges grow here
- tourism - more than 100 million visitors each year come to its miles of beaches, amusement parks and state parks
What does Florida look like?
Image caption, The Everglades is a very wet and marshy national park in South Florida.
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Activity: Quiz – Florida
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