* The '''East Gulf Coastal Plain''', which wraps around most of Florida's western and northwestern coast, is similar in terrain and other features to the Atlantic Coastal Plain, except that it is somewhat narrower in width (typically 30 miles or less). Its southernmost portion, in the Everglades, effectively merges with the other coastal plain, the two being indistinguishable except for the direction of water flow. There are fewer offshore islands on the Gulf Coast, except along the Florida panhandle.
* The '''Florida Uplands''' comprise the state's interior portion, including the central part of the peninsula and most of the Florida panhandle. It consists largely of rolling red-clay hills, divided by fertile valleys. In central Florida, the Uplands are characterized by numerous lakes, many of them formed by sinkholes, water-filled holes created by a collapse in the underlying bed of limestone. ===Climate=== Because of its southerly location, Florida is famed for its warm climate. North and Central Florida are regarded as being within the humid subtropical climate zone, with hot summers and generally mild winters, though killing frosts usually occur every year as far south as Lake Okeechobee. South Florida, by contrast, has a tropical climate, with the monthly average temperature above 64°F every month; it is extremely uncommon for temperatures to fall below freezing, even in January. Most of the state, especially further south and along the coasts, is influenced to a degree by monsoon wind patterns, so that summers are distinctly wetter than winters; Miami, for instance, averages a combined 15 inches of rainfall in June and July, but fewer than 4 inches in December and January. Though Florida is known for its sunny weather--averaging about 220 days of sunshine per year--it is also prone to severe weather. Most parts of the state lie less than 50 miles from a coastline, meaning that hurricanes are a recurring threat, especially in late summer and early autumn. It is not uncommon for a hurricane to approach from the Atlantic, pass over the entire peninsula, and head into the Gulf, or vice versa. The interior regions of Central Florida, being farthest from the coasts, are less prone to severe hurricane damage, but high temperatures and the collision of sea breezes from opposite directions make severe thunderstorms and tornadoes frequent in the summer months. This area is sometimes known as "Lightning Alley," due to the regularity of lightning strikes during these storms.
==Economy==