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Palm trees in Islamorada
Palm trees in Islamorada
Big Coppitt Key to Sugarloaf Key, seen from Spot Satellite
Big Coppitt Key to Sugarloaf Key, seen from Spot Satellite

The Florida Keys are an archipelago of about 1700 islands in the southeast United States. Islamorada, "Village of Islands" is an incorporated Village in Monroe County, Florida, on the Islands of Lower Big Coppitt Key is a Census-designated place and an Unincorporated community in Monroe County, Florida, on an Island of Sugarloaf Key is one of the larger islands in the lower Florida Keys, about 15 miles east of Key West. SPOT (Satellite Pour l'Observation de la Terre is a high-resolution optical imaging Earth observation satellite system operating from space An archipelago (ɑrkəˈpɛləgoʊ is a chain or cluster of Islands The word archipelago literally means "chief Sea " from Italian The United States of America —commonly referred to as the They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about 15 miles south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry Tortugas. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the A peninsula is a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by Water but connected to Mainland via an Isthmus. Key West is a city in Monroe County Florida, United States. The city encompasses Key West, the namesake island the part of Stock Island The Dry Tortugas are a small group of islands located at the end of the Florida Keys, USA, about west of Key West, and west of the Marquesas Keys The islands lie along the Florida Straits, dividing the Atlantic Ocean to the east from the Gulf of Mexico to the west, and defining one edge of Florida Bay. The Straits of Florida, Florida Straits, or Florida Strait is a Strait located south-southeast of the North American Mainland, generally accepted The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world Florida Bay is the shallow bay located between the southern end of the Florida mainland (the Florida Everglades) and the Florida Keys. At the nearest point, the southern tip of Key West is just 94 miles from Cuba. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la The Florida Keys are between about 23. 5 and 25. 5 degrees North latitude, in the subtropics. The subtropics are the zones of the Earth immediately north and south of the tropic zone which is bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of The climate of the Keys however, is defined as tropical according to Köppen climate classification. A tropical climate is a kind of Climate typical in the Tropics. The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems It was developed by Wladimir Köppen, a German climatologist More than 95 percent of the land area lies in Monroe County, but a small portion extends northeast into Miami-Dade County, primarily in the city of Islandia, Florida. Monroe County is a County located in the state of Florida. As of 2000 the population was 79589 Miami-Dade County (often referred to as simply Miami or Dade) is a County located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida Islandia is a small hamlet located on Totten Key, south of Elliott Key in Miami-Dade County Florida. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the The total land area is 355. 6 km² (137. 3 sq mi). As of the 2000 census the population was 79,535, with an average density of 223. 66/km² (579. 27/sq mi), although much of the population is concentrated in a few areas of much higher density, such as the city of Key West, which has 32% of the entire population of the Keys.

The city of Key West is the county seat of Monroe County, which consists of a section on the mainland which is almost entirely in Everglades National Park, and the Keys islands from Key Largo to the Dry Tortugas. A county seat is a term for an Administrative center for a County, primarily used in the United States. Monroe County is a County located in the state of Florida. As of 2000 the population was 79589 Mainland is usually the Continental part of a region as opposed to the Islands nearby Everglades National Park is a national park in the US state of Florida. Key Largo is an island in the upper Florida Keys archipelago and at long the largest of the Keys

Contents

Origins

The Keys were formed near the edge of the Florida Plateau
The Keys were formed near the edge of the Florida Plateau

The Florida Keys are the exposed portions of an ancient coral reef. Coral reefs are Aragonite structures produced by living organisms found in marine waters with little to no nutrients in the water The northernmost island arising from the ancient reef formation is Elliott Key, in Biscayne National Park. Elliott Key is the northernmost of the true Florida Keys (those 'keys' which are ancient Coral reefs lifted above the present Sea level) and the largest Biscayne National Park is a US National Park located in southern Florida, due east of Homestead. North of Elliott Key are several small transitional keys, composed of sand built up around small areas of exposed ancient reef. Further north, Key Biscayne and places north are barrier islands, built up of sand. Key Biscayne is an island located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay A shoal or sandbar (also called sandbank) is a somewhat Linear Landform within or extending into a body of Water, [1]

The Florida Keys have taken their present form as the result of the drastic changes in sea level associated with recent glaciations or ice ages. "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets Beginning some 130,000 years ago the Sangamon interglacial raised sea levels to approximately 25 feet (7. The Eemian interglacial era, now known as the Eemian Stage is temporally equivalent to the Sangamon Stage in North America, the Ipswichian Stage in 5 m. ) above the current level. All of southern Florida was covered by a shallow sea. Several parallel lines of reef formed along the edge of the submerged Florida plateau, stretching south and then west from the present Miami area to what is now the Dry Tortugas. In Geology and Earth science, a plateau, also called a high plateau or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting This reef formed the Key Largo limestone that is exposed on the surface from Soldier Key (midway between Key Biscayne and Elliott Key) to the southeast portion of Big Pine Key and the Newfound Harbor Keys. Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 Soldier Key is an island north of the upper Florida Keys. It is located in Biscayne Bay, about midway between the Ragged Keys and Cape Florida Big Pine Key is a Census-designated place and Unincorporated community in Monroe County, Florida, on an Island of the same The types of coral that formed Key Largo limestone can be identified on the exposed surface of these keys. Corals are Marine organisms from the class Anthozoa and exist as small Sea anemone –like Polyps typically in colonies of many

Starting about 100,000 years ago the Wisconsin glaciation began lowering sea levels, exposing the coral reef and surrounding marine sediments. "Last glacial" redirects here For the period of maximum glacier extent during this time see Last Glacial Maximum The last glacial period Marine geology involves Geophysical, geochemical, sedimentological and Paleontological investigations of the Ocean floor and coastal Sediment is any particulate matter that can be transported by fluid flow and which eventually is deposited as a layer of solid particles on the bed or bottom of a body of By 15,000 years ago the sea level had dropped to 300 to 350 feet below the contemporary level. The exposed reefs and sediments were heavily eroded. Acidic water, which can result from decaying vegetation, dissolves limestone. Some of the dissolved limestone redeposited as a denser cap rock, which can be seen as outcrops overlying the Key Largo and Miami limestones throughout the Keys. The limestone that eroded from the reef formed oolites in the shallow sea behind the reef, and together with the skeletal remains of bryozoans, formed the Miami limestone that is the current surface bedrock of the lower Florida peninsula and the lower keys from Big Pine Key to Key West. Oolite ( egg stone) is a Sedimentary rock formed from Ooids spherical grains composed of concentric layers Bryozoans are tiny colonial Animals that generally build stony Skeletons of Calcium carbonate, superficially similar to Coral (although some To the west of Key West the ancient reef is covered by recent calcareous sand. Calcareous refers to a Sediment, Sedimentary rock, or Soil type which is formed from or contains a high proportion of Calcium carbonate in the

Major islands

U. S. Highway 1, the "Overseas Highway" runs over most of the inhabited islands of the Florida Keys. The Overseas Highway is a long road carrying US Route 1 through the Florida Keys. The islands are listed in order from northeast to southwest.

Upper keys

Keys in Biscayne National Park (accessible only by boat) in Miami-Dade County

Keys in Monroe County

(Plantation Key through Lower Matecumbe Key are incorporated as Islamorada, Village of Islands. Biscayne National Park is a US National Park located in southern Florida, due east of Homestead. Miami-Dade County (often referred to as simply Miami or Dade) is a County located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida Soldier Key is an island north of the upper Florida Keys. It is located in Biscayne Bay, about midway between the Ragged Keys and Cape Florida Ragged Keys are small islands north of the upper Florida Keys. Boca Chita Key is an island north of the upper Florida Keys in Biscayne National Park. Sands Key is an island north of the upper Florida Keys in Biscayne National Park. Elliott Key is the northernmost of the true Florida Keys (those 'keys' which are ancient Coral reefs lifted above the present Sea level) and the largest Adams Key is an island north of the upper Florida Keys in Biscayne National Park. Reid Key is a small island north of the upper Florida Keys in Biscayne National Park. The Rubicon Keys are two small islands north of the upper Florida Keys in Biscayne National Park. Totten Key is an island north of the upper Florida Keys in Biscayne National Park. Old Rhodes Key is an island north of the upper Florida Keys in Biscayne National Park. Monroe County is a County located in the state of Florida. As of 2000 the population was 79589 Key Largo is an island in the upper Florida Keys archipelago and at long the largest of the Keys Plantation Key Florida, also known as Plantation Florida (not to be confused with the city of Plantation in Broward County or the populated place of Windley Key is an island in the upper Florida Keys. US 1 (the Overseas Highway) crosses the key at approximately mile markers 84--85 Upper Matecumbe Key is an island in the upper Florida Keys. U Lignumvitae Key is an island in the upper Florida Keys. It is located due north of and less than one mile from the easternmost tip of Lower Matecumbe Key. Lower Matecumbe Key is an island in the upper Florida Keys. It is located on U Islamorada, "Village of Islands" is an incorporated Village in Monroe County, Florida, on the Islands of Lower The "towns" of Key Largo, North Key Largo and Tavernier, all on the island of Key Largo, are not incorporated. Key Largo is a Census-designated place in Monroe County, Florida, United States, located on the island of Key Largo in the upper North Key Largo is a Census-designated place (CDP in Monroe County, Florida, United States. Tavernier is a Census-designated place and Town in Monroe County, Florida, on an Island named Key Largo in the upper )

Middle keys

(Key Vaca, Boot Key, Fat Deer Key, Long Point Key, Crawl Key and Grassy Key are incorporated in the city of Marathon)

Lower keys

[1]

Outlying islands

These are accessible by boat. Craig Key is an island in the middle Florida Keys. US 1 (or the Overseas Highway) crosses the key at approximately mile marker 72 between Lower Fiesta Key is an island in the middle Florida Keys. It is connected via causeway to U Long Key is an island in the middle Florida Keys. US 1 (or the Overseas Highway) crosses the key at approximately mile markers 65 Conch Key is an island in the middle Florida Keys. It is part of the Census-designated place of Duck Key. Duck Key is a Census-designated place and Town in Monroe County, Florida, on an Island of the same name in the middle Florida Grassy Key Florida is an island in the middle Florida Keys. It is located on U Crawl Key is an island in the middle Florida Keys. US 1 (or the Overseas Highway) traverses the key between Grassy Key and Long Point Long Point Key is an island in the middle Florida Keys. US 1 (or the Overseas Highway) traverses the key between Crawl Key and Fat Fat Deer Key is an island in the middle Florida Keys. US 1 (or the Overseas Highway) crosses the key at approximately mile markers 53 Key Vaca is an island in the middle Florida Keys, located entirely within the borders of the city of Marathon Florida. Boot Key is an island in the middle Florida Keys located adjacent to Key Vaca. Knight's Key is an island in the middle Florida Keys, located entirely within the borders of the city of Marathon Florida. Marathon is a City on Knight's Key, Boot Key, Key Vaca, Fat Deer Key, Long Point Key, Crawl Key and Little Duck Key is a small island in the lower Florida Keys. U Missouri Key is a small island in the lower Florida Keys. US 1 (or the Overseas Highway) crosses the key at approximately mile marker 39 Ohio Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys. US 1 (or the Overseas Highway) crosses the key at approximately mile marker 39 between Missouri Bahia Honda (meaning deep bay, in Spanish, locally pronounced BAY-ah HON-da also pronounced BAH-ee-ah OWN-dah is an island in the lower Florida Keys Spanish Harbor Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys. US West Summerland Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys. U No Name Key is an island located in the lower Florida Keys. It is somewhat remote and sparsely populated and does not have electricity (residents use generators which limits Big Pine Key is a Census-designated place and Unincorporated community in Monroe County, Florida, on an Island of the same Little Torch Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys. US Route 1 (also known as the Overseas Highway) crosses the key at approximately mile Middle Torch Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys. It is located between Ramrod Key and Little Torch Key. Big Torch Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys. It is located to the north of Middle Torch Key, connected to it via a causeway Ramrod Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys. Originally named Roberts Island Ramrod Key was renamed for a ship named Ramrod which was wrecked on a reef Summerland Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys approximately 20 miles east of Key West. Knockemdown Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys approximately 20 miles east of Key West. Cudjoe Key is a Census-designated place in Monroe County, Florida, on an Island of the same name in the lower Florida Keys. Sugarloaf Key is one of the larger islands in the lower Florida Keys, about 15 miles east of Key West. Park Key is a very small uninhabited island in the lower Florida Keys about 14 miles east of Key West. Lower Sugarloaf Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys about 13 miles east of Key West. The Saddlebunch Keys are a series of Mangrove islands about 7 miles east of Key West, Florida. Shark Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys about 7 miles east of Key West. Geiger Key is an Island in the lower Florida Keys about east of Key West. Big Coppitt Key is a Census-designated place and an Unincorporated community in Monroe County, Florida, on an Island of East Rockland Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys about 4 miles east of Key West. Rockland Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys about 4 miles east of Key West. Boca Chica Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys approximately 3 miles east of the island of Key West. Stock Island is an island in the lower Florida Keys immediately east of Key West (separated from Key West by Cow Key Channel which is only about 75 yards (70 Key West is a city in Monroe County Florida, United States. The city encompasses Key West, the namesake island the part of Stock Island Sigsbee Park, also known as Dredgers Key, is an island about a half mile north of Key West island in the lower Florida Keys; administratively Flemingkeynorthjpg|thumb|300px|right|The northern portion of Fleming Key as seen from the east showing several NAS structures]] Fleming Key is an island off the northwest corner of the

among others

Transportation

The main chain of Keys islands are traversabile by automobile on the Overseas Highway, a 127-mile section of U.S. Highway 1, which runs from Key West to Maine in its entirety. Sunset Key is a 27 acre exclusive resort island in the city of Key West, Florida, United States located about off the coast of the island of Key West Wisteria Island, also known as Christmas Tree Island, is a privately-owned man-made and uninhabited island in the lower Florida Keys 645 yards (590 m northwest The Marquesas Keys, not to be confused with the Marquesas Islands (French Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean, form an uninhabited island group about 30 miles (50 The Dry Tortugas are a small group of islands located at the end of the Florida Keys, USA, about west of Key West, and west of the Marquesas Keys The Overseas Highway is a long road carrying US Route 1 through the Florida Keys. US Route 1 (US 1 is a major north-south US Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. The State of Maine ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean The highway was built parallel to the original route of the Overseas Railway, which was not rebuilt following the Labor Day hurricane of 1935. Rc02968jpg|275px|right|thumb| Florida East Coast Railway train traveling on an Overseas Railroad (Key West Extension railroad bridge The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 was the strongest tropical cyclone during the 1935 Atlantic hurricane season. Even before the hurricane, road sections and highway bridges allowed automobile traffic to travel from Miami to Lower Matecumbe Key, where a car ferry connected with another roadway section through the Lower Keys. Following the hurricane, some of the original railway bridges were converted to carry the highway roadbeds. These bridges were used until the 1980s, when new highway bridges were built alongside. Many of the original railroad and highway bridges remain today as pedestrian fishing piers.

Road hazards

Despite this reconstruction, U. S. 1 was not widened on a large scale, and today, most of the route consists of only two lanes of traffic. Due to their tropical climate,[2] the Florida Keys attract several hundred thousand tourists annually. While some visitors arrive via Key West International Airport and Florida Keys Marathon Airport in Marathon, cruise ship or ferry from Miami or Fort Myers, the vast majority of tourists drive down from the mainland on U. Key West International Airport is a county-owned public Airport located two miles (3 km) east of the Central business district of Key West The Florida Keys Marathon Airport is a public Airport located three miles (4 Marathon is a City on Knight's Key, Boot Key, Key Vaca, Fat Deer Key, Long Point Key, Crawl Key and Fort Myers is the County seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. S. 1. [3] This influx of traffic, coupled with the two-lane nature of U. S. -1 through most of its length in the Keys, and the fact that no alternative road routes are available mean that Monroe County has the highest per capita rate of fatal automobile accidents in the state of Florida. Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' [4] The Florida Department of Transportation, in an effort to promote awareness of the dangers of driving U. S. 1 in the Florida Keys, has constructed large signs detailing the number of highway deaths along the highway south of Florida City and just north of Key West. Florida City is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. Key West is a city in Monroe County Florida, United States. The city encompasses Key West, the namesake island the part of Stock Island The signs feature removable numbers that tally the number of deaths recorded in the year to date. The signs are maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation and are kept up to date with information from the Florida Highway Patrol and local newspaper, the Florida Keys Keynoter. The Division of the Florida Highway Patrol ( FHP) is a division of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the Law enforcement agency A newspaper is a written Publication containing News, information and Advertising, usually printed on low-cost paper called Newsprint. The Florida Keys Keynoter is a twice-weekly tabloid format Newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company and is a sister newspaper to the Miami Herald

History

Early history

The Keys were originally inhabited by Calusa and Tequesta Native Americans. The Calusa, sometimes spelled Caloosa, Calos, Carlos or Caalus, were a Native American group that lived on the coast and along The Tequesta (also Tekesta, Tegesta, Chequesta, Vizcaynos) Native American tribe at the time of first European contact They were later found and charted by Ponce de Leon. "Key" is corrupted from the Spanish Cayo, meaning small island. For many years, Key West was the largest town in Florida, and it grew prosperous on wrecking. Wrecking is the practice of taking valuables from a Shipwreck which has foundered near or close to shore The isolated outpost was well located for trade with Cuba, the Bahamas, and was on the main trade route from New Orleans. Improved navigation led to fewer shipwrecks, and Key West went into a decline in the late nineteenth century. A legend says that shipwreckers removed navigational markers from shallow areas to strand unsuspecting captains ashore. [5]

Overseas railway

The Keys were long accessible only by water. This changed with the completion of Henry Flagler's Overseas Railway in the early 1910s. Henry Morrison Flagler ( January 2 1830 &ndash May 20 1913) was an American tycoon, Real estate promoter Rc02968jpg|275px|right|thumb| Florida East Coast Railway train traveling on an Overseas Railroad (Key West Extension railroad bridge Flagler, a major developer of Florida's Atlantic coast, extended his Florida East Coast Railway down to Key West with an ambitious series of over-sea railroad trestles. The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U

Labor Day Hurricane of 1935

Main article: Labor Day Hurricane of 1935

One of the worst hurricanes to strike the U. The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 was the strongest tropical cyclone during the 1935 Atlantic hurricane season. S. made landfall near Islamorada in the Upper Keys on Labor Day, Monday 2 September. Events 44 BC - Pharaoh Cleopatra VII of Egypt declares her son co-ruler as Ptolemy XV Caesarion. Winds were estimated to have gusted to 200 mph, raising a storm surge more than 17. 5 feet above sea level that washed over the islands. More than 400 people were killed, though some estimates place the number of deaths at more than 600.

The Labor Day Hurricane is one of only three hurricanes to make landfall at Category 5 strength on the U. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is a classification used for most Western Hemisphere Tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of Tropical depressions S. coast since reliable weather records began (about 1850). The other storms were Camille (1969) and Andrew (1992). Hurricane Camille was the third and strongest tropical cyclone and second hurricane of the 1969 Atlantic hurricane season Hurricane Andrew is the second most powerful and the last of three Category 5 hurricanes that made U

In 1935, new bridges were under construction to connect a highway through the entire Keys. Hundreds of World War I veterans working on the roadway as part of a government relief program were housed in unreinforced buildings in three construction camps in the Upper Keys. When the evacuation train failed to reach the camps before the storm, more than 200 veterans perished. Their deaths caused anger and charges of mismanagement that led to a Congressional investigation.

The storm also ended the 23-year run of the Overseas Railway; the damaged tracks were never rebuilt, and the Overseas Highway (U. S. Highway 1) replaced the railroad as the main transportation route from Miami to Key West.

Seven Mile Bridge

One of the longest bridges when it was built, the Seven Mile Bridge connects Knight's Key (where the city of Marathon is located in the Middle Keys) to Little Duck Key in the Lower Keys. This is a list of the world's Bridges longer than 2 km (6562 ft sorted by their full length above land or water The Seven Mile Bridge, in the Florida Keys, runs over a channel between the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Strait connecting Knight's Key (part of the city of Knight's Key is an island in the middle Florida Keys, located entirely within the borders of the city of Marathon Florida. Marathon is a City on Knight's Key, Boot Key, Key Vaca, Fat Deer Key, Long Point Key, Crawl Key and Little Duck Key is a small island in the lower Florida Keys. U Almost true to its name, the piling-supported concrete bridge is 35,862 ft or 6. 79 miles (10. 93 km) long. The current bridge bypasses Pigeon Key, a small island that housed workers building Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railway in the 1900s, that the original Seven Mile Bridge crossed. Henry Morrison Flagler ( January 2 1830 &ndash May 20 1913) was an American tycoon, Real estate promoter The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U A 2. 2-mile section of the old bridge remains for access to the island, although, it was closed to vehicular traffic on March 4, 2008. The aging structure has been deemed unsafe by the Florida Department of Transporation. Costly repairs, estimated to be as much as $34 million, are expected to begin in July 2008.

After the destruction of the Keys railway by the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, the railroad bridges, including the Seven Mile Bridge, were converted to automobile roadways. The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 was the strongest tropical cyclone during the 1935 Atlantic hurricane season. U.S. Route 1 runs the length of the Keys and up the East Coast to Maine; the Keys section is also called the Overseas Highway. US Route 1 (US 1 is a major north-south US Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. The State of Maine ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean The Overseas Highway is a long road carrying US Route 1 through the Florida Keys.

Cuban exiles

With the takeover of the Cuban government by Fidel Castro, many refugees fled to South Florida. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born August 13 1926 is a Cuban revolutionary leader who was prime minister of Cuba from December 1959 to December 1976 and then president until Key West had traditionally had strong links with their neighbor ninety miles south by water, and large numbers of Cubans settled there. The Keys still attract Cubans fleeing repression and poverty in their home country, and stories of "boat people" coming ashore are not uncommon.

Conch Republic

Main article: Conch Republic

In 1982, the United States Border Patrol had established a roadblock and inspection points on US Highway 1, stopping all northbound traffic returning to the mainland at Florida City, to search vehicles for illegal drugs and illegal immigrants. History In 1982 the United States Border Patrol set up a roadblock and inspection point on US 1 just north of the merger of Monroe County Road 905A/Miami-Dade The United States Border Patrol is a federal law enforcement agency within U Florida City is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The Key West City Council repeatedly complained about the roadblocks, which were a major inconvenience for people traveling from Key West, and hurt the Keys' important tourism industry.

After various unsuccessful complaints and attempts to get a legal injunction against the blockade failed in federal court in Miami, on 23 April 1982 Key West mayor Dennis Wardlow and the city council declared the independence of the city of Key West, calling it the "Conch Republic". Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) Dennis Wardlow (born c 1954) was a former Mayor of Key West, Florida. Key West is a city in Monroe County Florida, United States. The city encompasses Key West, the namesake island the part of Stock Island History In 1982 the United States Border Patrol set up a roadblock and inspection point on US 1 just north of the merger of Monroe County Road 905A/Miami-Dade After one minute of secession, he (as "Prime Minister") surrendered to an officer of the Key West Naval Air Station (NAS), and requested one billion ($1,000,000,000) dollars in "foreign aid". Aid (from the french word aide, also known as international aid, overseas aid, or foreign aid, especially in the United States) is

The stunt succeeded in generating great publicity for the Keys' plight, and the inspection station roadblock was removed. It also provided a new source of revenue for the Keys, and the Conch Republic has participated in later protests.

Environment

Sunset near Marathon
Sunset near Marathon

The Keys are in the subtropics between 24 and 25 degrees north latitude. The climate and environment are closer to that of the Caribbean than the rest of Florida, though unlike the Caribbean's volcanic islands, the Keys were built by plants and animals.

The Upper Keys islands are remnants of large coral reefs, which became fossilized and exposed as sea level declined. The Lower Keys are composed of sandy-type accumulations of limestone grains produced by plants and marine organisms.

The natural habitats of the Keys are upland forests, inland wetlands and shoreline zones. Soil ranges from sand to marl to rich, decomposed leaf litter. In some places, "caprock" (the eroded surface of coral formations) covers the ground. Rain falling through leaf debris becomes acidic and dissolves holes in the limestone, where soil accumulates and tree roots find purchase.

The climate is tropical (Koppen climate classification Aw)[6], and the Keys are the only frost-free place in Florida. A tropical climate is a kind of Climate typical in the Tropics. The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems It was developed by Wladimir Köppen, a German climatologist There are two main "seasons": hot, wet, and humid from about June through October, and somewhat drier and cooler weather from November through May. Many plants grow slowly or go dormant in the dry season. Some native trees are deciduous, and drop their leaves in the winter or with spring winds.

The Keys have distinctive plant and animals species, some found nowhere else in America, as the Keys define the northern extent of their ranges. The climate also allows many imported plants to thrive. Nearly any houseplant known to commerce, and most landscape plants of the South, can thrive in the Keys climate. Some exotic species which arrived as landscape plants now invade and threaten natural areas.

Some plants that seem to define the Keys are not native, including coconut palm, bougainvillea, hibiscus, and papaya.

The well-known and very sour Key lime (or Mexican lime) is a naturalized species, apparently introduced from the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, where it had previously been introduced from Malaysia by explorers from Spain. The Key lime ( Citrus aurantifolia or Christmas Swingle is a Citrus Species with a globose fruit 2 In Biology, naturalisation is the process when foreign or cultivated plants or animals have spread into the Wild, where they multiply by natural regeneration The Yucatán Peninsula, in Southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The tree grows vigorously and has thorns, and produces golf-ball-size yellow fruit which is particularly acidic (even in highly alkaline coral sand soil) and uniquely fragrant. In Computer science, ACID ( Atomicity Consistency Isolation Durability) is a set of properties that guarantee that Database transactions are In Chemistry, an alkali (from Arabic: Al-Qaly القلي القالي) is a basic, ionic salt of an Alkali metal Naturally, Key lime pie was invented here as well. Key Lime Pie is a 1989 Album by Camper Van Beethoven, also known as CVB

The Keys are also home to unique animal species, including the Key deer, protected by the National Key Deer Refuge, and the American crocodile. The Key Deer ( Odocoileus virginianus clavium) is an endangered Deer that lives only in the Florida Keys. The National Key Deer Refuge is a 8542 Acre (3457 km² National Wildlife Refuge located on Big Pine Key and No Name Key in the Florida A crocodile is any Species belonging to the family Crocodylidae (sometimes classified instead as the Subfamily Crocodylinae) About 70 miles (110 km) west of Key West is Dry Tortugas National Park, one of the most isolated and therefore well-preserved in the world. Dry Tortugas National Park preserves Fort Jefferson and the Dry Tortugas section of the Florida Keys. The name derives from the fact that when Spanish explorers arrived no fresh water could be found, and the small hump-shaped islands look like tortoise (tortuga in Spanish) shells from a distance.

The waters surrounding the Keys are part of a protected area known as the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is a US National Marine Sanctuary in the Florida Keys.

Tropical cyclones

The Keys are regularly threatened by tropical storms and hurricanes, leading to evacuations to the mainland. A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a low pressure center and numerous Thunderstorms that produce strong winds and Flooding A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a low pressure center and numerous Thunderstorms that produce strong winds and Flooding Untouched for many years, a carefree attitude led many residents to view "mandatory" evacuations as "voluntary" and "voluntary" evacuation orders as nothing at all. The attitude proved dangerous when Hurricane Georges, after tearing up much of the Caribbean, caused damage and extensive flooding in the Lower Keys in 1998, before making landfall in Mississippi. Hurricane Georges (ʒɔʒ was the seventh tropical storm fourth hurricane and second major hurricane of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting Mississippi ( is a state located in the Deep South of the United States In 2005, Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma affected the Keys (although none made a direct hit), causing widespread damage and flooding. Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest in the history of the United States Hurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense Tropical cyclone ever observed in the Gulf of Mexico Hurricane Wilma was the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. The most severe hurricane to hit the area was the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, a Category 5 hurricane. The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 was the strongest tropical cyclone during the 1935 Atlantic hurricane season.

Tropical cyclones present special dangers and challenges to the entire Keys. Because no area of the islands is more than 20 feet above sea level (and many are only a few feet elevation), and water surrounds the islands, nearly every neighborhood is subject to devastating flooding as well as hurricane winds. In response, many homes in the Keys are built on concrete stilts with the first floor being not legally habitable and enclosed by breakaway walls that are not strongly attached to the rest of the house. Nonetheless, Monroe county, as reported in the Federal Register, has estimated that there are between 8,000 and 12,000 illegal enclosures inhabited by people [7].

Because of the threat from storm surge, evacuations are routinely ordered when the National Weather Service issues a hurricane watch or warning, and are sometimes ordered for a tropical storm warning. The National Weather Service ( NWS) once known as the Weather Bureau is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Evacuation of the Keys depends on causeways and the two-lane highway to the mainland. Time estimates for evacuating the entire Keys range from 12 to 24 hours. Evacuation estimates are significant in emergency planning, of course, but also because they are a factor in local and state regulations for controlling development. The building permit allocation was increased in 2005 when local governments reduced estimates for evacuation.

In the active hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005, the Keys were under mandatory evacuation orders several times. In August 2004, Hurricane Charley passed about 70 miles west of Key West, bringing tropical storm winds to the lower keys. Hurricane Charley was the third named storm the second Hurricane, and the second major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. Key West is a city in Monroe County Florida, United States. The city encompasses Key West, the namesake island the part of Stock Island The lower keys were evacuated in preparation for Hurricane Ivan in September, 2004 and Hurricane Dennis in July 2005, but neither hurricane came close enough to the Keys to do much damage. Hurricane Ivan was the strongest hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. Hurricane Katrina, which went on to devastate parts of Louisiana and Mississippi, moved through south Florida in August 2005 and tracked southwest past Key West, causing minor damage and flooding. Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest in the history of the United States Hurricane Rita, which went on to destroy parts of Louisiana and Texas, grew from a tropical storm to a Category 2 hurricane as it moved westward from the Bahamas, passing south of Key West and causing damage and surge flooding as far north as Key Largo. Hurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense Tropical cyclone ever observed in the Gulf of Mexico In October 2005, Hurricane Wilma became the most devastating hurricane to hit the Keys in decades when it passed just northwest of Key West. Hurricane Wilma was the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. Key West is a city in Monroe County Florida, United States. The city encompasses Key West, the namesake island the part of Stock Island The low-lying parts of the city were left under 3 to 6 feet (1 to 2 metres) of water from the storm surge, and major flooding was reported throughout the Keys up to Key Largo. Key Largo is an island in the upper Florida Keys archipelago and at long the largest of the Keys

Culture and recreation

Fishing in the Florida Keys
Fishing in the Florida Keys

The "hurricane bravado" is part of the Keys' laid-back atmosphere, as is the somewhat separatist "Conch Republic" attitude. History In 1982 the United States Border Patrol set up a roadblock and inspection point on US 1 just north of the merger of Monroe County Road 905A/Miami-Dade Life is easygoing, with the major industries being tourism and fishing. Ecotourism is also part of this, with many visitors scuba diving in the area's protected waters. Ecotourism, also known as ecological tourism, is a form of Tourism that appeals to ecologically and socially conscious individuals Scuba diving is swimming underwater, or taking part in another activity while using a Scuba set. A new ferry now takes riders between Key West and Fort Myers, due north on the mainland, along the western edge of Florida Bay. Fort Myers is the County seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States.

Key West has long been noted as a gay vacation destination, and is home to the United States' first Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

Florida Keys: Photo Gallery

Notes

  1. ^ Lower Keys
  2. ^ Tourism Development Council information Accessed September 27, 2007. Events 489 - Odoacer attacks Theodoric at the Battle of Verona and is defeated again Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
  3. ^ Monroe County Tourist Development Council Survey Accessed September 27, 2007. Events 489 - Odoacer attacks Theodoric at the Battle of Verona and is defeated again Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
  4. ^ Florida Highway Patrol 2006 accident statistics Accessed September 27, 2007. Events 489 - Odoacer attacks Theodoric at the Battle of Verona and is defeated again Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
  5. ^ "The Keys: Introduction". Frommer's (2008). Retrieved on 2008-06-06. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1508 - Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year
  6. ^ Köppen Climate Classification Map: South Florida=Aw=tropical wet & dry
  7. ^ "Federal resister" ("english") "39276-39578". "United States Government" ("27").

Other references

External links

Photographs from the Florida Keys

Media


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