A vast marshland, the Everglades is located in southern Florida. It is the largest subtropical wilderness remaining in the United States. The Everglades National Park, covering the southwestern part of the marsh, was established in 1947.

Physical features

The marsh covers an area of about 4,000 square miles (10,000 square kilometers). It is situated towards the south of Lake Okeechobee in Florida. A sandy belt, including the Miami metropolitan area, lies towards the east. On the west the marsh borders the Gulf of Mexico and on the west and south the Florida Bay.

Plants and animals

The marsh is covered with saw grass. Saw grass is a wet region herb with tiny sharp teeth at the edges. The grass grows to a height of about 10 feet (3 meters) to 15 feet (5 meters). There are stretches of open water in the Everglades in between which there are raised, fertile islands called hammocks. These hammocks are home to trees and shrubs including palms, pines, cypresses, oaks, and saw palmettos.

The climate and abundance of water attracts many birds and animals to the Everglades. These include herons, egrets, ibises, alligators, snakes, and turtles. The hammocks shelter animals like deer, wildcats, pumas, bears, smaller mammals, and many reptiles.

Economy

One fifth of the total area of the Everglades has been put to agricultural use. It has become the main supplier of vegetables in the region. Wildlife products like alligator hide and the feathers of egrets and herons are in great demand. Highway construction in the region has helped in the development of sport fishing in the Everglades. The Everglades National Park attracts many visitors as well.

History

Native Americans called the Everglades Pa-May-Okee, meaning “grassy water.” The Everglades were hunting and fishing territories. Transportation through the open saw grass was mostly in dugout canoes. Some of the hammocks were inhabited or used as garden sites. The Calusa people entered the Everglades from the Gulf coast. However, they did not settle down in the marsh and were largely gone by 1800.

The Seminole Indians absorbed the remaining Calusa during the early 19th century. The Seminole had moved into Everglades because European settlers took over other parts of Florida.

The Seminole fought a series of wars to keep the Europeans from taking over the land and removing the Seminoles to the west. The Indians finally surrendered, and most moved to the Indian Territory that is the present Oklahoma. The wars resulted in the opening of the glades for European settlement and use, though a significant community of Seminole remains.

Environmental issues

The Everglades habitat has undergone considerable changes due to drainage projects and the exploitation of wildlife. The drainage projects have focused on using the marsh for agricultural purposes. The marsh receives water from rainfall overflow and runoff, which is rainfall on land that reaches streams. This cycle was disturbed after the construction of levees, which are thick walls built to prevent flooding, and a system that controlled the flow of water. This has affected the habitats of some species. Great reductions in wildlife numbers led to laws after 1920 to protect “plume birds.” Alligator hunting was also stopped for a time.

The Everglades National Park was established in 1947 to protect the wildlife and habitat in the central and southern glades. The growth of poisonous algae and damaging plants are other results of the ecological changes. In 1992 Hurricane Andrew caused much damage to the park and to the rest of the area.