Florida: The Rough Guide (Rough Guide Travel Guides) Book

INTRODUCTION The cut-rate package trips and photos of tanning flesh and Mickey Mouse that fill the pages of glossy holiday brochures ensure that everyone has an image of Florida - but seldom one that's either accurate or complete. Pulling 35 million visitors each year to its beaches and theme parks, the aptly nicknamed "sunshine state" is devoted to the tourist trade, yet it's also among the least-understood parts of the US, with a history, character and diversity of landscape unmatched by any other region. Beyond the palm-fringed sands, hiking and canoeing trails wind through little-known forests and rivers, and the famed beaches themselves can vary wildly over a short distance - hordes of copper-toned ravers are often just a frisbee's throw from a deserted, pristine strand coveted by wildlife-watchers. Variations continue inland, where smart, modern cities are rarely more than a few miles away from steamy, primeval swamps. In many respects, Florida is still evolving. Socially and politically, it hasn't stayed still since the earliest days of US settlement: stimulating growth has always been the paramount concern, and with a thousand people a day moving to the booming state, it's currently the fourth most populous place in the nation. The changing demographics have begun eroding the traditional Deep South conservatism and are overturning the common notion that Florida is dominated by retirees. In fact, the new Floridians tend to be a younger breed, working energetically to shape not only the future of Florida but that of the whole US. Immigration from outside the country is also on the increase, with Spanish- and French-Creole-speaking enclaves providing a reminder of geographic and economic ties to Latin America and the Caribbean. These links have proven almost as influential in raising the state's material wealth over the past decade as the arrival of huge domestic businesses, including sections of the film industry that have opted for central Florida in preference to Hollywood. Florida does, however, have a number of problems to contest with, the most pressing of which is its growing reputation for crimes against (and even murders of) tourists. While the authorities have devised schemes to reduce such attacks, it is an inescapable fact that visitors are an inviting target for both opportunist and organized criminals. Statistically, it's highly unlikely that you'll become a victim, but you should be wary at all times and pay heed to the safety tips given throughout the book. On the home front, the state is struggling to provide enough houses, schools and roads for its growing population; levels of poverty in the rural areas can be severe; and in an increasingly multi-ethnic society, racial tensions frequently surface. Expanding towns without jeopardizing the environment is another hot issue; large amounts of land are under state or federal protection, and there are signs that the conservation lobby is gaining the upperhand. Nevertheless, uncontrolled development is posing serious ecological problems - not least to the Everglades.Read More