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STS043-084-027 Orlando, Florida, U.S.A. August 1991
Orlando, with an estimated population of 200 000, is spread across the northwestern quadrant of this near-vertical photograph of east-central Florida. Numerous lakes--among them, East Lake Tohopekaliga, the circular feature south of the large airport, and elongated Lake Tohopekaliga to the southwest--were formed as chemical weathering eroded the underlying limestone rocks, causing sinkholes to develop. All of central Florida is characterized by this karst topography. The north-south-oriented streaks east of East Lake Tohopekaliga are ancient beach terraces that resulted from the gradual uplift of the Florida peninsula. Two parallel highways, State Highway 50 (northern) and State Highway 528 (also known as Bee Line Expressway), connect the Orlando area with the east coast of Florida. Barely discernible on the western edge of the photograph is the Disney World complex, almost equidistant between Orlando and Kissimmee, the city at the north end of Lake Tohopekaliga. | |
