The Everglades, one of the largest wetlands in the world, takes up two million acres of central and southern Florida. The cypress swamps, mangroves, hardwood hammocks, pineland, mud flats and waterways provide habitat to a diverse population of plants and animals. The National Everglades Park protects 1.5 million acres, and the other 500,000 acres serves as water storage in the forms of dams and canals to keep the nearby cities from flooding. The dangers lurking within the forested waterways may surpass the fame of the ecological wonder. The American alligator, the American crocodile, and possibly, the caiman swim throughout the Everglades. In addition, the Everglades host an unauthorized population of non-native and breeding Burmese pythons.
Florida gets 95 percent of its water from an underground aquifer fed by sinkholes. It also has more sinkholes than any other state. Lake Jackson turned into a sinkhole one day in 1999. In the previous 90 years, Lake Jackson disappeared three other times. Devils Millhopper State Park contains a sinkhole 120 feet deep and 500 feet across.
Set on 25,000 acres, Walt Disney World includes Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, two water parks and more than 20 hotels. Magic Kingdom, the most visited Florida theme park, receives 17.2 million visitors a year. Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure receive about 5 million each a year. Universal Studios focuses on the film experience. The Islands of Adventure contains a Harry Potter themed island, based on the famous book series. The third famous theme park franchise in Florida, SeaWorld, receives 5.8 million visitors a year.
The Kennedy Space Center resulted from a law signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, which created NASA, on July 29, 1958. In 1963, NASA renamed the year old building that functioned as its Florida headquarters, the Kennedy Space Center. Visitors to the center can watch a space shuttle launch, discover space through IMAX films, tour the facility, and explore the astronaut hall of fame.
