Florida Peninsula

a peninsula in southeastern North America, in the USA.

The Florida Peninsula covers an area of 115,000 sq km. Its surface is a flat plain (elevations to 99 m), composed mainly of Paleogenic and Neogenic limestones; karst is well developed. The eastern edge of the peninsula is elevated, and the western edge is low-lying; the coasts have many lagoons and mangroves. The oceanic climate is subtropical in the north and tropical in the south. Winters are warm and sunny, and summers are wet. The average January temperature ranges from 14°C in the north to 20.7°C in the south; the average July temperature ranges from 27° to 28.7°C, respectively. Annual precipitation is 1,200–1,400 mm. Rivers are short but copious, and the St. Johns River is navigable. Lakes and swamps abound. There is a vast area of swampland in the south, the Everglades National Park. In the north, vegetation is subtropical and includes pines, magnolias, and saw palmettos (Serenoa repens). The tropical vegetation of the south includes palm trees. There are deposits of phosphorites (see) and titanium ores. Winter resorts, the most important being Miami, are located on the peninsula’s eastern coast.