Florida is a state located on the South Eastern side of the United States. The state is located at a longitude of 840 17’ W and at a latitude of 30º 26' N. This longitude and latitude locations position the sun at higher angles over Florida as the year progresses from January to December thus increasing the impact the sun’s rays have in the state. The effect of Florida’s location in relation to the sun, therefore, plays a big role in influencing the warm temperatures that characterize Florida. It is also interesting to note that the state of Florida experiences twice as many hours of sunlight when compared to the numbers of hours that other states experienced during the same period. The state shares a boarder with the states of Alabama and Georgia on its northern side. The state is also a peninsula that boarders the Gulf of Mexico on its western side while the eastern side of the state shares a boarder with Atlantic Ocean. The Straits of Florida lies on the southern side of its boarder.
The state of Florida lies roughly 345 feet above sea level. However, it is important to note that much of the state is low lying and fairly flat. Florida also situated at a distance of around 40km away from the coastline. The state has a number of hills and elevations which have heights ranging between 100-250 feet. Florida’s highest point is at the peak of Sugarloaf Mountain which has a height of 95 meters.
Florida’s climatic conditions are generally influenced by its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. The climate experienced in the coastal areas of Florida can generally be described as tropical climate. Temperatures experienced in Florida for most of the year generally range between 320- 370 C. However, in times of winter, the temperature generally ranges between 40 - 70 C. It is important to note that due to Florida’s proximity to the ocean, the state rarely experiences snowfall. However, the state is vulnerable to hurricanes e.g. Hurricane Charley and Jeanne that hit the state in the year 2004. The state of Florida also has a number of rivers which are short in length because of its peninsular shape of the island. Florida also has a lake known as Lake Okeechobee.
Most of Florida contains a plateau that contains karst limestone that makes it porous. The limestone layer of the of the state’s ground is generally covered with sandy soil. The ground in Florida has a layer of hardpan within it prevents it from absorbing water. Although the existence of sandy soil in Florida does not foster the success of agricultural productivity in Florida, the existence of warm sunny weather coupled by abundant rainfall that is well distributed throughout the year, enables crop production to be successful in the state. For example, a number of citrus fruits such as tangelos, oranges and grapes grow successfully in Florida. The state also supports a lot of horticultural farming making it the second highest contributor of horticultural produce in the United States. The presence of warm sunny temperatures for most of the year in the Florida also makes it favorable for the state to support livestock rearing and ranching.
It is important to note that there a wide variety of fauna can be found in Florida. For example, the state is situated near a habitat of marine mammals such the Right Whale, the Bottlenose Dolphin and the West Indian Manatee. There are also a number of reptiles that can be found in Florida such as crocodiles, pygmy rattle snakes, gopher tortoises and American Alligators. Finally, some of the mammals that can be found in Florida include the panther, Marsh Rabbits, Raccoons, squirrels, coyotes, Bob cats, grey foxes, Key Deer and the Florida Black bear.
Florida’s proximity to the Atlantic Ocean enables it to take advantage of two major economic activities. First, due to the states proximity to the coastline, the state’s citizens usually engage in both large scale and small scale fishing activities in the Atlantic Oceans in a bid to raise revenue. For example, in the year 2009, the state earned an estimated revenue of about $6 billion dollars from the fishing activities. The fishing industry also employs an estimated 60,000 people in Florida thus proving how fishing activities acts as an important economic activity in Florida.
Tourism is another economic activity that thrives in Florida as a result of the islands proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. The presence of huge and extensive sandy beaches in the states serves as an important tourist attraction that earns the state a significant amount of revenue. Many tourists from all over the world come to visit Florida with the aim of engaging in activities such as sun bathing, surfing and other forms of beach recreational activities thus having an overall effect earning Florida some revenue as well as spurring the growth of other secondary economic activities that are related to tourism such as the improvement of the performance of the hotel industry.
Agriculture also forms another important economic activity in Florida. Around 30% of the states land has been used for agricultural production. The growth of oranges is perhaps the most common form of agricultural activity in Florida. Generally, the revenue earned from the sales of a variety of citrus fruits grown in Florida e.g. oranges, grapefruits, tangelos etc makes up a significant part of Florida’s total revenue. To some extent, livestock farming is also carried in Florida. It is estimated that small livestock firms earn an average of $50,000 every year. Some f the livestock kept by small scale farmers in Florida include cattle, poultry, rabbits and sheep.
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Works Cited
Hephaestus Books. Articles on Geography of Florida. Florida: BiblioBazaar, 2011.
National Climatic Data Center. "Climate of Florida." 30 January 2002. http://coaps.fsu.edu. 5 December 2012
