What country owns the Florida Keys?

The Florida Keys are a coral cay archipelago off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States.



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Originally inhabited by Native American tribes, The Spanish claimed The Keys during Ponce de León's 1513 expedition. They saw little of value in the stony islands, but they mapped and named The Keys to help their ships navigate The Florida Straits as they carried gold and silver from the New World to the old one.

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Our history of a permanently settled island began on January 19, 1822 when John W. Simonton of Alabama purchased Key West from Juan Pablo Salas for the handsome sum of $2,000; the latter had acquired it as a Spanish Land Grant in 1815 for his service to the Spanish crown.

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The 7 Best Islands In the Florida Keys, Florida
  • Key West. Key West is one of the most coveted places for beach holidays in the Florida Keys. ...
  • Little Torch Key. This Florida Key is one of the best-kept secrets in the United States. ...
  • Big Pine Key. ...
  • Key Largo. ...
  • Long Key. ...
  • Duck Key. ...
  • Marathon Key.


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Largest of the keys is Key Largo, about 30 miles (50 km) long and formerly known for its plantations of key limes (used to make key lime pies).

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When explorer Juan Ponce de Leon charted the islands of the Keys in 1513, he called them Los Martires (meaning “the martyrs”) because he thought they resembled men in distress. The more popular name, simply the Keys, is derived from the Spanish word Cayo (“small island”).

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The pristine waters of the Lower Keys highlights the area's stunning natural beauty. The 125-mile Florida Keys island chain is home to the continental United States' only living-coral barrier reef, which runs the length of the Keys about five miles offshore.

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With an environment filled with terrestrial and marine wildlife, Big Pine & the Lower Keys is the least “people-populated” area of the Florida Keys. In fact, the majority of its inhabitants have fur, fins or feathers.

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Big Pine Key is where to stay in the Florida Keys for a quieter experience, surrounded by nature and wildlife. It is best for travelers who are looking for nature, not nightlife.

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The Islands of Marathon have virtually no crime or traffic congestion and thus is seen to many as the best place to live in the Florida Keys.

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The island of Key West lies at the end of the Florida Keys, about 150 miles southwest of Miami. The public-water supply for the island is provided by the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority Well Field near Miami.

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