History and Geography of the Florida Keys

The Florida Keys are a series of islands extending from the southeastern tip of Florida. They begin about 15 miles (24 kilometers) south of Miami and extend out toward the southwest and then west toward the Gulf of Mexico and the uninhabited Dry Tortugas islands. Most of the islands making up the Florida Keys are within the Florida Straits, a body of water located between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. The most populated city in the Florida Keys is Key West; many other areas are sparsely populated. Early Days of the Florida Keys The first inhabitants of the Florida Keys were Native American tribes: the Calusa and Tequesta. Juan Ponce de Leà ³n, who arrived in Florida in about 1513, was one of the first Europeans to find and explore the islands. The Native people soundly defeated his attempts to colonize the region for Spain. Over time, Key West began to grow into Floridas largest town due to its proximity to Cuba and the Bahamas and a trade route to New Orleans. In their early days, Key West and the Florida Keys were a major part of the areas wrecking industry—an industry that took or salvaged valuables from shipwrecks. This activity was dependent on the frequent shipwrecks in the area. In 1822, the Keys (along with the rest of Florida) became an official part of the United States. By the early 1900s, however, Key Wests prosperity began to decline as better navigational techniques reduced area shipwrecks. In 1935 the Florida Keys were struck by one of the worst hurricanes ever to hit the United States. On September 2, 1935, hurricane winds of over 200 miles per hour (320 kilometers/hour) hit the islands and a storm surge of over 17.5 feet (5.3 meters) quickly flooded them. The hurricane killed over 500 people, and the Overseas Railway (constructed in the 1910s to connect the islands) was damaged and service stopped. A highway, called the Overseas Highway, later replaced the railway as the main form of transportation in the area. The Conch Republic Throughout much of their modern history, the Florida Keys have been a convenient  area for drug smugglers and illegal immigration. As a result, the U.S. Border Patrol began a series of roadblocks on the bridge from the Keys to the mainland to search cars returning to Floridas mainland in 1982. This roadblock later began to hurt the economy of the Florida Keys as it delayed tourists going to and from the islands. Because of the resultant economic struggles, the mayor of Key West, Dennis Wardlow, declared the city as independent and renamed it the Conch Republic on April 23, 1982. The citys secession lasted only a short time however, and Wardlow eventually surrendered. Key West remains a part of the U.S. Islands of the Keys Today the total land area of the Florida Keys is 137.3 square miles (356 square kilometers), and in total there are over 1700 islands in the archipelago. However, very few of these are populated, and most are very small. Only 43 of the islands are connected via bridges. In total there are 42 bridges connecting the islands; the Seven Mile Bridge is the longest. Because there are so many islands within the Florida Keys, they are often divided into several different groups. These groups are the Upper Keys, the Middle Keys, the Lower Keys,  and the Outlying Islands. The Upper Keys are those located the farthest north and closest to Floridas mainland, and the groups extend out from there. The city of Key West is located in the Lower Keys. The Outer Keys consist of islands that are accessible only by boat. Hurricanes and Flooding The climate of the Florida Keys is tropical, as is the southern part of the state of Florida. Because of the islands location between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, they are very prone to hurricanes. The islands have low elevations; the flooding from the storm surges that usually accompany hurricanes can, therefore, easily damage large areas of the Keys. Evacuation orders are regularly put into place due to flood threats. Coral Reefs and Biodiversity Geologically, the Florida Keys are made up of the  main exposed parts of  coral reefs. Some of the islands have been exposed for so long that sand has built up around them, creating barrier islands, while other smaller islands remain as coral atolls. Additionally, there is still a large coral reef offshore of the Florida Keys in the Florida Straits. This reef is called the Florida Reef, and it is the third-largest barrier reef in the world.   The Florida Keys are a highly biodiverse area because of the presence of coral reefs as well as undeveloped forested areas. Dry Tortugas National Park is located about 70 miles (110 kilometers) from Key West and, since those islands are uninhabited, they are some of the most well preserved and protected areas in the world. The waters around the islands are home to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Because of its biodiversity, ecotourism is becoming a large part of the Florida Keys economy. Other forms of tourism and fishing are the major industries of the islands.

Terrorism And The Terrorist Attacks - 1777 Words

September 11, 2001 is a day many will not forget. This is one of the deadliest terrorist attacks on U.S. soil, in U.S. history. The Islamic extremists group, al Qaeda led by Osama bin Laden, had hijacked four planes two of which had crashed into World Trade Center, one in the Pentagon, and the other in an open field in Pennsylvania. These attacks left many people dead and the U.S. in a state of chaos. After September 11, 2001 many were affected by the lives loss, the stock market being closed for several days, wars began over seas, the Department of Homeland Security was created, airport security became more stringent, and families weren t able to get financial aid. Many people were affected by the lives loss on this day. Many people†¦show more content†¦I don t want to play football until I can play with you again some day. He probably wishes his dad was still here with him to play football and have him there for all the special events in his life to come. It is amazing to see how a young boy can see past his father s death and know he is still with him and know that one day they will be together again. The past months had been hard for many and brought heartache and pain to them, that will never completely go away. The attacks also affected the U.S. stock market which was closed because of them. The stock market was closed for four trading days, which didn t make things better for the U.S because the stock market had already been behind. The stock market remained closed until September 17, sending the already lagging U.S. economy into further distress (September 11 Attacks). This was the first time since the Great Depression that the stock market had been closed. This was one of the worst one day drops for the market. This led to the extending of 2001 recession, but was officially over by November 2001. It also led to the one of the biggest government spending programs in U.S. history - the War on Terror (War on Terror). President George W. Bush had said in his speech Americans should not expect one battle but a lengthy campaign, unlike any other we have ever seen (War on Terror). First we had launched the war in Afghanistan to find Osama bin Laden, who had organized these attacks on

Invisible Man Essay Free Essays

Portrayal of Women In Invisible Man women were primarily given the role of prostitutes, caregivers and sex objects that presented them as inferior to men. The author fails to reflect on the struggles of women in the novel but encourages reflecting on the struggles of black males. In Invisible Man, written by Ralph Ellison, women are intensely stereotyped by the author and could also be characterized as â€Å"invisible† based on the author’s description of the main character and his experiences in the novel. We will write a custom essay sample on Invisible Man Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now White women in the novel were something that invisible man thought to be forbidden; they could be characterized as the forbidden fruit. Invisible man saw a blonde white woman at the Battle Royal who was beautiful in his eyes. Unfortunately, he could stare at her all he wanted but couldn’t touch the white woman. At the end of the novel he decides to use Sybil for his own greed, later he feels guilty and calls what he did a sin. It seems that in the novel white women are presented with higher regard than black women. During incidences in the novel white women were usually there to help invisible man with his journey to figure out who he is. They are given roles that are basically more important than the black women in the novel; but this is not always true. In the novel he was saved by a white girl during his eviction speech, a white women seduced him when she lied about having problems with the Brotherhood and a white woman saved him when he was made to sing for the white people. Women characters are given minor roles compared to invisible man and lead him on his journey in the novel. Sybil was the women that invisible man decided to use for his own intentions. Sybil showed to have stereotypical opinions about black men and invisible man understood what type of women she was. Invisible man decided that she was perfect to take advantage of because she was lonely when the Brotherhood took a lot of time. Sybil is a very weak woman and needs certain attentions in order for her to be completely satisfied. Invisible man strived to improve himself in the novel, which Sybil failed to do. He seeks out and â€Å"chooses to use Sybil precisely because she is â€Å"lonely,† â€Å"misunderstood,† â€Å"neglected,† and â€Å"wistful† (Sylvander 78). Invisible man manipulates this woman and takes advantage of her. In this sense Sybil is stereotyped as a weak woman who doesn’t improve herself. There was also another women whose husband was a member of the Brotherhood; even though she didn’t believe in the Brotherhood. She was interested in satisfying her emotional needs and tricked invisible man in coming over by saying she had questions over the Brotherhood. Invisible man portrays white women in the novel as beautiful and sensual; black women fail to have these characterizations. Black women in the novel such as Mary are limited to being caretakers and serving without the beauty that he characterizes the white women with. Invisible man presents the way black women were viewed in society compared to white women at the time. The women who lived with Trueblood, Kate and Matty Lou, lived a harsh life and experienced no happiness. Trueblood impregnated his own daughter, which shows how horrible women were treated in this novel. Trueblood tries to explain what he had done and how he tried to move without moving; a mere excuse for his actions. Mary played a significant role in the novel because she was the main character who helped invisible man find his identity. Unfortunately, in order to truly find himself the narrator had to leave Mary. Mary immediately came to his rescue after he was released from the hospital. She was a mother figure in invisible man’s eyes who agreed to nurture him until he could support himself. This is proof that women in the novel were given minor roles . Invisible man uses Mary until he leaves her for the Brotherhood. But it was Mary’s lectures of leadership and helping the society that drove invisible man to the Brotherhood. Mary was â€Å"something out of my past which kept me from whirling off into some unknown which I dared not to face† (Stanford 29). The women in this novel basically helped the speaker find himself in society. The black and white women in the novel gave to the speaker and helped him throughout the novel. They are not unimportant in the novel but do not play any major roles as human beings. The narrator’s opinion regarding women always focuses on their physical appearances, which supports how he thinks they are no more than how they look or make him feel. The women never make their own decisions and only act out to help the narrator in his actions. Ellison’s invisible man does minimize the female experience by not having a main female character. There is an absence of female perspective in all decisions made about invisible man. Invisible man silences the voice of women and stereotypes them in the novel. How to cite Invisible Man Essay, Essays