The Florida Keys is celebrating its bicentennial throughout 2023.
This will mark the 200th anniversary of the Florida legislature's founding of Monroe County, which contains the entire Florida Keys, on 3 July 1823.
The Florida Keys are a string of tropical islands stretching about 120 miles off the southern tip of the US state of Florida, between the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.
They're known as a destination for fishing, boating, snorkelling and scuba diving.
The southernmost city of Key West is known for its Duval Street's bars, Mallory Square's nightly Sunset Celebration and the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum.
The Seven Mile Bridge was completed in 1982 after four years of construction and connects Marathon and the Lower Florida Keys.
The Old Seven Mile Bridge paralleling it, was regarded as engineering miracle when it was completed in 1912.
It was the centrepiece of the Florida Keys Overseas Railroad that operated until 1935.
The bicentennial celebrations will come to a climax on 3 July 2023 with Bicentennial Day festivities and fireworks in the Lower Keys.
Visitors can also watch the creation of the world's largest Key lime pie.
In addition, museum exhibits and the Florida Keys Council of the Arts' 300-canvas 'Connections Project' mosaic mural will be themed to celebrate the historic bicentennial and the Keys' heritage.