Florida, FL

The State of Florida is located in the southeastern region of the United States. Most of the state is a large peninsula with the Gulf of Mexico on its west and the Atlantic Ocean on its east.

Much of the state has a humid subtropical climate, except for southern Florida, where the climate is tropical.

Florida was named by Juan Ponce de León, who landed on the peninsula on 2 April 1513, during Pascua Florida (Spanish for "Flowery Easter," referring to the Easter season).

Florida is the 4th most populated state in the country. It ranks 4th in population only behind New York(3rd), Texas(2nd), and California (most).

Geography

Florida is situated mostly on a large peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Straits of Florida. It extends to the northwest into a panhandle, extending along the northern Gulf of Mexico.

It is bordered on the north by the states of Georgia and Alabama, and on the west, at the end of the panhandle, by Alabama. It is near the countries of the Caribbean, particularly the Bahamas and Cuba.

Florida's extensive coast line made it a perceived target during World War II, so the government built airstrips all around the state.

Today approximately 400 airports are still in service due to the coastal geography of the state. According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, Florida has 131 public airports, and more than 700 private airports, airstrips, heliports, and seaplane bases.

Florida is one of the largest states east of the Mississippi. Only Alaska and Michigan are larger in water area. The Florida peninsula is a porous plateau of karst limestone sitting atop bedrock.

Extended systems of underwater caves, sinkholes and springs are found throughout the state and supply most of the water used by residents.

The limestone is topped with sandy soils deposited as ancient beaches over millions of years as global sea levels rose and fell. During the last Ice Age, lower sea levels and a drier climate revealed a much wider peninsula, largely desert.

At the southern end of the peninsula, the Everglades are in fact an enormously wide, very slow-flowing river. At 345 feet (105 m) above mean sea level, Britton Hill is the highest point in Florida and the lowest highpoint of any U.S. state.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Florida".

Digital Photo Restoration Can Save Your Old Family Photos from Fading Away

by Valerie Goettsch

Many of us have antique or old family photos that need repair. They may have faded or the colors have changed; some may have a pink, yellow or blue haze. If photos weren't stored properly, they could also be damaged by mildew. By having your photos digitally restored and retouched you can save them from further deterioration and ensure that special memories are preserved.

What Kind of Photo Damage Can Be Repaired? A good digital photo retouching and enhancing service can fix almost any B&W and color photo, negative or slide from:

•Fading
•Scratches and Dust
•Stains
•Tears and Folds
•Water Damage
•Mildew Damage
•Fire Damage

How Are Photos Repaired and Restored? With the use of a computer and photo enhancement software, most damaged photos can be repaired. The original picture, slide or negative is scanned to create a high-resolution digital photo from which to work on. The original image is left unaltered. The idea is to repair and enhance the photos while keeping the original feel and look of the picture.

While it is certainly possible to fix and enhance your old photos at home, it takes a scanner and the appropriate image editing software (Photoshop is the gold standard) and some skill, patience and practice. Restoring photos is painstaking work. A good photo restorer will use cloning and healing tools to repair blemishes and scratches on the digitized image rather than just smoothing them out, which may change the look of the photo or make it look more like a painting.

If your photo is badly faded or the colors have shifted, a digital photo restoration service can make photo enhancements such as adjusting the contrast, color and sharpness. They can also remove dust and scratches and repair tears. If you have severely damaged images, such as photos that have fire, water or mildew damage (mildew is common with slides stored in damp areas such as basements), they can be repaired too. In some instances areas of the original photo are so damaged that important parts are missing. A skilled photo restoration service can use imaging software to re-create the missing sections or to paint them in. Most services will also colorize B&W photos and change or remove backgrounds and objects.

Why Should You Restore Your Old Photos It only takes a few years for most photos to start to fade and color-shift. Color photos may have a pink or orange cast while B&W photos may yellow. If they are exposed to sunlight, stored in an attic or basement, the deterioration can accelerate. They can even mildew if stored in a damp or humid location. By restoring and repairing your photo collection, you are stopping the cycle of deterioration. Once they are restored you will have digital copies of your photos, which you can print, archive on DVD, CD or an external drive, create a slide show and share them with other family members. Restored old family photos also make great gifts for birthdays, Christmas and other occasions.

By scanning and repairing your old photos, you will be able to archive and preserve your treasured memories for years to come.

About the Author

Valerie Goettsch operates the website www.digitalphotos101.com. Learn more about how digital photo restoration can repair and preserve your old family photos.