Florida Keys

The Florida Keys are an archipelago of about 1700 islands (cays) located south of the coast of Florida, United States. The cays begin about 15 miles south of Miami and extend about 320 km in an arc in a south-southwest direction and then westward to Key West, the last of the inhabited islands.

The islands are found along the Straits of Florida, forming a natural barrier that divides the Atlantic Ocean, to the east, from the Gulf of Mexico, to the west. The southern tip of Key West is only about 151 km from Cuba. The total land area is 355.6 km². According to the census of the year 2000, the population was 79 535 inhabitants, with a population density of 223.66 / km² (579.27 / mi²), despite the fact that most of the population is concentrated in a few areas of much more density , such as Key West, which has 32% of the total population of the Keys.

The Florida Keys are one of the most popular destinations for American tourists, thanks to the combination of closeness to the country and wonderful beaches.