Open left menuFlorida Keys

The Florida Keys are a unique chain of islands that includes about 1,700 different coral islets and reefs, which is extremely popular not only among tourists, but also among many creative individuals. For example, the famous author and performer Jimmy Buffett considered the Florida Keys “... perhaps the best place on earth,” and as a sign of his great love he dedicated an entire collection of lyrical songs to them. And the famous American rock band Beach Boys, also fans of the Keys, dedicated a song to this place called “Kokomo”, which once blew up the top of the charts.

“So what makes this place so special and attractive,” you ask? The answer is incredibly simple - the paradise islands of the Florida Keys offer locals and visitors to Florida a truly amazing world of natural beauty, allowing you to plunge into and enjoy your own little corner of the tropics, located at the end of the great state of the USA, almost in the Caribbean itself.

And, of course, the Florida Keys is a mecca for divers and divers: coral reefs and shallows, amazing diversity of underwater flora and fauna. Just imagine for a moment palm trees, warm breezes, crystal blue waters with white beaches filled with sun, which are an indispensable attribute of the wonderful islands of the Florida Keys. Intrigued? Hurry up, pack your bags, grab your masks, underwater cameras and get ready for one of the most exciting adventures of your life.

Outdoor enthusiasts will discover amazing national parks and nature trails with rich flora and fauna, brand new water routes by canoe, making their way through the swamps of natural Florida and, of course, the best beaches, some of which are located right on the water.

In the Florida Keys, you can easily find places where you can not only treat yourself to national cuisine, but also enjoy live, exciting music from the repertoire of local bands. Of course, freshly caught seafood is a favorite on most restaurant menus. Do not deny yourself the pleasure of trying these truly delicious delights!

The road leading to the Florida Keys, the Overseas Highway No. 1, is mesmerizing with its natural beauty and runs through both the islands themselves and the bridges connecting the islands. Indescribable landscapes that will remain in your memory forever will be revealed to your eyes. The length of the longest bridge connecting the islands over the body of water is as much as 11 kilometers. The total length of the Marine Highway is about 180 kilometers, with 42 bridges included in it, raised high above the ocean, of various lengths and architecture. It is one of the longest and most stunning trails of its type in the world and is known as another wonder of modern America. And there are not enough words here to describe the panoramas and views that open up on the way to the Florida Keys; you should see everything with your own eyes!

Key Largo Island

With its warmth and crystal clear waters, Key Largo is especially attractive to the sport fishing community of the Keys, earning the island the nickname "the diving capital" of thousands of scuba divers and snorkelers. In addition, the waters of the marine reserve are also fraught with man-made beauties: once on the coral reef of the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, divers with bated breath discover at the bottom of the sea the once submerged bronze statue of Christ, which has already become a symbol of the island.

Located just an hour south of Miami, Key Largo offers a unique opportunity for city-weary South Florida residents to experience an unforgettable time in nature, enjoying the rays of the tropical sun and the crystal clear waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Almost anywhere in Key Largo you can order a seafood lunch that is amazing in its variety. For example, freshly caught fish and a refreshing cool tropical drink? Well, after a great dinner, restaurants invite all their guests to dance or just relax while enjoying a live performance by a local musical group.

Islamorada Island

Islamorada is not only one of the most popular destinations in the Florida Keys, but also a unique island chain, as it consists of six different islands: Upper Matecumbe Key, Lower Matecumbe Key, Plantation Key, Windley Key and two offshore islands - Indian Key and Lignumvitae Key . At different times, many sailors suffered shipwrecks on the Molas Reef, near these islands. And those miraculously surviving sailors who escaped from the sunken Spanish galleons and swam to the nearest island of Islamorada, whose name translated from Spanish means “purple island,” became its first settlers. Today the island is known as the “sports fishing capital of the world,” as is any other part of the Florida Keys chain.

Regardless of your chosen pastime: fishing, diving, snorkeling or just relaxing on the beach, Islamorada is always ready to offer a variety of exciting ideas to make your holiday unforgettable! Cozy hotels, white sand beaches, tiki bars, souvenir shops and indescribably beautiful nature await our dear guests on this paradise island.

Biography and career

The performer was born in Bashkortostan. In childhood photos, the girl looks very shy and hardly smiles. Her mother named her Florida because she once spent a vacation on a ship and met a girl with such an unusual name - as a result, a vivid memory remained.

From early childhood, Chanturia was interested in music. She studied not only at a comprehensive school, but also attended a music school. After receiving her certificate, the girl moved to St. Petersburg and entered the State University of Culture and Arts in the jazz and pop department.

The singer showed her best side in the Marmelad group, and then successfully moved to Leningrad, where she became one of the brightest participants. Since 2020, the group has been performing without Vasilisa Starshova and all the attention of fans is directed to the soloist.

In 2020, the premiere of the album “Not Paris” took place. The most popular compositions from it:

• "Bag";
• "Role";
• "Kolshchik";
• "Cabriolet".

An important event in the life of Florida is the opening of her own studio in St. Petersburg. In it, amateurs and professionals improve their skills and learn vocal skills.

Childhood and youth

The father was Georgian by nationality; he and his daughter always had a warm and trusting relationship, but when Florida was 9, her father died. Because of the tragedy, the mother raised her daughter on her own.

From a young age, the Russian woman had a desire to sing. She happily sang at children's matinees, and also listened to a lot of different music - this is how her unusual musical taste was formed.

In high school, the girl planned to enter a university in Moscow and start building her career there, but she managed to enter the University of St. Petersburg - the decision was made to study in St. Petersburg. Since her mother remained in her hometown, Florida had to rely only on herself. She agreed to stay in a hostel.

It was difficult to live on a scholarship, so the girl got a job as a waitress. A few months later she was promoted to bartender. In her 2nd year, she started working at a karaoke club. She performed at Plywood and Gelsomino Cafe. She graduated from the university in 2013.

The path to popularity

The girl began her path to fame at a music school. She studied vocals and improved her musical abilities every day. After studying at the university, Chanturia became the lead singer of the cover group “Marmalade Party Band”. She began performing in clubs and at various events. Almost immediately she has a small circle of fans.

A key event occurred in 2020. The Russian woman took part in a competition to become a vocalist in the Leningrad group. She passed the selection and together with another young performer - Vasilisa Starshova.

First success

Real success came after the first concert of the Leningrad group. In 2020, the group’s first performance took place on the Stage Life stage in the capital. The audience warmly received the group.

The singles “Ecstasy”, “Voyage” and “Candidate” brought fame. When the group turned 20, another big concert took place. The Otkritie Arena stadium was sold out. One of the center stars was Florida.

Present and creative plans for the future

The creative life of the performer develops in different directions at once. Last year, the singer took part in Fort Boyard. She enjoyed the unusual experience. In addition to participating in the project, she recorded songs together with other members of the Leningrad group.

In March 2020, the Little Big group presented a new song “Uno”. She will be presented at Eurovision 2020. Florida was asked to take part in the “Little Big” video. The song received more than 9 million views and a large number of comments in 24 hours.

Rock musician Sergei Shnurov said that Chanturia will temporarily join Little Big so that the group can successfully perform at a music competition, and then return to the team again. In March, it became known that the competition was postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus that was sweeping the whole world.

Long Key

Almost all vacations on Long Key Island are active and water-based, because it is here that sports such as snorkeling, scuba diving, and fishing are popular all year round. Outdoor enthusiasts will discover nature trails with rich plant life, picturesque rocky shores, and an overnight stop in Long Key National Park will allow you to set up a full-fledged campsite with magnificent views of the Atlantic Ocean and the bottomless sky strewn with billions of stars. Such impressions will certainly be remembered for a lifetime!

Population

City of Key West
The majority of the population is concentrated in several large locations, including the city and port of Key West (English Key West) (32% of the total population of the islands). Geographically, 95% of the entire territory belongs to Monroe County, and only the area closest to Miami, mainly the city of Iceland

(English Islandia), belong to Miami-Dade County.

The city and port of Key West is considered the main city of Monroe County, which is largely occupied by the Everglades National Park in mainland Florida. On a remote island of the archipelago, Dry Tortugas, lies Dry Tortugas National Park.

Marathon Island

Marathon Island is a 10-kilometer city unique in its structure and natural resources, which, according to many, is the middle of the Florida Keys island chain. To the east of the city is the world famous Seven Mile Bridge, repeatedly depicted in many films, and at the western end is another, no less popular Tom's Harbor Bridge. The main sport on Marathon Island, as well as other Florida Keys islands, is, of course, fishing. Here you can easily find several log piers, and you can also rent a boat or yacht for fishing in any part of the island, be it the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean. Particularly popular at Marathon are diving, snorkeling and spear fishing, famous for the opening of the lobster season.

Geography

Location

Florida borders Alabama and Georgia to the north. Within the peninsula, the border follows the coastline, also including the Florida Keys in the south. Florida Bay is located between the peninsula and the Florida Keys archipelago. It is washed on the west by the Gulf of Mexico, on the south by the Strait of Florida and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean.

Most of the state of Florida is located on the peninsula of the same name between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean and the Straits of Florida. In summer the time zone is GMT-4, in winter GMT-5.

The highest natural point in the state, Britton Hill, at 105 m (105 m) (and the lowest of the highest points in all states), is located in the northern part of the state and does not belong to the Florida peninsula. The highest point on the peninsula is Mount Sugarloaf[5] - 95 m. Most of the state's territory is lowland, only in the northern part is it hilly.

Climate

North Florida, leaf fall.

Snow is a rare occurrence in Florida. Jacksonville, 1989

A typical winter day at the beach in Miami.
Climatically, Florida represents two zones: in most parts (specifically north of Lake Okeechobee) the climate is humid subtropical, in the south it is tropical; in the north it is monsoonal, in the south it is oceanic. Miami's mild winters make it a top winter tourism destination.

Northern and Central Florida receive 2400-2800 hours of sunlight per year, South Florida - 2800-3200 hours.

The average summer temperature is from 26 °C in the north to 28 °C in the south, winter - from 12 °C in the north to 20 °C in the south. In summer, temperatures rarely exceed 38 °C. In central and southern Florida, sea breezes keep temperatures cool during the summer. The highest temperature recorded was near Monticello (+43 °C), the lowest was near Tallahassee (-19 °C). USDA hardiness zones range from 8a in the north to 10 in the south.

Average precipitation is the highest of any US state. The state is often visited by tropical thunderstorms and is known as a champion in the frequency of lightning strikes. Thunderstorms are often accompanied by hail, and tornadoes are not uncommon. Floods cause particularly severe damage to cities in southern Florida, where land lies near sea level. Precipitation in the form of snow has never been recorded in the south of Florida, only isolated cases of very short-term snowfalls have been recorded in the north, which, moreover, do not occur every year.

Hurricane Andrew August 23, 1992

During the "hurricane season" of summer and fall, there is a constant risk of hurricanes. From 1855 to 2006, 114 hurricanes swept through Florida, 37 of them Category 3 or higher. It is rare for tropical cyclones to “pass” Florida, and Category 4 hurricanes hit Florida or Texas in 83% of cases. Modern construction techniques and accurate weather forecasting have helped reduce the damage caused by hurricanes. But this does not mean that there are fewer risky situations: in August 1992, more than 40 people died during Hurricane Andrew, which swept through southeast Florida. The material damage caused by the hurricane was estimated at more than $20 billion. In the city of Homestead, near Miami, 90% of city buildings were damaged. Typically, Florida's rainy season runs from late July to early November. And most often, hurricanes hit the state in September.

Florida's climate has been called its most valuable and important "natural resource." It is the climate that annually attracts millions of tourists and new citizens to the state - those who love warmth and evergreen palm trees. But especially many visitors to the state come to Florida in winter. In winter, southern Florida is one of the warmest places on the North American continent. Average January temperatures there are approximately +18° to +21°C.

Geology

The Florida Peninsula is a plateau of karst limestones perched on top of a cliff known as the Florida Platform. The largest deposits of potassium salt in the United States are located in the state of Florida.

Extensive systems of underwater caves, sinkholes and springs are found throughout the state and supply much of the water used by local residents. The limestone is covered with sand that has accumulated on ancient beaches over millions of years, dating back to sea level rise. The last ice age was marked by a decrease in sea level and the development of a dry climate, due to which the land area of ​​the peninsula increased. The geology of the peninsula became savannah type. The Everglades, an extremely wide, slow-moving river, spans the southern edge of the peninsula. Sinkholes damaged a total of $2 billion in private property between 2006 and 2010.

Florida ranks last among U.S. states for the number of earthquakes in the United States. Earthquakes are rare in the state because Florida is not located near tectonic plate boundaries.

Flora

Quercus virginiana
) leaves and acorns

Magnolia grandiflora (
Magnolia grandiflora
)

Cactus
Pilosocereus robinii
. There are seven known populations of this plant in Florida, located on four islands in the Florida Keys.

The state of Florida has several distinctly different vegetation zones:

An area of ​​subtropical open forest characterized by an abundance of flowers, including a wide variety of orchids, of which there are more than 60 varieties.

A zone of shrub forests consisting mainly of low-growing sand pines. Palmetto, Maryland oak, and black oak also grow in this area.

Swamp areas, among them there are both huge swamps like the Everglades, and relatively small areas of the so-called salt marshes.

Forest zones dominated by both hardwood trees and a variety of conifers. These forests are mainly located in the northern parts of Florida. The predominant tree species are swamp pine and other types of pines, various types of oaks and cypresses.

A savannah area in central Florida that is home to plants such as lettuce and American lotus.

Southern Florida is currently home to more than 100 species of palm trees, with the king palm and coconut palm being common. Initially, about 15 species of palm trees grew in the state; the remaining species were introduced over the past 200 years and acclimatized to a climate favorable to them. Some types of palms, such as the rattan palm, also grow well even in the northern regions of Florida, where they coexist with oaks and magnolias. Nearly every species of cactus and orchid in the state, as well as most species of ferns and many palm species, are now experiencing sharply contracted ranges and declines in numbers. For example, plants such as Harrisia fragrant, Florida yew, key cactus, cow horn cactus, as well as some species of rhododendron are on the verge of almost complete extinction.

Some plants have extensive economic use, for example, Coccoloba berry.

Fauna

The blue scrub jay is endemic to Florida.
The fauna of Florida is very diverse and includes the following representatives:

• Marine mammals: bottlenose dolphin, short-finned pilot whale, North Atlantic right whale, American manatee.
• Reptiles: American alligator, some crocodiles (crocodiles), harlequin coral adder, rattlesnake Crotalus adamanteus, millet pygmy rattlesnake, striated kingsnake, milk snake, green, leatherback and polyphemus gopher turtles, non-venomous snakes of the genus Drymarchon. About nine species of boas and pythons, which came to the state from South America, Africa and Asia, have taken root especially in the southern part of the peninsula, and some have even begun to reproduce successfully, for example, the reticulated python (Python reticulatus), the yellow anaconda (Eunectes murinus) and the tiger python (Python molurus bivittatus), these snakes have become a danger to rare species of animals and birds in the state.
• Mammals: Florida cougar (critically ill), Canadian otter, mink, Florida rabbit, swamp rabbit, raccoon, striped skunk, squirrels, white-tailed deer, reef deer, bobcat, gray fox, coyote, wild boar (acclimatized by humans and along with ferals domestic pigs damage the ecosystem), Florida baribal, nine-banded armadillo.
• Birds: About 11 species of hummingbirds are found in the state, other birds include the bald eagle, Caracara cheriway, social slug-eating kite, osprey, American white and brown pelicans, gulls, whooping and sandhill cranes, roseate spoonbill, blue jay, monk parakeet , an endemic subspecies of the turkey osceola.
• Fish: There are more than 150 different species of fish in coastal areas. Florida's inland reservoirs and rivers contain several dozen species of freshwater fish.
• Invertebrates: In Florida, there are more than 300 species of native butterflies alone; other insects include carpenter ants, termites, the cockroach Periplaneta americana, the Africanized bee, and the imported red fire ant.

Ecology

Florida is 45th out of 50 states in energy and fuel consumption, producing 6% of the country's total production. Today, 4% is created through the use of renewable resources. The recycling rate is 28% for the year 2000, since 2008 the goal has been to increase this figure to 75% by 2020.

Large oil reserves are believed to be found west of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico, but the area has been closed to exploration since 1981.

Red tides are a problem on the southwest coast of Florida, and the neurotoxin brevetoxin produced by dinoflagellate algae greatly harms the coastal ecosystem. However, to date there is no evidence that red tides are caused or exacerbated by any pollution.

The Florida cougar is close to extinction. They often die as a result of car collisions; in 2009, 23 individuals died this way. Today the population consists of about 100 individuals. The Center for Biological Diversity and other conservation organizations are creating sanctuaries to protect cougars. Manatees are also at risk.

Forest fires are also an environmental problem. So in 2010, 11,000 km² burned in the state.

Bahia Honda Key

The islands of Bahia Honda Key offer their guests a wide variety of options for fun and healthy leisure activities. Of course, the main place of this nature reserve is the Bahia Honda State Park - a place of incredible beauty, perfect for camping or a picnic. With the pristine, shallow waters surrounding the Keys island chain, swimming and diving in the Atlantic Ocean or Florida Gulf have always been popular. And the diversity of the underwater world, with its stunning landscapes, will excite your memory for a long time.

Key West Island

Key West Island is the outermost and most famous of the entire Florida Keys island chain. Bathed in warm tropical sun, cooled by ocean breezes and shaded by lush tropical plants and trees, Key West combines a romantic destination with rich history, culture and natural treasures, making it a favorite destination for American bohemians and celebrities. Legendary US presidents: Truman, Eisenhower and Kennedy repeatedly came to Key West to rest; Ernest Hemingway lived and worked here, where he wrote his most famous works throughout the world. Having visited Key West once, you will certainly return here again and again, because some part of your heart will forever remain in this paradise.