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The Florida Keys are an archipelago of about 1700 islands in the southeast United States. They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about 15 miles south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry Tortugas. The islands lie along the Florida Straits, dividing the Atlantic Ocean to the east from the Gulf of Mexico to the west, and defining one edge of Florida Bay. At the nearest point, the southern tip of Key West is just 94 miles from Cuba. The Florida Keys are between about 23.5 and 25.5 degrees North latitude, in the subtropics. The climate of the Keys however, is defined as tropical according to Köppen climate classification. More than 95 percent of the land area lies in Monroe County, but a small portion extends northeast into Miami-Dade County, primarily in the city of Islandia, Florida. The total land area is 355.6 km² (137.3 sq mi). As of the 2000 census the population was 79,535, with an average density of 223.66/km² (579.27/sq mi), although much of the population is concentrated in a few areas of much higher density, such as the city of Key West, which has 32% of the entire population of the Keys.
The city of Key West is the county seat of Monroe County, which consists of a section on the mainland which is almost entirely in Everglades National Park, and the Keys islands from Key Largo to the Dry Tortugas.

Many of the residents of Key West were immigrants from the Bahamas, known as Conchs (pronounced 'conks') who arrived in increasing numbers after 1830. Many were sons and daughters of Loyalists who fled to the nearest crown soil during the American Revolution. In the 20th century many residents of Key West started referring to themselves as "Conchs", and the term is now generally applied to all residents of Key West. Some residents use the term "Conch" to refer to a person born in Key West, while the term "Fresh Water Conch" refers to a resident not born in Key West but who has lived in Key West for seven years or more. However, the true original meaning of Conch applies only to someone with European ancestry that immigrated from the Bahamas. It is said that when a baby was born, the family would put a conch shell on a pole in front of their home.

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QuantumTraveler
You are doing a great thing by promoting the Florida Keys. As a Florida resident myself, let me tell you that vacationing in the Florida Keys is a fantastic experience. Thanks for the info. Posted May 08, 2008 |
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JAV010
realy nice lens lot of information i love all your lenses 5 stars :) Posted May 02, 2008 |
| wiseseo
i always want to visit florida keys Posted April 21, 2008 |
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Deeringboy
Hi there, this looks fantastic! Love the graphics on this lens. 5* to you. Posted March 24, 2008 |
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LauraSchofield
I love the Keys - at least what I've seen so far. My son and I only got as far as Key Largo, but our next trip we aim to go all the way through them exploring. Very nice lens! Interesting history! Posted March 19, 2008 |
| MiaBellezza
I love Florida but haven't been to the Keys. 5***** stars and I lensrolled you into my Flamingos! Posted March 18, 2008 |
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KimGiancaterino
Looks beautiful. I'd love to visit there sometime. Welcome to All Things Travel. Posted March 16, 2008 |
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JenniferAkers
Hi Travel-Guy, Posted February 19, 2008 |
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thomasz
I like this lens. 5 stars to you. Posted February 13, 2008 |
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lprince
Hi Travel-Guy, Posted January 30, 2008 |
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tdove
I've always wanted to go to the Florida Keys. Beautiful. Welcome to G Rated Lense Factory Posted January 27, 2008 |
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