Things to do / Travel Guide
While Miami has been a busy city for almost a century, the rest of South Florida remained mostly undeveloped until the 1960s. Today, the three contiguous counties of Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach, along the southeast coast of the state, are major centers of population, commerce, transportation, and tourism. Most recently, there has been spreading development throughout the region, even in the once remote Florida Keys and the region's West Coast. One of the last large undeveloped areas in all of South Florida is the Everglades National Park, which comprises most of the southern tip of Florida, west of Miami.
Because of the always-warm weather, this region has attracted many retirees. This population dominated the region for decades, but since the 1980s, many younger families have also moved to the area. The greater Miami area has a large Latin American population, which was partially spurred on by a great influx of Cuban nationals fleeing Fidel Castro since the early 1960s. The rest of South Florida has a mostly Caucasian population, originally hailing from various different parts of North America. There is also a sizeable African American community and a large Jewish community residing in the Palm Beach, Broward, and Dade Counties. The Native American tribes who lived in Central Florida before the arrival of Europeans to the region are no longer present, except on some small reservations in the Everglades and in Broward County.
Tourism to South Florida was largely confined to the wealthy before the 1950s, due in part to the expense and distance involved in getting there. With the advent of interstate highways and affordable air travel, the tourism industry grew significantly from the 1950s onward. Tourists from all over the U.S.A. come to the region, especially in the winter season. Families visiting their retired relatives also give tourism a constant boost. Today, tourism and agriculture are the major economic engines of the South Florida region.
South Florida lives up to the moniker of being in “The Sunshine State,” with no true winter and warm waters all year round. While the South Florida region's many beautiful beaches and associated recreational water activities are the star attractions, a great quantity and variety of other natural, shopping, athletic, and cultural attractions also bring large amounts of tourists to the region, along with great entertainment and dining selections. So in addition to basking at the beach, you should find plenty to see, experience, and enjoy in South Florida.
South Florida is on Eastern Time, three hours ahead of Pacific Time.
The biggest risk people associate the South Florida region with is hurricanes. There have been several destructive hurricanes to hit this region in recent years. As there is usually ample warning before a hurricane comes ashore, be aware that you might have to modify your vacation plans.
Having sunscreen and insect repellant handy is advisable, especially in the Everglades area.
A word or two about alligators. These creatures are plentiful in this region around inland bodies of water, namely the countless canals and lakes. Therefore, as silly as it sounds, never approach, antagonize, or try to feed an alligator.
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