Okefenokee Swamp

Okefenokee Swamp
/oh'keuh feuh noh"kee/
a large wooded swamp area in SE Georgia.

* * *

Swamp and wildlife refuge, southeastern Georgia and northeastern Florida, U.S. It has an area of more than 600 sq mi (1,550 sq km).

Located about 50 mi (80 km) inland from the Atlantic coast, it is bounded by the low, sandy Trail Ridge, which prevents direct drainage into the Atlantic. It has diverse and abundant wildlife. Exotic flowers, such as rare orchids, abound. In 1937 a large area of the swamp, almost all in Georgia, was made the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.

* * *

also spelled  Okefinokee 
 swamp and wildlife refuge in southeastern Georgia and northern Florida, U.S. It is a shallow, saucer-shaped depression approximately 25 miles (40 km) wide and 40 miles (65 km) long and covers an area of more than 600 square miles (1,550 square km). Lying about 50 miles (80 km) inland from the Atlantic coast, the Okefenokee Swamp is bounded on the east by the low, sandy Trail Ridge, which prevents direct drainage into the Atlantic. The swamp is partially drained southward into the Atlantic by the Suwannee and St. Mary's rivers.

      The Okefenokee Swamp includes low, sandy ridges, wet, grassy savannas, small islands (called hummocks) surrounded by marshes, and extensive “prairies,” or dark water areas covered by undergrowth and trees. Vegetation is dense in the swamp and includes giant tupelo and bald cypress trees festooned with Spanish moss, brush, and vines; where sandy soil is above the water, pine trees predominate. Meandering channels of open water form an intricate maze. Exotic flowers, among them floating hearts, lilies, and rare orchids, abound. The swamp is populated with diverse and abundant wildlife, with about 175 species of birds and at least 40 species of mammals, which include raccoons, black bear, white-tailed deer, bobcats, fox, and otter. Alligators are also present.

 In 1937, 371,445 acres (150,319 hectares) of swampland, almost all in Georgia, were set aside as the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, with headquarters at Waycross, Ga. The swamp's name probably is derived from the Seminole Indian word for “trembling earth,” so-called because of the floating islands of the swamp.
 

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Okefenokee Swamp — [ō΄kə fə nō′kē] [< AmInd name, lit., trembling earth + SWAMP] swamp in SE Ga. & NE Fla.: c. 700 sq mi (1,813 sq km) …   English World dictionary

  • Okefenokee Swamp —   [əʊkɪfɪ nəʊki swɔmp], Sumpfgebiet in den USA, in der atlantischen Küstenebene von Georgia und Florida, etwa 1 800 km2. Zypressenwälder wechseln mit höher liegenden Grasflächen und Seen; seit 1937 Wildschutzgebiet mit Alligatoren, Schlangen und… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Okefenokee Swamp — Coordinates: 30°37′7.56″N 82°19′15.5″W / 30.6187667°N 82.320972°W / 30.6187667; 82.320972 …   Wikipedia

  • Okefenokee Swamp — O|ke|fe|no|kee Swamp the Okefenokee Swamp a large area of ↑swamp land in the US, in southeast Georgia and northeast Florida. It is the home of many ↑alligators and many kinds of snakes and birds. Most of the area is now included in the Okefenokee …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Okefenokee Swamp — Sp Okefenòkio pélkė Ap Okefenokee Swamp L JAV (Džordžija ir Florida) …   Pasaulio vietovardžiai. Internetinė duomenų bazė

  • Okefenokee Swamp Park — Okefenokee Swamp Park, located near Waycross, Georgia, United States, is an entry point to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. The Okefenokee Swamp itself is the most extensive blackwater swamp in North America. External links Official… …   Wikipedia

  • Okefenokee Swamp — O′ke•fe•no′kee Swamp′ [[t]ˈoʊ kə fəˈnoʊ ki, ˌoʊ ki [/t]] n. geg a large wooded swamp area in SE Georgia. 660 sq. mi. (1709 sq. km) …   From formal English to slang

  • Okefenokee Swamp — /oʊkəfənoʊki ˈswɒmp/ (say ohkuhfuhnohkee swomp) noun a swamp in the US, in south eastern Georgia and north eastern Florida; national wildlife refuge. 1553 km2 …  

  • Okefenokee Swamp — noun a large swampy area of northeast Florida and southeast Georgia • Instance Hypernyms: ↑swamp, ↑swampland • Part Holonyms: ↑Florida, ↑Sunshine State, ↑Everglade State, ↑FL, ↑Georgia, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • Okefenokee Swamp —  Florida and Georgia …   Bryson’s dictionary for writers and editors

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”