Florida Central Highlands (a wonder inside Florida)

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Florida Central Highlands (a wonder inside Florida)

Dr. Edmar Bernardes DaSilva (Masters in Geography and Doctor of Geography Education)

When you are living in South Florida you might think that the entire state of Florida is flat, and with no highlands at all. Well this is not true, because this week I visited with a friend of mine to the Florida Central highlands region, which is a very nice hilly region in Central Florida where lakes and low hills shape the physical landscape in the Lake County region. When I arrived in the region searching for Sugarloaf Mountain, which is the highest point in peninsular state of Florida at 312 feet (95 meters) above the sea, I was surprised to see a highland region inside Florida.

Florida Hills (Central Florida)

Even though I am a geographer, I always had this preconception that the state of Florida is totally flat and without any kind of hills. I was wrong! So I learned that the highest point in peninsular Florida is located inside Lake County, not far from the city of Clermont. Clermont, by the way, is a charming, small town surrounded by lakes of different sizes (e.g. Lake Apopka). Britton Hill, in the Florida Panhandle, is the highest point in the entire state at 345 feet above sea level. That is not very high either!!!! The state of Florida should add a course on the Geography of Florida to the school curriculum (high school and junior college). Florida is a state with a great and interesting geography which most Floridians know very little of it.

Florida Hills (Central Florida near Orlando)

Professor Harm de Blij

Dutch geographer and author. Professor de Blij left a legacy to be followed by us younger geographers. His regional divisions of the Earth in my view is the closest to reality (and I love his micro-regional divisions) with exceptions (some flaws can be found in his publications). Great geographer and also a great researcher. Professor de Blij wanted to meet me personally, but I never had the honor to meet him personally. Professor de Blij exchanged e-mails with me and also included my name in two editions of his books The World Today and Regions. I also had the honor to receive from him a copy of his book Why Geography Matters with his personal dedication to me with his signature and date. Professor de Blij did an extensive study of the wine regions of the Southern Hemisphere and Brazil my homeland was part of it which became a book (I own this book). Professor de Blij wrote me in a personal e-mail that he was six month in South America doing the research on wine regions of South America.