The Coast.—The Florida coast-line, exclud ing islands is 1,145 miles in length, of which 470 miles are on the Atlantic Ocean. This stretch of 470 miles is bordered by a line of sand reefs, sand-spits, and narrow islands, which enclose bodies of water, variously termed lakes, lagoons, bays, etc. This is also typical of the whole southern coast. In recent years these bodies of water have been connected by a series of canals so that an inner .passage by water is now possible for almost the entire length of the eastern coast. The chain of islets, known as the Florida Keys are now connected with the mainland and with one another by a railroad which extends southward to Key West. On the Atlantic coast the principal harbors are those of Fernandina, Saint Augus tine and Miami. Much of the Gulf coast is also bordered with low sand reefs and islets. From the Western border to the Ocklocknee embouchure it is marked by sand bars; thence to Tarpon Springs it is free of indentations and sand bars but very low and flat. Sand bars are again a feature of the coast between Tarpon Springs and the embouchure of the Caloosahat chee, and from there to the Keys it is low and swampy. Tampa, Key West, Pensacola, Santa Rosa, Saint Andrews, Saint Georges, Apalachee, Hillsboro, Charlotte, Oyster, Ponce de Leon and Cedar Keys are the principal bays and harbors on this coast.
Lakes and Rivers.—The central part of the State contains a very great number of lakes, approximately 30,000 in all. They are mostly due to depressions caused by the solution of the limestone underlying the greater part of the State. Many of the lakes are aggregates of the great springs, some of which are charged with carbonates and sulphuretted hydrogen; many contain fresh water and are of immense size, and of crystal clearness. The wonderful Silver Spring, at the head of navigation on the Ock lawaha River near Ocala, Marion County, has an estimated outflow of 300,000,000 gallons daily. The Blue, in the same county, the Wekiva in Orange County, and the Wakulla near Talla hassee, are also famous. The largest lake is Okeechobee in the south, 1,200 square miles in area and 25 feet above sea level, its waters sinking into the Everglades; a bordering rim of sand about 25 miles wide divides it from the Atlantic. Other lakes are Monroe, Georgia, Kissimmee, Crescent„ Dexter, Apopka, Harris, Orange, Tohopekaliga, Istokpoga, and Eustis. Most of these are shallow and are usually con nected by fresh water streams. There are many swamps within the State; the largest are the Big Cypress Swamp to the west 6f the Ever glades and Okefinokee Swamp which extends over the Georgia border in the north.
The drainage system of the State is peculiar in the number of subterranean streams, such as are common in limestone regions. The great river of Florida is the Saint John's, rising in Cypress Swamp, just west of the Everglades and flowing north parallel with the 'ocean, threaded on a series of lakes; 150 miles from its mouth it becomes a mile wide, and in its lower course six or seven, a miniature Amazon in size and character and draining a similar country. It empties into the Atlantic below Jacksonville. Pleasure-steamers navigate it 250 miles, and the tributary swamp-rivers sev eral hundred more. Its total course is 350 miles. The Kissimmee, flowing into Lake Okee chobee from Kissimmee Lake, is also a favorite with tourists and sportsmen. The leading streams of the west are the Suwanee; the great Apalachicola from Georgia, 90 miles long under that name, with a course of nearly 600 miles through the Chattahoochee; the Chocktaw hatchee, 180 miles; and the Escambia, 250 miles with the Conecuh, from Alabama, the latter navigable to the Conecuh. Other im
portant rivers are the Ocklawaha, Withlacoo chee, Caloosahatchee, Chipola, Saint Mark's, Saint Mary's, and the Holmes, all of which are navigable for short distances from their mouths. The fall of all these streams is so slight that they furnish little or no water power. Attempts have been made in recent years to build dams to furnish power and have met with some success.
The soils of Florida are mere sur face deposits with no volcanic upheaval and all have sand as a common ingredient. Lime stone is almost everywhere the underlying rock (see Geology above), but in the northeast siliceous sands have been brought down by the rivers and have been distributed by marine action. Three classes of soils may be distin guished: that of the pine lands which often contains a surface of dark vegetable mold or humus and is very productive; that of the °hammocks° which also contains dark mold mixed with marls and clays. It is met with in Alachua, Citrus, Levy, Hernando, Pasco, Leon, Gadsden, Jefferson, Jackson, and Madison coun ties; lastly that of the swamp lands and contain ing muck and peat soils and lying mostly in the east and southern parts of the State. These are the richest and most productive of all soils within the State, but they require adequate drainage systems to fit them for cultivation. Truck crops are now grown profitably on the sandy uplands, long deemed unfit for cultiva tion.
Florida may be divided into three climatic zones. The continental portion of the State north and west of a line drawn through Cedar Keys, Gainsville, Starke and Jacksonville has a climate similar to that of the Gulf States and is warm-temperate in character. South of this line to the southern boundary of Hillsboro, Polk and Brevard counties the climate is semi tropical, and the part of the peninsula south of this is sub-tropical in climate. The semi tropical and sub-tropical zones have very uni form temperatures due in no small degree to the proximity of the Gulf Stream and to the trade winds which blow steadily across them. Indeed the climate of the entire State due to these factors is not subject to prolonged and severe winters with great ranges in tempera ture. The normal mean temperature for Janu ary ranges from 60° to 70° F., that for July being 80° and above. The hottest months are June, July and August, but even then the heat is tempered by frequent showers. West Indian hurricanes are infrequent but they are not un known and at times have done great damage. In the south the growing season extends throughout the entire year, but frosts are not unknown and at times have brought disaster to the citrus and tropical fruit orchards. Key West is exempt from frost, however. In the northern counties there are a few days of frost in mid-winter and snow falls in some years but never in the south. The annual precipita tion is from 58 to 60 inches, ranging from 6 to 8 inches in the fall and winter — the dry season— to 18 and 20 inches during the sum mer. Precipitation much greater than this has been recorded at different places at wide intervals, thus 85 inches of rain were recorded for Miami in 1908, but this is abnormal, and the general rainfall is as indicated above. Key West has the lowest precipitation, about 39 inches. The normal sunshine is about 60 per cent. Its warm climate, dry winters, and me dicinal springs have combined to make Florida the Riviera of America. it its many resorts for health and pleasure It occupies a unique place among the States of the Union. The more important of these resorts are Saint Au gustine, Ormond, Palm Beach, Miami, Tampa, Daytona, Hampton Springs, Orange Springs, White Springs, and Worthington Springs.