Florida Panhandle
The
Florida Panhandle is the region of the state of
Florida which includes the westernmost 16 counties in the state. It is a narrow strip lying between
Alabama and
Georgia to the north and the
Gulf of Mexico to the south. Culturally and in terms of history and climate, the region is more closely tied to the
Deep South than is peninsular Florida.
Shortly after the Civil War, residents of Florida's peninsula seriously considered ceding its entire western arm to
Alabama for a million dollars.
Alabama's leaders decided that the land was 'a sand bank and gopher region', and, as a result, the Panhandle remained with Florida. The region is a major source of revenue for the state today.The following
counties lie in the
Panhandle:
Cities in the Panhandle include
Tallahassee,
Pensacola, and
Panama City. The Panhandle is known for the
Redneck Riviera, the coast along the
Gulf of Mexico, which hosts many college students during
Spring break. The quartz sand on the beaches of the Panhandle is so white that some traders reportedly sold it as
sugar in
World War II.
Some refer to part of the Panhandle colloquially as "
Lower Alabama."
Florida, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides, 2004, pg. 20
