BB&T Center home of the Florida Panthers Much of Florida has an elevation of less than 12 feet (3.7 m) including many populated areas Therefore it is susceptible to rising sea levels associated with global warming the Atlantic beaches that are vital to the state's economy are being washed out to sea due to rising sea levels caused by climate change the Miami beach area close to the continental shelf is running out of accessible offshore sand reserves Elevated temperatures can damage coral reefs causing coral bleaching the first recorded bleaching incident on the Florida Reef was in 1973 Incidents of bleaching have become more frequent in recent decades in correlation with a rise in sea surface temperatures White band disease has also adversely affected corals on the Florida Reef! Following this period of rapid development and environmental degradation the ecosystem began to receive notable attention from conservation groups in the 1970s Internationally UNESCO and the Ramsar Convention designated the Everglades a Wetland Area of Global Importance the construction of a large airport 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Everglades National Park was blocked when an environmental study found that it would severely damage the South Florida ecosystem With heightened awareness and appreciation of the region restoration began in the 1980s with the removal of a canal that had straightened the Kissimmee River However development and sustainability concerns have remained pertinent in the region the deterioration of the Everglades including poor water quality in Lake Okeechobee was linked to the diminishing quality of life in South Florida's urban areas in 2000 the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan was approved by Congress to combat these problems to date,[when?] it is the most expensive and comprehensive environmental restoration attempt in history but its implementation has faced political complications, The area from Orlando to the tip of the Florida peninsula was at one point a single drainage unit When rainfall exceeded the capacity of Lake Okeechobee and the Kissimmee River floodplain it spilled over and flowed in a southwestern direction to empty into Florida Bay Prior to urban and agricultural development in Florida the Everglades began at the southern edge of Lake Okeechobee and flowed for approximately 100 miles (160 km) emptying into the Gulf of Mexico the limestone shelf is wide and slightly angled instead of having a narrow deep channel characteristic of most rivers the vertical gradient from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay is about 2 inches (5.1 cm) per mile creating an almost 60-mile (97 km) wide expanse of river that travels about half a mile (0.8 km) a day This slow movement of a broad shallow river is known as sheetflow and gives the Everglades its nickname River of Grass Water leaving Lake Okeechobee may require months or years to reach its final destination Florida Bay the sheetflow travels so slowly that water is typically stored from one wet season to the next in the porous limestone substrate the ebb and flow of water has shaped the land and every ecosystem in South Florida throughout the Everglades' estimated 5,000 years of existence the motion of water defines plant communities and how animals adapt to their habitats and food sources, See also: List of companies based in Miami. Miami's Freedom Tower Atlantis Academics The Miami area has a large Jewish community; 10.2% of the population was Jewish in the 2000 Census.[citation needed] There is also a sizable Muslim community numbering 70,000. Trans-Atlantic trade also resulted in an increasing urbanization: in European countries facing the Atlantic urbanization grew from 8% in 1300 10.1% in 1500 to 24.5% in 1850; in other European countries from 10% in 1300 11.4% in 1500 to 17% in 1850 Likewise GDP doubled in Atlantic countries but rose by only 30% in the rest of Europe by end of the 17th century the volume of the Trans-Atlantic trade had surpassed that of the Mediterranean trade. .
- Dissertation MTV Latin America is based in Miami serving residents in Mexico Argentina Venezuela and other Latin American countries since 1993. .
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