Florida has some of the nicest beaches in the world. The waters are generally warm compared to the rest of the US, and surf tends to be higher on the Atlantic coast with relatively little surf on the Gulf coast. Surf temperature is also warmer on the Gulf coast throughout the year.

Sand in the northwest along Pensacola, and Panama City Beaches is fine and very white. Clearwater Beach also shares this same fine and very white texture. Beaches along the Atlantic tend to shade towards light beige with a somewhat coarser texture. Daytona Beach is unique with its hard packed sand suitable for driving motor vehicles. The coastline stretches for  1,197 statute miles and the beaches for 663 miles.

It’s flat – most of Florida is less than 100ft above sea level ! The highest known elevation has been fixed at 345 feet and is just south of the community of Lakewood.

Lake Okeechobee:

Lake Okeechobee is a remnant of a shallow sea, known as the Pimlico Sea. It’s shallow and probably contains less than two cubic miles of water. It is the fourth largest natural lake entirely within the United States, covering 700 square miles in five counties. Average depth is less than 20 feet with some areas in the center less than 6 feet.

Springs:

The total number of springs in Florida is not known, but there are more than 200. Florida’s springs represent overflow from the State’s vast ground water storage and circulation system. Wakulla Springs, located south of Tallahassee, has the greatest instantaneous measured flow in the world at 1870 cubic feet per second.

The Keys:

The limestone floor of the Everglades continues southward beneath the shallow waters of Florida Bay and emerges again in the Florida Keys. There are 882 islands or “keys” in the Florida Keys, and has an additional 4,510 islands 10 acres or larger, second only to Alaska’s total island acreage.

Rivers and Streams:

There are 1,711 streams, rivers and creeks in Florida. The longest river is the St. Johns with a length variously calculated from 273 miles to 318 miles primarily because of its ill-defined origin. The most famous river is the Suwannee, near White Springs, which was the basis of the State song, “Old Folks at Home,” written by Stephen Foster.

State Parks:

Florida has 88 state parks geographically located from Big Lagoon Park near Pensacola in the panhandle to Bahia Honda Park in the Florida Keys.

Pennekamp Underwater Park:

Pennekamp Park, off Key Largo, is the nation’s first underwater park. Covering 75 square miles in the Atlantic Ocean, the area is a combination of state lands and federal holdings preserved as a reef of living coral.

Total Area - 58,560 square miles, with a total land area - 54,252 square miles, and total water area - 4,308 square miles. It’s length north and south is 447 miles (St. Marys River to Key West), and width east and west - 361 miles (Atlantic Ocean to Perdido River)

Capital – Tallahassee, and there are  67 counties.

>The summer months of June, July, August and even into September are the rainiest months of the year. During this period Florida is prone to heavy showers of rainfall and humidity can get quite high. Thunderstorms are common. Many welcome these rain showers as they provide cooling relief during hot afternoons. One must be wary, however, since these thunderstorms sometimes become quite severe with very strong winds and intense lightning.

Winter is dryer and with the occasional cold front. Northern Florida will experience numerous days where the low temperature falls below freezing while this rarely occurs in south Florida. Still, the average low temperature even in the coldest months in north Florida is above 40F in most areas with high temperatures averaging in the 60s. In south Florida the coldest months bring low temperatures that typically average in the 60s with highs reaching well into 70s. Snow is very rare in Florida.

Tropical storms and hurricanes do happen. Hurricane season is from June 1^st through November 30^th. Modern surveillance systems provide plenty of notice of approaching hurricanes, however. There are Red Cross shelters if one is threatened, and you need to take your own food. Pay close attention to the radio in these circumstances.

Lots of flight bargains to be had – particularly fly drive, though avoid school half terms if you can. Miami and Orlando are the two main airports, but you can also get flights to Ft Lauderdale, Tampa, Daytona Beach and Jacksonville. There are other regional airports to which you can connect. 

Rail is expensive, and it can be better to fly, or choose the cheaper greyhound bus system. 

In the early 90’s there was a problem with crimes against tourists, though as always somewhat exaggerated by the media. Florida is generally safer than other states, and certainly the main cities are not the risk that other large US cities can be. Care still needs to be taken, as anywhere. Below are some of the things you can do to minimize risk.

Always lock cars, keeping valuables out of sight – better not left in the car at all. Avoid dimly lit streets at night, and don’t dawdle – walk purposefully. Take care in parking areas. If you’re carrying valuables, split them up around your clothes, and avoid “wallet bulges”.  Don’t leave valuables in a hotel room – use the hotel safe.

Don’t open the door to strangers – use the “spyhole” to check.

When driving, don’t stop if you get hit from behind – drive to a well lit place such as a garage and don’t stop for stranded motorists.

Take care with credit cards too – never operate ATMs etc so that anyone else can see your numbers, and destroy carbons. It’s a good idea to make sure you write amounts =on slips in such a way that they can’t be changed.

All this sounds a little melodramatic – but it’s the same common sense that we apply daily in the UK without thinking about it.

These are expensive – get good cover. An accident visit to casualty can rack up $1,000 very rapidly without much in the way of treatment. Check that your cover pays the doctor or hospital direct, rather than you having to fund it then claim back. Also make sure ambulance fees and repatriation are covered. 

Drinking bottled water is probably a good idea.

Florida is entirely near sea level, and much of its wildlife is governed by that. Mangrove swamps provide a special environment, where the sea meets the land. On higher ground , pine woods flourish. The main vegetation is sawgrass, a rough, firm and stiff grass. There are many native palms too. 

Flowers abound – bougainvillea, cassia, frangipani, jacaranda, oleander – all sorts of exotic species. The same is true of fruit – all the citrus varieties are represented, and also banana, mango and papaya. 

Crocodiles are rare – only a few hundred left. Just as well perhaps, for the tourist – they are more aggressive than alligators. In general, both are safe if left well alone – most attacks arise when people are daft enough to try to feed them. There are turtles of several varieties, and of course Manatees – the “sea cow”. Not so many of these, with around 1000 left in the world, and they are prone to damage from boats.. You’ll see dolphins out at sea too. 

The Florida panther is very rare – perhaps only 30-50 left, and these are large, light brown, sleek cats. You’re unlikely to see one except in captivity. 

Lots of birds – exotic to the English eye – with pelicans, bald eagles and herons to be seen. 

The coral reef is the third largest in the world, and spectacular. You do have to take care on all beaches just in case of jellyfish – a quick check before you go in is worthwhile. 

You will need to be ready for mosquitoes though – in this environment with warmth and water a good anti-mossie cream is essential.

In an average week Orlando welcomes 1,085 new residents, the majority of which are foreign nationals. Approximately 18,436 Brits left the UK for America last year. The upward trend is expected to continue, and it is estimated that there could be up to an extra quarter of a million Brits in America within the next decade, joining the five million that already call the USA home.

The population in 2000 was 15,982,378 , with a growth rate from 1990-2000 of 23.53%

After living in the USA as a permanent resident for a period of five years, with no absence from the US of more than one year or have been physically present in the United States for at least 30 months out of the previous five years (absences of more than six months but less than one year shall disrupt the applicant’s continuity of residence unless the applicant can establish that he or she did not abandon his or her residence during such period) you are eligible to apply for American citizenship.

Form of government - Governor and independent cabinet consisting of secretary of state, attorney general, comptroller, treasurer, commissioner of agriculture, and commissioner of education.

Children commence their schooling at the age of five, starting with a year of kindergarten. (many attend pre-school classes prior to kindergarten). Compulsory high school education finishes at 12^th Grade, though this can be followed by college and/or university. 

Florida is divided into sixty-seven school districts, one for each county. Property taxes are collected in each school district for public primary and secondary education. Florida offers its residents a wide variety of postsecondary educational opportunities. It has a well-diversified State University System, an accessible Community College System, vocational-technical centers, and numerous private institutions of learning.

The Community College System of Florida as well as its system of vocational-technical centers are among the most well developed in the nation. Both systems were designed so that every resident of Florida would be within commuting distance of either a college or a center. Area vocational-technical centers often collaborate with area employers in developing their programs.