Keith J Blazek

When you think of Miami or Fort Lauderdale what comes to mind?  Images of beautiful sandy beaches stretching for miles along the Atlantic Coast and hot steamy tropical nights of dining and dancing most likely come to mind.  South Florida and especially Miami and Fort Lauderdale are a slice of tropical paradise, with all of the Latin and Caribbean flavors, but with all the comforts of a metropolitan lifestyle.

For many, the vision of their ideal dream home plays across their fantasies, as they consider South Florida the perfect place to buy a beautiful dream home to fully enjoy this tropical paradise.  And still others look for a quite place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities.  Miami and Fort Lauderdale are only a couple of hours flight from New York and only minutes from the Bahamas...

Of course it's not just savy real estate investors contributing to the growth of Florida.  Tourism plays a primary role in the state's economy; in 1996 visitors to Florida spent over $48 billion. Walt Disney World, a massive cluster of theme parks near Orlando that is one of the world's leading tourist attractions; Universal Studios, a combination theme park and film and television production facility, also near Orlando; and other attractions draw millions yearly.

Famed beaches, such as those at Miami Beach , Daytona Beach , and Fort Lauderdale , attract hordes of vacationers. With more than 4,000 sq mi (10,360 sq km) of inland water and with the sea readily accessible from almost anywhere in the state, Florida is a fishing paradise. Other attractions include Everglades National Park, with its unusual plant and animal life; Palm Beach , with its palatial estates; and Sanibel Island's picturesque resorts.

Famous for its citrus fruits, Florida leads the nation in the production of oranges, grapefruits, tangerines, and market-ready corn and tomatoes. Other important crops include sugarcane and many varieties of winter vegetables. Cattle and dairy products are important, as is commercial fishing, with the catch including crabs, lobsters, and shrimp.