Florida is known for sunshine, beaches and theme parks, but the Sunshine State has a wild and surprising side. Here are ten facts that go beyond the obvious.

1. It is home to the oldest city in the U.S.

St. Augustine, founded by the Spanish in 1565, is the oldest continuously inhabited European-established city in the country.

2. It has more than a thousand miles of coastline

Bordered by both the Atlantic and the Gulf, Florida has more coastline than any state except Alaska.

3. The Everglades is unlike anywhere else

This vast “river of grass” is a slow-moving wetland and the only place on Earth where alligators and crocodiles coexist in the wild.

4. Florida has hundreds of natural springs

Crystal-clear freshwater springs bubble up across the state, many staying a constant, swimmable temperature year-round.

5. You are never far from the water

No point in Florida is more than about 60 miles from the ocean or the Gulf.

6. It is the lightning capital of the country

Central Florida sees more lightning strikes than almost anywhere in the United States, earning a stretch the nickname “Lightning Alley.”

7. Manatees winter in its warm waters

Gentle “sea cows” gather near warm springs and power-plant outflows during cooler months.

8. The Keys are closer to Cuba than to Miami in spirit

Key West sits about 90 miles from Cuba, closer than to much of the Florida mainland’s interior.

9. It launched humans to the Moon

The Kennedy Space Center on the Space Coast has been the launch site for historic American spaceflights.

10. Invasive species thrive here

Florida’s warm climate has allowed non-native animals, from Burmese pythons to iguanas, to establish surprising populations.

Florida is far older, wilder and weirder than its postcard image — a state where history and untamed nature sit right beside the beaches.