The Florida Keys are a chain of 1,700 islands off the southern coast of Florida that allow tourists to experience the Caribbean without leaving the country. The islands also house a booming fishing industry and profitable ports.
The Keys began in the Pleistocene Period when massive coral reefs formed in the warm shallow water that occupied most of southern Florida and the area of the Keys. During the last ice age, sea levels began to drop, exposing the coral reefs. 11,000 years ago, Florida Bay filled with water but left the keys exposed as islands.
The first inhabitants of the Florida Keys were the Native American tribes called the Tequestas and Calusas. The first Spanish explorers arrived in Florida in the 16th century and eliminated the native tribes. Members of the Creek tribe, later called the Seminoles, moved into the territory. Up until the early 1900s, all travel between the islands had to be conducted by watercraft. Henry Morrison Flagler extended the Florida East Coast Railway to Key West in 1912. The railway was replaced by the Overseas Highway in 1938 after being destroyed by a hurricane.
The Florida Keys are also known as "The American Caribbean." Attractions on the islands include fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, boating and eco-tours. The most populated and largest islands each have their own reputations and specialties in the tourism industry.
