Key West is a city on the island of the same name in the Florida Keys archipelago , the center of Monroe County, Florida .
| City | |||
| Key west | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| English Key west | |||
| |||
| A country |  USA | ||
| State | Florida | ||
| County | Monroe | ||
| The mayor | Craig Cates | ||
| History and Geography | |||
| Based | |||
| Former names | Cayo hueso | ||
| Square | |||
| Center height | 1m | ||
| Climate type | tropical | ||
| Timezone | UTC − 5 ; summer UTC − 4 | ||
| Population | |||
| Population | 25 478 people ( 2000 ) | ||
| Digital identifiers | |||
| Telephone code | +1 305 | ||
| Postcode | 33040, 33041, 33045 | ||
| keywestcity.com | |||
Key West is the southernmost city of the continental US . Among 49 states (except the state of Hawaii ), this is the only city where temperatures below 0 ° C have never been recorded.
The city's population is 25.4 thousand people ( 2000 ) - about a third of the total population of the Florida Keys Islands.
The climate in the city is tropical, clearly divided into two seasons - dry and wet.
Key West is the southernmost point of the United States (not including Hawaii and the Outer Minor Islands of the United States ), an island located 150 km from Cuba and connected to the mainland by a passage from islands and bridges more than 160 km long. The longest bridge part of this passage is more than 11 km. The nearest major city is Miami . A distinctive feature of the island is its own airport. In 1 hour you can fly from Miami. You can also get there by bus in 4 hours. The main street of the island - Duval st., On which most restaurants and hotels are concentrated, goes directly to the pier, where cruise liners come 2-3 times a week.
The climate on the island is about the same as everywhere on the coast. The temperature is about 30 ° C.
Content
History
In pre-Columbian times, the Callus tribe lived in Key West. The first European was Juan Ponce de Leon . He arrived here in 1521.
The original name that the Spanish colonists gave Key West is Cayo Hueso (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈkaʝo ˈweso]). Hispanics still use this name. Literally, it means "islet with bones," or "islet covered with bones." It is said that the island was covered with remains (bones) after an Indian battle. The Spanish word cayo, that is, “small sand island” (a word borrowed, in turn, from the now dead language of one Native American tribe) has also passed over time into English, having acquired, in some similarities in sounding, the form of “key” ( "Key" in English) - which in conjunction with the Spanish word hueso ("bone") gave the combination "bone key". The most common version of why the name “bone key” was changed to “western key”, as Key West literally translates from English: this is a consequence of a mistake. The Spanish hueso [ˈweso] is similar to the English word west [ˈwest]. According to other versions. the name comes from the fact that it is the westernmost island of the Florida Keys group of islands or that it is the westernmost of the Florida Keys islands that have sufficient fresh water reserves.
Geography and climate
Geography
The total area occupied by the city is 19.2 km², of which 15.4 km² is land.
Key West, like most other Florida Keys islands, is located on the border between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico . The flows in them are different. In the Gulf of Mexico, it is calmer and warmer, sea herbs grow there. The strait connecting the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean is called Florida .
The southernmost city
One of Key West's main attractions is the cement buoy model. At first, there was just a sign in this place, but it was often abducted. Therefore, in 1983, the now-famous monument was erected [2] . It is brightly colored and it displays the inscription: “ Republic of Conk / To Cuba 90 miles / The southernmost point of the continental USA / Key West, Florida / Where the sunset is” (“THE CONCH REPUBLIC / 90 Miles to CUBA / SOUTHERNMOST POINT CONTINENTAL USA / KEY WEST, FL / Home of the Sunset ”). This is one of Key West's most visited and photographed attractions.
In fact, before Cuba, 94 miles [3] and this is not the southernmost point of the continental United States.
The vicinity of President Truman 's Little White House, located west of this monument, is the southernmost point, but it is not marked by anything, since there is a US naval base and tourists are not allowed there.
Private estates west of the monument, a beach on lands belonging to President Truman's Little White House, and Zachary Taylor Fort also lie south.
The southernmost point that tourists can visit for a small fee is the beach of the state park [4] .
The southernmost point you can visit for free is White Street Pier.
Climate
Key West is considered the only city (city) of the Continental states , where there is never frost. Due to the proximity of the Gulf Stream in the Strait of Florida, which is located about 19 km to the south, southeast, and the softening influence of the Gulf of Mexico in the west and north, a mild tropical marine climate has established in Key West. The temperature in January varies from about +19 ° C to +24 ° C. There has never been a recorded snowfall. The coldest temperature was recorded on Key West on January 12, 1886 and January 13, 1881 (+5.0 ° C). In July, the average temperature varies from +27 ° C to +32 ° C. The hottest temperature was recorded on July 19, 1880 and August 26, 1956 (+36.1 ° C) [5] .
There are two seasons in Key West: the dry season and the rainy season. From November to April there is usually a lot of sun, during this period less than 25% [4] of annual precipitation falls . The period from May to October is considered the rainy season, this time accounts for approximately 53% [4] of annual precipitation. Showers, rains with thunderstorms come early in the morning. In any case, Key West is characterized by the least rainfall compared to other Florida cities. [6]
| Climate Key West | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indicator | Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Absolute maximum, ° C | 32 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 36 | 34 | 33 | 31 | 38 |
| Average maximum, ° C | 24.1 | 24.4 | 26.0 | 27.7 | 29.7 | 31,2 | 31.9 | 31.9 | 31,2 | 29.3 | 27.0 | 24.8 | 28.3 |
| Average temperature, ° C | 21.3 | 21.6 | 23,2 | 25.0 | 27.1 | 28.6 | 29.2 | 29.1 | 28.6 | 26.8 | 24.6 | 22.2 | 25.6 |
| Average minimum ° C | 18,4 | 18.7 | 20,4 | 22.3 | 24.4 | 25.9 | 26,4 | 26.2 | 25.8 | 24.3 | 22.2 | 19.6 | 22.9 |
| Absolute minimum, ° C | five | 7 | eight | 9 | 13 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 9 | 7 | five |
| Precipitation rate, mm | 56.4 | 38,4 | 47.2 | 52.3 | 88.4 | 116.1 | 83.1 | 137.2 | 138.4 | 110,2 | 67.1 | 54,4 | 989.1 |
| Source: NOAA (1971-2000), HKO (1961-1990) | |||||||||||||
Maritime Railway
From 1912 to 1935, a unique Gulf of Mexico Railway operated from the Florida Peninsula to Key West. Its length was 248 kilometers.
Gallery
Key West aerial view
E. Hemingway House
Hurricane Wilma in Key West
Express from Miami, 1915
Express from Miami to the storm, 1915
Map with a railway line to the island
Notes
- ↑ 2016 US Gazetteer Files - U.S. Census Bureau , 2016.
- ↑ Key West History Archived December 2, 2008.
- ↑ Google Earth
- ↑ 1 2 3 en: Key West, Florida
- ↑ National Weather Service Key West, August Climate Archived January 6, 2009 on Wayback Machine
- ↑ Gutelius, Scott; Stone, Marshall & Varner, Marcus (2003), True Secrets of Key West Revealed! , Key West: Eden Entertainment Limited, ISBN 9780967281940