File:Florida (MODIS 2016-02-16).jpg

English: January 24, 2016, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA�s Aqua satellite captured a true-color image of a sunny day in the �Sunshine State�.

The state of Florida sits in the southeastern section of the United States. The peninsula is bounded by the Gulf of Mexico on the west side, the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Straits of Florida at the southern tip. The land is low-lying, with the highest point, Britton Hill, measured at just 345 feet above sea level. Britton Hill is located in the Florida Panhandle and thus on the mainland.

With a long growing season, fertile soils, and few frost days, Florida has long been famous for agriculture, especially tomatoes, citrus and cattle. The balmy weather also drives the economy through tourism. Building for family fun at theme parks or for more adult-oriented entertainment in the glitter of the beach-and-nightlife scene, Florida attractions have changed the face of the once-rural regions, especially near Orlando and Miami.

In this image, large areas of human activity show up as gray pixels. The greater Miami area colors the southeastern tip of the state like a mantle of sooty snow. Near the center of this image, another large gray area marks the city of Orlando � home to many theme parks.

Rural areas and protected wilderness still remain, and are not only tourist destinations but are also critical to Florida�s environmental health and economy. The large grayish-green area west of Miami is the Florida Everglades. Containing wet sawgrass prairies, dry tropical hardwood hammocks and pinelands and mangrove swamps, it provides important habitat for a myriad of species, including migratory and wintering birds and rare and endangered species such as the manatee, the American crocodile, and the Florida panther.