The Florida Peninsula includes Florida’s mainland and lies between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.
It extends southward from the southeastern United States and is separated from the Florida Panhandle by the boundary near the northern part of the state. The peninsula’s western coast faces the Gulf of Mexico, while its eastern coast faces the Atlantic Ocean.
Florida is mostly low-lying and underlain by carbonate rock. This geology supports extensive groundwater systems, springs and wetlands, including the Everglades in the southern part of the peninsula. The Florida Keys form a separate chain of islands extending southwest from the tip.
The Florida Peninsula should not be confused with the entire state of Florida, because the state also includes the Panhandle. The peninsula is the long southern portion that gives Florida its distinctive shape.