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Geologists estimate that Florida is one of the youngest parts of the continental U.S., the last land mass to emerge from the ocean. The Florida landscape is sprinkled with 10,000 lakes ranging in size from one acre to the 450,000-acre Lake Okeechobee, the second largest freshwater lake in the U.S. Nearly one-third of the state's lakes are located in four Central Florida counties--Lake Orange, Osceola and Polk.
There are more than 300 known springs in the state and 27 are classified as "first magnitude." First magnitude springs produce at least 100 cubic feet of water per second. The longest of the state's 166 rivers is the Suwannee which trails 177 miles (283 km) through the northern part of the state.
No part of Florida is more than 60 miles (96 km) from its famous beaches. For most people, beaches and palm trees are synonymous with Florida's landscape. However, the state is quite diverse with upland hardwood forests and hills in the north, central highlands which range from flat to slight hills, coastal lowlands along the perimeter and southern lowlands.
The highest point in Florida is 345 feet above Sea Level with the lowest being at Sea Level.
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