South Florida

South Florida, sometimes called SoFlo, is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three main areas, along with Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is special because it is the southernmost part of the continental United States and the only part that has a tropical climate.

The area is mostly made up of the big Miami metropolitan area and the huge wild space called the Everglades. South Florida also includes the beautiful Florida Keys. There are three U.S. national parks here: Biscayne, Dry Tortugas, and Everglades. Many cities and towns are also found in this interesting part of the country.

Composition

See also: Flooded grasslands and savannas

South Florida is the southernmost part of the U.S. state of Florida. It has no official boundaries, and different people might think of it differently. One study found that many people in Florida see South Florida as starting from Jupiter and going south. This area includes the busy Miami metropolitan area, made up of Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach County, along with the Florida Keys and an area called the Glades.

Sometimes, people also include parts like Southwest Florida and the Treasure Coast in South Florida. However, places like Tampa Bay area are usually considered part of Central Florida, even though a big university there is called the University of South Florida. Different groups might use slightly different areas when they talk about South Florida.

Demographics

The people living in South Florida come from many places. Most of the people who move there from other countries are from Latin America.

South Florida has people who support different political groups. Some areas vote for the Democratic party, while others vote for the Republican party. In the 2020 United States presidential election, Democratic voters lived mainly in cities and some rural spots like around Immokalee and Belle Glade. Republican voters were more common along the coast north of Pompano Beach, in parts of the Everglades, and in many inland areas.

Cities

Largest cities in South Florida by population:

Culture

Miami accent

The Miami accent is a special way of speaking American English that you can hear in South Florida, especially in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Monroe counties. This accent started in Miami and has spread across South Florida since the 1960s. It is most common among young people born in America who live in South Florida.

The Miami accent is like regular American English but has some differences, similar to how people speak in the Mid-Atlantic, especially around New York. It includes a rhythm and pronunciation influenced by Spanish.

Politics

South Florida has some unique features that make it different from other parts of Florida. Many of these differences come from people moving there from the northern U.S., the Caribbean, and Latin America, especially in busy areas like Miami. Politically, South Florida used to be more liberal than the rest of the state, but it has become more conservative recently. While less than 10% of people in North or Central Florida think their area is liberal, over a third of South Floridians describe their region that way. About 38% see the area as conservative, and 26% as moderate.

Cuisine

South Florida stands out in its food culture. It is the only part of Florida where foods from different cultures are just as popular as typical American cuisine. Floribbean cuisine is a mix of flavors from Florida, the Caribbean, Asia, and Latin America that developed in this region. While most types of music are the same across Florida, there are differences in how much people like country and Latin music. Country music is less popular in South Florida than in North or Central Florida, but Latin music is more popular here.

Urban planning

South Florida has a unique way of growing. Unlike many places with a big city in the middle surrounded by development, most of South Florida is kept as natural space or for farming. Building is only allowed along a narrow, busy coastal strip. This area is very built-up and stretches out without one main city standing out. Experts think this pattern will continue in the future.

Partition proposals

Some people have suggested making South Florida its own separate state. These ideas are more about showing opinions than serious plans to leave the state. People feel this way because of differences in culture, money, and how things are run compared to the government in Tallahassee, which is in North Florida.

In 2008, leaders in North Lauderdale said they wanted South Florida to be a new state from Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties.

In 2014, leaders in South Miami also supported splitting Florida. They wanted to include Brevard, Orange, Polk, Hillsborough, and Pinellas counties, which covers parts of the Tampa Bay and Orlando areas. This would mean 24 counties would be in the new state of South Florida.